SOUTHWESTERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 293

Regardless of the season, include Whistler in your British Columbia travels. The resort
is close enough to Vancouver for a day trip, but it's easy to spend at least a full day exploring
the mountains on the Peak 2 Peak Gondola, which means if you want to bike, hike, or
golf, you'll need at least two days. Winter is high season in Whistler; in return for skiing at
Whistler Blackcomb you'll be paying big bucks for accommodations. The vast majority of
Whistler visitors return to Vancouver, but the Gold Nugget Route continues north through
Lillooet to central British Columbia, eliminating the need to backtrack.
Most travelers heading east from Vancouver do so on their way to the Okanagan Valley,
Kamloops, or beyond. But there are many reasons to stop, including Harrison Hot Springs,
so plan your time accordingly. Once at Hope, the highway divides, and you're faced with
three more options. Heading north is the zippy Coquihalla Highway or the more scenic
Highway 1 through the Fraser River Canyon, which passes natural highlights such as Hell's
Gate. Also from Hope, Highway 3 veers east along the U.S. border to mountainous Man-
ning Provincial Park and a string of delightful towns such as Keremeos, where a historic
grist mill continues to grind wheat for delicious breads.
The Sunshine Coast
The 150-kilometer-long (93-mile-long) Sunshine Coast lies along the northeast shore of the
Strait of Georgia between Howe Sound in the south and Desolation Sound in the north.
This rare bit of sun-drenched Canadian coastline is bordered by countless bays and inlets,
broad sandy beaches, quiet lagoons, rugged headlands, provincial parks, and lush fir forests
backed by the snowcapped Coast Mountains.
The route from Vancouver is punctuated by two ferry rides and offers delightful
glimpses of wilderness islands in the Strait of Georgia. Settlement began here in the late
19th century, and as you work your way up this stretch of the coastline, note the odd assort-
ment of place-names left by Coast Salish and Spanish and British explorers.
Today the area is a recreation paradise. Boasting Canada's mildest climate, the Sunshine
Coast enjoys moderately warm summers and mild winters, with only 940 millimeters (37
inches) of rain annually and 2,400 hours of sunlight—a few more hours than Victoria, the
so-called provincial hot spot. Boaters and kayakers can cruise into beautiful marine parks
providing sheltered anchorage and campsites amid some of the most magnificent scenery
along the west coast, or anchor at sheltered fishing villages with marinas and all the modern
conveniences.