GO OUT AND GET SOME

we did. in 6 weeks we review 6 locations in each of BC's 6 regions

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A city so beautiful you may never want to leave

Vancouver. Where the mountains meet the sea! There is a reason this place continually tops “The Most Liveable Cities” list. It doesn’t hurt that there are three local ski hills 45 minutes from downtown, the beaches that surround the city allow easy access to the water by kayak and the many parks within the city allow for an escape to nature not 10 minutes from the downtown core. In the surrounding hills there are a never ending labyrinth of hiking trails that offer a new adventure around any bend. Or perhaps you wish to take on the daring Capilano Suspension Bridge and Tree Top Walk. If you are looking for a less structured adventure take a kayak out into the harbour of False Creek and try and spot a harbour seal while you take in the magnificent city skyline. Vancouver is a city that is surrounded by opportunities for adventure seekers. One word of advice. Give yourself a lot of time….you may never want to leave.

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The Othello Tunnels, as well as other beautiful waterfalls around the Hope area.

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Hope

Our final stop around British Columbia is Hope, a sleepy town at the foot of the Coquihalla Highway that stretches through the mountains. While the town itself is a bit of a stop-over for highway travellers, there are many lovely areas to also visit around the town. 

The Othello Tunnels (Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park), was once a functioning set of railway track belonging to the Kettle Valley Railway. Running through the mountains, the tracks have been converted into a beautiful walking trail for visitors to enjoy. The path takes visitors through 5 tunnels and a series of bridges running alongside the Coquihalla River canyon. Walking through the pitch black tunnels, you can just imagine an old-fashioned passenger train (like the one from Harry Potter) chugging up behind you. 

British columbia is a beautiful place to take in nature pretty much anywhere you go, but the tunnels is a truly unique way to explore the nature of the area.

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Tri-Cities

The Tri-Cities are made up of three smaller cities in the Lower Mainland, which are Metro Vancouver’s fastest growing suburbs. The cities included are Coquitlam, Port Moody, and Port Coquitlam, which are only a 40 minute drive from the heart of Downtown Vancouver. Although they are very much a like, they each have their own special things to offer.

Port Moody is home to two of the most popular hiking destinations; Belcarra Regional Park, and Bunzten Lake Recreation Area, which attract many outdoor enthusiasts from the lower mainland. In addition to the trails, Port Moody is also situated on the gateway to the Indian Arm giving the city of Port Moody a large amount of waterfront property, which provides a number of water activities in the summer months. Westwood Plateau is one of the highest points in Port Moody and many lavish houses are located in this area. The Westwood Plateau Golf Course is also an attraction in the tri-cities for golf enthusiasts to play a game of golf, or even enjoy the driving range.

Coquitlam is the largest city of the Tri-Cities with a population of 129,000. Coquitlam was named a Cultural Capital of Canada because its unique and diverse range of cultures including First Nations, Chinese, Persian and French populations. Just like Port Moody, Coquitlam has it’s own golf course called The Vancouver Golf Club, which is the oldest golf club in the lower mainland. In addition, Coquitlam also offers a number of outdoor hiking trails, biking trails, fishing, and canoeing areas. Coquitlam Centre is the local mall, which is one of the lower mainland’s largest malls.

Port Coquitlam has always been known as an industrial area. Today they currently have a population of 57,000. Port Coquitlam is surrounded by water, to the West is the Coquitlam River, to the East is the Pitt River, and to the South is the Fraser River. Although Port Coquitlam may not seem as exciting as the other two cities, they’re development has boomed in the last 5 years and its population will only grow. Port Coquitlam does offer a number of hiking trails for out door enthusiasts to enjoy.

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A day full of sunshine. 

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Sunshine Coast

The Sunshine Coast is a distinct region within the VancouverCoast and Mountains, ranging from Gambier Island in Howe Sound to just north ofLund (which the locals refer to as the start of Highway 1).  The Sunshine Coast has multiple product offerings all based around the Salish Sea (formally named the Strait of Georgia), as well as the many lakes and inlets that comprise the coast.

For those avid hikers the Sunshine Coast is home to the longest hut to hut hiking trail in Canada. Located in the Powell River area, the Sunshine Coast Trail stretches over 180km through breathtaking landscapes of coastal shorelines, old growth forests, and more. The best part? IT IS COMPLETELY FREE! That’s right, free! The trail is a long hall, however, there are 12 huts along the trail to sleep in. But who needs a hut when you can just pitch a tent? Or sleep under the stars? Although, I would not suggest the latter in the winter, as the trail is open all year round.

For those looking to kick back and relax the sunshine coast offers multiple accommodation options for any type of traveller, from the budget traveler to travellers looking for luxury vacation accommodation. For those interested in cottage retreats, The Sunshine Coast was named Canada’s Most Beautiful Cottage Retreat destination by Readers Digest. The Destination Marketing Organization for the sunshine coast has an easy and reliable list within their website of all the accommodation within its region.

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Whistler Bungee Bridge at Dusk

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Whistler (a bungee story)

Whistler has a ton to do for all you adventure seekers and you know that by now. So I’m going to share a little tale with you instead, and its going to inspire the pants off of you!

One of the top 3 reasons I have any confidence whatsoever is thanks to jumping (twice!) off a bridge in Whistler. I’m from the Thompson Okanagan, and this bucket-list item gave me and some buds a perfect excuse to pack up the car and day trip outta town. 

We spontaneously conjured up the idea to go, booked our jump, and packed the car for the next morning. It happened to be during the winter season, which made the jump extra bad-ass; nothing says bad-girl-fun-times like a parka and runny nose. 

We had to hike through a little snow, because the ‘94 Honda Civic couldn’t handle the flooded road, but we were greeted with a warm hello and had the bridge to ourselves. I stalled a bit during the countdown before finally jumping into a free fall of F-bombs and Elaine dance-flailing. Needless to say, I felt and (no doubt) looked awesome.

We all chose to do two jumps; I was informed this was the only way to get the free t-shirt. Turns out, I was lied to and EVERYONE GETS THE T-SHIRT…my friends are jerks.

It’s a relatively cheap thrill at $120 for the first jump and $50 for additional jumps. So maybe just skip out on da club this weekend and opt for this adrenaline party instead.

Check out Whistler Bungee for directions and more info!

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It’s our last week of travel, and we have saved the best for last. This week we explore the cities on the edge of nature in the Vancouver Coast and Mountains region. 

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Mike Hopkins at Revelstoke, BC

Photo: Blake Jorgenson

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The tallest tree house in British Columbia near Revelstoke,Canada (by Keith Watson).