Recently, I had some time off work, and my husband and I decided to take a few days away not too far from where we live. We drove up B.C.’s Sunshine Coast to Egmont, caught the Earl’s Cove Ferry, and in just 50 minutes, we were at the Saltery Bay terminal. This is one ferry I’d never been on before – it was nice – a smaller version of the ones I’m used to, but a lot more peaceful. Once we disembarked, we drove for about 1/2 an hour, then stopped in Powell River for coffee and a snack, and to look around a bit. Turns out they had a few stores we don’t, so I was happy we had checked it out. I ended up buying a few items that I really liked, so it was well worthwhile. I liked the vibe of the town – had a really good feel to it, and the scenery and people were lovely.
After that, we drove for another half hour or so, and reached our destination – Lund. I had booked a few nights at the historic Lund Hotel , so we could have some quiet, relaxing time away. Our room was overlooking the water, had a King sized bed, both a large bathtub and a glass shower, and a nice balcony with a great view.
After we had checked into our room and unloaded our things, we went for lunch downstairs at the Pub, right in the Lund Hotel. ( They have both a restaurant and a Pub on site ) It was a hot, sunny day, so we sat out on the patio, and I couldn’t have been happier. ( you know I love my sun 😉 I had one of the best Spinach Salads I’ve ever had – it was unreal. We did a bit of ” people watching ” , and enjoyed the view of the water, and the boats coming and going. Since we knew the weather was supposed to be “off and on” during our stay, my husband suggested we change into our bathing suits, and take a water taxi to Savary island. The water taxi place is literally steps from the Hotel, and we were lucky to be able to book something fairly soon after lunch.
I’d done some research about Savary Island – most descriptions say that it is similar to a tropical island, and there is some of the warmest water this side of Mexico. That, coupled with some white sandy beaches, and I was sold … It only took about 7-8 minutes in the power boat to arrive at the Island, so that was nice. We’d booked our return trip in advance ( that’s how they do it ) so we knew we had a few hours to enjoy. I found a nice stretch of beach, lay out my towel, and basked in the sun. My husband went snorkelling for a while. It was a perfect afternoon. Hot sun, and relaxation – no stress, no worries – these are the things that make me happy. It was so nice to lay on a beach and not have anyone nearby. There were other people around, but it wasn’t crowded and uncomfortable, like at many beaches we’re used to.
I was really glad we went to Savary Island on that first day, as the weather ended up being the best of our time up there. We both loved it there, and thought we may even like to stay there for a few days another time – they do have some Bed and Breakfasts there. I would definitely go there again – it was just beautiful. ( and I didn’t see a single mosquito – seriously )
The rest of our days and nights were spent taking it pretty easy – walking around looking at all the boats, visiting the well-known Nancy’s Bakery, the Art Gallery, eating incredibly delicious ( yet very reasonably priced ) meals at the Lund Hotel Pub, sleeping in, watching the sunset from our balcony …
We had wanted to do some kayaking while up there – particularly around Desolation Sound, but the weather was a little too unpredictable. We didn’t want to book something, then have lousy weather. This was a good decision, as one day it rained a little bit, and the other was grey and breezy, and the water rather choppy. We both love to kayak, but if you’re going somewhere you’ve never been before, and hoping for nice scenery, going in bad weather doesn’t make much sense. We decided to go on a dinner cruise up to Desolation Sound, instead – good choice.
The scenery was beautiful, the food was great, and the people running it were polite, courteous, and professional, and lots of fun. It was a good way to see the things we wanted to, and stay warm and dry.
An interesting fact about Lund, B.C. is that it is the “end” of Highway 101 – or some like to say the beginning. It stretches from here to Chile.
Here is a picture of the Lund Hotel:
To sum up our time in Lund and on Savary Island, I have to say, it was just what we needed. These are places to go to relax and unwind, and enjoy being in/on the water. If you are lucky enough to have a boat of your own – this is paradise. The people are friendly and down-to-earth, the food was amazing, and I have a new favourite cocktail: The Lund Sunset. Speaking of Lund Sunsets, those were absolutely gorgeous, as well …
