British Columbia

The Howe sound as seen from the Sea to Sky gondola

June 26th - August 20th, 2022

Our first time exploring in Canada

Our time in British Columbia was spent exploring the cities of Vancouver and Squamish and visiting all the beautiful provincial parks in the surrounding area, such as Golden Ears, Garibaldi, Lynn Canyon and Belcarra Regional Park.

Squamish, located an hour north of Vancouver, is a beautiful glacier carved valley with towering granite walls and beautiful valley floors. It’s quite similar to Yosemite in California, and is even a mecca for climbing just like Yosemite.

Our Airbnb was in Burnaby, BC which was a fifteen minute drive from downtown Vancouver.

We took a ferry over to Vancouver Island and stayed in the city of Tofino where we took a surfing lesson and visited the Pacific Rim National Park.

During our time here, we had Natalie’s parents come visit us as well as our friends Claire and April.

Later on in our travels we’ll also visit the eastern side of BC where Banff National Park is located.

Squamish - Sea to Sky Gondola

Squamish has the incredible Sea to Sky Gondola, which starts at the Howe Sound and climbs up into the mountains, providing sweeping views of the Howe Sound, majestic mountains and coastal forests. Once at the top, there is an awesome suspension bridge that is thousands of feet high with amazing views on all sides.

The Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge.

Natalie and Trevor on the Sea to Sky Gondola

Live candid footage of our reactions going up the Sea to Sky Gondola.

Natalie, Trevor, Claire and April on the Sea to Sky Gondola

We went up the Sea to Sky Gondola with Claire and April when they came to visit.

Brent and Nanci on the Sea to Sky Gondola.

We also went up the Sea to Sky Gondola with Natalie's parents when they came to visit.

Claire, Trevor, Natalie and April on the Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge.

An aerial view of the Howe Sound in Squamish

The view of the Howe Sound on the way up the Sea to Sky Gondola

Natalie and Nanci in line for the Sea to Sky Gondola

Brent and Nanci with the Howe Sound in the background.

The view from the top of the Sea to Sky Gondola.

Squamish - Stawamus Chief Trail

The Stawamus Chief Trail is a classic Squamish hike that takes you to the top of three iconic Squamish peaks. We did this hike when our friends Claire and April came to visit us. We summited to top of the first peak in a dense fog, and then April and Trevor completed the full 4 mile loop that summited the second and third peaks as well.

Rock wall features along the Stawamus Chief trail.

Claire climbing up a ladder on the Stawamus Chief trail

Natalie and Trevor hiking the Stawamus Chief Trail

The fog this day made this hike quite moody

3 people sitting on a rock with fog in the background

Sitting on top of the first peak on the Stawamus Chief Trail

April hiking with thick fog in the background.

Natalie and Trevor sitting down along the Squamish Chief Trail.

April on the top of the Stawamus Chief Trail in thick fog

At the top of the First Peak on the Stawamus Chief trail

Natalie and Claire with thick fog in the background

Natalie and Trevor with thick fog in the background.

A tree and rocks along the Stawamus Chief trail

The wooden stairs along the Stawamus Chief trail

Squamish - Other

Here are some other pictures from our visits to Squamish, including climbing on Squamish's walls, relaxing by the Squamish river, and venturing up to Whistler to explore the Whistler Train Wreck.

We went climbing in Squamish with Claire and April when they visited us.

Natalie belaying April.

Natalie, April and Trevor hiking towards a climbing crag.

Hiking into the climbing crag at Squamish.

Natalie, Trevor, Claire and April at a climbing crag in Squamish

Views of the Howe Sound

Natalie sitting on a tarp with a river in the background

Relaxing by the Squamish River.

Trevor putting his shoes on at the Squamish River

Hanging out at the Squamish River

Natalie and Trevor standing in front of train tracks with mountains in the background

The railroad tracks near the Squamish River at Edgewater Park.

Natalie and Trevor standing on train tracks with mountains in the background.

We went up to Whistler where we went on a hike to an old train wreck site.

Natalie, Trevor and Claire standing on the a train at the Whistler Train Wreck site.

Golden Ears Provincial Park

Golden Ears is a really nice provincial park located an hour from Burnaby that we went to a few times. It has some great water fall hikes and the beautiful Alouette Lake.

Lower Gold Creek Falls in Golden Ears Provincial Park

Natalie and a dog looking at each other.

Natalie made a new friend this day that just adored her.

Alouette Lake in Golden Ears Provincial Park

The dock at Mike Lake in Golden Ears Provincial Park

Vancouver Island

We again ventured over to Vancouver Island two times while we were here, once by ourselves and another time with Natalie's parents when they came to visit. With Natalie's parents we explored Victoria and went on some nearby hikes. When we were by ourselves we went to Tofino, which is one of the best surfing areas in Canada. We also went to Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, which is an amazing park featuring lush green rain forest and beautiful beaches.

The Hole in the Wall hike on Vancouver Island

Natalie, Trevor, Brent and Nanci at a beach

Hanging out on the beach at Creyke Point with Natalie's parents

Natalie hanging out at Creyke Point.

The boat dock at Tofino.

The Canso Plane Crash site on Vancouver Island

We went on an interesting hike on Vancouver Island to a 1945 plane crash site.

The Canso Plan Crash Site

The top of Radar Hill on Vancouver Island

We went on a hike to the top of Radar Hill that gives you good viewpoint on Vancouver Island.

Natalie on the boardwalks on the Rainforest Trail in Pacific Rim.

This hike is called "Rainforest Trail" in the Pacific Rim National Park, which was one of the best rain forest hikes we've ever been on.

Natalie and her family standing in front of the Butchart Gardens sign.

We went to the Butchart Gardens in Victoria with Natalie's parents.

Riding the merry-go-round at the Butchart Gardens.

Garibaldi Lake Provincial Park

Garibaldi is a beautiful park near Squamish which features amazing alpine lakes and majestic mountains. The 12 mile hike to Garibaldi lake is one of the best hikes we did while we were here.

A waterfall feature along the Garibaldi Lake trail.

Looking down from a bridge along the Garibaldi Lake trail.

Garibaldi Lake

The beautiful blue glacier fed water of Garibaldi Lake

Furry trees on the Garibaldi Lake trail

The boardwalk section of the Garbaldi Lake loop.

Deep Cove Kayaking

When Natalie's parents were visiting us we went kayaking in Deep Cove, a really fun place to go kayaking in the Vancouver area.

The beautiful water at Deep Cove

Kayaking at deep cove

Brent and Nanci standing in front of their kayaks at deep cove

Barnet Marine Park, Belcarra Regional Park and Cypress Provincial Park

These are a handful of great regional and provincial parks in the Vancouver area with great hikes and beaches.

A sunset view at Barnet Marine Park

Barnet Marine Park

Natalie and Trevor on the beach at Belcarra Regional Park

Hanging out on the beach at Belcarra Regional Park

The view at the top of the Eagle Bluffs trail at Cypress Provincial Park

Eagle Bluffs at Cypress Provincial Park

Vancouver

Vancouver is an awesome city and we had a lot of fun exploring here.

Our first night in Canada going out to eat.

Nataile at the Stanley Park Rose Garden

Brent, Trevor and Natalie biking at Stanley park

Biking around Stanley Park with Natalie's parents when they came to visit

A fun umbrella art installation near Sunset Beach Park

Fun art installations around Vancouver

Natalie, Trevor, Claire and April at Sunset Beach Park

Hanging out with Claire and April at Sunset Beach Park

Natalie and Claire with the sunset behind them at Sunset Beach Park

Enjoying the sunset at Sunset Beach Park

Cool beach art installations at Sunset Beach Park

Natalie, Trevor and April underneath an overpass

Our next album cover art

Natalie and Trevor looking at a menu at a Chinese restaurant

Hard decisions at the Chinese restaurant

The Vancouver Canadians playing baseball

We went to a professional baseball game while in Vancouver.

Nat standing in front of Nat Bailey stadium

Natalie and Trevor at a baseball stadium.

Cheering on the Vancouver Canadians (yes, that's their real name).

Fireworks after the baseball game at Nat Bailey stadium

Natalie and Trevor and Capilano Suspension bridge

We went to a cool suspension bridge park called Capilano Suspension Bridge

Sky Walks at the Capilano Suspension Bridge park

Natalie and Trevor at Capilano Suspension Bridge park

We did the challenging Grouse Grind in North Vancouver and then rode the gondola back down.

Playing in some pools at Lynn Canyon Park.

Natalie and Trevor with a ferris wheel behind them

We went to Playland on our anniversary, a fun Vancouver amusement park.

Natalie and Trevor standing in front of a haunted house ride.

We're all about the haunted house rides.

We went to a metal bar for dinner on our anniversary because love rocks.

We went to the Richmond Night Market which is a really fun night time market with lots of unique foods.

Fun food at the Richmond Night Market

Tasty foods at the Richmond Night Market

Natalie and Trevor at a roller skating night

Roller skating night at Vancouver's "Rolla Skate Club"

Filming Locations

A lot of film production takes place in Vancouver. A couple of our favorite Netflix series, "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" and "Riverdale" were filmed exclusively here. We researched all the filming locations that we could visit from these shows and set out on a "Sabrina tour day".