Explore BC // Woods on Pender, Pender Island

Pender Island has called me back time and time again. 4 times in 2.5 years, to be exact. As you know by now, I have a soft spot in my heart for the Southern Gulf Islands, and Pender is no exception. But perhaps the most unique element on this island is the incredible glamping experience at Woods on Pender. Just hop on a ferry from Tsawwwassen, and in two hours time, you step onto the magical shores of North Pender Island.

Woods on Pender consists of a collection of airstreams, cabins, bunkies, shastas, and a charming motel. There is an experience for everyone. On my first visit, we opted to rent an airstream with a private hot tub. However, some of the airstreams are paired with beautiful bunkie cabins for an added room for the kids (or another couple!). Each air stream is equipped with a fire bowl and hammock, and many of them have private hot tubs.

You can also pop into the massage airstream for some therapeutic muscle relaxation, head to the camp food truck for a bite to eat, or sit down at the Woods restaurant and enjoy the most flavorful farm-to-table meals.

One of my favorite oceanside spots to explore is Brooks Point Regional Park. Situated on South Pender Island (the two islands are connected by a short bridge), this beach is accessed through a magical woodland walk. Once you emerge from the forest, you’re greeted with long grass and rocky beaches full of treasures. It’s a great spot for a picnic!

I’d also highly recommend taking a hike up the popular Oak Bluffs trail on North Pender Island. This short hike is sure to get your blood pumping, but before you know it, you’re enjoying stunning views of Moresby Island and Victoria.

As nighttime falls at Woods on Pender, the true magic of this place comes alive. Campfires, hammock hangs, and a dip in the hot tub as the stars appear overhead. I can’t think of anything better!

The mornings on Pender are my favorite. Gorgeous sunrises, a good cup of coffee, and wildlife around every corner. These hues were a special treat during my second visit to the island.

It’s always nice when the journey sports just as many views as the destination. I always enjoy ferry rides (even if I don’t enjoy the cost!). The ferry to the Southern Gulf Islands received an upgrade a few years ago, and it’s a really nice way to take in the sights and sounds of the ocean as you journey to Pender. Get used to it, too, because once you visit the Southern Gulf Islands, you keep going back.

Explore Yukon // Whitehorse, Yukon Territory

A few weeks ago, I was invited to the Yukon by Tourism Yukon and Air North. As part of the #twohourtradein campaign, Air North wanted to demonstrate the accessibility of the Yukon to Canadians. Only a two hour flight from Vancouver, this getaway is much closer than you’d think! I was honored to be brought along to experience everything the Yukon has to offer. It was my first overnight trip away from Ezra, which of course wasn’t easy, but the moment I hopped on the plane, I was more than excited to explore on my own again!

When I landed in Whitehorse, I was eager to explore before the sun set. I drove off to Kluane National Park with my friend Ashley and her two dogs, Sitka and Aspen (the sweetest and most loving dogs EVER). We explored a frozen and quiet Kathleen Lake and were lucky to be there on a wind-free day.

After we left Kluane, we headed to Haines Junction to watch the fleeting final moments of sunset. The sky lit up in mesmerizing shades of pink and purple. It was an incredible ending to my first day in the Yukon.

Finally, the activity I was probably most excited for: hunting the northern lights! I was lucky enough to join Arctic Range Adventure on one of their Aurora Tours at their property just outside of Whitehorse. In between moments of watching the incredible star-filled sky light up with the aurora, we could pop into the heated yurt for warm beverages, or head in to the teepee with a roaring campfire. I barely spent much time in either, I was so captivated by the changing sky. Every few seconds, the aurora would shift and morph into new shapes and colours. I couldn’t risk missing a single moment. I barely even realized how tired I was (the tours go until 2am!), but I collapsed into bed with a huge smile on my face.

The next day I spent some time exploring the Yukon Wildlife Preserve. This place is quite spread out, with over 5km of trails. I braved the wind and walked the trails, hoping to glimpse the various wildlife enclosures. Because these enclosures are quite large, seeing the animals is not guaranteed, and if you’re lucky, some are quite close! I lucked out with some close encounters with a mountain goat, lynx, and foxes!

After touring the wildlife preserve, I headed to my second most anticipated activity: dog sledding with Sky High Wilderness Ranch. If you don’t live under a rock, you know I have an unhealthy obsession with canines, so being pulled around in a sled by a pack of them is probably the most wonderful form of transportation I could ever dream of! These dogs LOVE to run, which was evidenced whenever we stopped to take photos or change places. After a quick romp in the snow, they were barking and begging to get running again. Patience is not a virtue among sled dogs.

Sky High boasts 150 of these incredible creatures, and I spent over an hour walking through the dog yard and meeting every. single. one. They each have a cozy dog house and an area to walk around in, and they’re not exercised on more than 4 runs a day. When I was visiting, it was dinner time, so I was able to watch the employees gather the dogs and line them up for their meals. The dogs were all very excited and very chatty. As I was leaving, I was lucky enough to meet the newest sled pups- only 2 weeks old.

I also enjoyed tobogganing and snowmobiling at the ranch, and got to explore Fish Lake and check out some of the locals ice fishing (which seems like it requires too much patience for my liking!).

On my drive back to my cabin, I managed to spot a moose crossing the road. It was my goal to spot a moose in the Yukon, and after having the moose at the wildlife preserve evade me, it was a serendipitous encounter on the road.

The next morning, it was sadly time to head home. I watched the sunrise while I checked in for my flight, and then was treated to the most incredible views the whole way home.

I’m already eagerly planning my next visit to the Yukon, and I have a mile-long list of hikes I’d like to accomplish when I do. I can’t wait to visit this place once again. Thanks for having me, Whitehorse!

Dwell on Pender // Our community retreat to Pender Island

Years ago, I felt a tug on my heart to foster a deeper sense of community among my fellow wedding photographers. In our industry, it can be far too easy to compare ourselves to one another and grow isolated by discouragement and feeling like we don’t measure up. Wedding season can be a difficult and exhausting time, especially without friends by your side. I became to dream about what this could look like, and soon enough, Dwell was born. I approached a group of women, some of whom I knew and some who I didn’t, and asked them if they’d be interested in retreating into the BC wilderness for a weekend to rest, worship Jesus, create, and grow in community with one another. I invited them into vulnerability with friends and complete strangers, and they all said yes.

As you know, I have a deep love for the Southern Gulf Islands, so of course I made Pender Island our home base for our weekend away. We packed our cars full of gear and boarded a ferry together- nervous energy and all. Thankfully, the moment the ferry departed, we were invited up to visit with the captain and crew and a few of us even got to steer the ferry (a dream come true for Kat!)

A generous thank you to the incredible Camp Brand Goods for outfitting us on our adventures! I’ve loved Camp Brand for years, and truly appreciate their commitment to fostering community and storytelling. They featured our journey on their blog, the Good Times Journal, if you’re interested in checking it out!

All 9 girls in attendance of this weekend are incredibly gifted photographers. Please feel free to browse their incredible work here:

Michelle Karst Photography

Art and the Aerialist

Danaea Li Photography

Hello Tomorrow

Alba Photography

M&him

Meghan Bustard Photography

Lesley Laine Photography

We rented a beautiful home on the ocean on South Pender Island. Perhaps my favorite part was the gorgeous sunroom overlooking the beach, which is where we spent a large majority of our time. Another special thanks to the incredible Salt Spring Coffee, which kept us caffeinated with coffee and mugs for all! I’ve been drinking this organic and fair trade coffee for years! After fueling up, we spent the last remaining hour of daylight on the beach, capturing some creative portraits of one another.

Mornings were probably my favorite time on our retreat. There is something about sharing a meal around a table full of laughter and friends that is soul-filling. After breakfast each morning, we would spend some time in worship and listening to teaching in the sun room.

On Pender Island, there are adventures around every corner, so we took advantage of the many trails and explored to our hearts content. Our first afternoon was spent having a seaside picnic and checking out an enchanted forest (legitimately what it was called, and I have to agree!). Then, it was back to our little slice of airbnb heaven for some relaxing in the hot tub!

It goes without saying that when 9 photographers get together, there will be some fun creative things happening. We played with lights and smoke bombs one evening and experimented to our hearts content before heading in to build a fire and share our stories with one another. Each evening, if we felt comfortable enough, a few girls would share their life stories with the group. This time spent together was probably the most fruitful of the entire trip. We laughed together, cried together, and even UGLY cried together. The bond built through hearing how God has worked in our lives knit us together so tightly. It was an uplifting and encouraging time. It only grew my love for these girls more and more.

On our last day, we took things slow and packed up. We took a quick hike up some cliffs overlooking the ocean. Check out my great selfie shot- long arms come in handy!

Sadly, our time came to an end far too quickly and we began the journey home. We parted as friends with roots grown deep, and it has only continued to deepen and grow in the two years since. Only a few months after this retreat, four of us became pregnant! We journeyed through pregnancy together, and now motherhood. I suspect that’s part of the reason it has taken me two years to finally tell this story, since I was one of the women who became a mom during that time. A difficult pregnancy and adjustment into motherhood (while running a business) has caused me to slow down and accomplish far less than I probably would like. But, in all honesty, I feel like it has taken me two years to fully sit with the magic of this gathering and process it to the point of forming words. The community forged in this trip has blossomed into a circle of women who support one another and lift each other up. They even threw us a joint baby shower and the four of us were spoiled with love and presents for our babies. It’s been two years, but these stories and memories are stronger than ever, and I am so looking forward to retreating with these ladies again in November (and hopefully a few more women as well!).

Explore California // Palm Springs

In October, we ventured to Palm Springs with my parents and my brother and his family. We left the vibrant greens of the PNW behind and flew over drastically changing landscapes, finally arriving in the desert of California.

We rented a gorgeous home on a golf course with a private pool for the kids to play in. With various nap schedules to work around, we decided having a pool would be an excellent way to enjoy the heat and sun when we were still tethered to the house! The home was perfect for our needs, and beautiful as well. It was the perfect place to relax together as a family. If you’re interested in checking this rental out, you can see the VRBO listing HERE. (This is not a sponsored or affiliate link).

Our first day in Palm Springs, we decided to take the aerial tramway to the top of Chino Canyon, where we explored the trails of Mt. San Jacinto State Park. This tram is the world’s largest rotating tram, and is not for the faint of heart. While you’re climbing the cliffs of Chino Canyon, the floor rotates around the car so that everyone can take in the views (which are breathtaking!). At the top, you can explore the state park, which hosts plenty of trails and viewpoints. We had to hustle back for Ezra’s bedtime, otherwise we would have spent hours exploring each and every trail in the park!

The neighbourhood we stayed in was full of beautiful architecture. I enjoyed taking walks with Ezra and taking in the various homes. Palm Springs is known for it’s mid-century architecture and colourful, unique doorways. We also spent a good amount of time in the pool- which Ezra loved! He enjoyed floating around in his flamingo, and looked darn cute while doing it!

One of my favourite adventures was hiking Palm Canyon on the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation. I wish we would have had time to hike the various canyons on this reservation, but Palm Canyon was a great choice with our limited time. The gorgeous palm trees and canyon cliffs made for an ever-changing and enchanting hike. It was easy enough for the kids to do too! The reservation does have hours for the gate, as well as an admission fee, so come prepared! It’s well worth the small fee, and you can easily spend a full day walking the various canyons.

One of the advantages of travelling with grandparents in tow is the free babysitting! We were ecstatic to get away for a day and go hiking while my parents looked after Ezra. We drove over an hour away to the trail head to Painted Canyon, only to learn the road system had been washed out, and the trail no longer accessible. I was extremely disappointed, but we decided to salvage the remaining time we had and headed to the Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactorium to soak up an amazing collection of cacti. The cactorium is the world’s first and hosts some of the rarest and unique cacti I’ve ever seen.

We were treated to some spectacular and colourful sunsets during our visit, all from the comfort of our backyard (because bedtime usually fell before sunset everyday! haha).

Another highlight for us was taking a trail ride with Smoketree Stables, which happened to be right across the street from our rental! We signed up for the sunrise ride, and happened to be the only people in attendance, so we got to hog our tour guide and learn lots about the local landscape. Our guide, Buck, is pretty much a real life cowboy, and was full of knowledge about the area.

It wouldn’t be a trip to Palm Springs without exploring some wind farms. We actually had scheduled a family photo session while we were in town, and this location is where our lovely photographer, Leanne, took our family photos! We spent a few minutes afterwards capturing a few images of the gorgeous landscape.

Our last day was spent soaking up the sun and swimming in the pool. The entire trip went by far too quickly!

On the plane ride home, I could have sworn we were flying over Mars. The landscapes were captivating, and so unlike the deep and rich tones I’m used to seeing here in the PNW. We lucked out with an entire row on the plane to ourselves (such a blessing with a baby!). So far, Ezra has proven to be a pretty good flyer. Here’s hoping that sticks!

Explore BC // Bodega Cove, Galiano Island

In October, I had the pleasure of setting out to explore yet another Southern Gulf Island. This time, our destination was Galiano Island, a gem just a short ferry ride from Tsawwassen. My mom happened to be visiting while my husband was on a work trip, so I had an extra pair of hands to help with our baby, Ezra, while we were away. We hopped on a ferry on a gorgeous sunny day and began the quick journey to Galiano Island.

When I first heard about Bodega Cove, I was eager to stay in one of the updated Pan-abode cedar cabins from the 60s. These 5 cabins are nestled together overlooking the ocean, just below the sister property of Bodega Ridge. The cabins are modern and cozy. They’re filled with unique and thoughtful design aspects that wow you around every corner. We stayed in a two bedroom cabin, but one bedroom cabins are available as well. We enjoyed sitting on the deck and watching some friendly deer and local chickens wander about.

Our first adventure brought us to Montague Harbour Marine Provincial Park, where we wandered the beach and trails lazily, and enjoyed a warm fall afternoon.

After our afternoon at the beach, we watched the sun set and the stars appear from the comfort of our warm cabin (which was made even cozier with a roaring wood stove).

Having a baby makes early mornings a common occurrence, so our first morning was spent cave spelunking in the sandstone caves at Retreat Cove. Ezra and I watched the sun rise during low tide and explored the caves with glee. These structures are even more beautiful in person. If you plan on exploring them yourself, plan to go at low tide, and note that the caves are “explore at your own risk” and can be dangerous if you lose your footing.

Now with the rest of the world awake, we went to explore Bellhouse Provincial Park. This mossy, seaside park offers a stunning view of Mayne Island and incoming ferries. In fact, you can easily spot the lighthouse over on Mayne Island, one of my favorite spots!

Afterwards, we went to Babes in the Woods Eatery for lunch. Many restaurants are closed in the off season/winter on Galiano, so we were lucky that a restaurant as delicious as Babes was still open! Afterwards we enjoyed an incredible latte from Bowline Cafe- one of the highest end coffee shops I’ve ever seen on a Southern Gulf Island. They also have the most delicious ice cream sandwiches from Cold Comfort (including GLUTEN FREE! I was in heaven).

With a full tummy, Ezra went down for a nap under the watchful eye of Grandma while I went for a quick hike up Bodega Ridge and enjoyed some incredible views over the gulf islands. The hike climbs up through gorgeous forest and ferns to a ridge that you can follow along for quite some time. I only wandered a little ways down the ridge and opted to sit and enjoy the view for awhile before turning around and hiking down.

We spent the rest of our afternoon enjoying the cabin and deck. I was lucky enough to pop into a few of the other cabins to see the various layouts. Each cabin possessed the same gorgeous cedar walls, modern and stylish decor, and cozy cabin vibes. I was in awe of the giant soaker tubs that the one bedroom cabins are lucky enough to have. I would gladly take an hour long bath in one of those!

Sadly, the next morning meant time to journey home. Our little trip had come to an end. We lined up at the ferry and watched a spectacular sunrise over the ferry dock. It’s always hard saying goodbye to the Southern Gulf Islands, but I never stay away too long. I’m eager to be back again soon and explore some more!

Some other areas that I was keen to explore but didn’t have enought time for include:

A hike up Mount Galiano

The Cemetery Lighthouse (said to have lots of sea lions)

Any of the beach access points along Sticks Allison Road

Feel free to check these out and report back to me!

Chilliwack Sunflower Festival

When Tulips of the Valley announced they would be hosting a Sunflower festival at the end of August, I instantly knew that this would be the next big thing to hit the Lower Mainland. Giant sunflowers, corn fields, food trucks, photo opps, games and activities galore. This place exceeded all of my expectations. We could have easily spent half a day here, there was so much to see and do! The Bonus? It's much easier to get a photo away from the crowds with all the paths through the sunflowers! It's easy to carve out a space for your photo op :) 

Jessica Sipos and Jordan Robbins are the lovely ladies in front of my lens, and the brilliant Nina Farrauto of FitGlow Beauty is behind the Hair and Make-up. The dream team had a blast creating these images amongst these gorgeous blooms! 

Tulips of the Valley 2018 // Flower Power

The transitional seasons are easily my favourite. The crisp smell of fall, the newness of spring. The vibrant colours as nature transitions into a new phase. I live for Fall and Spring. 

Springtime in BC is met with a lot of vibrant blooms. From the cotton candy cherry blossoms, to the tulip festivals in the valley- colour is EVERYWHERE. I managed to visit the tulips for the third year in a row (and now there are daffodils and hyacinths too!) with my girl squad in tow (and my baby boy, Ezra!). We had a blast creating this dreamy spring shoot that is slightly 70s inspired (and maybe a little bit Disney inspired too). Jessica's look has been affectionately dubbed as the Elsa of Spring. Her theme song is called "Let it Grow" ;) 

Nina Farrauto is the genius behind the braids and makeup, and also the beautiful brunette in these images. Actress/Model Jessica Sipos is our dreamy "Elsa". She wears those braids well, doesn't she? All make-up products are from the incredible Canadian skincare and makeup brand, FitGlow Beauty. 

Location: Tulips of the Valley in Chilliwack, BC, Canada