Spring Breaking - A Cowichan Valley Expedition

Sweet Spring Break, we welcome you as warmly as we do the return of daffodils and buskers in downtown Victoria. Some hop a plane and brave the ferry line-ups for a much needed change of pace…others just kick back and enjoy the spoils of living on Vancouver Island. Or maybe that’s all we can seriously afford to do with the Canadian dollar dive this year…heheh. That’s fine too, it’s just nice to get away from the usual schedule of soccer, work, walk, groceries, rinse and repeat.

Sticking around gives us the chance to hit some of the great spots on the Island that we don’t have time for in the usual bustle of weekends full of soccer and birthday parties. A daytrip to the Cowichan Valley is a favourite for the kids and us too.

After loading up with road trip snacks, we start with lunch — you don’t want anyone to get hangry, right? If you haven’t been to Merridale Ciderworks, it’s an orchard, restaurant and cidery that has an extensive orchard and grows their own fruit to make a great selection of local cider along with some amazing meals infusing their bounty. Check out the faeries in their orchard and I hear leprechauns invade the orchard this week in honour of St. Patricks Day…Make this your first stop after a quick peek at the Malahat lookout. Here’s an itinerary for the Cowichan daytrip — feel free to go off the beaten path and discover some other awesome restaurants, views and hikes.

A Cowichan Valley Spring Breaking Expedition 

• Take a sec to stop and soak in the Malahat view on your way up — someone is already carsick anyways, right?
• Lunch at Merridale Ciderworks
• Visit some interesting sheep or random farm animals you see on the twisty little rural roads
• Tour past Shawnigan Lake
• Count all the horses, cows, eagles and animals that you don’t see everyday
• Google route yourself to Kinsol Trestle
• Bring your own toilet paper and gas mask for the port-a-potty
• Hit the trail towards the Kinsol Trestle through the wood
• Walk the Trestle, take some photos and amaze yourself with the engineering of such an amazing structure…while telling yourself it’s very very safe. (no gaps in the bridge, thankfully)
• Devour bags of chips like a family of swine on your way home
• Make some burritos and load up those great photos onto your Facebook.

Here’s the slideshow preview:

Mel Z – 10am – 2pm Middays on Ocean 98.5