On Day One, mark your arrival in Port McNeill with a revitalizing drink from Mugz 2.0 Coffee House and a wander from the Port McNeill Visitor Centre (pop your head in for maps and local insights) along the paved, oceanfront pathway to appreciate the wide open sky, rolling waters, and sightings of marine mammals and soaring eagles that mark your arrival.

Savour a meal (and some wild-caught salmon jerky from local Hardy Buoys!) at Devils’ Bath Brewing and sip on local brews, like the Sinners & Saints Hazy Pale or a seasonally-rotating style inspired by the places and flavours that define Vancouver Island North.

Drive the ten minutes to Cluxewe Resort to swiftly transition from coastal fishing town to spectacular nature retreat. Fill your lungs with the scent of cedar, spruce, and fir and the briny taste of the sea. First Nation-owned, you’re invited to connect with the storied land that was once a teeming fishing village by Kwakiutl accounts. Cluxewe fittingly means “place of refuge” and you’re sure to encounter the feelings that accompany that meaning here.

Day two begins in Port McNeill, where a spot of shopping showcases the values, character, and creative passions of our residents. Stock up at Essentials Refillery—filled with home and beauty refills, and low- and zero-waste goodies, that are perfect to set you up for success to leave no trace in Vancouver Island North and beyond.

Nearby, the Marine Education and Research Society enthusiastically welcomes guests into their Ocean Store, where you can learn and ask questions about marine mammals, like whales and dolphins, in the area, before picking up unique, ocean-themed souvenirs that raise funds for research and conservation.

Grab lunch in the sunshine (or under cover) at a food truck or kiosk bursting with flavour likes Smoke & Mirrors or Patagon. Follow up with a mouthwatering soft serve infused with fresh fruits from Dear Sun Ice Cream with its coastal vista backdrop.

After you’re revitalized, set out to discover more small businesses that make up our tight-knit local economy. The Book Shelf is the perfect place to seek out books from local authors and those from the wider west coast of British Columbia, as well as stories centred on our ecosystems and coast.

Then use our self-guided Artist Tour Map to discover slow, considered, artistic practices and creative studios inspired by our locale. Some even fuse their creativity with sustainability, like 2nd Chance RopeWorks in Hyde Creek, who reimagines commercial fishing ropes that would otherwise go to waste into all manner of unexpected creations like baskets and ornamental jellyfish.

If you still have time on your hands, you could also drive out to Port Hardy or Telegraph Cove—Port McNeill is a perfect midpoint for exploration—to tick off some of the other artists on the map and discover other stores, before spending another night decompressing in the calm embrace of Cluewxe Resort.

Day three invites you to meander along the picturesque, winding road from Port McNeill to Port Alice. Take in the changing scenery, from marsh to lush forest to waterways— and stop to stretch your legs at Marble River Provincial Park before arriving in Port Alice for a coffee at Foggy Mountain Coffee Co.

Really get to know this intimate community and understand how the local economy has shifted over the years by visiting the Port Alice Heritage Centre. Take a walk along the Port Alice Seawalk afterward, stopping to read the interpretive signs, and imagine what life must have been like when industry and settlement was at its peak.

Have lunch at McWilkies Food Truck—you can’t miss this colourful community staple at the marina. And you can feel extra good about tucking into a mouthwatering plate of fresh, local food in the knowledge that they are members of the Wild Pledge incentive program (providing discounts to those who partake in the #LivetheWildPledge initiative!).

Learn more about the Wild Pledge before you hit the road and let it inspire and guide your adventure throughout Vancouver Island North this year.