“The best place on earth” is the main slogan of the most recent tourism/advertising campaign for British Columbia…and that might just about sum it up. For me though, BC being the best place on earth is as much about family and community as it is about its breath-taking natural beauty.

Jamie and I have had a 2 week trip planned to BC for over a year now. I really wanted to spend some time exploring, taking day trips, hiking, camping…
Since we’ve known each other Jamie and I have spent some time in BC, but the majority of the time has been A. for a holiday or B. for a wedding. Weddings and holidays are wonderful, but not conducive to taking time to relax and explore. I have been SO excited for this vacation for a really long time, I really wanted to showcase BC for Jamie for whom Alaska is home and the best place on earth.

Unfortunately our trip didn’t pan out the way I’d hoped and it ended up being more important for me to stay close to home, resting and recovering. I had blood clots in my lungs about a week before our trip, and the complications turned out to be pretty extreme in my case. Luckily, I have wonderful parents who Jamie and I have fun hanging out with, and dear grandparents close by. I can’t think of a better place to be taken care of than home. SO although we didn’t have the big adventures that I had hoped for, we had a wonderful vacation all the same.

Here are some memories from the trip…The first morning we arrived, we took the ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Nanimo and then drove to Ucluelet & Tofino on the other side of Vancouver Island. I’m really thankful that we had planned to do this right away so that I was still able to go! We definitely want to go back, I’m convinced (Jamie hasn’t quite seen the light yet) that it would be a great place to buy some land…even if we can’t afford to put anything on it. Its the kind of place that I feel like I could stay forever. My husband…ocean cowboy.About half way between Nanimo and Ucluelet is this area of huge old, mossy trees…Its called Cathedral Grove, and it is amazing!I read the first 2 Hunger Games books in 2 days. Could. Not. Stop. I also pre-ordered the third book and it comes out SOON.We went in to Vancouver to Cafe Deux Soleils to see our friend Del Barber play…he’s good – check him out!
My mom in her vegetable garden. We ate a lot out of that garden! Kale, Beets, Potatoes, Carrots, all kinds of Herbs, Beans, Strawberries, Raspberries…You can’t argue with this picture – Vancouver really does have a lot to offer.
Jamie loves to pick berries…especially if they grow naturally and not on a berry farm. BC has LOTS of wild black berries, so we picked some.
My dad has always been the best berry-picker…its kind of an art.And we made a de-licious dessert using Aunt Carolyn’s recipe       My dog. We ate well on this trip…no doubt about it. My mom is an amazing cook, and I’m pretty sure that her food has healing power. We ate on the back deck most of the time – this was probably my favorite lunch. So now you have a little glimpse of my home. It was hard to leave this time, even though I love our life in Chicago! Its just true, home is where your heart is.