The town of Sooke is on the less explored section of Vancouver Island, close to the capital city of BC, Victoria and leading into the spectacular Juan de Fuca trail.

In and around town:

Sooke Museum and Tourist Information.

Harbour House.

Complementary yellow rain coats and rubber boot await tromping about the locality on a stormy day.A wood whale carved in the style of the Haidas, the indigenous people of northern BC. An clever jellyfish light amidst a pile of artfully arranged weathered wood. A fork & spoon mobile in front of a shell and bell macrame hanging at the Sooke Harbour House.

Places to Eat.

Stickleback Eatery. The food here was so good Al tried to bribe the cook with a beer for the recipes, especially on the curried bean soup that was the daily special. But the cook said he just ‘wings it’ until he gets the taste he wants. (sticklebackeatery.com)

Sheringham Point Lighthouse.

17 Mile House, a Historic Pub.

From a sign in the pub: “This historic roadhouse was built just before the turn of the century as a hotel for sportsman…”“During the 1920s the hotel gained local importance as it housed the area’s only telephone… ‘Ma’ Wilson operated the 17 Mile House from 1940 until 1970. It was she who had the distinctive tile floor installed…”There are indoor and outdoor eating areas. We only stopped there for a beer and I noted in my journal that the IPA was a Vancouver Island Craft Beer, and tasty but not memorable. Whimsey abounds; trees with faces and a sign reading ‘Hippies Use Back Door’.

The Boardwalk at Ed McGregor Park.

Tales from the Crab Catcher (and other stories told along the Boardwalk at Ed McGregor Park). A great place to talk with the locals and hear their stories (and drool over the crabs they’re catching).

Whiffen Spit.

East Sooke Regional Park.

Sooke Potholes.

More on Travelling around BC.