Since I had no intention of driving Miranda to Tofino, I needed to find a place to stay. Research on my own revealed a serious lack of affordable options, so I turned to Trip Advisor. There, several people told me to check out Whaler’s On the Point Guesthouse, a hostel that is part of the Hosteling International system. The rates of $32 per night for non-members made the thought of sleeping in a dorm with strangers again quite palatable. But then I discovered that they have an amazing deal until February 11th: stay three nights (paid in advance) for just $60, taxes included! Staying three nights is feasible since I have four day weekends. Perfect!

When I found out about the deal, I emailed with the dates that I had off to ask if there was still space for those periods of time. My email was never answered. I called this morning before taking off and the guy pretty much brushed me off, telling me to ‘just show up’ and not even telling me that the office is closed from 2 to 4pm (thankfully I’d seen that on the website). So, I didn’t expect a warm welcome here, until I met the gal from Germany who checked me in. She was super helpful and patiently answered all my questions.

I haven’t hosteled since, oh, Chicago in 1999 I believe, and have only limited hosteling experience in Canada. So, don’t believe me, just believe the reviews, when I say that this is probably the nicest youth hostel in this country. It’s built like a mountain lodge, with lots of wood and stone. There is a lounge with a fantastic view of Clayoquot Sound and a huge, clean kitchen filled with everything you could need to cook. Some hostel kitchens in my experience are best avoided, but this one was a joy to cook in. I had packed a cooler this morning with vegetables and pasta sauce that would have spoiled by Thursday, so I made a big pot of that for dinner and will have left overs for two more meals.

There are quite a few people here, and my four-room dorm is full, but it’s definitely more relaxed than I imagine it would be in the summer time. Travel in the off season has its advantages.