Packing for Travel Tips | Travel to Myra Falls on Vancouver Island by Car
Are you planning a trip to Myra Falls on Vancouver Island by car? If so, you will find these packing for travel tips helpful as you prepare for a fun day trip!
My husband and I have lived on Vancouver Island, British Columbia Canada for 29 years. As a prairie girl from Montana, I’ve learned a lot about living by the ocean and had fun exploring the breathtakingly beautiful scenery that surrounds us.
Since I didn’t grow up going to beaches or having boat trips, I’ve had to learn how to be prepared for all these day adventures. It’s fun!
If you are planning to travel to Vancouver Island anytime (I highly recommend it), I thought I’d bring you along for our latest day trip to beautiful Myra Falls. I’ll tell you what to pack so you can be prepared for everything. And, if you like to stop at fun coffee shops, here are some of our favorite vancouver island coffee shops!
Packing for Travel Tips | What to pack for a day trip by car to Myra Falls
Where are we going?
If you were to look at a detailed map of Vancouver Island, you’d see that our day trip destination of Myra Falls is just about dead center Vancouver Island. It’s on the road from Campbell River headed towards Gold River, and is part of the Strathcona Provicial Park.
From Campbell River, BC, the road trip to Myra Falls is approximately a 1 1/2 hour drive – if you don’t stop at any scenic viewpoints along the way. (Which I highly recommend you take time for.)
What should I pack for a day trip to Myra Falls?
Many of my packing essential list items are similar to what you should pack for a boat trip -with a few other items. Here’s my checklist:
Travel Tunes!
We drive an older car that doesn’t have the fancy new bluetooth capabilities of all new cars these days. However, we just found this inexpensive bluetooth transmitter that plugs into our cigarette lighter and connects via bluetooth to my husband’s cell phone.
We turn on his Spotify playlist that he put together called “Happy Songs I like“, and it makes for great background travel tunes. (And, it’s my favorite playlist ever!;))
Lunch and water in a cooler.
You won’t find any cute little coffee shops or restaurants on this journey, so bring along lots of food and water. Our favorite day trip cooler is this inexpensive one and water bottles like this keep our water nice and cold.
Outer wear appropriate for the weather on Vancouver Island
If you are traveling in the Summertime, chances are the sun will be shining and the sky blue. Vancouver Island’s average temperature in Summer is 26 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit), so you’ll want to bring your sunscreen if it’s a hot day.
Even if it starts out hot, I’d recommend always packing a sweatshirt, as the temperature can turn cool quickly.
If you are travelling on Vancouver Island in the Spring, Fall, or Winter, it might be rainy. So, definitely pack along a nice rain coat so you stay nice and dry & warm. I like to make sure mine has a hood as is roomy enough to wear my sweatshirt underneath.
Shoes that are comfortable to walk in
Put on your walking shoes! The walk down to lower Myra Falls is absolutely beautiful on a nice, wide path. But, it is a bit of a walk, and it is uphill on the way back.;)
These flip flops are my favorite Summer walking shoes, and you may want to choose a waterproof boot like this for the rainy months.
Hand Sanitizer
As you travel the road from Campbell River, you will pass various camping and picnic areas in the Strathcona Provincial Park. They will have restroom facilities (an important detail for people like me;) that are outhouse style – or “pit toilets”. Don’t be afraid of them. They are very well maintained and clean. However, we always like to pack our own hand sanitizer to use.
I always like to include in my day pack a ziplock bag with a wet washcloth. Sometimes I just like to be able to wipe my hands on it.
Swimsuit and Towel
Like I’ve mentioned before, the older I get, the less I like putting on a swimsuit! However, once you get out in the warm/ hot fresh air, you’re probably going to want to go for a swim. So, pack it along just in case – and take a towel, too.
Water Shoes
We went swimming at beautiful Buttle Lake in Strathcona Park. It was beautiful, clear water, but the rocks were sharp under the feet. I highly recommend some water shoes like this.
Camera/ Cell Phone
You are going to see some absolutely beautiful scenery, so don’t forget to take something to capture some pictures with. (By the way, there is no cell coverage in this particular area, so don’t expect to be doing work while you’re on this day trip.)
Travel First Aid Kit
I have a small cosmetic bag packed with things that I can just grab and go when we go on a travel adventure like this. In it are items like:
- lip balm with sunscreen
- Bandaids
- Tylenol and Advil
- Dramamine (in case someone gets motion sick)
- comb
- Kleenex
- nail clippers
Photo Credit: Outdoor Vancouver
Enjoy Myra Falls!
Although we’ve lived in the area for many years, we’ve never visited Myra Falls until now! This Summer we’re vacationing while staying close to home and having SO much fun finding all the incredible gems in our own backyard.-
As we rounded the corner of the trail and I saw the falls for the first time, I actually gasped. I had never seen a picture of it, and it was so different (and better!) than I had imagined.
The rocks are beautiful and worn flat so they are easy to walk and sit on.
It reminded me of something you would see in the Flinstones – but in real life and in living color!
The day we visited it was a long weekend here in Canada. The place was FULL of people.
I can sure understand why…
It’s a must see!;)
Other packing for travel tips:
- How to pack a carry on for a week trip.
- Essential items to pack for a day on a boat.
- Packing tips for a sunny destination .
Don’t miss a thing!
Join me over on Instagram to see lots of behind the scene action. I also take you on lots of “trips” via stories there!;)
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Thank you for these awesome ideas!
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