british columbia.

British Columbia was part of our ultimate Pacific North West trip. To get to Canada, we left Seattle via bus and about 3 hours later, arrived at Pacific Central Station in Vancouver. British Columbia is the outdoor lover’s dream, it’s an outdoor playground. British Columbia is full of hikes, skiing, rafting, and more! We absolutely loved our time here. When we visited, the American dollar was higher than the Canadian, so everything was a bit cheaper for us too!

Vancouver

We stayed in Gastown while in Vancouver which was a perfect spot to walk to so many places. Gastown is the trendy part of town where most of the young people flock too. There are too many bars and restaurants to count!

I recommend spending a sunset at the public beach and walking along the boardwalk. We were both amazed at how many people went down to the beach for sunset. I wish more people in America took the time to sit and watch the sunset. I think a lot of us are so busy during the day that when it comes time for the sunset, we are too exhausted. It was really fun to participate in the local crowd and watch the sunset together. Granville Island (accessible by car), was a fun place to explore! Small, electric boats will pick you up all along the boardwalk and take you to the island. Granville is full of restaurants and shops, we had amazing seafood here! And taking a boat ride for $2 was a fun way to spend our evening as well! Another fun place to visit is Stanley Park, Vancouver’s equivalent of Central Park in New York City. If you make the drive to Squamish or Whistler, you will drive right through Stanley Park.

Squamish

About an hour from Vancouver is the town of Squamish. While in Squamish, we stopped and saw Brandywine Falls. This is a perfect pitstop if going straight to Whistler. The parking lot is free and it’s a short hike to really a stunning fall.

Also in Squamish, we rode the Sea to Sky gondola and spent time exploring all that the area had to offer. The gondola was recently built and everything was very clean and nice. There was one suspension bridge at the top, hiking trails, a restaurant, and a gift shop. You can even see Shannon Falls from the top of the mountain as well as from the street. We hiked both the Skyline trail and the Panorama trail. The hikes were very short but offered incredible views. If you are more of an experienced hiker, I recommend skipping this gondola and going straight to Windsor, but for families, this attraction is perfect. Keep in mind, the traffic between Squamish and Vancouver is really bad, no matter the time of day you go. We drove up and back twice and both times, it was stopped traffic. Just prepare yourself!

Whistler

Wow Whistler, I don’t have enough good things to say about you. This is my favorite ski town I have visited. Though we visited in May, skiing was actually still open! The mountains are so tall that skiers could ski at the top and mountain bikers were riding the bottom half of the mountain. Whistler’s ski village was HUGE. I loved that cars were not allowed in the village, it was all accessible by foot on nicely paved sidewalks. There were dozens of dining options and bars to choose from along with several outdoorsy shops. Live music and DJ’s filled the village and there were even family activities going on such as face painting. The village was booming with entertainment! I cannot wait to go back here and hope to go back to ski!

About an hour north of Whistler is Joffre Lake. I had been wanting to do this hike for as long as the ‘grammers had been posting about it. The drive to Joffre was stunning, we got to see backcountry Canada, something many people don’t take the time to experience. Parking at Joffre was free but busy, try getting there as early as possible. Joffre has three lakes, all along one trailhead, about 5 miles total. The trail to the first lake is short and easy. I was kind of disappointed when we arrived at the first lake, because I was anticipating the the crystal blue waters like the photographs I had seen. Don’t worry, lakes two and three will blow your mind. We didn’t spend much time at the first lake and continued onto the second. The trailhead between lake one and two was very strenuous with close to 1600 feet in elevation gain. Though the trail was difficult, it was actually very crowded. The second lake was stunning, crystal blue water with snow capped mountains in the distance. The log that you see everyone taking photos on is also in this lake.

We decided to continue onto the third lake, hoping it would be less crowded. The third lake was not much farther past the second and the trail was not busy. I think a lot of people give up after the second lake. Wow, the third lake was my favorite. The snow capped mountain touches the lake and the water is so cold and clear. We had lunch here and just enjoyed the view. I am so glad we did this hike, we were nervous that the hike was just glamorized on social media but really, if you are in Whistler, don’t leave without doing this hike.

Where We Stayed:

We stayed in Gastown while downtown Vancouver. One of Logan’s coworkers let us stay in his guest suite in his apartment building!

In Whistler, we stayed at the beautiful Westin Resort and Spa. This hotel was stunning, our room was huge with picturesque views and even a fireplace. During ski season, the rates are close to $1,000 per night. Since we went in off season, we paid less than $150 per night! Talk about a steal!

Where We Ate:

Since traffic was so bad between Squamish and downtown Whistler, we stopped at Horseshoe Bay for lunch. There were lots of small restaurants, all with an ocean view. We ate at Troller Ale House. The service and food was not great but the restaurant provided wonderful views.

Oh my goodness the Cactus Club Cafe in Gastown was wonderful! Don’t let the word “cafe” fool you, the restaurant is trendy with a fun nightlife. The food was great and the happy hour prices were so cheap we could barely believe it. They even have a second happy hour and a DJ at night.

Apparently JJ’s Bean Coffee is more popular than Starbucks in Vancouver! This is definitely the spot where the locals go. If you go, do yourself a favor and try their homemade mocha sauce, you won’t be disappointed.

On Granville Island, we splurged and had incredible seafood at The Sandbar. Almost the entire restaurant is glass windows and we were able to slurp oysters, drink martinis and watch the sunset over the ocean all at once. Perfection.

In Whistler, we stopped at the rooftop at Black’s Pub for Happy Hour. This gave us views of the village and all the skiers and mountain bikers coming off the mountain. Pro-tip: do your best to visit bars during Happy Hour!

The pizza, bloody mary’s, and views were perfect at Garibaldi Lift Co. Restaurant. The patio at this restaurant is right by the runs on the mountain, so you can watch everyone come down. The energy here was so much fun!

In the Whistler Village, we had incredible Italian food on La Bocca’s patio. Also in the Village is Longhorn Saloon. This is a big party spot during the day and night. DJ’s come and host parties on their huge patio. We were kind of surprised at how many people go to Whistler just to party, not even ski or hike. We saw several bachelor and bachelorette parties roaming the Village at night. Don’t let this keep you away from Whistler, there is so much beauty and so many outdoor activities!

About half way between Whistler and Joffre Lakes is Mount Currie Coffee Company. We love supporting local and this was a perfect pit stop for coffee and breakfast sandwiches!

Breweries:

Downtown Vancouver in Gastown, we had incredible sours at Yaletown Brewing Company. Their brewery was huge with a large patio! We really enjoyed walking around this area.

In Squamish, we had beers and pizza at Howe Sound Brewing (they also have an Inn!). Their patio boasts beautiful views of Shannon Falls from across the street.

Best Time To Visit:

Summer
Fall

scottsdale.

seattle.