Sunshine Coast: Roberts Creek to Pender Harbour

This weekend we took a quick escape from the rush of the city and hopped aboard a 40-minute ferry to enjoy the Sunshine Coast. After our walk around Gibsons Landing, we headed up the highway, stopping for lunch.

Sunshine Coast Tourism gave us a list of places to check out but I wanted to specifically stop in Roberts Creek since I spent so much time there as a child in summer camp.

Nestled between hedges, gardens and flowering bushes, we settled on The Gumboot, which is just a quick hop off the highway down Roberts Creek Road.

We ordered the oven-baked fries with miso gravy but to call these “fries” is an understatement. These potato wedges were seasoned to perfection and the miso gravy was a delicious compliment.

John ordered the Super Salad for his meal and I had the curried perogies with a side salad. Up on the wall was a sign “100 feet from soil to plate” with reference to their vegetable garden, the source of our salad ingredients.

Our bill came to about $35 (for the fries, two meals, and a beer for John) and it was well worth it. Continuing along the highway we drove up through Sechelt and onto Pender Harbour where Painted Boat Resort hosted us for the next two nights.

We checked into our villa – one of over 30 rental properties that each overlook the water – and settled in for the weekend. We ate at the restaurant the first night (compliments of the Painted Boat) enjoying a 3-course meal prepared by Head Chef David Cox. For the second, we grocery shopped at the market and grilled steaks out on our villa’s balcony.

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

Although we didn’t get to experience any treatments, I’m tempted to return and enjoy the Painted Boat’s Spa – the only full service spa on the Sunshine Coast.

In total we were about 1.5 hours outside of Vancouver (by ferry & car) yet we seemed so far removed, surrounded by Arbutus groves, centuries-old Cedars and oceanfront views.

Coming up in the Sunshine Coast series I’ll profile Fibreworks, Sunshine Coast Tours, Westcoast Air and the town of Sechelt. You can view all of my photos from the trip as they are uploaded to my Flickr set. John’s photos are available on his Flickr as well.

Disclosure: cmp.ly/2 – our stay and our meal at the restaurant were covered by the Painted Boat. I was not paid to write about the resort nor was I obligated to do so. Other meals, gallery visits etc. were out of our own pocket.