For 11 years now, Brad and Janet Mirau have celebrated Thanksgiving at Long Beach Lodge Resort with their family. It’s become a tradition over the last decade, one that started with their three children -Blair, Erin and Quinn- taking their first surf lesson at Surf Club all those years ago.
“After the first year, the boys had done surfing lessons, and they’ve surfed ever since,” says Janet. “Now all three kids have got all their own equipment. So that first trip introduced them to surfing.”
“They’ve since gotten custom-made boards here in Tofino with cool logos and everything,” adds Brad.
The whole family’s on board.
“Our grandchildren all have tiny wetsuits so they can frolic and play in the surf as well.”
Now, Tofino’s not always the first place one thinks of when booking a vacation in October. But, in spite of Janet’s gentle suggestion that they could travel somewhere warmer, the kids insist on coming back to Long Beach Lodge.
“It feels like coming home,” said their grandson when they arrived this year.
Of course the trip looks a little different every year, with their children having now started families of their own. But the Mireaus have had time to really hone in their experience at the lodge.
“We usually book two cabins for the kids and grandkids and Brad and I have a more “romantic” and peaceful getaway in one of your beachfront lodge rooms.”
And there are a couple of dogs in the family, so Brad and Janet will get pet-friendly units in case their four-legged family members join in on the tradition.
Brad and Janet are both retired and live in Nanaimo, so they don’t have very far to come. But their eldest, Blair, lives in Prince Rupert and makes the 24-hour trek with his family each year.
“They love coming here,” says Janet. “There’s a lot to be said for familiarity.”
Some years, the family will cook thanksgiving dinner in one of the cottages, while other years they’ll dine in at The Great Room. During COVID, our kitchen catered a dinner for them to enjoy in the comfort of their rooms.
But the one thing that hasn’t really changed over the years is that once they arrive, they park the cars and enjoy everything the lodge has to offer, whether it’s our onsite Surf School, our dining outlets, or just walking on Cox Bay.
“And now you’ve added the Spa,” says Janet. “So that’s another thing we started taking advantage of last year when it opened. Again, you don’t have to go anywhere. Everything is here.”
“Once we’re here, we just kind like to hunker down,” says Brad.
Thanksgiving generally marks the start of Tofino’s stormwatching season, but the majority of the family’s yearly trips have been blessed with warm temperatures and glorious sunshine. That being said, they do recall weathering one power outage and using the lanterns provided by the lodge. Either way, the family shows up with their rubber boots every year. They just don’t always use them.
We’re absolutely honoured to host Brad, Janet and their extended family each year. Repeat guests make everything worth it for us. And with their Thanksgiving tradition converting their kids (and now grandkids) into coldwater warriors, we look forward to welcoming them all again next October.
Big Thanks to the Extended Mirau Family for letting us share their story!