🇨🇦 Nanaimo: A Little Island Getaway Full of Healing Vibes

Just a 3-hour trip (car + ferry) from Vancouver! Booked ferry tickets online, arrived at the terminal 40-60 mins early to queue up. The ferry had a café and shops—the 2-hour ride flew by! Before docking, an announcement reminded everyone to return to their cars for an orderly disembarkation. 🚢✨ 🏡 Stayed at a seaside Airbnb far from downtown, so we explored the city center first. Quaint and quiet, even on weekends—we finished wandering in under an hour. My daughter loved the street murals, while I chilled at The Vault Café, a vintage, artsy spot filled with stylish locals. ☕🎨 What We Did (and Didn’t Do): ❌ Oyster Hunting 🦪: No tools, so we skipped digging (though oysters were everywhere!) and ate out instead. Bought an oyster knife and learned to shuck from Xiaohongshu—success! 🔪😂 ❌ Mountain Biking 🚵‍♂️: A famous spot for it, but no gear = next time! ✅ Hiking: Slept in daily, so stuck to easy trails—but still amazing! 📍 Ammonite Falls: A 4.5km gentle hike leading straight to a magical waterfall. 📍 Little Qualicum Falls: Zero difficulty, fully fenced for safety. 📍 Kin Beach: A serene shoreline with a giant heart-shaped wood carving and snowy mountain views. 📍 Neck Point: Sunset here is a MUST—that pink-blue sky in my cover photo? Pure magic! 🌅📸 ✅ Courtenay Town: Knee swelling ruined our hike plans, but we stumbled upon a chill afternoon here instead. Foodie Highlight: ✅ Ocean 7: The best meal of the trip! Cozy lights inside, pastel-blue ocean views outside, and elevated dishes to match. 🍽️💙 #NanaimoGuide #TravelDiaries #HikingAdventures #IslandVibes #FerryTales 🌿🚢