February 17, 2020, was the Family Day holiday, and we planned a road trip for the long weekend with Ira, Veena and Abhishek. The plan was to explore some attractions along Sea to Sky Highway, then drive to Lillooet, and head back to Vancouver via Hope.
Just a few days before our trip, hotel/Airbnb availability for the long weekend was minimal. We had to push our trip to Saturday morning as we couldn’t find a suitable accommodation in Squamish for Friday night.
Day 1: Vancouver – Squamish
On February 15, we left home around 8 am and our first stop was Shannon Falls Provincial Park. With a 335 m drop, Shannon Falls is the third tallest waterfall in British Columbia.
Shannon Falls Provincial Park
After a short hike, we were at the waterfall viewpoint. In winter, the water level is relatively low, but the waterfall is still scenic. Shannon Falls provincial park offers some excellent rock climbing opportunities and, if we are lucky with a cold winter, some ice climbing as well.
Next, we were thinking of taking the Sea to Sky Gondola, but it was drizzling, and the weather forecast was not great for the rest of the day. So, we decided to check out the Britannia Mine Museum.
Britannia Mine Museum
Britannia Mine operated from 1904 to 1974 and, at some point, was the biggest copper mine in the British Empire. On my climbing trips, every time I have driven by this museum, I had wondered about its underground tour.
We purchased tickets for the underground tour and its new attraction, Boom! We still had 15 minutes before the next tour started. So, we watched a short movie about the mine and then explored some exhibits in the visitor center.
Underground Tour of the Mine
The tour started with a quick safety orientation and trivia on minerals. Soon, we put on our hard hats, and hopped on the mine train to go into the tunnel.
Inside the tunnel, our tour guide took us to different areas to explain mining operations and how it evolved over the years. She also demonstrated a drilling and mucking equipment.
Few moments of absolute darkness, followed by a demonstration with gas lamplight, just gave us a glimpse of what it was like to be a miner in the early 20th century. Over the years, the miners dug 210 km of tunnels in the mountains.
The guide also explained the environmental impact of mining operations. The environmental standards back in the day didn’t address water pollution, and it got worse after the mine closed. Thankfully, a remediation program began in 2002, and currently, the water treatment plant removes 600-700 kg of metal sludge every day.
Our tour guide was excellent, and in our 30-minute tour, she did a great job of sharing the history and significance of mine, while engaging kids and adults. She concluded the tour with some thoughtful questions about our ever-growing demand for commodities, and at the same time, our desire to have access to a healthy environment.
BOOM! – The Newest Attraction
Next up was Boom! We made our way to Mill No. 3 for what the museum describes as a “multi-sensory, live-action” attraction.
As soon as I entered the mill, I was amazed by its 20-storey structure and giant machines at different levels. On the left-hand side was a multi-level seating arrangement. It was cold inside the mill, and it was very thoughtful of the museum to provide blankets for each visitor.
The lights dimmed, and the show began. A big rusty block turned and presented the other side, a huge screen. For the next fifteen minutes, an actor on this screen would walk us through the entire operation of the mine. The narration, along with all the sound and other special effects, was entertaining and informative.
We also learned about the history of the community and their lifestyle. It was sobering to hear the impact of mine closure on this community.
Boom! was my favourite activity at this museum. For the kids, it was panning for gold and gemstones. The kids moved through different stations and built their precious metal collection. The museum provides a handy guide for determining what each gemstone might be.
It was past noon, and we were all hungry. We drove to Squamish and had lunch at ‘Saha Eatery’ – a Middle Eastern restaurant. It’s a beautiful restaurant with a great selection of food. We tried some of the appetizers, bowls and wraps, and they were good.
Right outside the restaurant is the colourful and spectacular ‘Squamish Wings’ mural created by Liesel.
Murrin Provincial Park
We still had some time before checking in to the hotel, so we went to Murrin Provincial Park. A short walk from the parking lot took us to the Browning Lake.
After a quick stop at the lake we continued on the Murrin Loop Trail.
Murrin Loop Trail is a short two km trail but is rated intermediate because it is steep. I was trying to get my one-hour aerobic workout from the hike, so I extended the hike to include Jurassic Ridge. Quercus viewpoint offers a scenic view of Howe Sound, but I had limited visibility due to bad weather. It was still beautiful!
I probably missed a sign and ended up taking a longer route back to the parking lot. It was almost dark. We got back in our car, drove back to Squamish and checked in to the hotel.
Ninja Gym
After an hour, we were back in the lobby. Abhishek had read about a Ninja Gym in Squamish, and the kids wanted to give it a try. It was a short drive to the gym, and after we filled out the waiver form, kids were all set to be ninjas.
For the next one hour, Ira and Kavya tackled obstacles, ran up walls, balanced on a slackline and tried everything accessible to them in the gym. They had a great time at the gym and all the activity built up a good appetite. We were all ready for dinner.
We drove back to the hotel and walked to the ‘Essence of India’ restaurant. I have been to this restaurant several times now and is one of my favourite restaurants in Squamish. It didn’t disappoint.
Day 2: Squamish – Whistler – Lillooet
Back in 2014, when I was first visiting Vancouver, I spent a weekend in Squamish. Stawamus Chief was my first hike in BC and have done this several times since I moved to Canada in 2016.
Stawamus Chief Hike
The next day, I started my hike at 6:40 am. The temperature was around 3 C, and fortunately, it was not raining. After a short walk on the wide trail, I hiked up the stairs along Oleson Creek.
I planned to go to Peak 1, so I kept left at all the three marked junctions (Sea to Sky Gondola, Third Peak, Second Peak). After I climbed up a short ladder, the trail got interesting as the rock was slippery from the previous day’s rain. Further ahead, I pulled on chains, went up another ladder and slowly scrambled up the slick rock.
After an hour on the trail, I was probably 20-30 m short of Peak 1. It was too slippery, and I decided to turn around. The visibility was limited, but it was still beautiful.
On my hike down, I saw a few other hikers coming up. I was back at the parking lot by 8:50 am.
I drove back to the hotel for a quick bath and breakfast. Today, we would continue driving north on Highway 99 to Lillooet and would make a few stops along the way.
Brackendale
Our first stop was at Brackendale. It is a small community just north of Squamish and is a popular destination in winter to watch Bald Eagles. We parked at the Fishermans Park and walked to the beach area of the Squamish River.
Right across the river, we saw a bald eagle on a tree. It was peaceful at the beach, and just got better with some hot chocolate for kids and chai for adults.
After an hour at the beach, we got back on the road. I was quite excited about going to Alexander Falls. About the same time last year, on my way back from a climbing trip, I had made a quick stop and had seen the waterfall from a viewing platform. It was completely frozen and stunning.
Snowshoeing at Alexander Falls
Alexander Falls is part of the Callaghan Country Touring Center and we had to pay a daily activity fee for snowshoeing. We put on our snowshoes and made our way to the trailhead. Ira, Veena and Abhishek were trying snowshoeing for the first time. Instead of taking the steeper Express trail, we took the longer route down to the falls.
The trail down to the falls is marked well except for one location. After 30 minutes, we came across a junction and kept right, assuming both paths would merge further ahead. But that was not the case, so we got back to the intersection and took the other trail.
Further ahead, we saw more people and knew we were on the right track. Kavya was tired by now. But, I kept her going with my “almost there…you are doing so good” talk. Finally, after an hour and ten minutes, we were at the base of the falls.
We were there for 10-15 minutes, just admiring the winter wonderland. The hike turned out to be longer and better than what I expected.
It took us around 45 minutes to get back to the parking lot. Abhishek mentioned that they got lost at the junction as well and decided to turn around as it was getting late.
Whistler Olympic Plaza
For lunch, we went to Whistler. Ira wanted to skate at the outdoor ice rink at Olympic Plaza. Kavya doesn’t skate but wanted to give it a try. The rink was busy, and none of the skate trainers were available. After waiting for few minutes, Ira found one and helped Kavya move on ice.
While Abhishek was watching the kids, the rest of us went to the Pizza place in Olympic Plaza for lunch. Kavya was already tired after two hours of snowshoeing, and even though she wanted to skate, she didn’t have the strength to learn something new. Eventually she got cranky, and joined us for lunch.
As I mentioned in my last post, my daughter loves pies from Peaked Pies. So, I went and got some pastries for the group. Ira and Abhishek joined us later. After a good lunch, we were back on the road.
We had initially planned to do the short hike to the first lake at Joffre Lakes Provincial Park. But since it was getting late, we skipped it. Here is my favourite picture from our trip last year –
Lillooet
We arrived at our Airbnb in Lillooet late in the evening. It was spacious with three bedrooms and a big kitchen/living area. First, we had some chai and then ate the delicious methi parathas (Indian fenugreek flatbread) that Veena had packed for the group.
Everyone was tired and hit the bed soon after dinner. Abhishek and I, on the other hand, had to settle the “diversification” (as it relates to investments) debate. By midnight, we realized that we agreed more than we disagreed and called it a night.
Day 3: Lillooet – Hope – Vancouver
The next day, I had a late start. Abhishek, however, was busy capturing the morning beauty of Lillooet.
After a leisurely breakfast, we were back on the road by 10:30 am. On our way back to Vancouver, we took the BC-12/Highway 1 route. We made a few stops along the way to take in more of this rugged country.
We stopped at Boston Bar to refuel and went to the gas station to pick up some snacks. This gas station had a unique collection of frames and wall art. We had recently moved to a new place, so we picked up a couple of items.
Blue Moose Cafe – Hope
Our next stop was Hope, BC and we went to ‘Blue Moose Cafe’ for lunch. After waiting for a few minutes, we scored a table for six.
Soon, we had an assortment of soup, waffles, panini, quesadilla, coffee and a few pastries at our table. Veena loved the chocolate almond croissant, and by the time she went to order another one, they were gone.
There is a nice park right across the street from the cafe. It was cold and windy, but it didn’t matter, the kids had a great time playing in the park.
Late in the afternoon, I popped back into the cafe to get my coffee for the drive back home. The traffic was not too bad, and we reached home around 4:30 pm.
In three days, we had driven 600+ km, did some beautiful hikes, got a glimpse of beautiful British Columbia, enjoyed great food and had a fantastic time with friends.
I will leave you with my favourite video of British Columbia.
Travel Tips:
Local Tourism websites that can help you plan your trip –
Explore Squamish | Tourism Whistler | Lillooet Tourism
Check out BC Parks for trail maps and current conditions.
If you are travelling in winter, check road conditions on Drive BC. You can read about winter tires requirement here.
Britannia Museum – history and more information on environmental impact and cleanup.
Lonely Planet book for British Columbia and Canadian Rockies.
Disclosure: I am not affiliated with any of the above organizations.
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Raja tumba chanda madi baredidi
Yella photos olledu unto
Chennagide Raja
Thank you Amma