Variety is the spice of life, and B.C.’s holiday spots have what it takes to spike your summer. Whether it’s the open road and the back woods, a funky shopping street, a back-lane bistro or a glass of the province’s best on a winery patio, the following summer destinations will get your happy happening.
Southern Van Island The drive from Sooke to Port Renfrew to the Cowican Valley, known as the Pacific Marine Circle route, is one smooth ride, yet amazingly still a route less travelled.Just past Sooke, lunch on oyster chowder spiked with house-cured bacon at Point No Point Resort and gaze at the crashing surf. For a closer look, stay at one of 25 rustic beach-front cabins (pointnopointresort.com). Motor to Port Renfrew and poke around tide pools at spectacular Botanical Beach. Dine at Stone Soup Inn, an exemplary gourmet farm restaurant snuggled in the Cowichan Valley Forest serving many ingredients from the chef’s garden (stonesoupinn.ca).Families love to spend the afternoon tubing down the Cowichan River: grab the gear at Sun Lotus Tubing Company in Duncan.For more refined tastes, a number of wineries in “Canada’s Provence” offer wine tastings: sip Pinot Noir on the patio of Averill Creek, stock up with Pinot Gris at Blue Grouse Estate Winery and bubbly at Vigneti Zanatta Winery. Ucluelet Move over Tofino, it’s time for Ucluelet to hog the limelight.Pack your rainwear and sunscreen, flip-flops and rubber boots (the west coast boasts four seasons in one day) and check into the Black Rock Oceanfront Resort.You’ll leave city stress in the lobby but just in case, the Drift Spa guarantees total relaxation.Most rooms boast floor-to-ceiling views of crashing surf or pristine forest (blackrockresort.com). Black Rock’s Fetch restaurant boasts killer views and the cuisine has garnered rave reviews.Wya Point Resort (wyapoint.com) may be the new kid on the block but the property is located on an old village site surrounded by 600 acres of old growth forest with direct access to private beaches.And it is run by the local First Nations band. Luxuriate in a timber-framed lodge or go glamping in a funky yurt with the ocean right outside your canvas. Both lodges and yurts have fully contained kitchens and barbecues. Squamish There’s a whole lot more to Squamish than a stop at Tim Hortons on the highway to Whistler. Bring your appetite to Steve and Cory’s Locavore food truck (locavorefoodtruck.ca) parked behind the Canadian Tire, five minutes from downtown. Not only do they support local producers; many items on the menu come from their free range farm just up the road. Squamish’s newest calling card is the Sea to Sky Gondola (seatoskygondola.com), complete with mountaintop viewing platforms, suspension bridge, restaurant, cultural exhibits and access to hiking trails.Fully-enclosed gondola cabins transport you above Howe Sound, over ocean, forest and mountain landscape.The ride is all of eight minutes, but it will last long in your memory. Southern Gulf Islands If you’re fond of salty air and sandy beaches, poking around tidal pools in pebble bays and hiking through farmland and pristine forest, the Southern Gulf Islands are for you. Should you tire of the great outdoors, Galiano Island is home to many artists: view their art in several local galleries or in the artists’ homes.Join the Pender Island locals in a game of disc golf—similar to throwing a Frisbee. Pender lays claim to one of the most unique and prettiest disc golf courses in the world.Its 27 holes wind around rocky hillside just north of Magic Lake, which also attracts serious disc golfers to the annual Pender Classic (discgolfisland.com).
Okanagan There’s more than wine to be had in some of the Okanagan’s wineries. Tinhorn Creek’s Miradoro Restaurant, Mission Hill Winery’s Terrace Restaurant and Burrowing Owl’s Sonora Room all offer stellar local and regional cuisine, and jaw-dropping views. Experience farm-to-table dinners in a vineyard with Joy Road Catering (joyroadcatering.com). Multi-course alfresco dinners are served at God’s Mountain Estate every Sunday and Thursdays are reserved for Winemaker Dinners. Whistler Many people actually prefer Whistler in the summer, especially for its “soft” activities and R&R — resorts and restaurants. Canoe or kayak the Golden River of Dreams: cross Alta Lake and glide through calm glacial waters banked by lily pads and tall grasses with snow-tipped mountain backdrop.Choose a self-guided tour or hire a guide at Whistler Eco Tours (whistlerecotours.com). To really kick back and relax check into Nita Lake Lodge, just outside the village. Spacious contemporary rooms have gas fireplaces and views of the tranquil lake. Sip a cocktail on the wraparound patio after an afternoon session at their spa (complete with steam room and outdoor hot tubs) and sashay to Aura restaurant where you will spend a few hours in culinary heaven. Heck, you don’t need to leave the building! (nitalakelodge.com). Harrison Drive just a few hours east from the Lower Mainland and you might as well have flown to a faraway destination. The town of Harrison Hot Springs offers sandy beaches and emerald lakes, farm and wine tours close by in the Fraser Valley and of course the hot springs. You can enjoy the mineral-rich waters either in the town’s public pool or private pools (and the poolside spa is worth visiting) at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort (harrisonresort.com). Water activities abound, and a variety of boat rentals are available in the village. But if you’re after a unique experience hire a fishing guide and hunt for a massive sturgeon. It’s guaranteed a great conversation piece, but rather like the one that got away: you have to catch and release because they are threatened. Victoria Long gone is the cliché of “the newly wed and the nearly dead.” Victoria offers new experiences that may surprise you. Cyclists of all ages and levels book a tour with The Pedaler (thepedaler.ca). If you want to know more about the city’s beer culture their “Hoppy Hour” tours several microbreweries. For the more energetic, cruise the 33-mile Galloping Goose Trail, named for a 1920s rail-turned- trail and book a well-deserved massage downstairs at Silk Road Aromatherapy Spa or the Spa Magnolia. Gals’ Getway? After your spa session swan over to Amelia Lee Boutique where you can book a professional stylist to help you clothes shop and provide makeup tips (amelialeeboutique.com). Show off your new look over local wines and tapas — opt for the “Backstage Pass VIP” Tasting Menu — at STAGE Wine Bar in Fernwood (stagewinebar.com). Downtown Vancouver No need to leave Vancouver if a Gals’ getaway, romantic romp or a foodie-fuelled weekend is what you’re after. Pamper yourself with a few hours at the Fairmont Pacific Rim’s Willow Stream Spa (their treatments with stat will put you into an altered state of consciousness!) and the outdoor deck features infrared sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi. And it has terrific views. Follow with a leisurely sushi lunch at the Raw Bar, by far the best sushi in town, opt for ‘Omakase’ or chef’s choice and a sake cocktail and watch the sushi chefs at work.Whether you’re a Vancouverite or visiting, foodies rave about the Vancouver Food Tour (vancouverfoodtour.com) and to top it off, take a hands-on cooking class at The Dirty Apron (dirtyapron.com).How about a custom-made tour? Join a local on a transit-only city tour or visit the best coffee shops with ToursByLocals (toursbylocals.com). Even if you’ve lived in Vancouver for years, you’ll find there’s a lot to discover.