When we first arrived in Vancouver, we wondered what the hell people did on the weekends. I mean, aside from heading out to the city, where were the road-tripping destinations? After all, not everyone comes here to travel indefinitely. There are others like us. Other ‘workers’ that can only zip away for the weekend for a quick recoup. But how far can you really get in a weekend?
Well, we thought we’d buy our own second-hand car and test it out ourselves. So, we traveled as far as our little red beast could take us (trust me, it took us further than we thought it would!) on every possible weekend over the course of 2 years and narrowed our favorite road-trip destinations down to a list of 14. Yep, this post was two years in the making!
Note: Traveling by plane would introduce a whole new category of places.. so don’t even get me started! I’ll save those for another post, hehe. The general rule applied here is that the below destinations are all reachable by either car or transit (public transport) from Vancouver.
1. Portland, Oregon
My personal fave, this is a drive not to be missed! Yes, you may spend most of your weekend driving, but when you see the Oregon coast with its beaches that stretch out for miles, you won’t mind one bit. Then, you get the chance to experience all that the quirky art-loving Portland has to offer. I highly recommend taking a craft brewery tour with Brewvana, it was really laidback and a lot of fun (however it was pretty rowdy, so if you’re a posh, quiet type – this isn’t for you!). Saturday you can spend shopping at the Portland Saturday markets (which are actually open on Sundays too!) and cafe hopping. Then to finish off, you can take the coastal route back to Vancouver – a perfect Sunday drive. It may take a few weekends for you to see all you want to see in this region. It took us three! (Tip: Get a NEXUS card to speed up the process of traveling between U.S. and Canadian Borders)
2. Seattle, Washington
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Hugely popular with Vancouverites for Weekend trips away, and an extremely close drive for a Friday night, it is a great city to experience the nightlife. The birthplace of grunge music in the mid 1980’s, Nirvana fans get a feel for the type of environment their music gods grew up in. I recommend heading to Pike Place Market and having some drinks at the Hard Rock Cafe rooftop nearby.
3. Leavenworth, Washington
I’m in love with this little storybook town. This German-inspired town looks like something out of a snow globe! You can indulge in spatzle, every variety of German sausage, wash those down with a multitude of beers and finish the night off with some pretzels, apple strudel and gingerbread – whatever tickles your fancy. I recommend a visit to the Gingerbread factory, as well as a beer or five at the local beer houses.
4. Tofino, Vancouver Island
Surf town Tofino is a huge hit with Vancouverites regardless of how good the swell is, as it is the only real surf beach near Vancouver (aside from crossing the border to the U.S). It has a real beach town vibe. Local markets, seafood and surf stores aplenty. I highly recommend taking a Whale watching tour out to Hot Springs Cove for an amazing swimming experience off the coast of a remote island where the natural hot springs meet with the open ocean.
5. Nanaimo, Vancouver Island
Nanaimo is a small town on the Sunshine Coast, which doesn’t have as much tourism as Vancouver Island’s larger cities. That being said, it is arguably the one with the most untouched beauty. I highly recommend experiencing its quiet splendor by staying with a local Canadian family, such as Stephenson Point B&B.
6. Victoria, Vancouver Island
If you’re visiting Vancouver Island for the first time or you want to show your visitors around, this is the place to take them! Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia, is a historical little seaside town beautifully decorated with landscaped gardens and seaside views. I highly recommend visiting the Butchart Gardens and Craigdarroch Castle. With a huge array of accommodation to choose from, I recommend staying a little further out in a property such as Prancing Horse Retreat or in Lake Cowichan.
7. Whistler, British Columbia
I need not say much about Whistler, as you’ll go anyway no matter what I say! You’re right to do so though, it is a must-see spot and surprisingly still a gorgeous little village town despite being packed full of tourists year-round. All kinds of activities are possible in Whistler from ice skating and snowboarding in Winter, to mountain-biking and hiking in Summer. There is truly something for everyone. Here is a video of our first visit, if you’re curious as to how it is up on Whistler Mountain.
8. Pemberton, British Columbia
Pemberton is the less-popular sister of Whistler, and as mentioned in my previous post, a great place to escape the tourists yet still be close enough to Whistler to get some good slope time. I highly recommend exploring Joffre Lakes Provincial Park, particularly in Winter, as there are some great hikes with stunning views over the lakes and mountain ranges. Here is a video of how overwhelmed I was the first time we went walking around there.
9. Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia
One of my favorite accommodation options around this area is First Nation-run Sasquatch Crossing Eco Lodge B&B in Harrison Mills. You will be well looked-after by friendly hosts whom give you an insight into First Nations culture, giving you the option of trying some traditional foods and even classes in how to make your own drum – should that be your desire!
10. Okanagan Wine Region (Kelowna, Oosoyos)
Being an Aussie and very much used to different types of landscape being long drives from each other, it was a logical assumption of mine that mountains, lakes and wineries were never found in the same place. I mean, maybe you’d get lucky and see some mountains and wineries or lakes with mountains, but never all three! Well, once I did my first google search on the Okanagan it was clear that my assumption was very wrong indeed. The Okanagan, the most popular wine region in BC, is high on the ‘dream wedding venue’ list of every local bride-to-be. I can now see why. I suggest taking a wine tour and stopping by some orchards to taste some of those sublime Okanagan cherries.
11. Chilliwack, British Columbia
Generally, Chilliwack isn’t a typical holiday destination for Vancouverites unless they know someone who lives in the region. However, I personally loved it and found it to be a romantic vacation spot. Definitely stay overnight on the lake, if you can.
12. Revelstoke, British Columbia
Not much happening here in Summer, but definitely worth the visit in Winter. People are calling Revelstoke “the next Whistler” so Winter sport lovers and opportunists are moving here in droves! Advanced snowboarders and skiiers will enjoy themselves as the mountain has an array of steep black (high difficulty) runs to choose from. As the town is located at the mid-point between Vancouver and Calgary, it seems the competing snow resorts on either side tend to be more populated. This came as good news to Ryan, as he and his mates got to carve it up with hardly any company!
13. La Push, Washington
All you Twilight fans must be thinking – yes, she’s finally mentioning it! That’s right, this is the beach strip just outside the little town of Forks, the same town that Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight novels were based. Forks itself isn’t much to write home about, but if you’re a Twilight fan you can take a Twilight Tour. La Push is a must-see, it is even better in person. It is interesting to note that no scenes from the Twilight Saga were actually filmed in Forks – ironically most were filmed in Oregon. But all within driving distance. Next road trip perhaps?
14. Squamish, British Columbia
Squamish has great walking tracks within 1-2 hours drive of Vancouver. It is a nature junkies paradise. My favorite trek in this region by far was my recent snowshoeing adventure to Elfin Lakes Shelter. We also filmed a timelapse at Elfin shelter.
Happy Road Tripping! If you have any suggestions for weekend escapes from Vancouver, please share them with us in the comments below.
Danielle Steller | DanielleSteller.com
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