To start the month of November off right, we jumped on the ferry to Gibsons to visit my high school bestie Laura. Right off the ferry, we found a hike into the giant trees, almost straight up to Langdale waterfall. Forest walks have always made all four of us better people. The kids need to run; they want to play tag and hide and seek in the forest all the time. Ben and I often get into a zone of awe staring up at the enormous ancients, deeply inhaling their fresh clean air, and wanting to walk in the serenity. Two conflicting ways of experiencing these wild spaces. We often find some compromises along the way starting with rambunctious running and playing, followed by silent reverie. The forests and beaches here on the coast will be our sanctuary, rain or shine.
Every day of this week in Gibsons, we were in the forest and at the beach. Con and I would build towers of the rocks and both kids would throw driftwood in the waves while imagining it is a ship getting pulled out to sea. We spotted seals and sea lions, salmon swimming home, loons, herons, eagles, and kingfishers. I’m not completely sure how much the kids explicitly appreciate from these days of shoreline and forest exploration, but I know it is getting into their bones by the way they skip and sing their way around these magical places.
With local friends, we feel more comfortable venturing deeper into the forest of Mount Elphinstone. Here the trees are giant and the ferns are abundant. The light is muted and our voices are dampened. Under the ferns are a whole world of excitement when you are also hunting for Chanterelle mushrooms. Matt shared his love and enthusiasm with us in some off-trail bushwhacking digging under, over and through the mossy blanketed forest.
(Voice to text by Kai) “We were hunting for mushrooms with Matt and they were called chanterelles. We found them in a rainforest and it was mossy, ferny, and lots of logs on the ground. I tried to eat one; I took a bite and they weren't that good though.”
Gibsons is home to the famous Canadian show of the 70s and 80s called, “Beachcombers.” Many of the landmarks still remain embracing this history. We walked along the shoreline and docks of Lower Gibsons, had lunch at Molly’s Reach, and visited the Persephone (a boat used to comb the beaches in the show.) Ben was psyched to see the real life locations of one of his childhood shows. The kids and I gained some enthusiasm after we streamed a few episodes to meet our social studies curriculum.
(Voice to Text by Kai) “We had a snack at Molly's Reach and why Molly's Reach is so popular in Gibsons is because of Beachcombers.”
Another place to get a good sense of place is the local museum, the Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives. The museum seems small on the outside, but is loaded with the rich history of the region. I would like to return one day without a 6 and 10 year old in tow, so as to give some of the exhibits more of my attention and time.
Our time in Gibsons went by way too fast, and we are hopeful to return a few more times before returning to the East. I love being in the places my friends have chosen to live, and Secret Beach has to be one that could easily steal me away. It was rejuvenating to be with my friend Laura in her element, showing kids the magic of tidal pools, creating snakes with the rocks on the beach, and listening to questions that continuously pour out of their mouths.
Sunshine Coast: We will be back!
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