One Day Vacay

Helloooooo summer! Whether the family budget allows for a holiday this year or not, we Vancouverites can easily get away, thanks to the many staycation destinations nearby. Our savvy pick for day tripping this month, Bowen Island, is a mere two miles off the mainland coast, but is ‘other worldly’ in every respect. Happy Isle, as Bowen Island used to be known, is the perfect place for kids of all ages. It reminds us of the simpler times (which many of us don’t actually recall), when overturning rocks on a sandy beach was the highlight of the day. Don’t expect to see any fast-food chains and supermarkets on the island and, be warned your crackberry connectivity will be intermittent…and nobody there is too fussed about it.
My Bowen Lies Over the Ocean
Getting to Bowen is all part of the fun and adds to the “away-ness” of the day. For mainlanders, there are two popular and quick ways to cross Howe Sound: Queen of the Capilano from Horseshoe Bay terminal or Granville Island Water Taxi. If you and your troops are good bikers (be honest because little Bowen is hilly), by all means leave the car behind. For the rest of us landlubbers, taking the car on the ferry is a Bowen bonus. You’ll certainly need your energy for the fabulous hikes and rides that await you on The Rock.