Photo: Fancy a post-dinner dip in the Harrison Hot Springs Public Pool? Source: Eve Lurie via Tumblr.
As we start the second week of January and we get back into our normal work and school routines, we wanted to highlight five recreational activities which you can easily pursue on a weekday eveninge in Vancouver, Coast & Mountains.
1. Swimming in Harrison Hot Springs
If you’re looking for the ultimate way to sooth the old bones after work, go for a dip in the mineral rich Harrison Hot Springs. While you may wish to live it up luxuriously at the beautiful pools in the Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa, many locals and day-trippers simply go to the Harrison Hot Springs Public Pool for a simple soak in their namesake hot springs. The public pool is located in the heart of the village and it’s open Sunday through Thursday from 9am until 8pm, and until 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays. That’s plenty of time for a dip, even if you have to drive a bit further to get there. After all, when was the last time you went for a post-dinner swim in a hot springs?
2. Five Pin Bowling in Chilliwack
Did you know that five pin bowling is a distinctly Canadian phenomenon? I didn’t realize until recently that the bowling style of my childhood was virtually non-existent outside of Canada or that it’s as unique to the Canadian identity as Tim Horton’s, Nanaimo bars or poutine. I digress. If you find yourself in the Fraser Valley and you’re craving a little five pin bowling fun, head to downtown Chilliwack’s Chillibowl Lanes. They have 24 lanes which are open late every day of the week (the earliest they close is 10pm and the latest is 11:30pm), so it’s perfect for a post-dinner activity when you’re restless and aren’t sure what to do. But they’re also locally-owned and operated and they have a licenced restaurant. What more could you ask for?
3. Night Skiing on the North Shore
Ever wanted to pursue the Vancouver cliche of golfing, sailing, and skiing all in the same day? If you’re up for the challenge, the best strategy is to do the sailing and golfing by day and then take advantage of the three night skiing options on the North Shore by evening. Right now Cypress Mountain (aka: “Cypress Bowl”), Grouse Mountain, and Mount Seymour are open daily until 10pm, weather-dependent, of course. But that certainly gives you enough time to easily fit in several runs after dinner, school, or work. And while you’re on the North Shore, you can treat yourself to an après-ski dessert of Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt at Park Royal Mall – a much-hyped frozen yogurt franchise which opened their first Canadian location in West Vancouver this past summer. Think of it as a reward for achieving your magnificent feat in one day. Pinkberry’s conveniently open late on weekdays, staying open until 10pm on weekday evenings, and until 11pm on Fridays nights. You might have to cut your skiing short to make it there on time… but it might be worth it!
4. Snowmobiling on Blackcomb
Unlike the North Shore, Whistler does not offer night skiing. So what do the ski bums do by evening when they’re not partying it up like rock stars? It’s a good question. We were curious ourselves, so we did a bit of research and discovered that Whistler is actually home to some serious snowmobiling excursions! If you’re seeking snowmobiling close to Vancouver, this is definitely the spot. Now if you’ve never actually ridden on a snowmobile before (and believe me, you’re not alone!), Canadian Snowmobile Adventures offers a variety of guided tours on Blackcomb Mountain where you can explore the alpine setting on snowmobile under the moonlight. From the 2.5 hour “Night Rider” tour to their four hour tour complete with fondue, après-ski in Whistler may take on a whole new meaning after you put snowmobiles into the equation!
5. Ice Skating in Powell River
A good chunk of the Sunshine Coast’s recreational activities are best experienced by daylight (sailing, skiing, kayaking, hiking, fishing, etc.) so we were eager to uncover some activities you could pursue on the Sunshine Coast in the evening and in the winter. Well, we found just the place in Powell River: the Powell River Recreation Complex. We were excited to learn that they host a variety of evening ice skating sessions which are open to the public. If you find yourself on the Upper Sunshine Coast and you want to enjoy ice skating with the whole family, drop by on Tuesdays from 6:30pm until 8pm as that’s when they host their weekly family skate. There’s also their “Friday Night Out” on (you guessed it!) Friday evenings from 7:30pm until 9pm where everybody is welcome. And for the hockey loving families, the Powell River Recreation Complex hosts a weekly “Parent and Child Hockey” hour which starts at 6:15pm on Fridays. Be sure to look up with the schedule ahead of time just to double check.
I can’t imagine a family paying mega bucks on ferry fares, food and gas to go to Powell River just to ice skate at an arena? Why don’t they include the Dakota Ridge recreational ski area near Sechelt on their way. Seems like nonesense. See my youtube video about it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwwBYDBIcEo
Comment by Duane Burnett — January 10, 2012 @ 11:13 pm
Hi Duane,
You’re right – nobody’s going to pay mega bucks to travel from afar to Powell River just to use the ice arena. That’s not what I’m suggesting, nor is that really the point of this blog post.
My goal with this particular blog post is to give people a sense of what you could do in Metro Vancouver *or* the Fraser Valley *or* the Sea to Sky region *or* the Sunshine Coast on a weekday evening. And I limited the list to five activities for that whole region.
Sometimes the activities are going to be geared toward the locals or the people who are already in the area (ie: the ice arena, bowling in Chilliwack), and other times the activities will be worthy destinations all on their own (ie: the North Shore for night skiing, etc).
I purposely left out Dakota Ridge in this post because next week I’m planning to write a post entirely about 5 snowshoeing destinations in the region, and Dakota Ridge is reserved for that.
I even wrote a disclaimer above that most of the recreational activities that you find on the Sunshine Coast – the kind of activities that draw people out to the Sunshine Coast from afar – are usually done in the daylight hours. And unless you want to hang out at coffee shops or pubs, the Sunshine Coast’s offerings diminish by evening. So I thought ice skating in Powell River was a pretty good suggestion for something you could possibly do if you found yourself there looking for something to do by evening.
Of course, I’m always open to suggestions for other ideas and I’m always seeking insider tips. I know you’re perhaps the biggest Sunshine Coast maven there is when it comes to things to see and do, so if you have any suggestions, I’m all ears!
Comment by Robyn — January 11, 2012 @ 11:13 am
I just did night skiing for the first time last night at Cypress it was awesome. And I didn’t know Harrison had a public hot spring. Thanks Robyn! Cheers, Ben
Comment by Ben — January 18, 2012 @ 3:57 pm
Isn’t night skiing amazing? That’s how I first learned how to ski… on Cypress in the dark during my high school ski club. I remember the view from the run called Panorama – incredible!
Re: Harrison Hot Springs public pool – I had no idea it existed either. Nice to know there are several options. Must be a popular place today!
Comment by Robyn — January 18, 2012 @ 4:37 pm
Golfing, skiing and sailing all in the same day is awesome fun! But the best strategy to go golfing early in the morning (go to a pitch and putt course or a 9-hole executive course to keep it short and sweet), then go skiing until about 3:30 in the afternoon, and follow up with the sailing in the late afternoon/early evening. We once tried the golfing and sailing first, but ended up too knackered to fully enjoy the skiing (sailing is relaxing enough to still be fun even when a little tired). We’ve been doing this for 15 years running now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epfaJWWJRYU
Comment by simon — March 28, 2012 @ 2:27 pm