Located in this quaint little town: Brackendale, BC its a great stop over when you are on your way…read moreto Whistler, BC. Amazing views along this river with designated parking area to stop & enjoy the natural beauty. The sound of rushing water provides a relaxing break on the highway! If you are lucky eagles will be flying by!!

Shannon Falls was beautiful and the creek had the clearest water. Made me want to have a drink…read more Meandering through a moss covered forest to get to Shannon Falls was just magical for me. I loved every inch of that forest and the lush green moss covering tree trunks and branches. The ferns were so alive and pretty. I could forest bath here all day if I had the time. The sight and sounds of water rushing was so peaceful and tranquil. Could not get enough of this enchanting forest!

This waterfall is about a halfway point from Vancouver to Whistler, and is near the Sea to Sky…read moreGondola. We visited on a Thursday at around 4:30. There were a good amount of people there at that time, but it wasn't packed - we were able to get a parking spot (which is free). The hike to the falls is easy and quick - maybe 10 minutes? All in all, we spent maybe half hour getting there/back, and taking photos. If you live in the area, it seems like a nice park for a picnic since there is a huge open space, and some picnic tables. Nice, quick, scenic stop - the best kind!

The hike to Garibaldi Lake! This was a difficult one for me, maybe one of the tougher ones I've…read moreaccomplished and I'm saying that because I'm not the most patient of hikers. I'm more of a speed hiker that likes to get in and get out! But to access Garibaldi Lake, (the obvious main event to the park), you must take the Rubble Creek Trail. It's an 18 kilometer out and back hike (or as us Americans would say - "roundtrip")...that is a length of 11.5 miles long. And with that 11.5 miles, the path is all uphill! Everything about it is uphill until you eventually arrive at...Garibaldi Lake! So...for the folks out there who maybe don't hike often, I'd just suggest preparing for the long haul. The hike will be strenuous, but pace yourself, take breaks when necessary and before long...the reward will be worth the grind! And then, you'll be coming back for more! Another thing, I'm always motivated to capture undisturbed pictures in nature. And it's this inspiration that I use to discover what's out there. I want to reflect back on the experience and know I afforded myself ample time during the day to accomplish the sights and sceneries that make for memorable stories. Lol, it's this type of internal mentality that pushes me to strive for greater heights, so to speak, hehehe. Okay so this Rubble Creek Trail to Garibaldi Lake! You must make a reservation 2 days in advance prior to visiting. Just go to bcparks.ca and sign up for a pass. I also used this website for accessing Joffre Lakes Provincial Park situated in Mount Currie, BC. And btw, this Garibaldi Lake is located just north of Whistler, BC. One side note...the parks, lakes and hikes here in Lower British Columbia are simply fantastic! There's a laundry list of things to do. And especially when you speak to locals and they recommend hidden, under the radar places that the public eye doesn't know much about. I thought the Canadian Rockies in Alberta were stunning, but British Columbia nature is really, really scenic! Before arriving at Garibaldi Lake, I suggest taking a short side trek to Barrier Viewpoint for some quick panoramic looks. Also, along the trail you'll pass over a short bridge looking up at a waterfall. It's worthy of a photo. Finally arriving at Garibaldi Lake, at first it may not be so picturesque (even when the sun is out!) but give it a chance. Walk around and explore and you'll find colorful instances where you'll connect with those green and turquoise blue waters. Especially when you're looking back towards the entrance area of the lake, the return hike back down had some of my most fulfilling pictures of the day. It's weird, it's like the angle of the sun can play tricks on you. Be patient and hopefully magical moments will evolve! I tried to walk around the perimeter of Garibaldi Lake, but that wasn't possible. So...I had to relax a little and take my foot off the gas pedal, lol. In fact, some of my best views were simply looking out at the snowcapped mountain peaks. There's a glacier set in the distance as well. A lot of visitors brought their bathing suits with them. And although the lake is glacially fed and freezing, people were still swimming! I even joined in on the fun and took my clothes down to my underwear and hopped in the waters, lol. Granted, it was only briefly, but still, I wanted to leave no stone unturned while here! I'd also point out that since the lake is not navigable 360 degrees around, it sort of took the pressure off me to find the best picture angles. Instead, I really tried to embrace the setting and live in the moment! There's camping allowed here, but again you must make reservations for it. Btw, it's free to book your entry pass to the lake. Parking is free too. One last thing, remember...when you head back towards the entrance of Garibaldi Lake, you'll be pleasantly surprised with the lake colors illuminating from the tree line pathway. I left the lake around 3pm and suddenly, light greens and blues were evident! There are vault toilets at the lake. Interestingly, they ask you to bring your own toilet paper. Never seen that before. Overall, Garibaldi Lake was a wonderful way to enjoy a summer day in the great outdoors. I can't believe I hiked 18 kilometers. And the path through the forest makes for a quiet atmosphere in the woods. I would still rank Joffre Lakes as my favorite BC landmark, but this Garibaldi Lake has its value and major popularity among hikers. Thank you for taking time to read this.

All I have to say is be prepared.. As this is about an 18km hike, I recommend leaving early in the…read moremorning and staying over night in Whistler so you don't feel rushed. This time around when we went, due to the pandemic, we had to book a time slot the day of as they were limiting the amount of hikers. Driving there isn't the problem nor is the parking, it's the length of time but the reward at the end is worth it. I recommend bringing a small bag for liquids, snacks, bug spray, hat and towel as you could swim there but keep in mind you can't throw away your garbage at the site due to bears even though there's a camp site there. The hike isn't super steep and you won't have to climb anything (at least I didn't), you just have to be ready to walk a lot. The path is well marked so you can't get lost. I would say the average round trip if you aren't including staying at the destination to eat and take photos is roughly 4-5 hours round trip at a steady pace. Hike's are always calming and it helps clear your mind from stress and clutter. This is probably one of the best local hikes I've done so far and I would definitely recommend it to anything looking for a challenge and beautiful view. And if you want to be more adventurous, you can also extend your trip to panoramic ridge and black tusk!

I love hiking and have done a lot of hiking over the past couple of years (I started a hiking group…read moretwo years ago), improving my stamina and fitness level. I have been able to do increasingly harder hikes, although my level is solidly intermediate -- I can't do hikes that are 20km, 10 hours, extreme elevation, really rough terrain, etc. The Stawamus Chief, known as "The Chief", is a popular hike that is on many people's bucket list. I was never particularly interested in The Chief, as the description seemed too difficult and being in Squamish, it was not possible to get there as a non-driver. However, this summer, some friends who I met through my hiking group wanted to try The Chief. We went on a Wednesday, in order to avoid the weekend crowd. Seven of us went, and none of us being morning people, we arrived around 11:30am, which is considered late for hardcore hikers. Fortunately, we were able to find a parking spot, although there were very few available at that time. The Chief consists of three peaks, and we only did the first one, which was more than enough. We went quite slowly, taking breaks as needed, and excluding about an hour at the top, taking in the view and having lunch, it took us about 4.5 hours to complete (2.5 hours to the top, 2 hours back down). While I was obviously able to complete The Chief, I didn't particularly enjoy the hike (although I really liked the company and hanging out with my friends), and I have no desire to do it again -- I've done it once, I don't have anything to prove, and there are so many other hikes to do. The trail for the first peak, while relatively short (under 4km there and back) is quite steep, and there are a lot of stairs. The problem is that I am short, and the steps were quite high, so I was extra slow as it took me longer to step up or down each stair, and by the end of the hike, I was exhausted (as were my friends). I had heard that there were chains and a ladder on the rock face that you needed to scramble up in order to get to the top, and this is why I had no desire to try The Chief. While challenging, the chains and ladder weren't so bad, and easier than I had expected. But the scramble up the rock face after the chains and ladder was horrible. I hated the scramble up the rock face, and I was actually pretty terrified -- I almost fell backwards to my death, as with Tunnel Bluffs. Thankfully my friends helped me. In my opinion, there should have been some chains to hold on to. Anyway, I made it up without dying, but I am never doing that again. At the top we could see the second peak, and to me, it looked like a pure scramble up rock face, the part I hated about our hike. I'm definitely never going to attempt the other peaks. We spend about an hour at the top, having lunch and hanging out. There was a cute chipmunk who ate the trail mix that I "accidentally" dropped, and we saw a Peregrine falcon and a raven flying around for over five minutes -- it looked like the falcon was chasing the raven. Overall a great day with my friends, but I did not enjoy The Chief and have no desire to ever do it again. [Yelp collections: Hiking]

I had never been to Stawamus Chief before but I was super excited for it. I had heard that it was a…read morerather difficult hike (which it is) but it's totally doable! We had someone with us who had never done a hike before and she made it to the top so it's doable. Having said that, we only did peak 1 because it was raining that day and we didn't want to risk anything. Peak 1 have lots of rocks and the elevation gain is pretty big. It took us 4.5 hours in total for the hike but if you are someone who is a hiker, it's possible to do it in 3 hrs. I will say that if you decide to do this hike on a rainy day, be prepared to have proper shoes because it does get slippery! Regardless I would say having proper shoes for this hike is important. The top of the hike is mostly climbing with ropes and on flat elevated rocks so it's good to have shoes with good grip. The view from up there is definitely worth it though!

Polar Express - this was very very expensive for what it inevitably turned out to be. We paid…read morealmost $300 for 5 silver tickets, about the same as the Harry Potter experience! Now I don't know if it's very expensive to run the train back and forth along maybe a 1km span slowly for an hr or what. The kids got confused and I genuinely thought they'd forgotten someone and had to go back to the station until it continued past and went back and forth in an industrial area and past the same houses and condos numerous times. I really expected we'd go to another destination one way for 20-30 mins for a drop off somewhere magical and come back an hr or so later. Even if that wasn't the case, just go in one direction for 20 mins, then come back, make the trip worthwhile! The train itself is nice, interesting to see the Rocky mountaineer up close. Christmas decor was very minimal, a string of lights on each end and the pre packaged cookie came in the last 10 mins of the "journey". The cast of characters that came through was fun for the kids. No Santa on our train. And Christmas music made it festive. The museum that serves as the "North Pole" was decked out nicely for what it was and I appreciate the effort from what I can assume was mostly volunteer run and put together. It did remind me very much of what they would do at a place like the Roundhouse community center though... Had I known how it would be for the price we paid, I think we would have allocated that hefty sum to another set of activities around Vancouver. Even my 7 year old was saying 'look we're just back at the same station, we didn't go anywhere!'. I'm sure on a regular museum day it's a nice place. But seriously, for the amount of money we were charged, quite disappointed overall. Been there, done that. It was a decent experience for the children overall but there's so many other things that kind of $$ could be spent on. Know what you're buying and maybe you won't have the expectations we did.

Came here pre-Covid days...since one of my friends loves trains and train museums. Did some…read moreresearch prior and thought this would be a cool place for the group to visit. It only took us about 45-60 minutes to go through the site...There are several trains that you can go inside and take a walk through. Nice education of trains back in the days... Well maintained Tip: For discounts, look for deals on Groupon or the like...we got a groupon that saved us $. Feel free to donate for the upkeep of the railway park when you are there.

What a fantastic hike! It is decently signed although we did get lost at one point. But that…read morecould've just been us. The trees and moss are beautiful. We hiked up to the Lookout point and the view was stunning. Worth the uphill hike. It is rocky terrain and lots of stairs so if you were not good with those things I would not suggest this hike. I would highly suggest some snacks to sit at the top of lookout and enjoy while you look at the stunning view.

Murrin Park is a rock climber's paradise. The large collection of granite crags provides numerous…read moreclimbing opportunities for all skill levels.  During peak hours, finding parking will test your patience. Many tourists, families, and climbers crowd the park. We just took a quick, flat walk around Browning Lake. Other things to do at Murrin Park: - Swim in the lake - Picnic by the lake - Hike the Murrin Park Loop Trail - Go fishing Murrin Provincial Park was a quick stop along our Sea to Sky Highway road trip. The park was not our kind of paradise. (Part 3)

The boardwalk boasts an impressive backdrop of the Howe Sound, snow-capped mountains, and clear…read moreblue sky. This is the most southerly fjord in North America. With the parking lot being near the highway and free, many visitors (both people and dogs) stroll the area.  Watch out for the webby tents of caterpillars in the trees. They're a bit unsightly. Other things to do at Porteau Cove: - Scuba dive among shipwrecks, artificial reefs, sunken sculptures, and diverse marine life - Explore tide pools - Camp along the waterfront Porteau Cove was a picturesque stop along our Sea to Sky Highway road trip. I wish I could come back here to watch sunset or the stars at night. (Part 2)

This place has been my escape and sanctuary for a few years now. Whenever I need to escape the city…read moreI usually drive up here. I have also used this place many times to capture pictures. I find this location great for night photography. Stars, Moon, Milky way and have even been able to capture Northern Lights. Not the best Northern Lights but considering it is close to home a score. Worth checking out.

We stopped here cause we wanted to see beautiful views of mountains and water and this area did not…read moredisappoint. It's really not much of a beach, but the views are absolutely spectacular. It's located behind a bunch of houses, but in such a beautiful area. If you want a little stop off and to see spectacular views, this is definitely the place to come.

I discovered Furry Creek Beach and Lookout through Google Maps while driving Sea to Sky Highway…read more It's located 20 kilometers south of Squamish, BC and 48 kilometers north of Vancouver. The beach and lookout are situated in the back section of the Furry Creek Golf and Country Club. Basically, this residential community is the host for visitors and tourists to leisurely walk the shores and take in the surroundings. To come here would definitely be getting away from the crowds of the popular attractions in the area. As I entered the community, the entrance sign stated that there's a golf course, restaurant and ALL OUTSIDE VISITORS ARE WELCOME! So, although I was feeling a little unsettled that I was entering what appeared to be a private community...the entrance sign reassured me to come in and start exploring. And btw, it's free to do this. I did park on a side street though I believe I would have been better served leaving my car at the clubhouse lot so as to not look like an intruder. Regardless...I did walk through someone's backyard (which felt a little uncomfortable, lol) and then the scenery opened up. I wasn't expecting this but there were undisturbed views of the Howe Sound waters along with the hazy looking mountains set in the distance...and this for being around 5pm in late September. Because of the sun's strong appearance for the afternoon time, I'd suggest coming here in the morning, but this is just my opinion. While here...all you have to do is walk the paved pathway at your own pace and enjoy the setting. Depending on which way you go, you will have residential homes to one side of you, but still...the atmosphere was pleasant and you don't have to work hard to capture worthwhile photographs. You can venture off the walkway and reach the waters if you care to do so. Though, I didn't see anyone swimming. There was an inlet section where a few boats had lowered their anchors. And it was at this inlet area that (from my pov) featured the biggest highlight of Furry Creek Beach...and that being the observation platform. You can sit down here at a few of the benches and soak up the surroundings. There's a flagpole raised with the Canadian flag waving from above. Also, there's a small island centered in the middle of Howe Sound that acts as the focal point to the lookout experience. I'd suggest grabbing a picture with the island, Canadian flag, Howe Sound and mountains within one photogenic moment. At the very least, take 15 minutes to appreciate the scenery. In total, I walked 1 mile of the pathway before returning towards my car. Finally, although there is so much to see and do along Sea to Sky Highway going from Vancouver to Squamish to Whistler...if you feel like getting away from the popular attractions and crowds of the area, then I'd recommend stopping for a little bit here at Furry Creek Beach and Lookout.