In this YouTube segment, Tod Maffin and Jocelyn present the second half of their "Top 10" favorite places and experiences in Nanaimo. They count down from #5 to #1, highlighting: (5) All of This and More, a quirky northern‑Nanaimo shop offering dozens of infused vinegars and olive oils with free samples; (4) a spectacular seaplane flight from downtown Vancouver over the Lions Gate Bridge to Nanaimo’s harbor; (3) Westwood Lake, praised for its scenic walking and mountain‑bike trails, lifeguarded beach, and summer appeal; (2) Denny’s Dynamite Deals, a beloved thrift store run by a local philanthropist who donates to schools and helps those in need; and (1) Jalapeños, a colorful Mexican restaurant tucked in a gas‑station parking lot, noted for its authentic buffet and large portions. The hosts also promote the upcoming Infusion Weekend (April 25‑27) and invite viewers to meet them. The dialogue is conversational, enthusiastic, and peppered with personal anecdotes about community spirit and hidden gems.
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Welcome to part 2 of Tod and Jocelyn's favorite things in Nanaimo. We have arrived at number 5, and number 5 is the weirdest little— you just did 10.
I know, that's what I was— I subtracted 5.
Number 5 is the weirdest little store in the north of Nanaimo called All of This and More. It's basically just like vats of vinegar and olive oil, but dozens and dozens of them. Like, if you want to see— if you want to taste what, like, Bohemian blueberry sage vinegar tastes like, they've got it.
They're like infused olive oils. I think they also have balsamic. I love— they give you little samples. It's fun.
Okay, number 4 is the seaplane trip over from Vancouver to Nanaimo, which is absolutely spectacular.
The favorite view I have of Nanaimo is from the air. It's so beautiful.
It's not as bumpy as people think too. I think people get scared of them. It's not really bumpy at all. And you land— you, you leave from downtown Vancouver in the harbor, you fly out over the Lions Gate Bridge, which is kind of like the Golden Gate Bridge, and then you land right in the harbor of Nanaimo, and it is magnificent. Okay, I put this at number 3. I think it might be number 1 for you, but it's Westwood Lake.
The walk around Westwood's very popular. There's a mountain bike trail around the, the walkway, so a lot of people can enjoy it, and it's part of kind of a network of mountain bike trails, so you can start there and see a whole bunch of Nanaimo's trails. So It's gorgeous. There's like a lifeguard beach in the summer and it's so cool.
Number 2 is Denny's Dynamite Deals, which is in the south of Nanaimo. It is a thrift store, some might say junk store. It's kind of like walking into your crazy uncle's house and then every time you make a left turn, there's like 6 more hallways that open up full of bizarre things and the best part is you could buy all of them. And he's also like, he donates— Denny's the guy that runs it. He donates a ton of money to the local schools in the area and everything. He's kind of a legend.
It's one of the things I love about Nanaimo is that there's a lot of folks like him who care so much about their community and they're just trying to do a good thing, and in the process they become just beloved by their neighbors, and they're just really lovely people. I've heard that when folks who are down on their luck and, you know, needing to get away and find a new place, he'll— he just gives them carte blanche. Take what you need.
Number 1 is a restaurant in a gas station parking lot, but trust us, it's really good. It's called Jalapeños.
Jalapeños!
It's called Jalapeños, and it's super authentic. It's really colorful inside. They have a buffet. They do the most amazing enchiladas. It is, and Nanaimo's got a lot of really good Mexican. There's Penny's Palapas on the beach. There's one up on the hill in a big pink house called Gina's Mexican. There's a bunch of— there's like, for some reason, a lot of really good Mexican restaurants in town.
You know, when you see them, you're like, is there a reason for this or just accidental?
And when you walk into Jalapeños, by the way, you're going to think you're in the wrong place because it's literally in a gas station parking lot. It's cheap, it's good, It's really solid food and big portions.
Taco Bar. Taco Bar.
So there's the top 10. And if you're coming up to Nanaimo for the Infusion Weekend, April 25th to April 27th, come say hi if you see us.
Do it.
Wait, quality ending.
We didn't talk about Newcastle Island Marine Park.
