The Ultimate Way To Spend A Week Night In BC

We've posted about microadventures before and even shared one we took last summer to Bowen Island. A microadventure is a brief break from your routine, often done in the evening hours between when you quit work for the day and arrive back at the office the next morning. The idea has caught on globally thanks to adventurer Alastair Humphreys who's been promoting the concept. They take a little bit of planning and you may be a little tired the next day, but they are worth it all.

We recently went on another microadventure, this time to Twin Island. On an ordinary, otherwise unexciting, Thursday evening we packed a backpack with just the essentials (including a growler of Brassneck Brewing ale… again, just the essentials), rented a double kayak from Deep Cove Canoe and Kayak, and set out. Twin Island is a fantastic short escape from the city, taking only about an hour to paddle up the Indian Arm to, depending on how quickly you rush the journey.

We arrived as the sun was setting and pulled out the dinner we'd ordered "to go," climbed to the top of the small hill on the island, and watched the colors unfold and a seal play in the water below. The rest of the evening consisted of watching shooting stars and playing in bioluminescence around the dock, a phenomenon that makes you feel as though you're swimming in the milky way. A must do bucket list item to add to any nature lover's list.

The next morning we woke up with the sun, explored the island a bit more, watched an eagle swoop down and catch himself a fish for breakfast, and then packed up to head back to the city. After returning the kayak we made the necessary stop at Honey Doughnuts for breakfast, coffee, and most importantly, one of their famous doughnuts. By the start of our regular office hours, we were back at our desks, slightly tired, but still buzzing about our overnight escape.

Life is short, make it count. Create as many moments and memories as you can in the little time we have between work hours and bill payments and meetings and schedules. Go on a microadventure. No matter where you live there are places to explore and stars to sleep under. If you live in Vancouver, you've got it pretty easy to put together a simple escape like this. We challenge you to do it…. and send us a photo of it!