Tag: Walks

In the Parksville–Qualicum Beach Discovery Guide that you can pick up around the area – but definitely at the tourist info office on Highway 19A on the way into Parksville — there’s a mention of Notch Hill. It is short and reads, “A short hike to the top of the Notch Hill will reward you with view of Mount Arrowsmith, Nanoose Harbour and south to Nanaimo. This area contains a rare Garry Oak meadow and Arbutus forest ecosystem. The lookout is a great spot for a picnic lunch in nature.” This appealed to use because, with the pandemic, many places […]

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Many years ago, we bought a book called 109 Walks. It’s one of those books you pull off the shelve every now and then to be ambitious when you are a city slug in a pandemic wanting to feel less locked in. The walking team picked Four Lakes Trail at Alice Lake Provincial Park. They set out from Vancouver and took the Upper Levels Highway (99) and drove about 12 km past Squamish to Alice Lake Road. At the Park it turned out the parking closer to the HQ was full, but there were lots right near Alice Lake itself […]

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One of the more popular easy trails with stunning views is Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver. When I asked Google Maps for a driving route, it suggested taking the Upper Levels Highway, which is a horrible route for a tourist. If you are coming from Vancouver stay on Marine Drive and head west. This will take you through the Ambleside and Dundarave sections of West Van, but then lead you to twisty roads with wonderful views. Be careful because the locals like to take these fast. It’s a left turn onto Beacon Lane where you can head down to the […]

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There’s a really long walk you can take from Vancouver‘s Canada Place, which will take your around Stanley Park. It’s an easy walk, in that it’s flat and well kept. But it’s long. It’s also much longer if you are a nincompoop. Never change your orthotics into newer shoes before embarking; it will feel like you just put the orthotics in for the first time. However, let’s not focus on the pain; let’s focus on the scenery. When you start from Canada Place it’s a more industrial place. Seaplanes, ships, cafés and so forth. The good news is that there […]

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A lot of people drive along Marine Drive in West Vancouver. They are heading to shop or heading towards 15th Street to access the Upper Levels Highway. But there’s something else you really ought to take a half-hour or so to do. If you want a coffee, you can hit the Starbucks at 17th Street and Marine Drive. There is 2 hour free parking on Marine Drive, which is handy. Then as you exit Starbucks, head right, and right again (south) on 17th Street. Go to and cross Bellevue Ave. You then get to walk over the BC Rail tracks […]

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If you talk to people living in the Lower Mainland — what we call Vancouver and its adjoining cities — they will often say “I always wanted to go to Capilano Suspension Bridge.” This historic North Vancouver tourist site is worth the visit, but in my opinion should be followed up with a local walk to see similar terrain outside a contained park environment. The reason for my first visit ever, despite being a 25 year veteran of Vancouver, was a school grad trip that I was helping to organize. For such an event, Capilano Suspension Bridge Park actually works […]

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Sonja of Harrison Heritage House & Cottages has five suggestions for your trip to Harrison Hot Springs. Check out the brand new ‘life size’ Sasquatch carving at the front entrance to Harrison Hot Springs. Check out Harrisons Festival of the Arts every July. Ten nights of music on the beach, concerts, art markets, literary cafes, art exhibits and workshops. Our lake is stocked with prehistoric sturgeon. The quest for the Sasquatch happens right here in Sasquatch Country! Harrison Hot Springs is a hot bed of Sasquatch sightings! Spirit Trail is a 1 km loop through an old cedar forest. Looking […]

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Here are our 5 Best kept Secrets in Harrison Hot Springs: Spirit Trail is a 1 km loop through an old cedar forest. Looking down from their perch high on the tree trunks are several dozen incredible hand crafted masks. It gives the walk a spiritual feel which is how it came by its name. From 4 seater “Limos” to Model-T 2 seaters Jamies Quadricycle offers wheel fun! ‘Saturday Nights under the Lights’ is found at Agassiz Speedway. 1/2 km from Harrison this is the home of stock car racing in the Fraser Valley. Take a dip in our perennial […]

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If you are in Sooke and only have time for one scenic walk, visit Whiffin Spit Park. To find Whiffin Spit, you must head down Whiffen Spit Road, which heads south of the main road (Highway 14). Follow the signs to Whiffin Spit or Sooke Harbour House, both of which are found at the end of Whiffin Spit Road. There is a small parking lot that I imagine during high season is hard to find space in. You may need to find street parking and walk in. According to the signs, Whiffin Spit is named for a clerk on the […]

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I suggest visiting this park on a cold wet day in March when the kids are out of school because you’ll have the whole place to yourself. If you are like me, you think of potholes as something in the road that you don’t want to drive over. In the case of Sooke, this city’s potholes are geological formations that make deep pools in the Sooke River’s rock that offer excellent freshwater swimming, or when it’s really cold and wet, some of the best waterscapes around. To reach Sooke Potholes Regional Park, you head north from Highway 14 east of […]

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