I planned to make a day of the drive from Nanaimo to Tofino, which otherwise would have taken around 3 hours if completed non-stop.
Coombs
I left Nanaimo mid-morning, and made my first stop in the small town of Coombs, at the "Goats on a Roof" market. It lived up to its name!
There were some great items for sale here, and I stocked up on snacks for the days ahead, and for a picnic lunch at my next stop: nectarines, plumbs, some packs of trail mix, and a smoked turkey sandwich from the deli.
Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park
The short walk alongside the Little Qualicum River and Falls was very pleasant, and I had my lunch here too.
MacMillan Provincial Park: Cathedral Grove
This area of ancient giant Douglas Fir trees as well as Red Cedar trees is impressive, and the short walks are another welcome break from driving.
The scenery was becoming more spectacular, with tree-covered mountains rising high above the lakes and rivers.
The largest giant Douglas Fir measures over 9m in circumference at the base:
Port Alberni to Pacific Rim National Park
This section of the drive is absolutely spectacular, and also fairly challenging with how twisty/narrow it is in some places accompanied by many blind corners. So unfortunately it was not possible to take photos. But it is beautiful, and probably the best drive I've ever done! I did stop off at one location - Wally Creek.
Wally Creek
Wally Creek is a popular stop to stretch the legs, or even go for a swim. More tree-covered mountains surround the valley. The river cuts through the rock forming steep cliffs, before the the rock/banks flatten out a little further on.
My final stop was at the Pacific Rim Visitor Centre where I picked up a map. From here the landscape flattens out much more, and it's an easy drive towards Tofino.