A girlfriend getaway along British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast, where nature mirrors a fifty‑year bond.
By Melody Wren
Friends for more than fifty years, we’ve reached the point where nothing needs explaining. We grew up in and out of each other’s houses, knew each other’s parents, shared high‑school sleepovers, and later got to know each other’s kids and families just as naturally.
Our lives have been intertwined for so long that slipping back into step with each other feels like coming home. A girlfriend getaway wasn’t an indulgence; it was a necessity. With full lives—work, family, social commitments—we needed time to return to ourselves and to each other. Not rushed lunches. Not quick texts and catch-up phone calls. Real, uninterrupted time.
We started giggling in the van on the way to Horseshoe Bay, laughing about absolutely nothing, the way only lifelong friends can. The trip had already begun before we even boarded the ferry.
A Coastline That Reflects Connection
The Sunshine Coast welcomed us with its signature blend of ocean, forest, and rock, a landscape that never sits still, much like the rhythm of a long friendship. Along this coastline, shaped for generations by more than fifty First Nations, the land holds stories the way old friends hold memories: quietly, respectfully, and with deep roots.
The ferry carried us from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale, and we then drove to Gibsons Landing, a place that instantly felt special. Gibsons is the entry to the Sunshine Coast for many people. The community sits at the southwest corner of Howe Sound, perched on a hillside overlooking several small islands.
The community market surprised us with a donut shop turning out 24‑hour fermented dough in unexpected flavours. We chatted with Jody Franklin of Shaggy Jacks about his mushroom foraging tours, wandered through the catch‑and‑release aquarium, and savoured fresh salads and fish at the café, the kind of meandering day that feels effortless when you’re with someone who knows you completely.
A short drive brought us to Banditry Cidery, where gardens, picnic tables, and a food truck created the feeling of a backyard gathering. After a quick tour with owner Jamie Armstrong, we lingered over local apple‑and‑pear ciders, letting the afternoon stretch.
West Coast Wilderness Lodge: A View Made for Sharing
At the end of the day, we arrived at West Coast Wilderness Lodge in Egmont, perched high above scattered islands. Dinner at Inlets restaurant was a standout, European‑leaning with a West Coast edge. We settled into our villa overlooking the water, which felt like the kind of place where conversations deepen without trying.
The first evening, tired from a full day of travel, we stumbled down in the dark toward waiting kayaks with Metta Eco Experience owners and guides, Meriel Cammell and Greg Rushton.
I’ve never been able to see well at night, so the idea of kayaking in near‑blackness made me hesitate. But once we pushed off and were encouraged to look up, everything shifted. The sky opened above us, wide and quiet, scattered with stars, and I forgot my nerves. I found myself searching for the North Star, the one I’ve followed for years, and in that moment it felt like a small, steady reminder that I was exactly where I needed to be.
Morning came with “Days Like This” playing in our heads, the unofficial soundtrack of the trip. After breakfast, we headed to Egmont Adventure Centre for a zodiac tour with Lucas Hansen to Princess Louisa Inlet. We wrestled ourselves into enormous protective suits, laughing at how ridiculous we looked, and climbed aboard the zodiac.
Then the world shifted.
Princess Louisa Inlet: Nature That Moves You
The ride was exhilarating: wind, spray, and the feeling of being small in the best possible way. With unbelievable sunshine and clear blue skies, granite cliffs rose higher with every turn, waterfalls spilled down ancient rock faces.
We spotted black bears on the shoreline, eagles overhead, and seals slipped through the water.
And then: Chatterbox Falls. 120 feet of pure, thundering power.
We stepped off the boat, removed our protective suits, and wandered beneath towering cedar and fir, grounding ourselves in the stillness. Over gourmet snack boxes at a rustic picnic table, we looked out at the inlet, overwhelmed, emotional, grateful. Four hours on the water vanished in what felt like minutes.
Some places impress you. This one changes you.
Forest Walks, Coastal Stops & Quiet Moments
We didn’t want to leave this beautiful haven away from home, but packed up and, after another hearty breakfast, drove to Smuggler Cove Marine Provincial Park. A forest walk along boardwalks, rocky terrain, and craggy cliffs was energizing and peaceful all at once.
Halfmoon Bay General Store was our next stop, a charming community hub overlooking Priestland Cove. We browsed local artistic crafts and enjoyed a delicious lunch outdoors from their cafe and soaked in the small‑town warmth.
We drove back along the coast and checked into our second lodge. At Rockwater Secret Cove Resort, my rustic cabin overlooked the rugged Pacific Coast. The property, once a fishing lodge, is now a four‑star retreat offering everything from tent-house suites to cozy cabins.
Dinner at the onsite restaurant, Tubird, featured Italian‑inspired dishes crafted with local ingredients, each one divine. Later, I wandered down to the spa cabin for a Signature Bliss Massage, letting a recent conference tension melt away.
Stories of the Salish Sea
At Porpoise Bay Provincial Park, we joined Talaysay Tours for the “Salish Sea and Me” experience with Candace Campo, Lenora Joe (yalxwemult) and Annika Vader. Their stories—personal, ancestral, ecological—connected us to the land in a way that felt intimate and expansive. Lenora Joe (yalxwemult) served as chief (hiwus) of the shíshálh Nation (Sechelt Nation) for a period of three years, from February 2023 to February 2026, the first woman ever to be elected to the position.
We walked the rocky shoreline collecting “interesting” items for Annika to interpret: mollusks, algae, pinecones, sea lettuce, bladderwrack. Each came with a teaching, a tradition, a reminder that “when the tide is out, the table is set.”
We ended with a warming tea of licorice root, mint, rosehips, bilberry leaves, and blackberries, a small ceremony of comfort.
Lunch at Nourish in Sechelt was a delight, especially for someone with dietary restrictions. Owner Cheryl Chang creates everything in‑house, including the noodles. My poke bowl with Miso Citrus sauce was a bowl of pure goodness, “diet inclusive,” as she calls it.
A Final Flight and a Full Heart
Packed and reluctant to leave, we boarded a seaplane right in front of our cabins, a 20‑minute, adrenaline‑boosting flight back to Vancouver International Airport.
As we skimmed across the water, I felt the Sunshine Coast settling into me: the landscapes, the teachings, the people, and the quiet strengthening of a friendship half a century old.
Travelling together didn’t just give us a break from life. It reminded us who we are, separately, and together.