Venture off the Beaten Path: British Columbia

The drive from Seattle to Vancouver, British Columbia, is under 3 hours, a fact not lost on Seattle-based artist Mimi Kvinge. Despite its being in her “backyard,” she’s never really explored the Sea-to-Sky corridor (Vancouver and nearby Whistler). On this trip she finally gets to, as she teams up with Whistler-based mountain biker and photographer Mason Mashon, who shows her things she never expected.

The two start off with a helicopter tour over scenic Vancouver and the coastal mountains, a perspective that showcases the vast wilderness in a way you can’t get on the ground. But going on-the-ground is just as important for soaking in local life and culture, and there’s no better way than by bicycle, as the two explore Vancouver’s famous seawall and beyond.

The trip from Vancouver to Whistler along the Sea-to-Sky Highway is among the best coastal drives in the world. Mimi and Mason enjoy expansive views over the Pacific as they wind their way farther into the mountains. Once in Whistler, they’re ready to explore world-class hiking and mountain biking, and each take the opportunity to express themselves as they know best—Mimi by painting a river scene, Mason by hitting the bike trails.

But backyard wilderness isn’t the only impressive part of Vancouver and Whistler; the region’s art and architecture are pulsing with modern creativity and the lively heritage of First Nations peoples. Mimi ends her trip wishing she could “start this whole thing from the beginning,” and in an area as beautifully diverse as BC, who wouldn’t want that?