How many of you had your experience of British Columbia’s rugged and wild coast shaped by Canada’s longest running TV Show The Beachcombers? If you were like me, Sunday nights WERE The Beachcombers. Nick, Molly and Relic were like family who visited just once a week, entering our house through the television set in our living room, just as Saturday nights were defined by Hockey Night in Canada. If you cannot quite remember The Beachcombers, just one listen to the show’s theme song might spark a smile or two…

This past long weekend I was blessed with an awesome adventure to the home of The Beachcombers, Gibsons. My cousin Marian and her husband Bob, who live in lovely Gibsons, treated me to a fantastic long weekend adventure. We hiked the peaceful, rugged Smuggler’s Cove Marine Park first, taking in the deep green hues of the rain forest, the heavenly fragrance of sun-kissed earth, and the diamond-like sparkles that twinkled off the surface of the ocean, the gift at the end of the trail. We also hiked the equally stunning Cliff Gilker Trail near Roberts Creek where giant cedars hide sneaky, rushing waterfalls. To complete our BC coastal experience, we also traversed much of charming Gibsons Landing, home to The Beachcombers for close to 20 years. Cozy restaurants rub elbows with tiny art galleries and bobbing boats in the historic, iconic marina. I even managed to find a copy of a book that, like the Beachcombers, shaped my young, inexperienced imagination of what the BC coast must look and feel like, Margaret Craven’s I Heard the Owl Call My Name. I read this book more than once while in high school and have searched for it ever since. To my surprise now that I live in BC, this poignant tale of a young priest who learns about life in a remote, coastal BC village created an indelible mental image of the sites, sounds, and smells of life on the coast better than any painting could manage.

I want to thank Marian and Bob for their kind, generous, adventurous spirit. This is a Vagabond Adventure worth remembering and hopefully, repeating! If you would like to see photos of this adventure (including the snap of Roberts Creek Beach above), please visit my website, or better yet, book a ferry to Gibsons – you will be charmed by an honest, warm, BC coast welcome!