Discovering Vancouver Island North with VIOverlander

Just a few days after our incredible first trip to Bamfield with the VIOverlander rig, we set out on an adventure we’d been dreaming about for years.

The two days of exceptional downpours gave us just enough time to reorganize our family travel workflow and pick up a few things to streamline our overlanding journey north.

A little cooking prep, autumn/winter clothes organized, cooking and camping gear accounted for, and some optimization of my camera gear and battery charging system made a world of difference, allowing for a significantly smoother trip.

Watching the weather, we pushed our departure back a day and decided to do a significant portion of driving on our first day since rain would still be a factor.

Though our camping destination was so flooded we couldn’t even see the beach, we pushed a little further to find a nice waterfront location in Port McNeill.

One gorgeous sunset and tasty dinner later, we popped the top so Zo & Jo could head to bed.

As I was offloading footage in the cab, the clouds cleared, and not only could I see the stars, I was able to capture a meteor in the sky.

Day 2 started a little slower than we’d hoped, but that’s all part of the process when traveling with a 2-year-old.

We made our way to Cape Scott Provincial Park with a quick stop to see Holberg’s beautiful inlet.

Arriving at Cape Scott with just enough time to catch not just the sunset but low tide too, our hike through the forest was a beautiful journey with the sun shining through the mossy green trees.

As we emerged from the forest, the sun bathed the beach with one of the most incredible golden hours I’ve seen in a long time. The timing was impeccable, and I couldn’t help but get a little emotional as I chased Zo running across the beach, marking off another incredible milestone for us.

Seeing the sea stacks during sunset is something that should be on everyone’s bucket list.