French Beach Provincial Park

From the parking lot, I walked through a playground area, then through some brush whoch opened up to the ocean.
It was the middle of the week. Eventhough it was a very hot day, the beach was extremely quiet. A few people were there with there dogs, a couple of campers, and me.

The beach is on the western coast of Vancouver Island. The ocean breeze is crisp and chilly. The waters are deep and cold. The area is known for the wildlife: cougars, bears, seals, orcas, etc. I was not fortunate enough to view any wildlife, but came across driftwood....

and pebbles...



After strolling along the beach, throwing some pebbles back to the sea, playing with the pups, it was time to head back. There were different paths that headed towards the parking area, so I decided to be adventurous. To my amazement, I realized I was in part of the glorious rain forest of the area...

Trees jutting meters into the sky, ferns as high as my shoulder, berries, moses, fungi, mosquitoes, and the strange sort of spiders I'd rather not come across again. The path was very well groomed, and easily navigated.

And at the end, a winding roadway that circled the campsites, and led the way back to the parking lot.