HotelTonight – Parksville, BC Hotels Nearby
I've been traveling through British Columbia for years, as my job takes me out on the road nearly every week. Of all the places where I travel, I look forward to BC the most because of its wild beauty, its cosmopolitan cities and its welcoming residents. I have spent most of my time in Vancouver, the hub of BC, but I've also been through The Interior and in other parts of this enormous province. One place I had never been to was Vancouver Island, as I'd never had the time. You have to take a ferry to get there, and my schedule never allowed it. One morning when I was in Vancouver, I got a call that told me that all of my meetings that day were canceled. I found myself with 24 hours to spend as I wished, as my flight home was not until the following afternoon. I decided that this was the time to see Vancouver Island. I wanted to spend my day in Parksville, a small city I had heard about in the past. I wasn't concerned with lodging, as my HotelTonight app would find me a Parksville, BC hotel room in seconds.
The Ferry
BC offers a government-managed ferry service from the mainland to Vancouver Island. You can drive your car right onto a ship, park and go to the upper levels while you're in transport. I did that, and it was quite an experience. The ferry has all sorts of dining and shopping options for you, a wireless Internet network and indoor and outdoor seating. I found myself wandering around on the outdoor decks, taking photos of the incredible mountains and rocky coasts of smaller islands as we made our way to Nanaimo. I drove off the ferry already feeling like I had experienced something wonderful.
Downtown Parksville
The drive from the ferry landing in Nanaimo to Parksville is only around 25 miles, and it's a lovely drive filled with enormous pine trees and blue water to your right. When I arrived in Parksville, a city of around 12,000 people, I knew I had chosen a good spot to explore. The downtown area was extremely quaint, clean and friendly. Nearly all of the businesses were small and locally owned, and the people there were a mix of older, retired people and younger families. Everyone I spoke to was remarkably friendly and helpful.
The Beaches
I spent my afternoon walking around several different beaches that were right next to the city, as the coastline near Parksville was gorgeous. It's also managed very well, as there are trails along every beach I saw. I walked along and talked to people who were out there, and nearly all of them were local. I took a lot of different photos and asked around for dinner spots. I got a lot of different answers, which surprised me considering the size of the city.
HotelTonight – Parksville BC Hotels Are Available
As I sat at dinner at a lovely local cafe that served incredible salmon, I realized that I needed to book a Parksville, BC hotel room. I opened my HotelTonight app and found one in seconds. With that handled, I enjoyed the rest of my dinner with a glass of wine, looking out the window of the cafe and into the blue sea. It was a memorable day.
