My family and I just spent 3 glorious days at a 'family camp' session at West
Coast Wilderness Lodge, located at the water's edge on the northern tip of
the Sechelt Peninsula.
The view
from the newly built
lodge
is spectacular. This large building with
its rustic look is where all meals are served. Breakfast is served at 08:30,
lunch at 12:30, and dinner at 5:30. All meals are prepared on site. Visitors
sit at large round tables that accommodate 8 to 9 people. Each table designates
one person to pick up the food for their table from the kitchen pass-through
and return the dirty dishes to the bussing station when the meal is done. A
new person is selected for each meal so that the same person is not always
doing it. (That is the way the camp owners prefer it be done, but while we
were there, several people from each table helped with the cleanup, and although
there were more bodies walking around, it took only minutes!) The atmosphere
is friendly, and visitors feel like they are at home, only that someone else
did all the cooking! The eating arrangement makes it very easy to meet and
make new friends.
Between meals, guests can just relax and enjoy the
hot tub
, fresh air and scenery, go
fishing
, or participate in badminton,
volleyball
, horseshoes, billiards, or soapstone
carving. Some evenings may include singing around the
campfire.
The camp also provides guides that will teach you salt water
kayaking,
fresh water
canoeing
(there is a gorgeous lake near by),
archery, or
rock-climbing.
Guided hiking is also available, if that is
the wish of the guests. The family camp session was very informal, and activities
were selected by consensus. They had 3 very experienced and capable camp
counselors available, so guests could choose from any of 3 activities at any
given time. The counselors make you feel so comfortable that we had no problem
letting our 11 and 13 year old children decide for themselves what they wanted
to do while my wife and I did our own thing. When we arrived at the camp, the
first thing we tried (as a family) was kayaking. The care and experience of
our guide was immediately evident. As our group passed one of the numerous
small islands, a bald eagle flew passed us with a large fish in its claws and
perched on a tree next to the shore. My wife and I paddled to within 40 feet
(12 meters) of the eagle before it flew away! I tried repelling for the first
time in my life, and enjoyed it so much that I signed up for it again a second
time. Even my son, who has a fear of height, went down the cliff two or three
times after watching the rest of our family do it. My son and I signed up for
archery while the two women went on a guided hike to a nearby mountaintop.
After shooting arrows for awhile, the group (there were 6 of us) decided to
play some volleyball. I haven't played that game since high school, and it
took my out-of-shape body a bit of time to warm up. After the first game it
got very intense and I forgot about my age for the remaining games. What a
blast that was! For canoeing, there is a short drive (about 5 minutes) to a
beautiful lake that does not allow motor boats, since it is the water supply
for the nearby town. My wife and I went canoeing after dinner and saw several
bald eagles and some loons. We were so enthralled with the experience that we
convinced our children to join us the next morning. Although the lake was
peaceful and we had a great time, we did not see any bald eagles from close-up
on the morning session. We only found one bald eagle, and it was way up in a
very tall tree, high up on the hill. I suspect that the birds are more active
in the evening as they hunt for their last meal of the day.
Sleeping was something we did not want to do because we were having too much
fun. Unfortunately, our bodies needed to be recharged for the next fun-filled
day. Clustered around the lodge were
cabins
that could accommodate 4 families
in each. The cozy
bedrooms
are located at each corner of the cabin, and contain
2 bunk beds; one of which is a double bed, making it suitable for up to 5
people per bedroom. Between the bedrooms are a shared bathroom and a separate
shower with hot and cold running water, just like you would find in any motel.
A common lounge
(much like your average living room, with a large picture-window
to frame in the forest outside) is shared by all 4 units and separates the 2
bedrooms and bathroom combination on each side of the building. This arrangement
works very well, as each bedroom is insulated from noise coming from another
bedroom by the fact that none of them are next to the other. Mattresses are
provided, but guests must bring their own bedding and pillows (or sleeping
bags), and all toiletries such as shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, etc. There is
no room service, as this would dramatically increase the cost.
I first learned about West Coast Wilderness Lodge through the educational
programs they offer through elementary schools. Some schools offer the
educational camp program to their grade 6 classes and other schools to their
grade 7 classes. When my daughter went to camp with her class, the folks at
West Coast Wilderness Lodge were still renting sites from other operators.
Some sites had no heat, no or unreliable electricity, or a poor water supply.
These shortcomings prompted the owners of West Coast Wilderness Lodge to
find the perfect site and build their own facilities. My son's grade 6 class
went to the new camp and he enjoyed it so much that he suggested we all go
as a family. I consequently learned that in addition to the educational camps,
West Coast Wilderness Lodge offers family camps, adult camps, and also rents
out to organizations for seminars and retreats. The best thing was the price.
When you consider the cost of renting a canoe or kayak, or lessons in any of
the activities, one could rationalize that the room and board were provided
for free!
(NOTE: it has been several years since writing this and the camp has since
evolved into a resort.)
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Show Me Enterprises. All Rights reserved.
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