Diverse and Beautiful Pacific Northwest

Enjoy the best of the Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is diverse and incredibly beautiful, with amazing mountain ranges, a gorgeous coastline, extensive forests, and fun and unique cities. Here’s a look at a few of them.

Fall leaves at Stanley Park.

Vancouver

A bicycle ride around Stanley Park is a great way to enjoy Vancouver, British Columbia. The roughly 5½-mile ride will take you past totem poles and the Lions Gate Bridge, with great views of the city, mountains and ocean. The pitch and putt golf course in Stanley Park features glorious, ancient redwoods and borders lovely rhododendron gardens. There is a small admission fee, with discounts for seniors and children. Another great way to enjoy the park is an Indigenous experience with Talaysay Tours, where you’ll learn how Indigenous people lived in the region for centuries.

The Capilano Suspension Bridge in the northern part of the city is a bouncy, 450-foot-long suspension bridge that hangs high over a beautiful valley. It costs as much as CAD $78 for adults, with discounts for seniors, students and kids.

Travel east for about 6 miles to Lynn Canyon, a municipal park with a smaller suspension bridge that goes over a series of pools. Better still, it’s free!

Whistler
Golf is a big part of the sports scene in Whistler, British Columbia, with several beautiful courses that snake their way around pine-covered hills. The Fairmont Chateau Whistler course was designed by renowned golf architect Robert Trent Jones Jr., while Nicklaus North was created by golf legend Jack Nicklaus.

Alternatively, the gondola ride to the top of either Whistler or Blackcomb Mountain offers splendid views and miles of hiking trails set against sweet-smelling evergreens. A ride on the Peak 2 Peak Gondola, which takes you across a deep, wide valley between Blackcomb and Whistler mountains, is a treat any time of year. The gondola cars have 360-degree views, and one even has a glass floor.

Try chartering or renting a sailboat (or taking sailing lessons) on Alta Lake. Or, for a change of pace, enjoy Whistler Village’s excellent boutiques and fine restaurants with outdoor patios.

The Washington Park Arboretum in fall.

Seattle
A stroll along the Seattle waterfront is a fun way to spend time in the Emerald City. Be sure to include a visit to the historic Pike Place Market. Established in 1907, the market features spectacular shopping and restaurants, with some 500 stores offering everything from spices and flowers to wine and amazing seafood. Some of the merchants still engage in regular fish-tossing shows for tourists.

The Washington Park Arboretum shows off stunning plants and trees. The Japanese Garden within the park is stunningly beautiful. Waterfall Garden Park is a mini-park in the historic Pioneer Square area of town.

Snoqualmie falls during fall.

You’ll find more than 125 wineries in Woodinville, roughly 22 miles from downtown Seattle. Chateau Ste. Michelle operates a pretty wine estate with tastings, tours and summer concerts.

The Kirkland waterfront, almost 12 miles from downtown Seattle, has lovely parks on Lake Washington. It is also close to galleries, restaurants and shops. The 5.75-mile Cross Kirkland Corridor has a crushed gravel trail that’s great for walking or cycling.

Snow covered trees in Whistler, Canada.

Champagne Powder
Summer is great in the Pacific Northwest, but if you’re a skier, winter is where it’s at. Whistler, British Columbia, is home to two magnificent ski areas; Whistler and Blackcomb have runs for every level of snow sport enthusiast. Grouse Mountain, just minutes from downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, also has great skiing. The Summit at Snoqualmie in Western Washington offers great skiing (and night skiing), and it’s only 50 miles from downtown Seattle.
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About the Author: Jim Byers is a travel writer based in Toronto. He was formerly travel editor at the Toronto Star. His wanderlust is insatiable.