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10 Best Bets for
Touring the Breathtakingly Beautiful Sunshine Coast of British Columbia,
Canada
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If You Go
Links to the 10 BEST BETS
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Still to Come... Wiley Petersen, Riding for Christ
Via Rail and Tourism Trains
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Tourism Contacts and Sample Itinerary For an overview of arranging your independent back-packing excursion through the wilderness rainforests of Victoria Island Backpack Victoria Island
Wilderness areas Other outdoor activities
Looking for more tourism info on the small towns? The following small towns are all featured on the Sunshine Coast Tourism website. Langdale to Egmont featuring Gibsons,
Sechelt and Gambier Island, Keats Island, Gibsons, Roberts Creek, Sechelt, Halfmoon Bay, Thormanby Island, Secret Cove, Pender Harbour, Ruby Lake, Egmont, Earl's Cove, Nelson Island The Upper Sunshine Coast:
SAMPLE ITINERARY for ONE WEEK ON THE
SUNSHINE COAST
Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Sample Itinerary
Vancouver, Coast and Mountains
ARRIVAL DATE Arrive for overnight in Vancouver or a nearby suburb. We suggest staying in Steveston before starting BC Coast tour. Day 1 Pick up your rental car for your cruise up the BC coast. You should have a confirmation # for your pickup. You will love the fact that Budget will pick you up upon arrival and deliver you to to the airport or train depot upon deliver of your vehicle FREE of charge.. $50 charge if you deliver to a different outlet than where you picked the vehicle up.
Budget Rent-A-Car 4:00pm Depart Vancouver for Horseshoe Bay to take the ferry to the Sunshine Coast. Directions to Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal: Drive West on Georgia Street, through Stanley Park. Cross the Lions Gate Bridge and follow Highway 1 (Upper Levels Highway) to Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal. Total estimated driving time from downtown Vancouver: 40 minutes to TWO HOURS depending on traffic conditions.
6:20pm
(CHECK ACTUAL FERRY SCHEDULE FOR YOUR DEPARTURE DATE)
BC Ferries Corporation 7:00pm Arrive in Langdale and drive north to Soames Point Bed & Breakfast in Gibsons. Directions: Leaving Langdale Ferry Terminal, turn left at the traffic light. Travel 2km along Marine Drive towards Gibsons. Soames Point B&B is on the water side of the road, 200 metres down the driveway. Driving time: 5 minutes. 7:10pm Arrive at Soames Point Bed & Breakfast in Gibsons for overnight stay. Enjoy being the only guests in the bright, spacious and private 600 square foot oceanfront suite. Your accommodation includes a fireplace for cozy relaxation, panoramic windows for enjoying the stunning ocean view, a kitchenette for those times when you feel like making a snack.
Soames
Point Bed & Breakfast
Dinner suggestions:
Waterfront Restaurant
Waterfront side, 450
Marine Drive
Leo's Tapas & Grill
Day 2 7:30am Enjoy breakfast Soames Point Bed & Breakfast.
10:00am Depart Gibsons for Sechelt.
10:15am Arrive Sechelt and tour the cultural centre of the Sunshine Coast. Sechelt has a strong community of artists, writers and musicians. Suggested day activities: · Tsain-Ko Giftshop & Gallery: Located in the Sechelt Indian Band ‘House of hewhiwus’ Complex at 5555 Hwy #101. The gallery represents Westcoast Native Artists, both local and from other groups throughout British Columbia. · The ‘tems swija’ (Our World) Museum: Learn more about the Arts and Culture of the Aboriginal People of the Westcoast.
11:30am Depart Sechelt for Garden Bay.
Directions: Follow Hwy. 101 north to Garden Bay. Driving time: 30 minutes.
12:00pm Arrive Garden Bay.
Lunch suggestions in Garden Bay:
Garden
Bay Pub &
Restaurant Phone: 604-883-9919
Irvines Landing Marine Pub 4531 Irvines Road Phone: 604-883-1145
6:00pm Depart Garden Bay for Halfmoon Bay.
Directions: Follow Hwy. 101 south to Halfmoon Bay. Wildflowers Bed & Breakfast is on Brooks Road which is marked on the highway with signs for Smugglers Cove Provincial Park. You will see the Wildflowers’ logo on the right approx. ½ mile down Brooks Road. Driving time: 15 minutes.
6:15pm Arrive Halfmoon Bay and check-into Wilderflowers Bed & Breakfast for overnight stay.
Wildflowers Bed & Breakfast was constructed in the spring of 1999 for the sole purpose of providing guests with a romantic, secluded place to spend some time. The B&B consists of two cottages nestled up against a rock bluff several hundred feet from the main dwelling.
Wildflowers Bed & Breakfast 6:50pm Depart Wildflowers Bed & Breakfast for Rockwater Secret Cove Resort. Directions: Drive onto Highway 101, turn north, go through Halfmoon Bay Area and then Secret Cove Resort Area. Approx. 1.5 km past Secret Cove Resort Area, turn left onto the Second Mercer Road. Take the first right onto Ole’s Cove Road and follow signs down to the resort. Driving time: 10 minutes. 7:00pm Arrive Rockwater Secret Cove Resort and enjoy dinner. Rockwater Secret Cove Resort has gained a strong reputation for dining excellence on the Sunshine Coast.
Rockwater Secret Cove Resort Day 3 7:00am Enjoy breakfast Wildflowers Bed & Breakfast. 8:00am Depart Wildflowers Bed & Breakfast for Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park. Directions to Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park: Follow Highway 101 and take Egmont Road. To reach the rapids, you will need to walk an easy 4km trail past Brown Lake. 8:10am Arrive Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park. Enjoy a hike in the Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park. This park was established in 1957. Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park provides trails and viewing areas for visitors who wish to experience the awesome power of incredibly turbulent tidal rapids. On a 3 meter tide, 200 billion gallons of water flow through the narrows connecting Sechelt and Jervis Inlet. The difference in water levels between one side of the rapids and the other sometimes exceeds 2 metres in height. Current speeds can exceed 30km/hr. The rapids are famous for their spectacular whirlpools and whitewater. There are opportunities to view tidal rapids, waterfowl and abundant marine life at various tidal levels. Brown Lake provides further waterfowl viewing opportunities.
9:50am
Depart for Earls Cove Ferry Terminal.
10:00am Arrive Earls Cove Ferry Terminal.
10:20am
(YOU MUST CHECK SCHEDULE FOR YOUR DATE) Ferry schedules vary with
holidays and seasons! Ferry departs Earls Cove for Saltery Bay.
11:10am
Arrive Saltery Bay Ferry Terminal and depart
Saltery Bay for Powell
River. 11:40am Arrive in Powell River and enjoy lunch or enjoy lunch on the ferry.
Lunch suggestions:
Rocky Mountain Pizza & Bakery Co
Ltd.
Powell River Town Centre Hotel 2:00pm Enjoy a walk through Willingdon Beach Municipal Park.
5:30pm Depart
Powell River for Lund. 6:00pm Arrive Lund and check in to The Historic Lund Hotel for overnight stay. Reservations required. The historic fishing village of Lund was founded by the Thulin brothers in 1889. Its Swedish heritage is still visible in the distinctive charm of the Lund Hotel. Known for its abundance of fish, crab, clams and oysters, the tiny township offers sport fishing and sightseeing tours, as well as a boardwalk, craft shops, cafes and restaurants overlooking the harbour. Lund is the gateway to Desolation Sound and the Lund water taxi makes regular trips to the outlying islands.
Lund Hotel 7:00pm Enjoy an evening boat cruise in the Desolation Sound. Day 4 8:00am Enjoy breakfast at the Historic Lund Hotel. There is also a good cafe breakfast served at the Discovery Boat Tour ticket office. 8:50am Depart the Historic Lund Hotel for a boat tour of Desolation Sound with Terracentric Coastal Adventures. 9:00am Arrive Terracentric Coastal Adventures and enjoy a boat tour. Enjoy a 3 hour boat Desolation Sound Discovery boat tour through a stunning scenery, old homesteads and wildlife.
Terracentric Coastal Adventures Ltd.
12:00pm
Depart Terracentric Coastal Adventures for
Powell
River.
12:30pm
Arrive Powell River, visit the Historic Townsite and enjoy lunch.
Lunch suggestions:
Rocky Mountain Pizza & Bakery Co
Ltd.
Powell River Town Centre Hotel 3:20pm Depart Powell River for Saltery Bay. Directions: Follow Hwy. 101 south to Saltery Bay Ferry Terminal. Driving time: 30 minutes. 3:50pm Arrive Saltery Bay. 3:30pm Ferry departs Saltery Bay for Earls Cove. (TIMES ARE NOTED FOR SAMPLE ONLY. YOU MUST CONFIRM YOUR FERRY SCHEDULE) 4:20pm Arrive Earls Cove and depart for West Coast Wilderness Lodge in Egmont. Directions: Follow Hwy. 101 south, turn left when you see a sign for Egmont and follow the Egmont Road for six kilometers until you reach Maple Road. Then turn left and continue approximately 1.5 kilometers to a junction with a large sign for Egmont Marina. On the right you will see a large wooden fence and a sign for West Coast Wilderness Lodge. Driving time: 15 minutes. 4:35pm Arrive West Coast Wilderness Lodge and check in for overnight stay. Escape. Take the time to reconnect with all of your senses while immersed in some of the most breathtaking natural surroundings in the world. Imagine your personal wilderness experience.
West Coast Wilderness Lodge
7:00pm
Enjoy dinner at West Coast Wilderness Lodge.
Day 5 7:00am Enjoy breakfast at West Coast Wilderness Lodge. 8:00am Enjoy a Kayak Tour with West Coast Wilderness Lodge. 11:00am Depart West Coast Wilderness Lodge for Langdale Ferry Terminal. Lunch suggestion:
The Gumboot Café
The Old Boot Eatery
The
Georgia
Strait Café Just that you know, Hwy 101 on the lower coast is popular for the Purple Banner Route, a route along the winding coastline with a multitude of art and cultural talents. There is a high concentration of artists on the Sunshine Coast, and participating artists display purple banners that identify art studios, galleries and artisan workshops that are open for visitors. The Purple Banner Route Map can help you in your routing. Participating purple banner artists offer a perspective that many travellers never see — the unique studios and galleries created by the artists, local scenery through the artists’ eye, or a social commentary that makes one think just a little differently about the world in which we live. These studios and galleries offer works of every discipline — from clay to fibres, watercolour to organic gardens, musical instruments to forged metal bells. These creative elements combined with a rich First Nations heritage, is responsible for numerous country fairs, art and craft events, and widely acclaimed writing and music festivals that draw visitors from all over the world.
2:00pm Arrive Langdale. 2:30pm Ferry departs Langdale for Horseshoe Bay. (SAMPLE TIME ONLY) 3:10pm Ferry arrives Horseshoe Bay. Drive to Sewells Marina for a Sea Safari Tour. Directions: When you get off the ferry take the exit to Horseshoe Bay village. At the water, turn left on to Bay Street. Look for the yellow building right in front of you in the center of the bay, to the right of the big propeller water fountain, home of Sewell's Ocean Adventure Center and The Lookout Coffee Shop. 3:20pm Arrive Sewells Marina in West Vancouver 4:00pm Enjoy Sewells Sea Safari. Grab a seat on their custom-designed, high-speed, 28 ft. rigid hull inflatable, powered by twin Verado Mercury 4 stroke outboard engines. With an experienced guide at the helm, you won't miss a thing on your Guided Group Nature Tour. Their Howe Sound safari takes you on a 2 hour adventure to the spectacular scenery and wildlife which make coastal British Columbia world famous! 6:00pm Depart Sewells Marina to Lonsdale Quay Hotel in North Vancouver. Directions: Drive out Horseshoe Bay village onto the Highway and follow Highway 99 to North Vancouver. Take Lonsdale Exit and follow Lonsdale Avenue to the foot of it where you will find the Lonsdale Quay Hotel. 6:30pm Arrive at Lonsdale Quay Hotel in North Vancouver and check in for overnight stay. Reservations required. This North Vancouver waterfront hotel is unobtrusively knit into the top two floors of the multi-function Lonsdale Quay Market complex, which offers dozens of stores, restaurants, produce stands, and entertainment venues.
Lonsdale Quay Hotel Dinner suggestion in North Vancouver:
Gusto di Quattro Possibly the oldest quality restaurant location in North Vancouver, re-established in the warm room begun by the old Corsi Trattoria. In addition to main menu, periodic set regional specialties. Same management and food style as Quattro on Fourth. There are frequent regional specialty menus, plus a prix fix three course dinner for $25, a chef's "Roman Feast" for two so the choices are considerable. The pastas, of which there are eight at dinner, have been famous since the days of the Trattoria. Not for dinner but a great spot for chocolate:
Cinnamon’s Chocolates Tom Cinnamon has been making chocolates for over three decades: 28 years at Purdy’s and almost six at Cinnamon’s Chocolates where his chocolate-dipped strawberries are so popular there’s an e-mail list for devotees. These days, it’s the martini chocolate collection based on popular cocktails like the cosmopolitan that’s flying out the door, followed by just-introduced gelatos, with six of the 14 mirroring the martini flavours.
Thomas Haas Fine
Chocolates
Day 6 8:00am Enjoy breakfast at Lonsdale Quay Hotel. Return rental vehicle and continue on your route home, or perhaps to the Via Rail train station for your journey to Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff!
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