SOUTHWESTERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 296

From the terminal at Saltery Bay, Highway 101 continues 35 kilometers (22 miles) to
Powell River. From here you can return along the same route or loop back on Vancouver
Island via the Powell River-Comox ferry (adult $14.20, child $7.10, vehicle $45).
MM GIBSONS
A delightful hillside community of 4,200 at the mouth of Howe Sound, Gibsons offers re-
creation galore. The town has two sections: the original 100-year-old fishing village around
the harbor, and a commercial corridor along the highway. Around the harbor, Gower Point
Road is a charming strip of seafaring businesses, antique dealers, arty shops, and cafés (this
was the setting for the popular 1970s TV series The Beachcombers ). Down on the harbor
itself is a marina and the pleasant Gibsons Seawalk, a 10-minute, scenic meander (lighted
at night).
Sunshine Coast Museum (716 Winn Rd., 604/886-8232, 10:30am-4:30pm Tues.-Sat.,
donation) features intriguing pioneer and Coast Salish displays and holds what must be
one of the largest seashell collections on the planet (some 25,000). In summer locals
participate in a couple of salmon derbies and revel at the late July Sea Cavalcade
( www.seacavalcade.ca ), which features a swimming race from nearby Keats Island to Gib-
sons, a pancake breakfast, a canoe race, a parade, and fireworks.
On the main road, Cedars Inn (895 Gibsons Way, 604/886-3008 or 888/774-7044,
www.thecedarsinn.com , $105 s, $115 d) features a heated outdoor pool, a sauna, a small
exercise room, and spa services.
Gibsons has a surprisingly good selection of cafes and restaurants, most in the original
part of town on a high point of land directly above the marina. For top-notch coffee, I
recommend heading straight to Black Bean Roasting (467 Marine Dr., 604/886-1716,
7:30am-5pm Mon.-Fri., 8am-5pm Sat.-Sun., lunches $7-12), where beans are roasted in-
house and food such as the turkey, brie, and cranberry panini is a cut above other places
in town. For home-style cooking at reasonable prices, head to Molly's Reach (647 School
Rd., 604/886-9710, 8am-9pm daily, $9-19), which was a major part of the Beachcombers
TV show. Cooked breakfasts average $12, while lunch and dinner mains include fish tacos,
chili, and halibut and chips. The food offered at the Waterfront Restaurant (442 Marine
Dr., 604/886-2831, 8am-8pm daily, $15-20), a bright dining room overlooking the marina
just up from Molly's Reach, is fairly standard, but prices are reasonable and the menu offers
something for everyone.