(drifty music)
- We took a road trip on the
Sea to Sky Highway in British Columbia,
and these are the top things to see along the way.
We are on a road trip from Vancouver, Canada,
up to Whistler, we've just picked up our rental car
at Enterprise, and away we go.
The sun is shining, it's a beautiful time
to be in British, Columbia.
The first stop after Vancouver
on our Sea to Sky Highway road trip,
is the Britannia Mine, just before you get to Squamish.
This is a great national historic site,
that is privately owned by the way,
and there are so many things to do.
So make sure you stop over here.
There's been like 200 movies and TV productions
that have filmed in here.
You can go panning for gold.
- I found my gold, I'm rich now!
Look, look at that gold!
(bouncy music)
- We're gonna go on the train tour,
taking us deep into the mine.
They have a couple of interactive exhibits,
and they have a spectacular
light and sound show, as well, a multimedia show.
So it's a lot of fun.
Give yourself a couple hours to explore the mine.
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- The Britannia Mine is located right off
the Sea to Sky Highway here, as you can see.
Lots of drivin' and it's located right on Howe Sound.
What a beautiful setting.
(bouncy music)
- And three, two, one!
(blaring)
- I am extremely excited,
because we are going on the Copper Quest.
We're gonna go on a train journey through the mine.
This is my first train mine tour, so woo-hoo.
It's gonna be fun.
All right, we're going into the mine,
and I've selected my hat, a nice yellow one.
Very fashionable, gotta make sure it fits.
(thudding)
I'm ready.
- And we're off!
Into the mine we go!
(bouncy music)
- Very cool.
- Pretty cool, man.
- And three, two, one.
(blaring)
- [Deb] The tour takes you to the center of the mine,
to see how miners worked at the turn of the 20th century.
It was dark, difficult, and deadly work.
- [Guide] Your video camera
is gonna see a lot less in a second.
- [Deb] Alright.
- 'Cause we are gonna turn it off.
So two feet on the ground, please, at all times.
No screaming, and don't panic.
- [Deb] Are you ready, Dave?
- I'm ready.
- [Guide] Okay, don't freak out.
In three, two, one.
(soft music)
- Absolutely fantastic tour here.
Learned a lot about the mining industry,
and, man, I didn't realize so much went into it,
and people really laid their lives on the line
to mine here in the Britannia Mine.
And when you're driving to see the Sky Highway,
don't just drive by.
Drop in here, take a tour,
and check out, you'll learn a ton.
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- We're in Squamish, BC,
and we are about to go on a scenic flight
with Sea to Sky Air,
and I'm looking forward to it.
It's a very moody day, perfect for this time of year.
- Hey!
Gettin' in.
Woo, look at this, this is like luxury.
- [Deb] Sea to Sky Air runs flights year round,
and we took a tour to explore
the back country of Squamish and Howe Sound.
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Since we were in a floatplane,
we had the unique opportunity
to land on the water and take a closer look.
We're going in for a landing.
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- Can you push to the right?
Let's see what happens.
- [Deb] Oh, Dave's gonna drive?
Are you driving, Dave?
- Whoa, look at that.
I'm driving here!
- [Pilot] Let's go to the left a little bit here.
- Off to the left?
- [Pilot] Why don't you spin us all the way around,
and we'll go face that away.
- All right, look at this.
I'm drivin' the plane.
- [Deb] Keep your eyes on the road.
(laughing)
(soft music)
Exploring Howe Sound by floatplane
was definitely one of the most
unique experiences we've ever had.
Landing on the water and driving around
while searching for whales,
is something we'll never forget.
(soft music)
- Well, that was incredible.
What a beautiful flight over Howe Sound.
Thanks a lot, Dave, I really appreciate it.
- You're very welcome.
Thanks for comin' out, Dave.
- Thank you,
make sure you come and check out Sea to Sky Air,
here in Squamish, it's pretty awesome.
Think you guys are open all year round?
- Yeah, year round.
We might close for Christmas Day,
but otherwise we'll be open year round.
You can check out SeatoSkyAir.ca and book online.
Give us a call.
- Awesome.
Definitely do it 'cause this was awesome.
(bouncy music)
Train Wreck Trail, here we come.
- So this train derailment
is really worth hiking out to.
It's only about 10 or 15 minutes to get out here,
and you cross the suspension bridge,
which is really pretty.
And then you got all of these old train ruins from the '50s.
There's a huge derailment,
and at the time, it was only way
to get out here to Whistler,
so it was a pretty big deal.
And, you know, it's all covered in graffiti now,
so it's a lot of fun to just explore
and check out these trains.
And come out early,
'cause the trail gets busy.
We came out at sunrise,
and people are already starting to join us.
(soft music)
- This is a pretty cool place to come see.
But I think this also a mountain bike trail.
You got like, think that one comes off the top,
and landing here, and off you go.
Pretty crazy.
- [Deb] Whoa.
- Pretty cool, right?
- And that was the Train Wreck Trail.
(upbeat music)
There are five waterfalls to see
along the Sea to Sky Highway,
and they are a great way to get out of the car,
and view the incredible scenery of the BC Coast.
- Don't forget to look both ways, it's a railway crossing.
(upbeat music)
- We're at Shannon Falls.
It's the most popular waterfall on the Sea to Sky Highway.
It's only a 10 minute walk from the parking lot,
so make sure you come out and see it.
It's very impressive.
And make sure you keep on walking
to look out 180 meters farther along the path
for a beautiful view up the valley.
(upbeat music)
We are at Shannon Falls,
which is the third highest waterfall
here in British, Columbia,
and is a very impressive stop on the Sea to Sky Highway.
(intense upbeat music)
Oh, I really love our cabin in the woods
here at Sunwolf Lodge.
There's a river down here
where the bald eagles come in November,
and they had as much as 1,400 last year.
So it's the place to be for November, December.
I think even through January and February as well,
because of the salmon run.
The lodge itself, it has a wood stove.
We sleep in the loft, it's very homey.
And then you can go right across to Fergie's
for some dinner and lunch.
(upbeat music)
The final stop of our Sea to Sky road trip is Whistler,
and there is so much to do here.
You need to spend at least a week.
- Well a great compliment to a road trip
on the Sea to Sky Highway here,
is to come to the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre
to get a really feel for what the culture
was like here ages ago.
- We're doing the forest walk
at the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre,
here in Whistler,
and it's very serene and peaceful.
It makes you feel like you're really
at one with nature,
and I think it's a really nice addition
to anything that you do when you visit Whistler here.
The Audain Art Museum is a a great compliment
to the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre,
as you can go in and see some first nations artwork.
It's a winter wonderland playground,
so if you're into skiing and snowboarding, come on down.
You can do all kinds of stuff with the Olympic Village,
you can ride the luge and the bobsleigh.
You can go up to Olympic Park and see the ski jumps,
you can go on a bear safari.
In the summer there's hiking and mountain biking.
There's so much to do,
and the village is amazing.
There's incredible places to eat,
like 21 Steps and Bearfoot Bistro, and Araxi.
And hey, the night life's fantastic.
There's always something going on in Whistler.
Home to the 2010 Olympics.
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We're at the Whistler Photo Safari here,
and we're at the top of the ski jumps.
We're in the Olympic Park.
And at this time of year,
they're the only people that are allowed inside the park,
and we are now going over to look over the ski jump.
Very cool.
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Our road trip ended in Whistler,
but it's only a 90 minute drive back to Vancouver.
So once you are done on the Sea to Sky Highway,
make sure to take a couple of days
to explore this very outdoorsy, West Coast city.
When you come to Vancouver,
you have to make sure you come over to Stanley Park,
and go for a walk along the Seawall.
You can rent a bike,
and it's a great way to just get some fresh air,
and people watch and see the skyline.
Behind me is the marina, and we're at the Rowing Club.
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There are so many things to do in Stanley Park,
that you could spend an entire day here.
This is one of the most visited aquariums in the world,
and it's in the center of Stanley Park.
Another popular spot is the
Stanley Park Totem Poles at Brockton.
The totem poles display the indigenous culture
of British Columbia, which is very prevalent
along the Sea to Sky Highway.
So it makes for a great compliment to your road trip.
- It's Robbie Burns in Stanley Park!
(soft music)
- When you visit Vancouver,
you have to come to Granville Island.
Granville Island is an artist district
filled with eateries, boutiques,
artist studios, and even a brewery.
It's a great place for shopping in the public market,
and to spend a bit of time strolling the waterfront.
If you find yourself on the West Coast,
make sure you drive to see all these sites.
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