Summer Vacation | Island Bound

In July, we took a week off work and hung out on Vancouver Island. First for a big group camping trip in the Comox Valley, then off to Port Renfrew to stay in a gorgeous cabin and finally south to Victoria via Sooke Pot Holes.
I feel so at home on the island. Time slows down, phones turn off, just quality time with loved ones beachcombing and creating beautiful memories. Here are a few from this last trip:

Camping Trip at Comox Lake We stayed at The Cumberland Lake Campground on a group site with five other families. This is an annual trip for us, but I think this one was the most relaxing so far. The group site had access to everything we needed and we got super lucky with weather.

One of my friends that comes along every year is also an incredibly talented photographer. I'm sharing some of her shots. If you're ever in need of family, wedding or maternity photography on the island, get in touch with Crystal of Crystal Clear Photography. We also had the pleasure of being serenaded by Neal Ryan - he's a gifted musician and a regular performer at the Fairmont Hotels in Vancouver. And of course, I brought along lots of Salt Spring Coffee! This year I got hooked on brewing with an Aeropress - a super easy to use, manual brewing method.

Here is a gallery of some of Crystal's photos below:

After leaving Cumberland, we joined my husband's family in Port Renfrew. It was our second time visiting in six months - I absolutely love it there! We stayed in a beautiful, beachside cabin. You can find it listed here on VRBO. There is so much wildlife right outside your door. The landscape is so raw - truly west coast at it's best!

There are also many places to explore within a short drive of Port Renfrew. In December, we visited Botanical Beach. This time we opted for Avatar Grove and Lizard Lake.

My family lives in Victoria and I grew up visiting the Sooke Pot Holes. I've been wanting to bring my family and see if they were as incredible as I remember. The murals at the abandoned resort and worth checking out!!! You need to be careful hiking in to swimming spots with pets or small children but man is it worth it. The beautiful flasks were a souvenir that I picked up at Wild Renfrew - made by Moonshine Dreams.