On the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler and Pemberton

For the first time the sun was coming out this morning. It totally changes the perception of Vancouver. The day started with observing Harbor Air; a local airline with Float Planes doing scenic flights. Their terminal (yes, they do have a departure lounge) is right next to our hotel. From our room we can see the planes leaving and returning thru-out the day. Its amazing to see the amount of activity, there are around 10 planes and all they do is 20-30 min rides around Vancouver. Big Business I guess... 20 min is $99 a person.


We then tried to leave the downtown area via car, which is quite an undertaking due to the morning rush hour. Lions Bridge has three lanes and in the morning there is just one to leave the city, which results in a big traffic jam. Eventually we got on Highway 99, also known as the Sea to Sky Highway, the Squamish Highway and/or Whistler Highway. It leads us from Vancouver via Squamish to Whistler and Pemberton; initially along the Howe Sound and then further on into the Canadian Rockies. It basically takes you from sea level to 2400 m and beyond.

The drive along Howe Sound is breathtaking. The sea has an almost turquoise color at times. There is a constant breeze as the air heats up during the day, which makes Howe Sound a preferred windsurfing area. The combination of water, rocks, clouds and the sun is what British Columbia is about.

During our trip we stopped by Porteau Cove as well as several waterfalls (Nairns, and more I cant remember the name). Whistler and Pemberton are typical Ski Resorts with huge hotels and all infrastructure to support the winter fun.