42 » OpenRoad Driver
afternoon sunshine. We pass by bald eagles
on deserted beaches, the heads of curious
seals surfacing briefly to look around, and
the rusted bellies of old vessels, deliberately
sunk in a row to create a breakwater
outside the harbour.
A few minutes into our ride we are reeling
in 150 feet of rope, at the base of which
is a trap containing sixteen indignant
Dungeness crab, clawing crazily as they
try to resist the crab pot. Checking them
briefly for size and sex - by law female
crabs must be returned to the water -
Danny’s co-captain, Pete, boils and chills
the crabs before you can say, “Ahoy, mate!”
He delivers a bucketful of crab legs to
us for a fresh, waterside dinner. It is the
perfect finale to a weekend drenched in
sunshine, adventure and raw, west coast
beauty.
W H E N YO U G O
Drive: BC Ferries offers daily
sailings between Tsawwassen and
Duke Point, as well as Horseshoe
Bay and Departure Bay. The drive
from Duke Point to Courtenay is 125
kilometres.
bcferries.com
1 (888) BC FERRY (223-3779)
Information: Visit Tourism
Vancouver Island.
tourismvi.ca
(250) 754-3500
Stay: The Old House Hotel & Spa
is a convenient, well-appointed
property that sits on the banks of
the Courtenay River and the main
thoroughfare into Courtenay and
Comox. With lush gardens, bicycles
for guest use, a full-service spa and
rooms with kitchens, it’s a great
choice for a weekend getaway.
oldhousevillage.com
(250) 703-0202
Eat: Locals Restaurant is the
epicentre for farm-fresh food in
the Valley, a classy eatery where
Chef Ronald St. Pierre is producing
incredible cuisine in an historic
house with cedar beams, stone
fireplace and a wonderful, homey
feel.
localscomoxvalley.com
(250) 338-6493
Bike: Island Joy Rides offers
guided and self-guided bike tours
in the Comox Valley that include
helmets, snacks, chilled water
bottles and brand new bikes. A
half-day culinary-themed tour
includes stops at the Comox Valley
Farmers’ Market, Blue Moon Winery
and Hot Chocolate in Courtenay,
encompassing twelve easy
kilometres.
islandjoyrides.com
(855) 830-8522
Kayak: Comox Valley Kayaks &
Canoes, a waterside operation in
Courtenay, offers guided estuary
tours, sunset paddles, day trips to
Tree Island and paddling excursions
to see the Comox Harbour
shipwrecks.
comoxvalleykayaks.com
(888) 545-5595
Cruise: If you love fresh Dungeness
crab, you’ll want head out on a
sunset crabbing excursion with
Comox Harbour Charters. The two-
hour cruise in Comox Harbour and
Goose Spit delivers stunning views
of wildlife, the harbour shipwrecks
and the nearby islands, coupled
with cooked crabs pulled minutes
before from the ocean depths.
comoxharbourcharters.com
(250) 339-5326