One of my favourite stays that I’ve ever had was in the quirky, creative town of Todos Santos, Baja California Sur. There’s a magic to this town—and the Mexican government knows that! In 2006, Todos Santos was deemed a Pueblo Mágico—one of just 100 or so small towns honored for its natural beauty, cultural riches, or historical relevance.

While here, I stayed at Villa Santa Cruz, an absolutely stunning beachfront property run by Matt and Jessica, who fell in love with Baja on a trip in 2001. What was just a raw stretch of land is now slowly developing into a beautiful coastal paradise, created for travelers, surfers, and artists alike. They built Villa Santa Cruz on a 40+ acre piece of land, and it’s a hacienda-style villa that pays homage to Mexico’s rich architectural history.

The Room

I stayed in one of their Tented Ocean Suites, and my goodness…it was something else. These suites sit right along the coast, with a private little beach backyard with a firepit and public access to the beach. The space also has two outdoor seats and a lovely hammock for you to enjoy the sunset (or sunrise if you’re up early enough!)

The room itself was spacious, comfortable, cozy, and beautifully designed. The king size bed was extremely comfortable (might be one of the most comfortable hotel beds I’ve stayed in), and there are beanie seats as well as a desk space. The room is open concept, and you can walk to the back of the suite to your beautiful concrete bathtub, double sinks, and shower. There are windows all around with the largest windoed sliding door right at the front over looking the beach.

The Property

There is so much beautiful open space on the property for you to explore and wander. The hotel has two ATVs that you can rent to explore the coast. Or walk along the coast to the famous restaurant, The Green Room, a local favourite.

There’s a beautiful pool on the property that is surrounded by greenery but close enough to the ocean that you can see it in the backdrop. It is the definition of serene. It’s so easy to lose track of time when you’re in this peaceful, beautiful environment. I could’ve spent all my time in Todos Santos here to be quite honest!

Don’t walk, run

I am absolutely in LOVE with this place and I highly highly recommend you staying here when visiting Todos Santos. I was lucky enough to chat with Jessica during my stay, and she is an incredible human and host. You have to see this place for yourself!

Disclaimer: Some accommodations and food and beverage were set up for us free of charge! However, these blog posts are in no way paid and opinions will always be my own! 

Staying at Rowena’s Inn On The River

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The first leg of our trip was spent in Harrison Mills, located 20 minutes from Harrison Hot Springs, and is known as the world’s largest winter gathering place for eagles! We were actually quite excited to stay at Rowena’s Inn, partially because of the eagle event but also partially just because the photos looked absolutely beautiful. From Instagram, it seemed like this was quite a popular spot for weddings which to me says “photo spots galore”!

Rowena’s Inn is actually located on a larger property belong to the Sandpiper golf resort. On the property, you can choose to stay in the Colonial Inn itself, or in one of the luxury cabins. We stayed in the Heron Cabin, a one-bedroom cabin with a water view (and an amazing king-sized bed ?). If you need a larger space they have 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom cabins as well!

Check-in was super easy and each cabin has a door code that gets generated at check-in so you can come and go easily without having to go through any of the main buildings. This was a great experience for us especially during COVID as it meant we were able to keep our interactions at a minimum.

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Heron—the one-bedroom cabin

Our one-bedroom cabin was plenty of space for Joel and me to really stretch out and make ourselves at home. When you enter the cabin, you’re greeted with a spacious kitchen and living space, complete with a coffee machine, full-sized fridge, a gas fireplace, and a 50-inch smart TV with streaming services like Netflix and Prime. Past the living space, you had your bedroom and your spacious bathroom which had both a soaker tub as well as a stand-up shower. This space also had extra tall ceilings which made relaxing in the tub on a cold day that much more amazing.

Sandpiper Resort Clubhouse Restaurant

We only stayed at Rowena’s for one night and so we opted to enjoy dinner and breakfast the next day at the Sandpiper Resort Clubhouse Restaurant. This was just a 2-minute walk from our cabin and served delicious west coast fare. This restaurant is shared among the Fraser Valley community, the golfers, and those staying on the property so it’s best to make a reservation in case they are having a busier night.

Since it’s the season for salmon, they had a separate feature menu for salmon which had a delicious Chowder, and other specialties like tacos, sesame-crusted salmon, and some seasonal desserts.

I ordered the beef stroganoff with the feature chowder to start and Joel got their ribs and we both really loved our meals!

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Bald Eagle Viewing Festival

One of the main attractions during the winter months has got to be the bald eagles gathering. They have guided tours as well but if you follow their trail map to the viewing deck, you’re bound to see tons of eagles when visiting between October – January. We saw probably upwards of 10+ eagles just hanging out in trees along the viewing deck which was insane! It’s definitely the first time I’ve ever seen so many eagles gathered in one place.

Would I visit again?

We thought Rowena’s Inn was amazing and we agreed that we’d love to come back and visit in the warmer months! Our stay was short and caught on a gloomier day so we vowed we’d come back in nicer, warmer weather and do a proper stay! I’d definitely recommend Rowena’s to both families and couples looking for a quiet getaway, I felt super at peace on their beautiful grounds and it was the ideal place to get some R&R that’s away from the city!

If you want to check out Rowena’s Inn On The River, check out their website here or their Instagram page here!

Want to see what we got up to? Check out my Harrison Valley + Abbotsford vlog!

It was rainy the first two days of my Tofino trip and as much as we love staying in and playing scrabble, we wanted to see what else we could still do. So here are my 5 favourite things to do in Tofino when it’s raining!

1. Go Shopping/Gallery Hopping

Tofino is filled with creatives and artists who have come here to relax and hone their craft. For you, this means tons of adorable little gift shops that are filled with locally made trinkets, postcards, artwork, glasswork, and outdoor inspired gear. You could definitely spend a couple hours going from galleries to shops throughout town.

2. Restaurant Hopping

One thing that definitely stood out to me about Tofino was their food scene. Every meal I had, whether it was food truck, food shack, or world renowned restaurant, exceeded my expectations, and it was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. So what better way to spend a rainy day than restaurant hopping your way through Tofino. My favourites that I tried:

• Wildside Grill
• Tacofino
• Shed Tofino
• 1909 Kitchen
• The Pointe Restaurant

3. Rainforest Boardwalk Trails

A 20 minute drive away from Tofino, you’ll reach a couple of boardwalks called the Rainforest Trail. These boardwalks are hidden under a dense tree canopy which will shield you from the rain on a rainy day. There is tons to be learned through the signs and beautiful ancient trees to be seen. The Rainforest trail is the perfect way to still enjoy the outdoors on a rainy day.

4. Camp Out at a Coffee Shop

What better way to spend a rainy day than camping out at a coffee shop with a book. Tofino is known for independent roasters so you’ll be sure to find at least one spot that’s perfect for you. Some of the more popular spots in town are:

• Rhino Coffee House
• Tofitian
• Tofino Coffee Roasting Company
• Darwin’s Cafe at the Botanical Gardens
• Driftwood Cafe at the Wickaninnish Inn

5. Visit the Spa

Another one of my favourite things to do on a rainy day is to visit the spa. I’ve really grown accustomed to massages in the last year. It’s fun being active—climbing, lifting weights, kayaking, snowboarding, biking—but you have to give your body a chance to heal and relax as well. During my trip to Tofino, we checked out Sacred Stone Spa on Main street. Joel and I both got a Signature Massage which was an hour long and a full body massage. It was AMAZING.

I would highly recommend them if you’re looking for a nice spa in Tofino.

Another popular option is the Ancient Cedar Spa at the Wick Inn. I’ve heard tons of great things about that spa as well so if you’re staying at the Wickaninnish Inn or just looking for another beautiful spa option, definitely check them out as well.

I’m already dreaming about going back to Tofino. Have you been? What were your favourite parts of Tofino?

I’m definitely leaning towards doing more travel content on the blog and I thought Tofino would be a great place to start. I have quite a few trips planned for 2019, and so I thought it was about time I got behind the camera more and started documenting my travels a little more religiously. Seems like most of my readers and Instagram family are pretty receptive towards travel content, which is perfect because I always have a great time creating it.

The Details

The A-frame house at The Shoreline, looks over a cute little dock in the Tofino harbour. In the back of the house, there are two private decks with one containing a stunning outdoor, ocean-view hot tub and the other a barbecue. There’s even a outdoor shower for you to rinse off in before you head back indoors.

The house itself has 2 queen bedrooms, 1 en-suite bathroom in the master bedroom downstairs, and a full bathroom for sharing on the main floor. It’s also got an adorable loft on top of the main living space which features 2 single beds.

In the middle of the living space, there is a cozy fireplace with spare firewood on the side. They’ve got the house set up to feel like a home, so it’s definitely perfect for families or other groups of 4-6.

The Photos

I went a little crazy photographing the place because it seemed like every corner of the house was photogenic as heck. I’m sharing a bunch of the photos below so you can get a good idea of what the house offers if you’re planning a trip to Tofino.

We got to stay in the beautiful cabin suite 4 at The Shoreline for the 2 nights we were in Tofino and It was everything. The cozy wood interior mixed with the hip beachy west coast decor gives it the perfect après surf feel. But even though we didn’t surf while we were there, it was still a beautiful place to stay.

This cabin is perfect for groups of 2-4 as the sofa actually pulls out to be a double bed as well. It’s on the lower level of the second A-frame cabin and offers a private deck area, waterfront views, full kitchen, full bath, and a single bed nook if you decide to have a 5th person. The living room opens up to a stunning view of a little dock at the end of the street and the surrounding waters and mountains. Even on a misty rain day, it was the most relaxing view to wake up to and see in the morning. There’s even a bit of cover right outside your door so you can enjoy your coffee outdoors without getting rained on.

We spent a lot of our time going between restaurants and then back home for naps, boardgames, and Netflix binging. Despite the 180 in our plans (we were planning on hiking, kayaking, and going on bear watching tours), it turned out to be the perfect 3 days and was exactly what I needed.

The check-in desk is usually open until around 4pm—so if you’re checking in past 4pm, they just leave your cabin’s door unlocked with the key on the kitchen counter. Everyone was extremely accommodating and made sure we had everything we need for our trip. They prepared beach towels, coffee, and even had umbrellas ready for us when we asked. You can tell that the keepers of this boutique hotel really love this place and they work hard to take good care of it.

They cabins themselves were originally under a different branding and owner, but they made the switch over to being The Shoreline in 2015. Although you can tell the cabins were older themselves, they did an amazing job keeping it in great condition and decorating it in a modern way.

There’s a total of 5 different suites that you can stay in, with their biggest one being the A-Frame House. That one sleeps 4-6 comfortably, and even has it’s own outdoor, ocean-view hot tub on the patio. There was no one staying in the house on our second night so we asked if we could take a peek inside and snap some photos. Of course they were amazing and let us do so. Check out that stunning house here. If we had more people I definitely would’ve opted to stay here because it was BEAUTIFUL. There’s even a little fireplace in the middle of the living space with firewood provided. Overall, it’s just got the perfect summer cabin (or storm-chasing cabin) vibes and I can’t wait to go back.

Have you been to Tofino before? Where did you stay?

During our Banff trip in January, we visited Johnston Canyon via Banff Tours. Since it was winter, we got to experience the amazing ice walk and it was SO worth it. Although you can do the Johnston Canyon walk yourself, I highly recommend going with a tour guide for your first time. Not only was it a great educational tour, they also provide you with ice cleats and hiking poles which are SO important if you plan on doing this little hike in the winter. There are some seriously slippery hills and we definitely witnessed a few people accidentally slipping on them. If you don’t go with a tour, you can rent all the equipment you need in downtown Banff.

You’ll also get a maple cookie snack and hot chocolate at the end of the walk which is such a nice little treat. And if you go with Banff Tours, they’ll come and pick you up and drop you off at your hotel.

Already to dreaming of going back. I think Banff in the summer is the next plan.

More soon,

Over the weekend, I took Joel on a helicopter ride for his birthday. We’ve been anticipating this ride for a while—we were supposed to do it on his actual birthday, which was on the 16th, but we were both sick the weekend prior so we rescheduled it. Blackcomb Helicopters was really accommodating and helped us change our reservations super easily.

This was the first time I’ve been on a helicopter and it was absolutely breathtaking. Could not recommend the experience enough. Our pilot was super knowledgable and very very laidback. He was very easy to get along with and kept us entertained all throughout our tour.

We did the BC experience which includes a 24 minute flight and a 15 minute glacier landing. This was perfect because it gave us time to enjoy the view and take some photos. The total came out to be just over $600 for the both of us. But I thought it was a great gift to give and Joel really loved it too.

Have you ever been on a Helicopter tour?