It is 100% true, the only place on Vancouver Island where you can ski, beachcomb, golf, bike and be an urban explorer in the same place, is right here in the Comox Valley. It’s amazing really, to think that you can wake up at the Old House Hotel and, less than one hour later, be swooshing in powder on Mount Washington. Others in your party could be golfing on the greens below, biking the renown Cumberland trails, wandering the beautiful beaches along the Discovery Pass, finding camaraderie at the local breweries and wineries or getting lost in one-of-a-kind retail shops.
While world famous among boarders and skiers, Mt. Washington is an uplifting experience for those in search of low-impact adventure too. Nothing can prepare you for the spectacular views you will take in, en route to the lodge. The laughter and screams coming from the tubing run are worth witnessing whether or not you take to tubes. Or if you’re content staying behind the windows, several restaurants buzz with activity. I love the smell of grilled cheese and fries coming from the lodge restaurant as well as the sound of tromping boots. You gottal love hearing embellished snippets of conversation about how someone aced the black diamond. Most of all, I love to be out on the trails, picking my speed, sinking down and rising up on my own boards.
Ollie Jones and Steve Storey, Whistler.
And, yes, in the Valley below, clubs are swinging and tires are spinning! Island greens rarely get touched with snow and provide the perfect cure for cabin fever. Five golf courses provide expert and amateur opportunities for those who love golf or people like me who would venture to try if I had a hot toddy to go with! It’s rare that the amazing Cumberland mountain bike trails are impassable. Beginners or experts can stick a sturdy tire among gorgeous forest and mountain trails. But let’s not forget road bikers… views are always spectacular on the many back roads leading to rural places.
I think my favourite meanderings happen in winter. Wandering along the beach on a still sunny day is priceless with the sound of lapping waves and boisterous seals nearby. Add to that, spectacular snow-covered mountains of our Strathcona range and the BC mainland all around, and it’s hard not to feel like one of the luckiest people on Earth, just taking it all in. Sometimes my journey is in search of good company and good conversation. Both are abundant at the Valley’s amazing craft breweries. Gladstone, Cumberland Brewing, New Tradition Brewing, to name a few, serve awesome, thirst-quenching beer in great spaces. Most recently, I visited Land & Sea Brewing Company in Comox, a great place for friends, family and community serving super delicious and healthy food.
Speaking of Comox, I have to tell you, I am really over the moon about the revitalization of this town. While I am a tried-and-true fan of shopping Fifth Avenue and adjacent streets in Courtenay, there is such a great vibe happening across the Estuary. Comox boasts clothing shops, kids shops, books stores and more. You’ll want to check out Benino Italian Café & Gelato. “YUM” … during all seasons! I’m really just scratching the surface. But stop and think about it. Where else can you do all of this at the same time? It’s why winter in the Comox Valley is really just about as good as it gets.
In fact, all that thinking could just lead to a staycation at your “home away from home,” the Old House Hotel. And add to that, some spoiling at Ohspa. It’ll still feel like summer, especially since the outdoor heated pool and hot tub have been completely refreshed and keep you toasty while soaking. So, package it up, and head to the Old House.
And if I am up for a walk with the dog, I can satisfy my craving for Starbucks and their bite-sized egg whites and almond milk lattes by simply crossing the street. Just inside Thrifty’s there’s a smaller Starbucks too, but I prefer the one with umbrellas and a place to secure my pup.
If you’re tight on time, the hot beverage machine in the Hotel lobby serves up an amazing selection of hot drinks. Fresh cream is in the fridge! Plus, there’s always a bowl of fresh fruit, so you can grab an orange or apple if you’re on the run. I’m told you can pre-order a small breakfast box as well!
For the longest time, I have set out from the Old House to walk the spectacular trail that borders the Courtenay River and its sister K’omoks Estuary. It plays out like a movie that completely relaxes and uplifts me, that is until the very end where a parting scene delivers a bit of a sucker punch. But as I recently found out during my visit with Bill Heidrick (a new Project Watershed conservation friend worthy of a blog just about him), an amazing sequel is about to play out… and I think every Old House guest should know about it.
The Kus-Kus-Sum ambitious restoration plan — overseen by Project Watershed and the K’omoks First Nations and supported by an incredible list of commercial and government (including the City of Courtenay) partnerships — is to bring back the area’s original combination of salt marsh, waterways, riparian zones and forested areas. Once restored, it will provide the community with abundance in the form of wildlife habitat, flood mitigation, carbon sequestering and recreational and educational activities.
The Comox Valley community, led by the K’omoks First Nations people and Project Watershed’s amazing team (also responsible for a multitude of other nearby restoration efforts) is on a roll to “unpave this parking lot” and restore “paradise.” (Yes, Joni Mitchell, you are an inspiration still!) The fundraising events are super creative. All contributions matter to this project: small, large, matched and anonymous. (I loved hearing about the secret gift matching donor called the “Estuary Angel.”) But I am most amazed by the tireless, passionate folks from everywhere in the Valley and beyond who are completely committed, Bill for starters.
There is place in howling distance of the Old House Hotel, that will likely change you forever. People have come from as far as Belgium to see one single animal, Tundra the wolf at the 
You will find him traveling with his celebrity wolf, from Tofino to Vancouver, from schools and First Nations ceremonies to nature centers and coastal communities, educating folks about the irreplaceable value wolves have in managing our ecosystems. Other times the visit simply breathes hope and wellness into people who desperately need the healing power of wolf. He puts to bed myths about menacing wolves and shares the inspiring truth: as top predators, they are astoundingly gentle in their nature when it comes to raising their pups, living in packs and generally living peacefully with humans when given enough room to roam. (And, yes, wolves, need a lot of room to do their part for balancing nature.)
Tundra’s people/animal pack actually numbers five. Two other dominant wolf dogs live there and are just over three years old. Nahanni is an Arctic wolf, and Mahikan is a black wolf; both are almost “full wolf” and astoundingly beautiful and fascinating to observe. While somewhat elusive, they are still very interested in humans. Few people on the planet can or should handle such an immense responsibility; Gary is one them. He lives, eats and sleeps the care of his wolves.
This on-site education is a fantastic segue to what most consider to be the most transforming part of visiting the Centre. Traveling by car, you arrive at the local river trail. Here Gary and Tundra leash up, and a walk becomes an effortless conversation about all things wolves. Tundra takes the lead, stopping at the river where she fills her belly with water and bathes in the coolness.
If you’re staying at The Old House, it is likely that you’ll be dining in at some point or maybe the whole time! You might crave a quiet morning with breakfast in bed or a happy hour in your room enjoying locally-made wine, cheeses and meats. Perhaps movie night by the fire with a local brew paired with popcorn dressed with special salt is your idea of a great autumn night.
You also won’t want to miss their fantastic selection of coconut and milk ice creams or the flower shop that begs you to take a few blossoms home to personalize your room. No doubt there are other great little shops in Courtenay and Comox featuring local fare, but if you want to spend less time shopping and more time exploring, this store will not disappoint. Check it out!
One of the best kept secrets in Courtenay is the actual place you go to get information about the best kept secrets in Courtenay and the entire island! The The Vancouver Island Visitor Centre, just off Route 19 and Comox Valley Parkway, might have been more aptly named “The Vancouver Island Experience” because it’s an attraction in itself. From the road, this circular building with a grass-covered roof topped with an eye-catching airplane is a fantastic advertisement for the Centre.
On a more interactive level, videos, photographs, graphics and First Nations Art provide tons of information and inspire conversation. I love the Vancouver Island marmot exhibit, as this is one of my favorite animals, now endangered, but on the conservation radar of our residents.
