Whale Watching - Island ROAM 2015

Island ROAM 2015

Island Roam was an amazing Girl Guide camp where guides from around B.C. got to meet and experience things they otherwise wouldn’t. We had a sample activities in a range of places starting in Victoria and making our way up to Port Hardy. The Leaders and everyone who contributed to making this camp happen have inspired me to re-visit many of the places we went and see other attractions and re-do the amazing things I have already done.

During this trip I had the chance to explore and experience many places. Although I enjoyed all the places, a couple stood out to me. To start with, my favorite place I went on my trip was Coombs. At Coombs there was so much to see and do. Even though I wish we could have stayed longer, the leaders had organized a scavenger hunt so I was able to enter and enjoy all the stores even though sometimes it was a bit rushed. Next, Telegraph Cove was extraordinary. My group whale-watched at Telegraph Cove and despite the cold winds numbing me, I would not have left my spot as I observed the porpoises ride the waves right up beside the boat and had the chance to see 5 humpbacks smash their tails against the water. In the end, Wild Play, where I learned the art of monkeying around called monkido, was definitely up there with the top three. This happened on the second day at camp and it was a great way to start off. Clearly I went to many fun places and did many fun things that I hope to do again.

Next, I enjoyed practically all the food served on the trip. One of my favorite meals was having high tea at Milner Gardens. There I did not only have my first high tea since Grade 2 but also got to walk the blooming gardens. Also, on the last day, in Chinatown for our last meal we got to eat Chinese food and we all got to stuff ourselves full of meats and rice and other yummy foods that had me salivating as soon as they were set down. Decidedly, my new favorite food is the Nanaimo bar. We did the Nanaimo bar trail. It was like a scavenger hunt but tastier. Evidently the food on this trip was amazing and am definitely hoping to head back to Nanaimo soon.

Concluding my flow of thoughts I think the leaders had a good idea to give us all smash books. Smash books are like a journal and a scrap book all in one. If they had given us journals it would take us a long time to write in them and if we had scrap books we would have all this empty space and nowhere to write things we might want to remember. Smash books always have room for a little more and is never quite full.

Clearly, this trip was amazing! I will definitely be trying to get into other guide camps with the hopes that they will live up to Island Roam.

Alyssa, a Pathfinder from Lions Area, took part in Island Roam 2015. BC Girl Guides sent a group including two Guiders and one Pathfinder from Lions Area to explore scenic Vancouver Island this summer. They had an amazing time hiking through old-growth forests, spotting whales and sea otters, learning about First Nations cultures, admiring world famous murals, and watching goats play on roofs. You can see more photos from the trip on SmugMug.