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From the rocky shores of Tofino to the wine-soaked warmth of the Okanagan, Vancouver’s neighbouring towns and cities offer the day and weekend traveller a diversity of sights, sounds and souvenirs.
By Tyee Bridge.
At its best, travel is the chance to create an orderly schedule and a carefully defined list of must-see attractions, which, once you’ve arrived, can be crumpled up and left under the passenger seat. Knowing the lay of the land is always helpful, but vacations are meant to be times when the Emersonian virtue of Whim takes over and well-laid plans get left in the dust. (If this seems a typical West Coast sentiment, remember Emerson was from Massachusetts.) British Columbia’s “lotus land” reputation may be mild slander — but if it grants visitors permission to go with the flow, so much the better. What follows are five of the province’s nearby destinations and a variety of suggested activities meant to inspire and incite your inner wanderer. Not all who wander are lost, as the bumper stickers say, so allow yourself to stray into whatever pleasures lure you and linger as long as you like. Vacations are too short for schedules.
Tofino & The Cowichan (2-5 days) »
editors choice — SNO-LIMO
Just about every ski or snowboard magazine rates Whistler at the top in its class. A great deal of its magic is in the viewscapes downhillers are treated to as they schuss their way down the slopes. Alas, those who aren’t avid skiers have been left to trundle up the gondola, admire the view from the roundhouse restaurant, and head back down again — just the reason why former ski instructor Paul Auger saw an opportunity to get nonskiers out on the hill and to share the experience of their skiing friends. Based on the sit-ski technology traditionally used by paraplegics, Auger designed a chariot that comfortably seats a passenger on top of a set of skis with bindings for a guide, who safely skis the whole “limo” down the hill. The sno-limo even pops on to the chair lifts, so riders have access to views from the Peak Chair, and perhaps most breathtaking, a sunrise on Burnt Stew Bowl. 888-568-5466.
