Bombora Gifts is exclusively selling the Discover Sooke bag. A well made, durable, medium sized bag with the Discover Sooke logo embroidered onto the front of it. This bag would be perfect for carrying books, beach toys, picnics or groceries.

Proudly display your love for Sooke with the official Discover Sooke bag, only at Bombora Gifts.

Be sure to check out all the wonderful items found at Bombora Gifts. A truly unique store in the heart of Sooke, BC.

Bombora Gifts, Decor and More…
#106-6661 Sooke Road
Sooke, British Columbia V0S 1N0
Phone: (250) 642-2030
Fax: (250) 642-2080

http://www.bombora.ca

For more information on the Sooke Region, please visit the official Discover Sooke website.

Simply put, this beach is stunning. It might be one of my favourite beachs in the Sooke Region. The hike in is fairly short and easy and the views of the Juan de Fuca Strait are amazing. You can a really great view of the Olympic Mountain Ranges and the rocks that have been pushed up on the shore elevate you so if any sealife is swimming by, you’ll have a great chance of seeing it.

There are also a couple of waterfalls that fall off the sandstone cliffs to the east of the beach. This is the sandcut river I do believe.

So where is this secret location you ask? Drive west towards Jordan River and once you cross the bridge over “Sandcut Creek”, continue driving for approxiamately a 1/4 kilometer until you see a clearing along the shoulder of the road on the left hand side. There most likely be a vehicle or two parked there in the summer months.

Here is a video I took of Sandcut Beach, I hope you enjoy.

Located 21 kilometres west of Sooke on Highway 14, and just 5 kilometres east of Jordan River, French Beach Provincial Park offers sandy beaches, a provincial campground and full amenity park facilities.

This 59 hectare park is situated on Strait of Juan de Fuca and features private campsites and surf-side picnic areas. This particular stretch of beachfront offers ideal marine wildlife and whale watching conditions, including Orcas, bald eagles, and ospreys, as well as seals and sea lions.

Along the spectacular trails you’ll come across native vegetation, like the groves of second growth of Douglas fir, western hemlock and western red cedars, as well as Ditka spruce and a variety of large and interesting ferns and flowers.

For more information on the Sooke Region, be sure to check out the offical Discover Sooke website.

It takes just a little over an hour to drive from Sooke to Port Renfrew, possibly a little longer, depending on traffic and whether or not you get stuck behind an RV or two.

The drive is very scenic with narrow winding roads and a few one lane bridges. You’ll also pass all the entrances for the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail – China Beach, Sombrio Beach etc..

Once we arrived in Port Renfrew, we decided to stop in the little Bisto that we’ve made a habit of stopping at over the years. The San Juan Bistro is small with a lovely outdoor patio and plenty of parking. We most always order the smoked beef sandwich. Fresh shaved slices of smoked beef, mayo, pickle, onion and tomato. It’s a wonderful bite and the prices are very reasonable. Wash it all down with a fresh smoothie and you’re good to go exploring for the day.

The parking lot for Botanical Beach is a few kilometers from the village core. The parking lot was quite full when we went but we managed to quickly find room to park. It only cost us $3 to park the car for the full day.

The walk down to Botanical Beach is only a kilometer and a half, good trails and fairly easy in terms of difficulty. It’s more difficult walking back to the parking lot as you are dealing with uphill most of the way, but can be taken at a leisurely pace.

It was a fabulous day of weather and small finds. This is definitely one place you’ll want to see when you are in the Sooke Region.

Take a peek at our video and see what you can expect to find and explore at Botanical Beach, or, read more about it on the official Discover Sooke website, here: http://www.discoversooke.com/botanical-beach.php

Port Renfrew is a charming little seaside village with some great food options. The places we have eaten at have been fantastic. If you have time, check out the Pacific Marine Circle route as well. It will take you a long some old, but newly paved, logging roads all the way to Lake Cowichan. From there you can hit Duncan, turn south towards Victoria and come back around to Sooke. This trip would take a good few hours, but there are many things to see along the way.

For more information on the Sooke Region, please visit the official Discover Sooke website.

A leisurely 30-minute walk takes you to the point where you can enjoy the scenery and watch the mesmerizing breakwater. Wooden benches situated along the path offer the perfect opportunity to sit back and take-in the natural beauty of the Vancouver Island south-west coastline.

It is April 25th, 2009. It’s an all day and all ages event.

Musical line-up for SOS Eco-Fest 09!!!!!!!

Doors open at 3:30
4:30-5:30pm ‘Waves on Monday’…original wave-inspired music to soothe the soul
6-7pm ‘Four Track Minds’
7-7:30 update by ‘The Muir Creek Protection Society
7:30-8:30pm ‘Holly Arntzen & Kevin Right’ environmental artist representing ecology through music
9-10pm ‘The Sea Monkeys’…local surfers play 70’s style surf-rock & originals with a funk-reggae style
10:30-11:30 ‘Rocky Mountain Rebel Music’, 9-piece reggae-funk band from Vic
12-1:00am ‘Selector Intrinsic’…dropping irie culture riddims and dancehall, fromVancouver

Tickets info
Tickets cost $10-20 sliding scale and all proceeds go to the Muir Creek Protection Society

Tickets outlets
Sooke- Salts Organic Studio Boutique
Stick in the Mud Coffee House
Victoria- Fiber Options (577 Johnson St.)
or call Amanda @ 250-818-4633

This event is sponsored by
Salts Organic Studio Boutique
Migration Design
Malahat Farm

For more information on the Sooke area, please visit the official Discover Sooke website.

Christine Hopkins, owner of “From the Garden at French Beach“, forwarded this wonderful article to me written by Andrew Princz, editor of the travel portal, ontheglobe.com

Andrew came to Sooke last month to write an article about the “Seaweed Ladies of Sooke” and you can read more on this piece from his website. Here is a small teaser with a link to the full article.

I suggest reading it in full as it’s a great piece showcasing some amazing and unique things offered on the best coast of our west coast.

Andrew Princz writes:

“I was taken aback when I caught sight of Amanda in her wetsuit at Muir Creek. The only clue that I was at the right place was her long dreadlocks that spread out wildly from her thick bush of hair. She was waiting for me in her tightly fitting wetsuit that revealed the silhouette of a true-to-life mermaid with her young daughters Mahina and Nesika milling about the beach with a friend in the distance.

Not being in tune with the tidal patterns of the ocean, the migration of the birds or even the frigid temperatures of the waters here, I suddenly realized how awkward my request had been to actually ask her to plunge into the sea. I had met Herbalist Amanda Swinimer of Dakini Tidal Wilds haphazardly in an airport mini-bus in Toronto, and was enraptured by her stories of seaweed culture and the small community of Sooke that sustained it. I had imagined that the sea was Amanda’s element. What I hadn’t considered was that it was early February, and the water temperature was about forty degrees and her underwater garden would largely be in hibernation.

No bothers, she seemed to have thought. Amanda is one of the seaweed ladies of Sooke. The ocean is her garden. While it may not yet be green or even plush, I seemed to have enticed her curiosity about just what was going on under the cold and salty waters at Muir Creek these days. ”

Please click here to read the entire article in full.

For more information on the Sooke area, please visit the official Discover Sooke Online website.

We’re interested to know what you think? Did you enjoy the Sooke Santa Claus Parade; what was your favourity float?

Don’t forget to check out the official Discover Sooke Online website to learn more about Sooke businesses and the community www.discoversooke.com.

Where do you go? What do you do? Do you stay at home next to a fireplace and read a book? Do you take in the brisk, cold air and walk one of our many fine trails or beaches?

Please let us know. Just comment on this story, found at the bottom of this post. We’ve love to hear what the members of the Sooke area to at this time of the year.

We hope everyone enjoys their weekend.