We left Tofino on a morning when the rain wasn't pelting down; it was more a really penetrating mist that left you soaked and soggy like a cookie that broke off in the milk. It made it a little easier to head home, though we wished for another beachcombing walk among the driftwood and the shells.

Last thoughts, and a few words on costs:

A mussel shell on driftwood at Wickaninnish Beach.

--Tofino and Ucluelet are small towns that once relied on fishing, but now troll for tourists. Both have struggled with growth, including new residential developments that have added a more suburban look than visitors might expect of isolated towns at the end of a long and winding road. There are also more lodging choices. In Ucluelet, you can stay aboard the Canadian Princess, a retired hydrographic survey ship moored at dockside, or there are some upscale "cabins" and resort lodging at Terrace Beach. Terrace Beach Resort, near the Wild Pacific Trail, offers a "bachelor suite" with double bed and hideabed for $99, only $5 more than we paid at the hostel.

In Tofino, lodging choices range from independent hostels that charge less than the Hostelling International hostel, up to high-end new rental units on the waterfront and nearby resorts. Next door to our hostel was the Cable Cove Inn, an Ashram spa offering massage, sea salt rubs and the works, with summer rates starting at $225 a night.

--Travel to Tofino will cost more than some destinations if only because of the added cost of isolation. Groceries are marked up, though gasoline costs no more here than in Nanaimo (though at $1.13 a liter when we were there, it's pricier than in Seattle). (That computes to about $4.27 a gallon, in Canadian dollars, or $3.85 U.S.)

To trim even more costs from this trip, have a friend drop you in Port Angeles, then take the Victoria Express passenger ferry ($12.50 one-way), stay at the Victoria International Hostel, then catch the direct, twice-daily Tofino Bus (which also offers service from Vancouver). From Victoria, it's $64 one-way (full fare; discounts for students, seniors, children and Hostelling International members).You can bring a bike on the bus ($5 on rack, or boxed as freight), not a bad idea for getting around between Tofino and Ucluelet; there are some nice bike paths.

--If you stay at hostels and plan to go on outings such as kayaking or whale watching, book through the hostel office, or mention that you are a hostel guest when you book on your own. Many tour operators offer discounts for hostelers. We got 10 percent off our kayak trip from Tofino Sea Kayaking Co.

--Tofino once mobilized to defeat a plan to clear-cut nearby Meares Island (which is the town's water source, among other things). Now, a new threat to local aesthetics is in the form of a proposed open-pit copper mine on Catface Mountain, within view of the town. "We'd be looking at it, we'd hear the blasting all the time, we'd be living with it," one local said.

--British Columbia adopted parking fees in provincial parks and has not dropped them as Washington did a few years ago. Bring dollar coins to put in the ticket-vending machines. And be prepared to pay daily fees at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Entry fees: $7.80 for adults, $3.90 for ages 6 to 16; $19.60 for a family with up to five kids. The entry fee is good until 4 p.m. the day after purchase.

--Want a surfing lesson? Surfing is a major sport on the Tofino coast, and surf shops are easy to find. A typical price for lessons: $79 (Canadian) for three hours from Pacific Surf School.

The national park interpretive centre at Wickaninnish includes a cafe
with espresso and waterfront views.