SPECIAL INFORMATION FEATURE

By tobias c. vanVeen
SPECIAL TO THE PROVINCE
Our mission was simple:
pack as much into 48 hours
in Squamish as possible.
After a sprightly drive up
Highway 99 our frst stop
was Britannia Mining Mu-
seumin Britannia, where we
climbed aboard a mine train
and chugged into the moun-
tain just like miners did in
1914. Back outside we tried
our luck at panning for gold
and marvelled at the cathe-
dral-like industrial interior
of the ore processing mill.
Next we stop at the mag-
nifcent Shannon Falls,
third highest waterfall in
the province with a 335 me-
tre splash from the top. You
cant quite get behind it, but
the base of the falls, a short
walk from the lot, provides
a misty glimpse of rainfor-
est beauty.
From the falls my partner
and I followed the hiking
trail up the Stawamus Chief,
arriving at the granite sum-
mit to marvel at the views
of the peaks across Howe
Sound, the ocean and wa-
terfalls, and the burgeoning
town of Squamish far below.
Now with post-hike re-
laxation top of mind, we
headed down to our cozy
freplace-equipped studio
at the Executive Suites Re-
sort for a luxurious bath.
Though Garibaldi Park and
its alpine campgrounds are
but a short drive north, our
two day stint in Squamish
was to be an embedded
affair.
Knowing that Craft beer
has exploded in BC, and
the Howe Sound Brew-
ing Company has made a
name for themselves with
their belligerent and hoppy
IPAs, Potfller and oatmeal
stouts, amber ales and sum-
mer white Hefeweizens. We
head for their magnifcent
wood bar, to wash down
dinner with a taste tester
session of the latest small-
run batches.
Day two. Morning. We
devour omelettes at the Ex-
ecutive Suites Living Room
Restaurant. After three cups
of coffee its time to go
frst stop is the Saturday
morning Farmers Market
to stockpile jams, cheeses,
and organic produce, be-
fore heading for an aerial
tour with Sea to Sky Air.
Once airborne we circle and
swoop over local peaks in
a four seat Cessna, taking
in views of the mysterious
Tantalus Range and Garib-
aldi backcountry. Far below
we see the Sea to Sky Gon-
dola climbing its way up
Mount Habrich.
Safely back on the
ground, we skip the 99 and
take the return drive along
Government Road, paral-
lel the river, where winter
brings thousands of Bald
Eagles and note that we
must visit the West Coast
Railway Heritage Park on
our next trip.
We come back to a warm
afternoon in downtown
Squamish, bustling with ba-
by-carriages and local kids,
packed with specialty shops
catering to outdoor pursuits
as well as galleries of fne
arts and crafts. We grab a
last latt at the locals fa-
vourite The Ledge Cafe, and
we head to the oceanfront
to catch the aerial antics of
kite-boarders harnessing
the afternoon wind blowing
up the Sound. Then, we sigh
and pronounce ourselves
well rested, ready to head
home and we had only
ventured a short jaunt up
the road.
Check out tourismsqua-
mish.com for more infor-
mation.
tourismsquamish.com
JUNE
7-14 Day out with Thomas
13-15 Test of Metal XC Bike Race
JULY
6 Squamish Triathlon
16-20 Squamish Mountain Festival
19 Squamish Wind Festival
31 Squamish Days
AUGUST
1-4 Squamish Days
8-10 Squamish Valley Music Festival
SQUAMISH
Festivals & Events
SQUAMISH:FUELEDBYNATURE
TRIPADVISOR
Underground tour
& train
New exhibits
Childrens play area
Open 7 days a week.
BritanniaMineMuseum.ca
Celebrating
110 Years of Discoveries!
48SpectacularHours
PHOTO COURTESY TOURISM SQUAMISH
VAN01172520_1_1
A22
THEPROVINCE.COM TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2014