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Ucluelet

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Black Rock Oceanfront Resort is located in Ucluelet between the Wild Pacific Trail and Big Beach. My friends and I came here for the long weekend to relax and unwind. The Pacific Rim Whale Festival was happening at the same time in March, so there was plenty of things to do in the area.

The resort is 40km away from Tofino, which is around a 35-40 minute drive. It’s not too bad as it is a really nice drive and tons of hikes and viewpoints along the way. Just make sure you get an park pass for Pacific Rim National Park so you can park and enjoy the sights.

Checking in


Photo Credit: Black Rock Oceanfront Resort

We checked into the lobby at 4pm and got our keys to our room. The staff were very friendly and knowledgable. If you had questions on where to go or dine nearby, just go ask them.

Dining


Photo Credit: Black Rock Oceanfront Resort

Black Rock has 2 dining areas you can check out – Fetch and Float Lounge.

Fetch is a 90 seat oceanfront restaurant that over looks the Pacific Ocean. Every seat has a spectacular view of the surrounding view.

Float Lounge is their more casual dining atmosphere. You still get a nice view if you sit right by the windows. They do not take reservations, so its first come first serve. It is cheaper than Fetch and has a good amount of West Coast dishes that will tickle your taste buds like the seaside bowl, Surf n’ Turf Steak Sandwich, and the Smoked Seafood Chowder.

Spa and Amenities


Photo Credit: Black Rock Oceanfront Resort

Drift Spa is an award-winning spa and won Top 20 Spa in North America from Spas of America in 2015. They have an extensive menu of rejuvenating and restorative body and skin treatments including, massage, facials, manicures, pedicures, hydrotherapy, body scrubs, wraps, soaks, and hot stone treatments.

I looked into RMT services but since they don’t have a dedicated RMT team, they contract it out, so book in advance to make sure you have a spot.

Amenities

All guests get access to public outdoor hot tubs, plunge pool and fitness centre.

Adjoining Trail Suites

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My friends and I stayed in the Two Bedroom Adjoining Trail Suites which combines their One Bedroom Trail Suite and Studio Trail Suite to create a larger space, suitable for up to 6 people.

Studio Trail Suite

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The one side of the suite is a Studio Trail Suite which features a king size bed and kitchenette. This is suitable for 2 – 4 people as it has a king size bed plus a seating area with a double pullout couch.

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The kitchenettes in this suite are fully equipped for four people with dishwasher, 2-burner stovetop, combination microwave/convection oven and small refrigerator.

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My friends stayed on this side and they did like it. The only critique was the window separating the washroom and the studio. Since it is a sliding window, you can easily play pranks on each other…not that we did that or anything.

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The bathrooms have heated slate flooring, soaker tub, and a shower with a rain shower head. Everything was clean and we had no issues.

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One Bedroom Trail Suite

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On the other side of the suite is a separate living room with a pull out double couch bed, flat screen tv, gas fireplace and a dining table. This also fits 4 people as well. You can also step outside to the balcony to look at the views outside. We didn’t get much of a view as it was covered up with large trees. We could see a little bit of the Big Beach and smaller trails.

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There is cable and wireless access, but some of the channels were limited. Wifi was a bit slow.

Since I have my data plan on my phone with Rogers, there was no LTE or 3G. Most of the time it didn’t work. My other friends that were on the TELUS network had no problems at all. I really relied on the Wifi at the resort.

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The separate bedroom  has a king size bed, a small flat screen TV and a closet. You can step outside on the balcony from the bedroom too.

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The flat screen TV was pretty tiny, but most of the time we were out in the living room watching movies or shows.

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The bedroom also has a window connecting to the bathroom. You can hear everything that goes on in the washroom.

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The bathroom is very spacious and a lot larger than the studio suite. There are 2 sinks and the shower might have been bit larger.

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Most of the time was spent in the living room/kitchen. We brought with us some snack and drinks for the evenings when we play board games.

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The dining table has 4 chairs, so it have have a group of 8, you will need to find other ways for them to sit.

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A nice relaxing time with a group of great friends.

Wild Pacific Trail

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Wild Pacific Trail is on the right side of the Resort. You will want to take a stroll around the area to catch some gorgeous views. It’s definitely worth it.

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You’ll need to walk through the parking lot past some stairs and you will see a path.

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Walk towards to ocean and the scenic views will be there.

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There are a few benches where you can just sit and take in all the beauty.

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How could you not love this stunning view? We had a great time staying at the resort and there is definitely a good amount of things to do around here. We loved the area so much that we are going to plan another visit to Ucluelet/Tofino next year!

Address:
596 Marine Drive
Ucluelet, BC

Website:
http://www.blackrockresort.com/

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We were staying at Black Rock Resort and waiting for our room to be ready. We arrived super early, but we were all exhausted after the long drive from Vancouver. To kill some time in Ucluelet until we could go to our room, we headed to Big Beach, which is right beside the resort.

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We parked out car of the side of the road and walked down to the beach. Big Beach is is the largest public beach destination in the Ucluelet with a picnic shelter, some picnic tables, a playground and washrooms.

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Big Beach is situated in a large bay with a good-sized beach. The bay is backed by rock outcroppings and jagged cliffs providing a natural shelter from the winds.

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The beach is, both, pebble and sand. Low tides reveal tidal pools and more wet sand. The beach shoreline is always lined with piles of driftwood logs thrown a shore by the west coast storms which batter the coastline every winter.

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There were a good amount of families here. Some were having a BBQ and others just stopped for a nice short visit to the beach – running around and throwing rocks into the water.

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We on the other hand had decided to just sit on the rocks and enjoy some drinks.

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Or you can grab a beer, but since public drinking is illegal in Canada, just be discrete about it.

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The waves crashing on the rocks were fun to watch.

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If you’re looking for a picnic or BBQ spot right by the beach, you definitely want to take your family here.

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When in Ucluelet, you have to pay a visit to Lighthouse loop, which is part of the Wild Pacific Trail.

It only takes around 30 minutes to 45 minutes to complete the 2.6km loop. Plus, the views are phenomenal.

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You start the walk right near the lighthouse and walk clockwise on the trail. They encourage everyone to stay on the path, but the views are so gorgeous when you’re a lot closer to the water.

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You have to take caution when walking on the rocks since it is jagged and sharp. If you are in high heels for some reason, you definitely don’t want to be walking on the rocks.

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A lot of selfies and scenic shots are taken here. You are basically staring into the pacific ocean and there won’t be land for thousands of miles.

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Even listening to the waves crash upon the rocks was so therapeutic.

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There are benches and lookout points throughout the trail, so make sure you stop and take a lot of photos before continuing .

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If you’re in the area or staying in Tofino, you’ll have to make a stop to come out here.

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You won’t regret the beautiful sights and its a way to get some easy exercise done.

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Matterson House Restaurant is a cozy eatery in the village of Ucluelet. The house was built in 1931, so you will see a lot of rustic charm dining here. It was originally known as Glendale, built by Basil and Mary Matterson. Back then, Ucluelet was only accessible by sea. Most roads that we see today were dirt roads.

In 1996, Sandy and Jennifer Clark took ownership and turned it into the restaurant we know today.

Since it was a busy long weekend, we were scrambling for dinner plans for our large group at the very last second, luckily Matterson House was able to hold us a table till we got there.

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At first, I wasn’t quite sure about this place as it had visible age in the interior. As a foodie, I can’t really make judgements until I see the food in front of me.

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Every single table was set up before the dinner rush. When we arrive around 6, there was plenty of space, but as it got closer to 7, it was pretty much full.

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Homemade whole wheat bread with whipped butter arrived at the table. These loaves were huge.

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Matterson Seafood Chowder has shrimp, scallops, white fish, spinach, cream and corn. It is served with crackers on the side.

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Oyster Burger is dressed with mustard, relish, mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion. It is also served with your choice of mixed greens or potato salad. My friend chose it with mixed greens.

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They give you a wedge of lemon, so you can squeeze it over the crisp creamy oyster.

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My other friend got the same oyster burger, but with the potato salad.

They both said they enjoyed the oyster burger.

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Verdi’s Verde Pesche has smoked salmon and pine nuts in a pesto cream sauce with spinach and fettuccine. I really enjoyed this pasta. It was very creamy and the salmon had a nice delicate taste to it. The added texture of the pine nuts was a good touch.

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Straw and Hay Pasta has veal and mushrooms in a garlic and cream sauce. M liked it and there was a lot of veal in it, which is great. The sauce was very thick and creamy too.

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Pollo Loco Pasta has chicken with chipotle cream cheese sauce and penne.

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All the pastas come with a salad. You can choose between ranch blue cheese, Italian, French, 1000 island or Sandy’s blackberry vinaigrette.

Overall, the food was executed well and we all had a positive experience. The dining experience was pretty neat. Even with a busy floor, they were able to keep the food flowing. Nice little gem in Ucluelet. It’s very casual and relaxing.

We Rate Matterson House35rating

Address:
1682 Peninsula Road, Ucluelet, BC

Matterson House Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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The first thing we did in Ucluelet was to pay a visit to Jiggers Fish and Chips for lunch. They are known for their Fish and Chips with locally caught fish. With the ocean so close and great produce nearby, it’s a no brainer to use the freshest ingredients possible.

Do note they are cash only. My friends went to the closest Co-op grocery store and grabbed some gum and requested cash back. A good trick to avoid ATM fees.

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Their Fish and Chips truck has a permanent spot on Peninsula Road near Bay Street. There are picnic tables inside and outside, so if it’s windy/rainy, you can head inside where there are rest rooms too.

There is also a large parking lot, so plenty of room for vehicles.

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The catch of the day was cod. In addition to fish and chips, they have burgers, hot dogs, corn dogs, and chicken fingers.

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My friends got the one piece fish and chips, it is also served with homecut fries, coleslaw, tartar sauce and a wedge of lemon.

The one piece is quite large and it looks more like 2 pieces.

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My other friend got the one piece and it seriously looks like 2 pieces too.

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This is the 2 piece Fish and Chips. M and I shared this since we weren’t too hungry. The 2 pieces look like 3 pieces. The tempura batter was nice and crisp with a tender and fluffy cod underneath. It was enough for M and I to share. The tartar sauce had a good taste too.

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Make sure you spritz some of the malt or white vinegar on the fish and chips.

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Big Jig Burger is their loaded burger with cheese, mushrooms, fried onions, bacon, all the veggies, and all the sauces. It is also served with fries. A big burger with all the fixings.

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The homecut fries are crisp and I couldn’t stop eating them. I liked to spray some of the vinegar on them to add more flavour.

Overall, the prices are a tad high, but when you do get the food, the portions are large. Plus, where else are you going to get amazing fish and chips in Ukee? I will be back for my next trip to the Island. it definitely rivals even some places in Vancouver.

We Rate Jiggers:4rated

Address:
1685 Peninsula Road, Ucluelet

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Jiggers-Fish-Chips-178163522220314/

Jiggers Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato