Deep Cove: Quarry Rock & Doughnuts

Seventy-five free oceanfront acres at Steveston's tip, aimed directly at the best sunset in Richmond.

A 40-minute ferry hop to The Beachcombers harbour and a bohemian beach pier with a hand-painted mandala.

Pan for actual gold at the Parks Canada fort where BC was born, then browse Glover Road's antique shops until dinner.

Buy a $2 bag of seed, and within minutes black-capped chickadees are landing directly on your hand. Yes, really.

Twenty minutes on the BC Ferry from Horseshoe Bay, and suddenly you've left the city entirely, which is the whole idea.

Paddle a glacial fjord from a sheltered postcard village and earn a legendary Honey Doughnut on the way back.

The glacier-fed lake so clear you'll forget there's a Costco 40 minutes away, paddle included.

Over 350 Victorian buildings, a 1924 lakeshore streetcar, and the filming location of Roxanne: Nelson earns the seven-hour drive.

A hot semi-desert valley with a still-working 1877 grist mill, roadside peach stands, and an alpine park of six turquoise lakes.

Grab rentals on Denman, go counter-clockwise, and let 9 km of Coal Harbour yachts and Lions Gate Bridge views do the romantic heavy lifting.

Wade waist-deep through a natural 150-foot cave at 42°C above Kootenay Lake, and give yourself a reason to drive to the Kootenays.

A 25 km river loop around all of Port Coquitlam, almost zero hills, salmon in the water and absolutely no pressure to finish it.

A coal town that swapped mining for singletrack, then added a heritage hostel and a brewery to handle the aftermath.

Six flat kilometres along Burrard Inlet to a sandy beach at Old Orchard Park. Most first-timers never make it.