Pacific Rim Highway 4

Infiniti enhances a M-agnificent drive

The only thing more appealing than sitting on my sunrise drenched balcony is the knowledge I will be spending the day driving the new Infiniti M56x AWD on the magnificently secluded west coast of Vancouver Island.

Ucluelet - pronounced “Yew-Kloo-Let” - has in the past been considered the second sister to world-renowned Tofino, situated a few kilometres up the road.

Intelligent All-Wheel Drive provides superb handling even on the occasional abrupt undulations that greet our passing on the road to Ucluelet. Split five-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels come standard with 245/50R18 V-rated all-season tires. Brakes offer 4-wheel disc with ABS and enough stopping power to reign in this 1,887 kg luxury sedan.

Inside, Infiniti crosses the threshold from full-size cruiser to sport tourer with over-the-top luxury objectives. Few automakers achieve this level of refinement while at the same time providing a feisty drive for up to five adults. Sitting in the front or back seat is equally relaxed, though given my penchant for control; I am most comfortable with a steering wheel in hand.

The drive in from Nanaimo, on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, takes approximately three and a half hours, but it is time well spent on one of Canada’s most spectacular roads. A serpentine stretch of two-lane pavement, highway BC-4 West shatters my conceptions of incredible scenery, taking it to a height rarely experienced from behind the wheel of an automobile. Passing Port Alberni, the Pacific Ocean blocks our path 92 km later and we turn left to our destination.

Wood and stone greet our entrance; the view outwards toward the ocean fills the lobby with bright sunshine and a sense of old. New to this area, Black Rock Oceanfront Resort feels as though it has been in this location for as long as the surrounding old growth forest. It masterfully incorporates natural elements into the design along with the latest technology for a truly unique coastal island stay.

A total of 133 luxurious studio suites, plus 1 and 2 bedroom suites, are situated high above the Pacific Ocean. The views outward are breathtaking. Inwardly, accommodations ere on the side of contemporary while still featuring enough extravagance to best the standards of most luxury hotels and resorts on the island.

All rooms feature gas fireplaces, heated slate bathroom floors with soaker tubs, flat-screen TVs, California-style king beds and kitchens or kitchenettes equipped with top-of-the-line Miele appliances.

The Heart of Tofino: Reducing SPLATs on the Pacific Rim Highway

Barb Beasley has been an (almost) one-woman amphibian ambassador on the west coast for the last decade or so. The SPLAT project (not it's actually name, but as we affectionately call it: Society for the Protection of Little Amphibian Tragedies [or Little Animals Trampled]) began years ago when Barb was trying to get a sense of where amphibian corridors meet the highway. She enlisted the help of volunteers who would go out early in the morning after a rainfall to count the "splats" on the highway. From there she determined the main amphibian freeway, which is near the junction. Then Barb erected the little fences you have probably seen. These coralled the amphibians and she then carried them across the highway. (Yes, you read that correctly. I told you she was dedicated.) Now those fences funnel the amphibians toward their own tunnel .

Frommer's Vancouver & Victoria 2010, With Whistler. With Foldout Map

Frommer's Vancouver & Victoria

British Columbia and the Yukon

Frommer's Canada

Guide to Western Canada, 7th