About 20 minutes north of downtown Duncan, a multi-color ribbon of vehicles is draped along a downhill road. Cars, trucks, campers and motorcycles, noses point towards a bright blue bay, the sun alternatively bouncing off waves and shiny hoods. They await a small ferry which will take them to another island paradise just 15 minutes off shore. Truly, if Vancouver Island is beautiful, it's neighboring sisters are equally alluring.

Many come early to the ferry line up, enjoying a traditional walkabout around the town of Crofton, coffee and a snack at the Litos Cafe, people watch, even bird watch. Time seems to shift gears, slowing down to a leisurely pace. The ferry arrives, vehicles disembark, and our journey begins as our vessel slips into Osborne Bay, bound for Saltspring Island, one of the jewels of the Gulf Islands.

We are sitting in one of the luxury vehicles operated by Pacific Rim Navigators, watching excited children dangle their arms over the sides of the ferry while young couples talk quietly and older ones sit silently. Salt Spring's shores draw near. The vehicle's soft, tanned leather seats envelope me, making an easy ferry crossing even more enjoyable. The unique Chevy Explorer van was custom built in California. It seats six in the rear and has all the bells and whistles. Flat screen television, GPS, DVD, cell phones you name it. Owner/operator Chris Shoquist disarms you with a warm smile and gentle confidence. He's been driving transport for years, and though just 27, he's clearly wise when it comes to the Island. His company makes a point of taking tourists on unforgettable explorations from Victoria to Port Hardy, from Tofino to Salt Spring. Much of his work is guiding visitors around Tofino and Ucluelet, servicing the resorts. But just as his vehicles are customized, so are his touring skills and destinations. He covers a lot of the must-see locations on Vancouver Island outside of the capital - Cathedral Grove and Coombs, Qualicum Beach, Campbell River. He is about to take some guests on a winery tour from Tofino to Victoria. He is flexible, articulate and asks as many questions as he offers information it seems.

Shoquist and Pacific Rim Navigators are all about the little touches. He's like a modern day butler of sorts - kind, informative, never overbearing. He tells me about a food writer he once toured.

"She was chatting to this restaurant owner, eating, talking - and I'm holding her baby the whole time! I didn't have a lot of experience with that," says the bachelor with a playful grin.

People begin to slowly make their way back to their vehicles. The ferry we're on is docking in Vesuvius, a small harbour some 10 minutes from downtown Ganges, Salt Spring's one and only town.

Just as it was when we waited for the ferry, the shift in gears is evident as we arrive. The first thing we notice is galleries. Everywhere. As we drive towards our destination resort, signs plethora of signs point out this one and that one. Shouldn't surprise anyone, really. Even Robert Bateman lives here. In out initial half hour drive around Salt Spring, I count at least 20 signs pointing out artists and galleries.

The second thing I notice is, well, modern day hippies. There's just no denying it. Tie-dye is in, baby. So are beads, sandals and wide smiles. It's like being at Woodstock without the mud, music and purple haze. The classy, posh van we ride in seems out of place as we pull into the Salt Springs Spa Resort. After all, when you're in a natural paradise, blooming with lakes, Gary Oaks, orchards, wineries - even expensive GM products are a little obtrusive. I almost guiltily slide out of the plush leather seat and my feet reconnect with Mother Nature's welcome mat.
Salt Springs Resort Spa is not what I expected. Oh sure, the physical structures are more than impressive. The 12 Gothic arch chalets are incredible homes away from home. Each self-contained unit has a full kitchen, a wood-burning fireplace, a barbecue, sunroofs and a choice of ocean-view or forest-view sun decks. All the chalets feature a hydro-jet, two-person oversized jacuzzi tubs fed from the spa's healing mineral spring waters. That's right - this is the one resort that can actually claim natural salt springs pumped straight into your bathroom from reservoirs 170 feet below.
Chris and I are housed like kings in the two bedroom executive suite - with its stunning views of the ocean splayed out in front of our expansive living room. Life doesn't get much better right? So why am I surprised?
Because the immaculately clean digs are the last look at a sanitized, man-made life I will see for a while. What I mean to say is from here on in, the journey switches from luxurious to spiritual. I quickly learn intuitively that one doesn't come to Salt Spring for the high end life - even if it is right in front of you.

The general manager of Salt Springs Spa Resort is Shaughn Jenson. His parents Leslie and Michelle, own the resort and its 30 lush acres, but it is clearly Shaughn's baby. He has all the aura of a Salt Springer. Lean, gentle, soft spoken, hair in a ponytail. Serene. As he walks us around some of the trails, he explains how geologists are hard pressed to explain the natural origins of mineral waters, how they've drilled 10 kilometers down and still found sandstone and quartz, and they're unsure just what the Island actually sits on. How the rigid guidelines of the provincial government won't allow for expansion of the resort, so what you see is what you get - a cluster of chalets surrounded by acres of forest, orchards and trails. The perfect place to get away and get grounded. It's not about being pampered. There are no phones in the rooms, no TV's, no stereos. No posh restaurant, no bar on site. Just quietness. Cedar wood. Vistas of blue water. Tall trees. A rag tag collection of bikes to ride if you so desire, a badminton net on grass. No pretenses of waiting on guests hand and foot. Get in touch with you, the resort whispers.

Before we do so, we leave for Ganges, the town a few minutes down the road. We rise and fall on roads offering mesmerizing glimpses of water and hills until we arrive in town. No stoplights on this island, folks. The celebration is rural - not big city. The population of full time residents is only 10,000 strong.

We dine at the Salt Spring Inn, a cozy, old style hotel with plenty of wood and multi-level verandas and indoor or outdoor dining areas to choose from. The food and service is spectacular. The menu leaves one in a quandary. The specials alone include Pan Seared Snapper, Wild Mushroom Ravioli, a stunning Jambalaya, There's also a Forno Baked Baby Back Ribs, Crab Cakes, Salmon Wellington, and Prawn Fajitas "with some assembly required" says our affable waiter, Adrian. Chris settles in on a steak and prawns feast after a zesty blueberry goat cheese salad. I enjoy a Boston Clam Chowder to die for, and then coast through my first ever Blackened Steak Salad. It's a yummy New York strip loin sliced and layered upon fresh tomatoes, grilled onions, red peppers and mixed organic greens, topped in maple balsamic and creamy garlic dressing with a scrumptious crown of bleu cheese and crispy onion strips. The featured wine was Colli Euganei - an organic Merlot from Italy that leaves a contented smile on my driver's mug.

The sun splashes down on our front deck of the Salt Springs Spa Resort as I sip coffee, mesmerized by the tranquility. The Georgia Strait is stretched out in front of me like a mural. There is no wind, just the warmth of the sun and the peace that is Salt Spring Island. At this point I am glad there is no TV, no phone in my room. It is hard to not think about purpose and fate when one faces such a magnificent view. I am about to venture into a still deeper exploration of soul and spirit.

The "spa" component of Salt Springs Spa Resort is the crown of my experience on this beautiful island. It is not about large men or pretty women beating or caressing muscles into submission. It is about the connection between mind, body and soul. Here they practise a centuries old tradition of massage, called Ayurvedic. In India it is considered a primary form of health care. Children are given and taught the tradition from a young age.

Ayurvedic treatments combine the use of heated herbs and oils with flowing strokes of a practitioner's hands (or in some cases feet). After a consultation with a warm spirit in the human form of one Radhika Sugden - where we talked about my various aches, pains and stress levels, I am led on a tour of the facility's treatment rooms. There are many, two floors worth. Here they practice not only Ayurvedic therapy, but they are one of the only schools teaching it in North America. Both Shaughn and Radhika are instructors. They explain how as the practice of Ayurvedic expands (and this includes not just the massage part but the correct formulation and use of the multitude of oils) Salt Springs Spa Resort is committed to making sure those laying claim to the use of the practice are adequately trained and accredited. Students come from all over the world to learn, practice and become certified here. An Indian doctor spends half a year at Salt Springs Spa to ensure the levels are maintained and to help with the all important client consultations, which helps determine which specific herbs, oils and therapies are most appropriate for the client.

I am given two distinct types of Ayurvedic massage this day. The first is Abhyanga - and for 90 minutes or so I am pampered and taken straight to peace. The stunning combination of Radhika's long flowing strokes, pressure point applications and deliciously warm herbal aroma therapy oils achieves the goal of calming my nervous, lymphatic and circulatory systems. I complete Abhyanga, go to another treatment room where I am laid on a table with my head tilted back as a funnel shaped object dangles above my forehead. I am then introduced to Shirodhara, a beautiful therapy which Radhika explains awakens the mind and lulls the entire bodily organism into a state of calmness. Massage and stimulation of the Marma points of the head, neck, shoulders and feet is followed by a continuous warm stream of organic sesame oil poured on and across the forehead. Radhika's expert fingers on my skull, neck and shoulders leave me wondering why people need drugs and alcohol to find their nirvana when it can so easily be reached this way.

One could spend weeks at Salt Springs Spa Resort and not be able to take in all the treatments offered and taught here. From an assortment of facials, eye rejuvenation, back rejuvenation, manicures, pedicures, full body herbal steams, foot massage, head massage, rose milk herbal baths, stone massage, sinus therapy, the people here know what they are doing and teaching. As I look at the shelves of the various oils available to purchase here (they are all made on site), I am grateful that these people are trying to pass on this old tradition to a modern world starved for information on health issues.

Chris (who confesses to taking a swim in the cool waters off the resort while I was punching my ticket to heaven) and I soon head to the downtown market, a Saturday tradition on Salt Spring Island. Held 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday from April to the end of October rain or shine, over 140 potters, jewelers, woodworkers, and artisans of all kinds join farmers, chefs and musicians in a huge potpourri of creativity and capitalism. The sights, sounds and smells of the market are a fitting send off for us, as we fuel on the vibrant energy and obvious contentment of the Islanders mingling with their peers and visitors.

Soon we are back in Vesuvius harbor, boarding the ferry back to the big Island. The visit to this fabulous oasis is over, but the trip is not complete. The last stop on this two day getaway is a round of golf at one of Vancouver Island's most beautiful courses. Duncan Meadows is just 10 minutes from the ferry landing in Crofton. Driving to the course on an elevated highway, we are already stoked by our looks at the course below. White sand in the bunkers, rolling fairways, spectacular views panoramically.

Affordable and surprisingly easy to get on, Duncan Meadows offers golfers of all levels a do-able challenge. Depending on the tees you play, those fluffy white bunkers will test your ability to get up and down because often they are deep and steep. There are no houses to worry about hitting, so landing areas are frequently wide (though a few holes require a sensible lay up rather than the big stick.)
My favorite part of playing Duncan Meadows is the greens. Tricky and speedy, they require a good study before pulling the trigger on a putt. The clubhouse is massive and beautiful, and the staff full of smiles and helpful suggestions. Dining at Duncan Meadows is always a treat and comes highly recommended.



By the time my weekend is over I know I have been spoiled. All of the universe's laws of abundance have been placed before me like a big buffet and I helped myself without gorging. All this to be found on an island paradise and her nearby baby sisters.

Interested in experiencing some of this?

Check out the websites involved:

Pacificrimnavigators.com, saltspringspa.com, saltspringinn.com, duncanmeadows.com

Story written by Jeff Vircoe