This little slice of nirvana exists on the western shore of Vancouver Island BC, sandwiched between the picturesque towns of Ucluelet to the south and Tofino to the north. David Middleton and I just got back from scouting out shooting locations for our PAW 2010 Pacific Rim workshop and all I can say is get there!
What exactly does the Pacific Rim Park have that Oklahoma doesn’t? Miles upon miles of pristine sand beaches and surfers clad in neoprene, crystal clear tide pools with glowing sea stars and giant green sea anemones, several species of whales, and black bears that hunt and eat crabs from under the rocks at low tide.
Wait, did I mention harbors? I have a personal passion for old boats; and even older fishermen and Ucluelet and Tofino have both, as does Port Alberni, which makes a nice stop on the drive over from Nanaimo. You can spend many happy hours wandering the docks amoung the fishing boats while waiting for your excursion out to see the bears.
Sorry all you Oakies, but I also have to mention the old growth forests where you can discover ancient Sitka spruce, western red cedar, and hemlocks of an age and dimension not found any where else. If you come and wander these forest haunts with PAW you may be lucky enough to have David call your attention to the distinctly beautiful call of the winter wren or a fledgling bald eagle in its nest.
Of course, you can go up there yourself and enjoy a beautiful place, but if you want to capture great photographs why not join our workshop and take advantage of our leg work and knowledge? I live on the water in the Northwest, and David, for spending as much time as he does in a Vermont manure pile, is still pretty clever about finding the very best tide pools and misty groves of forest. It’s a simple formula for success; you bring dark chocolate and we take you to the very best locations at the best times of day. You go home with great shots.
Now, to lighten up on Oklahoma and heaven both, I will honestly tell you that in either place you can find a cup of coffee and a meal. However, both are better in Tofino. So here’s to hoping you’ll be lucky enough to join us on our Pacific Rim National Park workshop, coming in May of 2010. It’s going to be a spectacular workshop. If not, well, there’s always Oklahoma.
