Volume 14 Issue 1 » 41
But the road is calling. There are bubbling creeks to cross, a swimming hole at the Puntledge River that demands we wriggle sweaty toes in the water, and a chocolate seller with a plate of samples that simply cannot be missed. A few kilometres later we park our bikes outside the fruit winery Blue Moon Farm, Winery & Ciderworx, where we taste cider and berry wines paired with rich, dark chocolate. Behind the tasting room the blueberry plants are heavy with fruit.
We take a quick break at Puntledge Park, a favourite local swimming hole and a launching point for swimmers armed with inflatable tubes and a yen to ride the small rifts of white water downstream. A few brave souls venture waist deep into the water, which is still too chilly to tempt us.
A few kilometres later we are in the retail hub of downtown Courtenay, a three-block radius of eclectic boutiques, home décor stores, clothiers selling the apparel of littleknown designers, and a shoe shop that dates back to 1929. It’ s a charmingly fun centre to explore, one devoid of chains and big box stores and filled instead with the unique tastes of independent shop owners.
Our bike tour ends on a sweet note at Hot Chocolate, clearly a favourite destination for locals if the crowds inside are anything to go by. Combining homemade chocolate with ice cream, gelato, coffee and a gourmet selection of bread, Hot Chocolate is an irrepressibly happy place. Here, diets disappear out the window and folks of all ages and sizes succumb to the sweet decadence of truffles, the irresistible richness of brownies infested with walnuts, and the mesmerizing loveliness of gelato in flavours like mango coconut, carrot cake and pink grapefruit.
A couple hours before sunset we are back on the road, this time behind the wheel of the car and on our way to Comox, a few kilometres away. Here, Danny Clair, owner of Comox Harbour Charters, is gunning his vessel’ s engines as he prepares to head out on a sunset crabbing expedition. Hopping aboard we bask in the late