Our Anniversary Trip To Squamish, B.C.
For some the traditional five-year wedding anniversary gift of wood means a wood item. I took it a little more literal than some might, but we're not very typical.
Some of our trips are out of the blue; some are planned out methodically; some are in between. At the beginning of 2016 we had mentioned possibly going on our first trip to Europe for our anniversary, but fast forward 7 and a half months in a whirlwind of a year, our anniversary was here and we didn't have anything planned. No worries though, we live in the Pacific Northwest and there is never a shortage of spur of the moment trip ideas. So we set out for the woods of Squamish B.C. (Didn't I tell you we took it really literal?)
From Seattle, it's just a measly 4-hour drive, not bad especially on a beautiful August morning! We took our time stopping at a coffee shop in Vancouver and seeing a few sights like the iconic building of Science World. We saw it from a distance, I had no idea this existed and was amazed that the glass orbs being built in Seattle by Amazon aren't the first of its kind!
With little to no research, no reservations, and some word of mouth ideas, we were ready to explore! The drive getting in is a little wild, but once you eclipse the last hill glory shines upon the glacier blue bay and emerald green mountains and you have made it to Squamish. We only had one day so we had to decide what was most worth our time to see. We stumbled upon the Brittania Mine Museum, dedicated to the biggest copper mine in the British Empire. They had all sorts of things to do and see, the gift shop, exhibits, underground tours, and even gold panning. We took a look around and found it fascinating, but we decided that it wasn't for us on that particular day. (Prices ranging from $18.50-$29.00) From there, we went to stake out our spot out at the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park, it's first come, first serve and is a popular destination for rock climbers, so we were super lucky we found a spot.
When we aren't out exploring we read, the photo above is Jake taking a break from reading to whittle some wood, it was pretty cute.
The Sea to Sky Gondola was the hero to the trip. The pictures speak for themselves, but let me tell you about it! From the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park campground was the basin to the Sea to Sky trail, which is estimated at 3-5 hours and 7.5K one way with a $10 ticket for the gondola down. I overheard other hikers talk about the hike, it's a moderate/advanced hike with ropes to help assist you, which sounds pretty fun but way more intense than I was looking for that day.
The views are fantastic from within the glass-walled cabin. It was a 10 minute ride to 885m above sea level, where you can see hikers below, the surrounding mountains and of course, the sound. Jake is pretty terrified of heights, so this was definitely an adventurous feat for him. At the top, was the lodge where we enjoyed each other’s company with ice cream cones, taking pictures and soaking in the views.The wildest part was crossing the suspension bridge. The bridge is 100 meters long and floating above a gap that's thousands of feet down; it was exhilarating to walk across with gusts of wind knocking us around!
All and all we had an amazing 5 year anniversary and got what we went for: The vast scenery, adventure, peace and quiet, and time with each other. I would highly recommend the trip to Squamish B.C.