One of the best ways to enjoy Nanaimo is also one of the easiest, least expensive and healthiest: take a hike.  The town is located on Vancouver Island between Victoria in the south (110 km – 68 miles) and west of Vancouver on the mainland. It affords beautiful vistas and offers paths to suit those who want to break a sweat as well those who prefer a gentle stroll.

If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk. ~Raymond Inmon

An Earthquake Fissure And Petroglyphs

It’s known as “The Abyss” among locals, and while you wouldn’t want to fall into it, the earthquake fissure is fascinating evidence of the earth’s power to reshape itself.  This neat slice into the ground seldom is a meter wide; mostly so narrow you can step across it. 

Nearby petroglyphs (drawings or carvings, usually on the surface of rock or caves) probably predate the fissure and offer another source of awe.  You’ll find both on Extension Ridge, between the communities of Harewood and Extension, in south Nanaimo. 

My father considered a walk among the mountains as the equivalent of churchgoing. ~Aldous Huxley

  Falls And Fossils

“The most dramatic waterfall around Nanaimo vancouver island is also one of its most secret ones,” according to The Nanaimo Information website.  Visitors who navigate the steep, muddy approach will be rewarded with the double treat of a stunning waterfall and a profusion of oceanic fossils, for which the falls are named.  The fossils, embedded in the sedimentary bedrock, are common talismans from the Paleozoic and Mesozoic oceans, 400 to 65 million years ago.

I have two doctors, my left leg and my right. ~G.M. Trevelyan

Get Up And Go

Hiking through Nanaimo’s natural beauty can cultivate your creativity, provide spiritual solace or fortify your fitness.  So awaken your senses with a hike around Nanaimo.

Link For More Information

 You’ll find 14 hikes detailed on the “parks” section of the Nanaimo Information website, complete with slideshows, maps and links to forums.  

Nanaimo Accommodations

There are a number of hotels, motels and bed & breakfasts to pick from including our sponsors, Best Western:

The BEST WESTERN PLUS Northgate Inn is located at the hub of Vancouver Island and offers incredible value and an ideal location to area sights and businesses. Guests enjoy beautifully appointed rooms, fully equipped with high-speed internet, refrigerator, microwave and satellite television. Select rooms feature king size beds or Jacuzzi® suites, and the BEST WESTERN PLUS Northgate Inn features meeting and banquet facilities that can accommodate up to 75 people.

Contact info:  BEST WESTERN PLUS Northgate Inn, 6450 Metral Drive, Nanaimo, British Columbia, V9T 2L8, CA.  Toll Free: (800) 661-0061; Local: (250) 390-2222; Fax: (250) 390-2412. Email: info@bestwesternnorthgate.com

Enjoy all that Nanaimo has to offer and please tell your friends.

Re-published from www.amazingvancouverisland.com under creative commons license.

Here’s a perfect recipe for summer family fun: adults in ridicule-worthy costumes + handmade boats of dubious seaworthiness + goofy boat names + an acre of activities for the kiddies when they grow bored of watching adults act their shoe size.

These Folks Sure Put the “Fun” in “Fundraising”

The happy result of this concoction is the annual Silly Boat Regatta, held each summer in Nanaimo, BC on Vancovuer Island to benefit the Nanaimo Child Development Centre (NCDC).  This non-profit organization annually serves more than 1,700 children with developmental challenges and their families.  Last year, the Silly Boat Regatta raised more than $100,000 to fund the NCDC’s programs and services.

The event is held at Maffeo Sutton Park – just a few blocks from downtown Nanaimo.  It’s free to spectators and is a big shindig; last year’s event drew more than 10,000.

Recycling Gets Silly

Boat-building begins at 8:00 a.m.  Teams of at least two people have four hours to create a boat from recycled materials, without the help of a kit or prefabricated hull.  Silliness is encouraged with awards for “Super Silliest” boat, costumes and sailors.  Goofy team names help, too.

I wonder who fared better last year, Canadian Western Bank’s team, the “Floating Rate” or The Oxy Pub & Liquor Store’s gang, the “Oxy Moronz.”

At the Silly Boat Regatta Even the Losers Can Win

After inspection from the judges, the heats begin with small groups of teams rowing or sailing their crafts in Swy-A-Lana Lagoon to the buoy in Nanaimo Harbour and back to the starting point. The team who rings the bell back on shore wins the heat.  The winners compete in the timed Grand Championship Race to determine the final winner.

But even the loser can win: there is a “First to Sink” award!

Oh, to be a Kid Again

The Silly Boat Regatta has well-organized events for children, including the Coast Capital Savings “Wally’s World” for face painting, crafts and games; McDonald’s Restaurants “Sports Zone” with various sports events and Woodgrove Centre’s “Children’s Mini Regatta” with mini boat building, games & colouring.  And it’s all free.

More Information

Here’s the link to the Silly Boat Regatta.  You can also call 250-753-0251 for more information.

Enjoy all that Nanaimo has to offer and please tell your friends.