For a chance to get away from everything that smacks of modernization, look no further than Lasqueti Island, British Columbia. The population is around 350 permanent residents year round, resulting in a lot of people shaking their heads in wonderment that some people still choose this lifestyle, while others leave envious of those souls and find themselves experiencing culture shock when they hit a big city again.
There are highly educated professionals in various careers and trades living here, who also spend a lot of time in manual labor keeping the home fires burning per se, as they are living a lifestyle that demands the time-consuming attention to eking a living out of the earth and natural environment around them. The Coastal Douglas Fir Zone is the unusual ecosystem here that draws naturalists/scientists of many fields to observe and sometimes stay to study.
You leave your car behind, and either walk onto a passenger ferry, or go by private boat or float plane. The only power is solar or micro-hydro, and this is the way the residents want it.
There are picnic areas, swimming at Squitty Bay Provincial park, 9 miles south of the ferry dock, where the water is warm and green in the summer, as well as many other secluded beaches on the island and its 8 bays. In calm waters, you can paddle over to Jedidiah Island, which is now a provincial marine park, and has white sand beaches. This is only accessible by boat and takes about 30 minutes by canoe when waters are good.
Visitors and residents come here for the mountain biking among other reasons. There are no paved roads, so realize you'll need some good equipment. You are not totally destitute of vehicles if you have an emergency or other reason for needing one. There is a taxi service here.
Fishing - did I mention you can fish for salmon, cod and rockfish here, dig clams, or just see the marine life in your scuba gear?
There is are hotels, some B & Bs and a wilderness retreat to rent, as well as campgrounds. The power generators are turned off at night, which means you'll be glad for your candles, kerosene lamp and battery operated lantern. Just remember that you're dealing with solar power, out houses or indoor showers and bathrooms that are varied from your typical accommodation.
Where is this place and how do you get there? It is 50 miles northwest of Vancouver in the Strait of Georgia. The island is about 12 miles long and 3 miles wide, so compare that to Manhattan if you need a visual comparison of size. Now think of all the people that live in Manhattan and the 350 who live in Lasqueti, and you'll realize why the comparison to Manhattan stops there. Take the passenger ferry from French Creek Harbour on Vancouver Island, to False Bay on Lasqueti Island. This will take about 50 minutes in calm waters. You'll leave your car behind at the marina where you'll find paid parking. With a boarding pass, you'll still need to board 15 minutes prior to departure. There are specifics of what you can and cannot take on board, such as no hardware allowed - machinery, etc. Bicycles are 2.50. However, if you bring your own kayak, the ferry company considers that hand luggage, so voila, you are set to enjoy the waters off the shoreline.
Are we so busy in our lives that we think we have to stay busy during well-deserved holidays? Whether done cheaply or expensively, beaches are the most natural and beautiful options but know what is out there, not just the regular ones everyone seems to flock to, but also the hidden vacation spots.
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