I have been sitting, waiting,wishing for summer to come. Unfortunately It is hard to believe that it is already here with the bi-polar weather in Vancouver. If anything it has forced me to seize the nice days for adventures and reserve the rainy days for the activities that I can easily enjoy all-year-round. British Columbia is so beautiful and yet I have just begun exploring all it has to offer. Each year I add more and more things on to my to do list in B.C.
Get Out on the Open Water
In the Okanagan boating is something that you do after work in the summer. In Vancouver, it is less of a common occurrence. I have been on large scale boats, but it definitely it not the same as cruising in a speedboat. When I spotted the BBQ boat, it made the top of my list. It looks like a floated orange doughnut, fits eight people and has a BBQ in the middle. It is the ultimate dining experience for summertime.
Heading to a Rooftop Pool
I have heard that you can lounge at Fairmont’s roof top pool if you purchase drinks from the bar. Naturally this is at the top of my list. Roof top pool and bevies are ingredients for the perfect relaxing afternoon.
Take a dip in Keyhole Hot-springs
Although this is more of a spring or fall activity, I still have yet to check them out and have heard nothing but amazing things. The road is pretty rocky and the hike is said to be a little bit intense, but it seems like the perfect activity for one of the colder summer days.
Surfing in Tofino
Tofino is consistently voted one of the most beautiful places in B.C. so it is a shame that in all my years of living in Vancouver I have still never been. This summer (or fall cause the waves are better), I have to make my way over to Tofino.
Exploring Salt Spring Island
Salt Spring is the perfect spot for a low key weekend getaway. It is a quaint town, that is very community based. Majority of the people living there have farms of some sort and are living off the land.
Whale Watching on the Sunshine Coast
I don’t like the idea of going out on a boat specifically to hunt down whales, but I like the idea of being out in nature and happening to stumble upon them. My neighbors recommended a trip around the Sunshine Coast and assured me that there will definitely be at least one whale spotting.
Hiking Joffre Lake
Although I have heard Joffre is not nearly as breathtaking as Garibaldi, I still would like to see it for myself. I can’t believe I have gone to Garbaldi on numerous occasions and I have not visited Joffre once! They are similar in the sense that they are both glacier lakes with clear blue water, which means the water is usually freezing! It is ideal to check it out on a hot summer day. Hopefully we will get one of those on day soon in Vancouver.
Tackling Wedgemont Lake
Part of Garibaldi Provincial Park, this is supposed to be quite the hike. The trail is rated very difficult and because of the altitude it still remains cold in the summer. I would love to spend the night here, but lugging all my gear around is quite an undertaking.
Floating the River of Golden Dreams
This lazy river float is the lower mainland equivalent of the Penticton Channel. I have pushed this back every summer, however I have decided 2016 is my year!
Try Downhill or Cross Country Biking
Being outside is usually the highlight of my day and while I love hiking, it would be nice to get into something a little more fast paced. Every time I go to Whistler in the summer, I try to convince whomever I am with to try mountain biking with me. I have yet to weasel someone into it, but I am still going to put it as one of my items to accomplish this summer.
I live for the summer and being outside, so I want to make the most of it. I would love to hear about your favourite spots in B.C. I will do a re-cap of all my experiences once the summer is over and let you know what I thought was most worthwhile. Hopefully I will have uncovered quite a few new sites to add to my list for next year. Here’s to suntans and living easy!
