6 destinations to take a look at on a beachy street trip to British Columbia

Aptly named Boundary Bay hugs the curious corner of our location exactly where Washington and British Columbia meet up with and mingle. There are border crossings on both of those finishes of this saltwater haven, the place shallow depths and extensive tidal swings make warm waters that catch the attention of beachcombers and birders alike. Listed here are 6 factors of desire to examine on foot, bicycle, motor vehicle or kayak.

Peace Arch Historical State Park and Provincial Park

Once you’ve dealt with border-crossing rigmarole, pull over as a substitute of rushing off. This exceptional binational park makes it possible for visitors to freely cross the border as they admire the monuments and plaques commemorating U.S.-Canada relations — as extended as they return to whichever facet they started out in. The Peace Arch by itself missed out on its centennial celebration in 2021 because of to pandemic border closures, but the stately construction in Blaine, which is surrounded by formal gardens, is worth pondering at any time. 

File away these tidbits for your upcoming Cascadia trivia night: 

• What does the Peace Arch commemorate? (Respond to: The signing of the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812.) 
• What two vessels are depicted on the Peace Arch? (Remedy: The Mayflower and the S.S. Beaver.)

123 2nd St., Blaine parks.wa.gov/562/Peace-Arch or bcparks.ca/peace-arch-park

1001 Steps

Escape the crowds in White Rock as you duck as a result of a household community of dear waterfront authentic estate and down the exaggeratedly-named 1001 Measures. I lost the precise rely but the zigzagging staircase is extra like 200-and-some methods. A path parallels the railroad tracks, then a tunnel takes you beneath them and out on to a quieter stretch of seashore together Boundary Bay.

12500 Block of 15A Ave., Surrey, B.C. surrey.ca/parks-recreation/parks/1001-steps

Crescent Beach

A smaller seaside vacation resort flourished at Crescent Seaside, just north of the White Rock seaside resort town, with its very own cluster of cottages, eateries and sandy respites. Get to the seaside at Blackie Spit Park, a birding place in fall and spring where you can also lease kayaks and stand-up paddleboards (CA$40-$50 for just one hour).

3136 McBride Ave., Surrey, B.C. crescentbeachpaddleshack.com

Boundary Bay Dyke Path

The northern reaches of Boundary Bay are a wildlife refuge residence to Canada’s most cherished chook sanctuary where by on a yearly basis far more than 1.5 million chicken species hailing from 20 nations take gain of this halt alongside the Pacific Flyway. Conveniently, the dyke that retains the bay from inundating farmers’ fields doubles as a multiuse gravel path so you can experience parallel to this pristine stretch of shoreline. The path operates about 12 miles every way, with trailheads at Mud Bay Park and Centennial Beach. Enjoy out for tractors — farm tools has appropriate of way on the path in this energetic agricultural zone.

13030 48 Ave., Surrey, B.C. surrey.ca/parks-recreation/parks/mud-bay-park

Centennial Seashore and Mystery Yard

Of all the sites to dip your toes in the h2o together Boundary Bay, Centennial Seaside in Boundary Bay Regional Park took my best prize. Only Tacoma’s Owen Seashore can match the sharp architecture and clear, properly-managed facilities at this Metro Vancouver park. 

The playground, built with resources raised by the neighborhood Lions Club chapter, previously wins the household-helpful award. The enormous tangle of slides, rope climbs, swings and a zip line involves attributes like wheelchair-friendly ramps and a Braille finding out location, earning it the region’s initially accessible design and style playground. It’s just techniques from a generous expanse of sandy seaside at significant tide — and more shoreline than you can conceivably examine during small tide — as perfectly as a cafe, loos and altering amenities. 

The park has a number of miles of trail for some leg stretching, and a 10-moment wander out of the park will direct you to the Magic formula Back garden of Boundary Bay, an easement among two housing developments that a retired roofer has lovingly turned into a horticultural gem of vibrant bouquets, quirky sculptures and an amazing monkey puzzle tree.

300 Boundary Bay Rd, Delta, B.C. delta.ca/parks-recreation/parks-trails/park-and-amenity-search/boundary-bay-regional-park
399 67A St., Delta, B.C. sunnytsawwassen.ca/magic formula-backyard garden

Position Roberts

Geography nerds need to bounce at a possibility to check out this Washington exclave, a tiny peninsula reduce off from the rest of the Evergreen Condition by a surveying error. It turns out, there was land south of the 49th parallel (the agreed-on boundary between the U.S. and Canada) that didn’t hook up to the relaxation of the continental U.S. There is a entire-fledged border crossing in this article, and when you are via it, the landscape shifts from suburban Vancouver — Tim Horton’s and all — to rural Whatcom County. 

On a holiday getaway weekend, I noticed a trio of locals using around the sleepy streets of this 4.9-square-mile headland on a motorized sofa. Amongst Position Roberts’ other quirks, fuel is bought in U.S. dollars for each liter and firms abide by Canadian holiday schedules. 

Convey your binoculars to Lighthouse Marine Park for land-dependent whale-seeing, then retreat to nearby watering gap Kiniski’s Reef Tavern, a family members-pleasant dive bar that is owned by a previous skilled wrestler and has sights out to the Ga Strait.

811 Marine Drive, Point Roberts, Whatcom County whatcomcounty.us/3539/Lighthouse-Maritime-Park
1334 Gulf Road, Position Roberts, Whatcom County kiniskisreef.com

A prior edition of this story misspelled the identify of Kiniski’s Reef Tavern.