Nanaimo has some unique attractions, including its pair of interesting islands in the bay, both easily reached by water taxis. One, Newcastle Island, is a provincial park with camping and hiking. The other, Protection Island, is residential, home to about 300 people as well as the popular Dinghy Dock Pub, where we had dinner.

The Protection Connection water taxi does the 5-minute run between
Protection Island and the Nanaimo waterfront. Carol Pucci photo.

We caught the 6:10 p.m. water taxi ($8 round-trip), with eager plans to stay for the fiddle jam that happens Tuesday nights. But that didn't quite work out. While everything we'd been told said the pub was family friendly (so I didn't worry about Lilli coming along), this is NOT Ireland or the U.K. It turned out that the family friendly area is only a small side wing, far from where the music happens. Lil and I ate our pizza among tables with chattering 3-year-olds.

The drinking age in B.C. is 19. If you're old enough, you might enjoy the Tuesday fiddle concerts at the Dinghy Dock.

We took a quick stroll on the island's graveled roads and headed back to our hostel on the 8 p.m. boat. It was a scenic boat ride and good pizza, anyway -- and don't miss the Nanaimo Bar cheesecake, a vulgarly good variation on a popular local confection.