A friend and I were looking for something a little different than the usual trip to Nanaimo so decided to check out what Duncan has to offer. Duncan is about a 45 minute drive South of Nanaimo just off the highway. We went to Imagine That!, a local artisan run cooperative store; Trendy Tots, where we both bought gifts to bring home to our little girls; Radway, a fairtrade and eco fashion boutique; and then had a fabulous lunch at Bistro One Sixty One, which I recommend highly to anyone passing through Duncan around mealtime. After lunch we drove a few minutes up to Whippletree Junction which is home to several furniture shops as well as a fudgery, antique shop, coffee house, the Pioneer House restaurant and more.