Reifel Bird Sanctuary on Westham Island

Ninety minutes east, a mineral-fed pool town where the lake is sandy, the mountains are misty, and your shoulders finally drop.

Granite railway tunnels over a turquoise gorge, 80-plus chainsaw carvings, and a 90-minute drive most people waste by not stopping.

A 20-minute ferry from Horseshoe Bay, a wood-stove cottage, and the moment the last ferry leaves and Snug Cove is entirely yours.

A 3.8-km granite-bluff hike, followed by the doughnuts Kate Winslet name-dropped at a film festival.

Whistler's cooler, cheaper neighbour sits 45 minutes up the Sea-to-Sky with a gondola, a giant rock, and brewery rewards at every trailhead.

A historic fishing village where you can buy salmon off the actual boat, then eat it on the boardwalk ten steps later.

Cross the Duffey Lake Road and land in BC's best-kept secret: a sun-baked canyon, a milky-turquoise lake, and actual gold-rush history.

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

Forty-plus boutique Okanagan wineries on a 16-km lakeside road, best done by e-bike so nobody has to drive.

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.

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

Check the tide table first: walk the rocky causeway out to Whyte Islet, and leave before the ocean takes it back.

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