Aboard BC Ferries' Queen of Capilano
Surrounded on three sides by ocean and spattered like a Jackson Pollock painting with crystalline lakes and historic rivers, Canada’s magnificent landscape is perhaps best viewed from its myriad waterways. Sure, you could take in the iconic wilderness scenery on a luxury cruise through British Columbia’s Inside Passage. But if you’re pressed for time or money, there are plenty of other ways to experience Canada at “see”-level.
Highly recommended day-trips:
- View BC’s dramatic coastline on a 20-minute mini-cruise aboard BC Ferries’ Queen of Capilano, which crosses fjord-like Howe Sound from Horseshoe Bay to picturesque Bowen Island 15 times daily. Or, hop on the new 12-seat Bowen Island Express running several times daily between Granville Island in downtown Vancouver and Snug Cove on Bowen.
- Have your camera at the ready when you make the 15-minute ferry trip across the St. Lawrence River from Levis to Québec City, QC: the looming view of Old Québec, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is particularly dramatic.
- For centuries, visitors have found respite from the urban bustle of Toronto, ON in the lushly wooded Toronto Islands, just a short hop across Lake Ontario from Canada’s largest metropolis. Year-round ferry service departs from the docks at the foot of Bay Street. The return trip offers great photo opps of the city skyline.
- At the historic junction of Manitoba’s mighty Red and Assiniboine Rivers is Winnipeg’s premier tourist attraction, The Forks. From May to September, the River Spirit water bus plies the scenic and tranquil riverfront. Or rent a canoe or paddleboat and explore at your own pace.
Have I missed any? Let me know!
