Vancouver beaches
We just enjoyed our Canada Day celebration, so I thought I would paint a picture of how Canadians make the most of these extra days off. Most of us who come to Canada have a vision of our lives in Canada that includes enjoying the great outdoors, and you’ll be glad to know that you are not alone – Canadians love getting out and enjoying the beauty around us.
Here in Vancouver we have a lot of choices. A lot of people head over to the Island – by which we mean Vancouver Island. The ferries get very busy. I saw the Horseshoe Bay ferry line-up backed up all the way to the next junction on the highway. If you were to drive past this line-up you would get a snapshot of just how people are planning to enjoy their time off. There are trucks pulling boats, kayaks and canoes, and cars with bikes on the back. There are even cyclists, riding down to the ferries. And of course the RV’s are out in force at this time of the year.
These guys are headed out to the Island, or perhaps one of the many smaller islands between the mainland and Vancouver Island. They may have their own cottage, which seems to be every Canadians dream, or be renting one. Many people also like to go camping.
Camp sites vary from the roughing it in the woods variety. Here the appeal is being the outdoorsman, making a campfire, cooking your freshly caught fish and sitting by the fire, listening to it crackle and burn as you enjoy the conversation, and the view of the stars overhead.
Other campsites are more luxurious. You can hitch up your RV and enjoy all the comforts of home but still be out in the country. You still have the pleasures of the BBQ, with a campfire too if you like, and the same night sky to enjoy but with rather more people around.
Vancouverites also head into the interior. You don’t need to go all the way to the Okanangan either. You can enjoy camping by the lake in places like Cultus Lake – no more than an hour or two from your home. So if you didn’t make a reservation on the ferry (which is highly recommended for any holiday weekend) then the interior is the way to go.
Of course you could stay in town as many people do. In Vancouver you can still enjoy going to the beach. Head down to Spanish Banks with your picnic stuff and make a day of it. You can still BBQ too! When we go down to the beaches there’s always a lot of families, with their picnic or BBQ set out. You can see kids on skim boards enjoying the water. The more adventurous might be kite surfing.
Further out you can see the white sails from the kids at sail camp, going back and forth across the Burrard Inlet. Kayakers paddle past with gentle splashing sounds as they make their way along the coastline.
So, as you can see, an extra day or two at the weekend gives you the perfect choice to get out there and enjoy the weather in whatever way you most enjoy. And for many of us it is a chance to find new pleasures that we couldn’t even have imagined before we got to this beautiful place.
