Travel, Vancouver Island

Quadra Island

Retirement Reflections

Like so many others, Richard and I have begun to approach our travel differently. This past week, we took a quick get-away to a rustic cabin on nearby Quadra Island. Just a 10-minute ferry ride from Campbell River, it was the perfect escape. Let me show you in pictures.

Our Morning Views:

Where We Hiked:

  • Noodles Nook
  • Rebecca Spit
  • Nugedzi Lake Trail
  • Bold Point

Where We Stayed:

  • Heriot Bay Inn
  • 1 Bedroom Cabin
  • Hotel Cat
  • Bring a book or two…there’s no Wi-Fi in the rooms
  • But there is a full kitchen!
Heriot Bay Inn, 673 Hotel Road, https://www.heriotbayinn.com

Although just a quick trip away, the benefits of travel were predominantly the same — rejuvenation, adventure, discovery, new learning, great food, brilliant photo opportunities and wonderful memories. (Oh, and a pile of laundry when we returned home).

How have you been creating a new normal? What new adventure have you taken recently?

Published by Retirement Reflections

Prior to retirement, I lived and worked in Beijing China for fourteen years (Middle School Principal/Deputy Director at The Western Academy of Beijing). Leaving international life behind, my husband and I retired to Vancouver Island in June 2015. To document both this transition and our new adventures, ‘Retirement Reflections’ was born. I hope that you enjoy reading these reflections, and will be willing to share your own.

92 thoughts on “Quadra Island”

  1. Hi Donna! What a wonderful place to escape to for your birthday weekend. Very beautiful and very private. I think it is also a great example of how we don’t have to stop “living” because of COVID and we can still practice safety and make sue we are being careful. Thom and I plan to travel to Tucson next month for his birthday and are staying in an Airbnb so it will give us a chance to get out of town. (with our new e-bikes of course!). ~Kathy

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    1. Hi, Kathy – We definitely do not need to stop living because of COVID. With a bit of creativity, we can remain cautious, while also remaining active. Life is too precious to waste.
      I’m so glad to hear that you are going to Tucson next month — with your e-bikes. Happy Birthday to Thom!

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  2. Hi Donna – it looks perfect and peaceful and serene and gorgeous. I love self-contained places like this – a little home away from home where you can retreat and replenish. The hikes would have been beautiful too – you’re so lucky to be surrounded by so much natural beauty x

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  4. This looks amazing Donna, what a great find! I love the scenery and feeling of serenity your photos show. We are all having to relook at how we travel and you have done a great job of showing how a life of travel can continue in these weird times. Many thanks 🙂

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    1. Hi, Debbie – These certainly are strange times, but they have also brought forth opportunity. I have always wanted to do more Canadian travel, while Richard has always wanted to explore new countries. Right now, we are drawing from my Travel Bucket List. 😀

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  6. We just stay on our island….. no need to go anywhere as we are living in a beautiful place with our horses, donkeys and other animals. I just realized I have not left since October 2017. I just do not feel I need to go anywhere as any other place is not home and will not be nicer.

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  7. I agree that even just a short getaway close by can be re-energizing. This getaway appears to have all the charming elements one needs – cozy accommodations, serene time in nature, and of course each other 🙂

    I took a look at that bridge and thought ‘yeah … no’. I must be getting wiser as well as older. It seems not that long ago I would have thought ‘challenge accepted’ 😏

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    1. Hi, Joanne – Great minds think alike! I was originally going with the ‘Challenge Accepted’ attitude. But up-close the bridge was even sketchier than it appears in the photo. There’s much to be said about ‘older and wiser’! 😀

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  8. Your pictures are stunning! What a great little getaway. I think travelling “small” is the way to go. Hoping we can still have our mountain ski time this winter and will definitely do an airBnB.

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    1. Hi, Terri – Strangely, although there was no Wi-Fi, and no data reception, we didn’t miss it one bit. I do have a regular Zoom call on Friday mornings. I spoke to the Inn owners about this ahead of time. They arranged for me to use their private conference room (for free) and gave me access to their staff’s internet. It was perfect!

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  10. No adventures for us. We remain at home attempting to avoid people and the virus. However if we were given the opportunity to visit somewhere as beautiful as where you went, we might venture forth. Your photos are wonderful.

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  11. Hi Donna, Such a beautiful place and perfect get-away for all the benefits of travel that you mentioned. I’ve been exploring local parks and loving the adventures.

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  12. What a beautiful place! To this Mainer, Quadra Island has an otherworldly look, wild, fey, and beautiful. As for adventures…my husband and I are working hard to get my newest book ready for publication. That’s adventure enough for ma & Pa. 😉

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    1. Thanks, Deb – You can easily visit Quadra as a day-trip, especially when the days are a bit longer. Funny thing — on the way home, at the Ferry Dock, we ran into the only person I know who lives on Quadra – Captain Garry (our Whale Tour Guide). So cool!

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  16. What a gorgeous place to celebrate your birthday! We haven’t done any mini-trips since our 3-day trip to the mountains in July, and we really need to fix that. I guess it’s all about adjusting our desire for adventure and the competing need for safety. It looks like you have found the perfect combination.

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    1. Hi, Janis – Richard and I are very fortunate to have such lovely and relatively isolated places nearby to escape to. We never want to take this for granted. Hopefully, you and Paul will also find some safe places to. If so, I highly recommend it. Does the soul much good!

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  17. Donna, when the option is to not travel at all, one tends to consider reasonable alternatives that incorporate safe practices. I think we are all experimenting with what that might look like. Your pictures depict a peaceful and relaxing adventure, and you certainly maintained social distancing!! Beautiful place.

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  18. Hi, Suzanne – Thanks so much for dropping by. I recently ran into an acquaintance who lamented that since her regular travel and activities have been thwarted, she has been sitting home alone. As this woman is fit and healthy and lives in the same island town that I do, her lament shocked me. Pursuing safe and enjoyable alternatives makes much sense to me…and seems to be much better than allowing ourselves to become trapped and isolated in frustration.

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  19. Beautiful, Donna! It makes me smile to see how you created and enjoyed a wonderful birthday weekend. During these challenging times, it certainly helps to live in a nice area (or hit the road again) in order to still immerse yourself in nature and different experiences. Thank you for showing us more of VI’s beauty and discoveries!

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  24. Hi Donna, We have camped on Quadra Island and loved it. Your post and beautiful photos remind me how we should plan another trip to this area. Like you say, the perfect escape. I like how the “Bold Point” photo is larger. A very striking effect. You summarize well the benefits of travel, even nearby travel. An interesting and beautiful post!

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  25. Enjoyed seeing your pics and WOW check out that hedge couch!! We enjoy staying in cabins from time to time. Our new normal hasn’t changed much for hubby. He still works, can’t get that man to retire! I personally don’t go out as much as I used to but didn’t go out much to begin with. I order most things online but of course I did that before the virus. Just tried grocery delivery and it was awesome! We have traveled out of state on vacation a few times this year. Just have to be safe. We can’t let this virus rule our lives then we have no life!!

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    1. Hi, Dee – Your thinking here makes great sense to me. We need to keep ourselves, and those around us, safe. We also need to live our lives. Hopefully, most of us can find a way to merge both safety and living.
      I also totally agree with you about online grocery shopping and home delivery. Absolutely love it!!

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  27. Quadra- even the name sounds enticing! A birthday weekend? Happy birthday Donna💥🌺gorgeous photos, that sofa/couch in green is a work of art. – actually now that I think of it, nature is an ongoing work of art. I’m setting off this morning for Cape Town, a long drive away. But it’s so refreshing to have a change of scenery once in a while.

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  28. Donna,
    After our three-month RV trip, I am taking a short technology break to catch up on home responsibilities. However, I never miss your blog and I’m so glad I didn’t miss this one. What a charming place! I love the names–Noodles Nook and Rebecca Spit–plus, a cute couch kitty to boot. Thanks for taking us along. Joe

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    1. Hi, Joe – I love when fellow bloggers become blogging buddies…and then, simply, friends. I am glad that you are giving yourself a break after your epic adventure. I look forward to continuing to follow your adventures once you are posting again.

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  29. That looks ideal!! Except maybe one’s footing on the Old Point bridge there! We’ve been so busy moving during the pandemic that we were able to ignore the travel itch for a while. Now we are ready and have booked a couple of road trips. The first one, this week, will be to the closest beach. Staying in a remote area and going mid week to avoid crowds.

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  32. What a wonderful place for a quick getaway. The accommodations look cozy and comfortable and very inviting. I think that kitty has the right idea!!

    Your photography is stunning, Donna. I think you need to have a multiple photo frame or gallery and change out the photos with the ones from your latest adventures. The cool colors, the wintry skies are so pretty. Love the lines in the Bold Point photo. The perspective, the weathered wood, the vanishing point.

    Thank you for sharing one of your happy places with us.

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  33. Donna this look fantastic! These smaller, out of the way places, is what we are enjoying as well. You are right in that the travel may look different, but the benefits of the rejuvenation are the same.

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  34. Hi Donna – it does look an amazing break … that bridge is definitely a bridge too far and too decrepit! So pleased for you … and there’s lots of little places on the Island to visit – who I’m sure will be delighted to have guests.

    I was wondering if you/Richard – more his line I expect – had come across Spilsbury’s Coast – pioneer years in the wet west is its description … it’s part of the Inside Passage between Fraser River and the top of VI …Jim Spilsbury is pioneer, painter, aviator, inventor and matchless raconteur – per blurb on back … it fascinated me – I left my copy behind, but have bought a replacement since getting back to the UK. Brings the opening up of the Inside Passage to life in the 20th century …

    Look forward to that snow … all the best Hilary

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  35. Hi Donna – thanks for sharing these pictures. It’s so great to get away, these days especially because you do feel renewed afterwards. We have been visiting different colleges with our son, so taking a lot of day trips. And even though these have been necessary, they are still fun and I feel happy to get out. Love that couch and coffee table shrubbery!

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    1. Hi, Barb – I remember college tours – so much fun! The problem for us was that we lived in Beijing and our son choose colleges in 4 different countries (the world was his backyard). 😀 We toured 2 different universities (the University of British Columbia, and The University of Hong Kong). Luckily, our son was offered (and accepted) a spot at UBC so our tour ended there. Good luck to your son!

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  36. What a great get-away! The photos are beautiful. My guy and I are anxious to get that kind of rejuvenation, but he’s still dealing with infections from his burst appendix. We’ll live vicariously through you two for awhile. 🥰

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  37. What stunning morning views… I would be very happy waking up to that for a few mornings, OR forever! Such gorgeous landscape. So good to be immersed in nature, so restorative and always good to break up routine by getting away.

    Peta

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  39. This looks like such a cozy getaway to Quadra Island, and it looks so peaceful. Amazing photography of your trip and that is one lovely panorama shot. I also like how you paid attention to the hotel cat and took a photo of it 😀 It was a bit hard to adjust to lockdown and a new normal here in Australia at the start of the year…but as time went on I focused on what I can be greatful for and really started enjoying my time. Now Australia is opening up again just in time for summer and we are doing very well. Hopefully everyone here keeps their distance from each other and stays safe. Hope you are staying safe, Donna. Take care 🙂

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    1. Hi, Mabel – Thank you so much for dropping by. I’m glad to hear that you are doing well and that Australia is beginning to open up. Focusing on gratitude is a great thing to do and an excellent reminder of all that we have. Please keep in touch.

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  40. Looks like the perfect getaway. Great that you could go somewhere so close and yet so immersed in nature. The hikes look wonderful. We have traveled to Oaxaca City, once we established that Covid is taken seriously and the spread seems to be under control. Enjoying finally getting to see something of the country we live in.

    Peta

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    1. Hi, Peta – Richard and I thought that we’d get in some local travel while we could. That turned out to be good thinking. As our BC COVID numbers have significantly increased, our travel restrictions have also (understandably) increased. I hope that all is well for you and Ben.

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  41. Donna, Quadra Island looks gorgeous. I haven’t been there yet. We managed to go on a few short camping trips last summer in our truck and camper. Because our living situation was self contained and we mostly brought our groceries with us, it felt safe, and was great for our mental health.

    Jude

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