I LOVE Airstreams, and have long harboured dreams of either owning one or staying in one. The former is way out of my reach, while the latter is more reasonable. But where to go to stay in one? Well, that would be Woods on Pender on Pender Island.
And last week, I got to go stay in one!
Woods on Pender is situated on 7.3 acres of forest, next to Prior Centennial Provincial Park. There’s a motel, 3 rustic cabins, and 9 Airstreams (a few with its own bunkie cabins) spread out on the property – so you can take your pick on where you prefer to bed down. There’s also a farm-to-table restaurant and food truck on site, and resident bunnies and silkie chickens too!
Each Airstream comes with its own cedar deck, hot tub, hammock, outdoor fire pit, and propane BBQ. The Airstreams are spread out and self-contained, so there’s no issue with privacy.
I stayed in Woods on Pender’s newest acquisition, Airstream 3 aka Flying Cloud, which has all the things for a comfortable stay, so there’s no need to bring anything with you.
I loved that it also was equipped with 2 TVs with Apple TV and Netflix, and BOSE bluetooth speaker – because when it’s night time with nowhere to go, the urge to binge-watch on shows that have been sitting in your queue will likely kick in.
Sidebar: I ambitiously bought 3 books with me on my 2 day getaway and only finished one of them.
Speaking of a retreat from your urban life, there is very little to see or do on Pender Island. (if you’re not an outdoors-y person) There’s one little town square on the whole island with a super market, coffee shop, book store, general goods store – but that’s it. Pender Island is the home to lots of retirees so it’s slow, quiet living there.
You can literally drive from one side of the island to the other in less than 30 minutes. The picturesque Poet’s Cove Marina is a pretty 20 minute drive from Woods. The nearby Port Browning Marina Resort is 8 minutes away. And there’s another marina right by the Otter Bay ferry terminal.
Don’t feel like cooking? No problem. There’s places to eat or take out at the marinas. But make sure to watch out for all the bambis. On the drive to Poet’s Cove to pick up some dinner, I spotted 8 deer on the road.
I didn’t spy any deer on the Woods property when I was eating my breakfast outside or relaxing in the hot tub. Oh and can I say, sitting in a hot tub during a cool, crisp night is just so nice. It was one of my favourite things from the stay. Oh and not to worry – the water is changed out between each guest, treated with bromine and heated to 104 degrees – part of the new COVID protocols.
COVID has thrown a wrench into everyone’s vacation plans, but all one needs to do is look at one’s own backyard to find some great places for long and short retreats. Even if the pandemic didn’t happen, Woods on Pender was still high on my to experience list.
Just a couple hours travel from Tsawwassen ferry terminal, Pender Island is totally doable for a short 2 day getaway. Heads up: as the Southern Gulf Islands are not considered a main sailing route, the trip to and from Otter Bay on Pender Island does includes a stop at Galiano Island and Mayne Island for pick up and drop off of passengers. Plus there’s only 2 sailing times each direction, instead of most every hour with the main sailings.
Woods on Pender is a glamper’s dream – you get the beautiful, back to nature experience, without giving up the comforts of home. I would definitely go back (especially if it’s snowing and I can get to sit in the hot tub again)!
View more photos of my getaway on my Flickr album, Instagram, and Insta Stories (including a tour of Flying Cloud).
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