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July 27, 2007
Get your travelling shoes on
Beyond Vancouver, our province is full of fun summer activities.
VERONIKA STEWART
Last year, Vancouver was voted the "most livable city"
by the Economist magazine. Since then, and since Vancouver
was chosen to host the 2010 Olympics, Vancouverites and Lower Mainland
residents have paraded around with an air of superiority, flaunting
our worldwide popularity.
In the meantime, the redeeming qualities of the rest of beautiful
British Columbia are largely ignored. The newest edition of British
Columbia licence plates reads: "The best place on Earth,"
not "The place with the best city on Earth." So, in order
to pay homage to our province on its holiday, the first Monday of
August, the Independent has compiled a list of the most beautiful
places in British Columbia to visit.
Whistler
Although not for the traveller on a tight budget, Whistler is an
obvious pick as one of the upcoming hosts of the 2010 Olympic Games.
A two-hour drive from Vancouver, Whistler has a wide array of activities
to keep its visitors busy, including, in the summer months, mountain
bike riding, hiking, golf and glacier skiing. Also, once you're
up the mountain, Whistler Blackcomb offers a peak-to-peak gondola,
so you can sit back and enjoy the view in style.
The Okanagan
The next place on our list of must-see B.C. wonders is the Okanagan.
Whether it's lakeside accommodation, orchards, vineyards or maybe
just the vino, the Okanagan has a lot to offer its tourists. For
the golf enthusiast, there are plenty of courses dotting the rolling
countryside. If golf, wine and fresh apples aren't your bag, there's
also a wide array of lake sports, like inner tubing, kayaking and
swimming to be done on Lake Okanagan, home of Canada's beloved Ogopogo.
The Queen Charlottes
The next stop on our trek through British Columbia is an area rich
in cultural heritage: the Queen Charlotte Islands, or Haida Gwaii,
which means "Islands of the People." Off the province's
northern coast, Haida Gwaii is an archipelago of 150-200 islands
and has been dubbed "the Galapagos of B.C."
Rich in diverse rainforest, the area is a truly spectacular piece
of B.C. wilderness. The island offers several eco-tours, guided
camping and ocean kayaking. Along with natural beauty, the islands
also offer many original aboriginal totem poles and artifacts. Also,
for those interested in whale or dolphin watching, there are several
boat and seaplane charters available to take you around the area
to spot the local populations of humpback and killer whales.
Getting to the Queen Charlottes can be extraordinary all on its
own, as you can take a ferry up through the Northwest Passage.
Tofino
Because everyone has a little surfer in them, the next B.C. hot
spot on our list is the resort town of Tofino. Well known for its
great waves, Tofino is the province's alternative to the California
coastline, although it's generally too cold for board shorts. Visiting
surfers would do well to invest in a wetsuit.
Aside from the obvious summer surf season, Tofino also offers whale-watching,
kayak tours and beachcombing along its sandy shores for whatever
the sea leaves behind. Tofino is also in Clayoquot Sound and is
surrounded by Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. It is also at the
centre of one of the United Nation's world biosphere reserves. The
land is protected for good reason, as it is home to many stands
of invaluable old-growth cedars. The small town of Tofino proper
also offers a wide array of quaint accommodations and shops that
feature local artists' work.
Victoria
We can't have a list of top provincial hot spots without including
the province's capital city, Victoria. Lush and peppered with pink
cherry blossoms in spring and summer, Victoria is a charming historical
city just an hour-and-a-half ferry ride away from the hustle and
bustle of the Lower Mainland.
Home of the provincial legislature buildings, Victoria is the place
to go to get a glimpse of the lives led by our local politicians,
who travel to Victoria often when the legislature is in session.
If you're bringing the family, and the kids find the legislature
to be a bore, you can go horseback riding in the area, or bring
them to the campus of the University of Victoria, famous for its
population of bunnies, which roam the grass around the campus.
Although Victoria is family-friendly, it is also a great place to
wine and dine the one you love. If there's someone who needs wooing,
you can rent a horse-drawn carriage, visit one of many local spas
and go for a night out at a waterfront restaurant. Although it's
not the biggest city in British Columbia, Victoria has plenty to
offer, and its smaller size is also part of the appeal, because
it lacks much of the industrial landscape that surrounds Vancouver.
Finally, if you're not in the mood for serious travel time, or can't
get the time off work, there are also a wealth of local trails in
the Vancouver area to check out – for example, Lynn Headwaters
in North Vancouver, the Grouse Grind and, finally, the Chief, on
the way to Squamish, to name a few. The hike up the mountain is
a killer, but the view at the top makes it all worthwhile and gives
a bird's eye view of how beautiful this province truly is.
Veronika Stewart is a Vancouver freelance writer.
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