1 The Best of British Columbia & the Canadian Rockies British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies, which stretch across the provincial border into Alberta, are extravagantly scenic and quietly sophisticated. The diversity of landscapes is astounding: You’ll travel from cactus-studded desert to soaring mountaintops and on to wilderness ocean beaches. You can visit traditional First Nations (Native Canadian) villages, thread through market stalls in the largest Chinese commu- nity outside of Asia, and cheer on cowboys at an old-fashioned rodeo. As for creature comforts, British Columbia and the Rockies are famed for their luxury hotels, rustic guest ranches, quiet inns, and B&Bs. And the food? With Alberta beef, Pacific salmon, and some of the world’s most fertile farm and orchard land, these two provinces champion excellent regional cuisine. Finally, there’s no better place to get outdoors and enjoy yourself. These areas are flush with ski resorts and golf courses, hiking is a near universal passion, and you’ll find no better spot on earth to try your hand at adventure sports like sea kayaking, trail riding, or scuba diving. This guide is chock-full of recommendations and tips to help you plan and enjoy your trip to western Canada; the following are the best of the best, places and experiences you won’t want to miss. 1 THE BEST TRAVEL EXPERIENCES • Wandering Vancouver’s West End: afternoon tea at the Empress is world- Vancouver is one of the most cosmo- renowned, a little stuffy, and very politan cities in the world, and wander- expensive; if that doesn’t sound like fun ing the streets, people-watching, and to you, we’ll show you other places sipping cappuccinos at street cafes can where tea is more reasonably priced and fill an entire weekend. Stroll up Robson a lot less formal. See chapter 6. Street with its busy boutique-shopping • Ferrying through the Gulf Islands: scene, turnCOPYRIGHTED down cafe-lined Denman The MATERIALGulf Islands, a huddle of cliff- Street, then stride into 405-hectare lined, forested islands between Vancou- (1,001-acre) Stanley Park, a gem of ver Island and the British Columbia green space with old-growth cedars, mainland, can be reached only via ferry. miles of walkways, and the city’s excel- Hop from island to island, staying at lent aquarium. See chapter 5. excellent country inns and B&Bs; pedal • Taking Tea in Victoria: Yeah, it’s a little the quiet farm roads on your bike, stop- corny, but it’s also fun—and delicious. ping to visit artists’ studios or to quaff a Tea, scones, clotted cream—who said pint in a cozy rural pub. The romantic the British don’t know good food? The getaway you’ve been dreaming of starts 004_591536-ch01.indd4_591536-ch01.indd 1 44/28/10/28/10 110:520:52 AAMM 2 and ends right here on these idyllic some golf, eat at excellent restaurants, islands. See chapter 7. and do it all again tomorrow. See chap- • Traveling the Inside Passage: The ter 13. 15-hour Inside Passage ferry cruise • Skiing the Canadian Rockies: You can aboard the MV Northern Adventure hit all three ski areas in Banff National takes you from Vancouver Island’s Port Park with a one-price ticket, using the Hardy along an otherwise inaccessible frequent shuttle buses to ferry you and coastline north to Prince Rupert, near your skis from resort to resort. The ski- the southern tip of the Alaska Panhan- ing is superlative, the scenery astound- dle. Orcas swim past the ferry, bald ing, and—best of all—you can stay at eagles soar overhead, and the dramatic Banff’s luxury hotels for a fraction of scenery—a narrow channel of water their astronomical summer rates. See between a series of mountain islands chapter 16. and the craggy mainland—is utterly • Riding Herd at a Guest Ranch: The spectacular. See chapter 11. edge of the Great Plains nudges up to • Wine Tasting in the Okanagan Valley: the face of the Canadian Rockies in The Okanagan Valley in central British Alberta, making this some of the most Columbia has some of the most arid fertile and beautiful ranching country climatic conditions in Canada, but with anywhere. For more than a century, irrigation, grape varietals like merlot, ranches have welcomed guests to their 1 cabernet sauvignon, and pinot blanc rustic lodges and cabins, offering trail flourish here. Vineyards line the edges rides, cattle drives, evening barbecues, of huge, glacier-dug lakes and clamber and barn dances that’ll keep you enter- up the steep desert-valley walls. Taste tained whether you’re a greenhorn or an delicious wines, go for a swim, play old hand. See p. 381. 2 THE BEST ACTIVE VACATIONS • Hiking the West Coast Trail: Hiking departure points, with outfitters ready the entire length of the rugged 69km to drop you into the briny world of the (43-mile) West Coast Trail, from Port wolf eel, yellow-edged cadlina, and Renfrew to Bamfield on Vancouver giant Pacific octopus. See chapters 8 THE BEST ACTIVE VACATIONS ACTIVE BEST THE CANADIAN ROCKIES THE & COLUMBIA BRITISH Island, takes 5 to 7 days, but it’s truly and 9. the hike of a lifetime. This wilderness • Kayaking Clayoquot Sound: Paddle a coastline, edged with old-growth forest kayak for 4 or 5 days through the waters and lined with cliffs, is utterly spectacu- of Clayoquot Sound on Vancouver lar, and can be reached only on foot. If Island’s wilderness west coast, from the you’re not up for it, consider an 11km funky former fishing village of Tofino 3 (6 ⁄4-mile) day trip on the more easily to a natural hot-springs bath near an accessible stretch just south of Bam- ancient Native village. Along the way, field. See p. 182. you’ll see thousand-year-old trees and • Scuba Diving off Vancouver Island: glaciers, whales, and bald eagles. See According to no less an authority than p. 188. Jacques Cousteau, the waters off Van- • Salmon Fishing from Campbell couver Island offered some of the best River: Even though salmon fishing is diving in the world. And they still do. not what it once was, Campbell River is Nanaimo and Port Hardy are popular still the “Salmon-Fishing Capital of the 004_591536-ch01.indd4_591536-ch01.indd 2 44/28/10/28/10 110:520:52 AAMM World.” Join a day trip with an outfitter and Myra Canyon, crossing 17 trestles 3 and fish the waters of Discovery Pas- and traversing two tunnels on its sage. Get ready to hook the big one! 175km (109-mile) route. The entire CANADIAN ROCKIES THE & COLUMBIA BRITISH Even if your trophy salmon gets away circuit, which takes from 3 to 5 days, (or you’re required to release it), you’ll provides lots of challenging grades and see plenty of wildlife: bald eagles, seals, excellent scenery. See p. 299. even orcas and porpoises. See p. 207. • Heli-Skiing near Golden: Helicopters • Rafting the Chilcotin and Fraser Riv- lift adventurous skiers to the tops of the ers: This 3-day white-water extrava- Selkirk and Purcell mountains that rise ganza flushes you from the slopes of the just west of Golden, accessing acres of glaciered Coast Range down through virgin powder far from the lift lines and shadowy canyons to the roiling waters crowds of traditional ski resorts. CMH of the mighty Fraser River, second in Heli-Skiing (& 800/661-0252) offers North America only to the Columbia a variety of holidays, most based out of River in power and size. A number of its private high-country lodges and outfitters in Williams Lake offer river reached only by helicopter. See p. 322. options ranging from half-day thrill • Cross-Country Skiing at Canmore: rides to multiday trips with catered The 1988 Olympic cross-country ski- camping. See p. 279. ing events were held at Canmore, on • Canoeing Bowron Lakes Provincial the edge of Banff National Park. The Park: Every summer, canoeists and routes at the Canmore Nordic Centre 1 kayakers set out to navigate a perfect (& 403/678-2400) are now open to 120km (75-mile) circle of six alpine the public and offer 70km (43 miles) of WILDLIFEVIEWING & NATURE BEST THE lakes, with minimal portages in world-class skiing. See p. 379. between. There are no roads or other • Lodge-to-Lodge Trail Riding in Banff signs of civilization beyond the launch National Park: See the park’s back- point, except some well-placed cabins, country without getting blisters on campsites, and shelters. The full circuit your feet. Instead, get saddle-sore as you is a 7-day trip, but the memories will ride horseback on a 3-day excursion, last a lifetime. See p. 284. spending the nights in remote but com- • Mountain Biking the Kettle Valley Rail fortable mountain lodges. Warner Trail: This rails-to-trails hiking and Guiding and Outfitting (& 800/661- biking route travels from Okanagan 8352) provides all meals and lodging, Lake up and over Okanagan Mountain plus oats for Silver. See p. 385. 3 THE BEST NATURE & WILDLIFEVIEWING • Tide Pools at Botanical Beach near Port • Bald Eagles near Victoria: Just a few Renfrew: Waves have eroded potholes in miles north of Victoria is one of the the thrust of sandstone that juts into the world’s best bald eagle–spotting sites: Pacific at Botanical Beach, which remain Goldstream Provincial Park. Recent water-filled when the waves ebb. Alive counts put the number of eagles winter- with starfish, sea anemones, hermit crabs, ing here at around 4,000. (Jan is the and hundreds of other sea creatures, these best month for viewing, though there potholes are some of the best places on are eagles here year-round.) See p.