West Coast Weekend Exploring

By Megan Catalano

Our lifestyle revolves around our dogs and our favourite thing to do is explore. We pack a lot into our weekends and feel fortunate to have so many local and pet-friendly places to stay, eat and visit on Vancouver Island. On a sunny Friday afternoon, my husband Joe and I packed up the 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GT-Premium S-AWC with our gear and our two four-legged best friends, Hurley and Koloa. We left our place near Victoria, B.C. and headed west on Highway 14 for a weekend road trip. With two large dogs we don’t travel light, but the Outlander PHEV provided plenty of space for their comfort and all our necessities for the weekend. There was ample space for the foldable ramp Hurley uses to get in and out of the vehicle with ease. He has some mobility challenges and packing this accessibility support keeps him adventuring with us at his golden age of 15. Our five-year-old rescue dog Koloa tends to feel nervous and anxious in vehicles, so making a comfortable and safe space for her to have a positive experience was a priority. We folded down the second and third-row seating to create a king-size dog bed so they could rest and relax during the drive. There’s plenty of space for a dog crate too, which we would use to secure her for a longer highway drive.

Our dogs love to run on the beach and play in the water, so our first stop to break up the drive before they got restless was Whiffen Spit, a popular park and dog walking destination in Sooke, B.C. The small peninsula extends out a few kilometres between the Sooke Basin and the Strait of Juan de Fuca and boasts incredible views. After stretching our legs, we hopped back in the car bound for our weekend destination. Port Renfrew, also known as the ‘Tall Tree Capital of Canada,’ is a small community on the southwestern edge of Vancouver Island. It’s a quick getaway at 111 kilometres from the capital city that feels otherworldly. The area is home to many of Canada’s largest and oldest trees — so many different smells for our pups to discover. The drive to Port Renfrew is an adventure by its very nature. We cruised along twisting roads over several single lane bridges taking in the old growth forest and spotting the ocean through the trees. With 61 kilometres of full EV range, the plug-in hybrid Outlander gives us a fuel efficient and cost-effective way to explore these scenic views. The Super All-Wheel Control, along with countless safety features like the head-up display to help keep your eyes on the road, ensure our precious furry cargo arrives safely no matter the road or weather conditions.

After checking in to a pet-friendly cottage at the oceanfront Wild Renfrew that would serve as our base camp for the weekend, we unpacked quickly because the dogs were ready for another stroll. We wandered along the wharf and rocky waterfront next to our cottage enjoying the sunset.

On Saturday we had a slow, leisurely morning with coffee and breakfast on the deck. Dark clouds were rolling in but the dogs were once again ready for action rain or shine. It took some maneuvering in mud mode — one of the Outlander’s seven different drive modes — through puddles and muddy terrain to find an isolated spot to let Hurley and Koloa run off leash through the trees. Fortunately, the vehicle’s semi-aniline leather interior is easy to wipe clean after transporting our often shedding and covered-in-mud passengers.  Sampling the fare at locally owned restaurants is something we love to do on our road trips as much as exploring the outdoors. We stopped at the roadside Coastal Kitchen Café for lunch on the dog-friendly patio. Joe and I devoured a homemade pizza while the dogs waited eagerly on their blanket for the day’s next activity. Meanwhile, I charged the dogs’ safety lights and my camera battery using the two 120 V outlets in the Outlander PHEV so they’d be ready for us that afternoon. We finished lunch and shifted into gravel mode for better traction and stability on the steep and uneven logging road we were about to climb. Driving slowly for more than 10 kilometres followed by a short hike, we arrived at Big Lonely Doug. Doug is the second largest Douglas-fir tree in Canada at a staggering 70.2 metres tall. We got caught in the rain but it was worth it to see this ancient giant. 

The dogs were finally tired from our outdoor explorations, so we headed back to the cottage to dry off and unwind. On the way, Joe and I activated the front seat massage function which felt relaxing after hiking and getting soaked in the rain. I also savoured the warmth of the heated seat and steering wheel. Then we spent a cozy evening around the fire playing games and snuggling with our sleepy mutts.  Sunday started with a hike in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park. The trail led us through the lush rainforest toward the stunningly beautiful Botanical Beach. We scoured the beach for marine life and hiked along the rugged coastline listening to the roaring waves crashing on the rocks.  With all our exploring, we worked up an appetite. The server at Bridgemans West Coast Eatery welcomed our dogs to their patio with fresh water. As we dined on delicious chicken burgers and poutine, Joe and I watched boats launching from the marina and seals poking their heads out of the Port San Juan Inlet. The dogs lounged in the sunshine. 

West Coast weather can change quickly from pouring rain on Saturday to warm and sunny on Sunday. It was toasty as we piled back in the car. The three-zone automatic climate control offered the perfect comfort for Hurley and Koloa who are northern mixed breeds. They overheat easily with their thick fur coats, so we kept it cool in the back for them. On the drive home, Joe and I peeked into the backseat - both dogs were resting comfortably and we knew it was a fulfilling weekend. It was a perfect road trip full of lasting memories with our best friends. I’m already counting down the days until the next adventure with our dogs in the Outlander PHEV.