Fraser Valley Day Escape from Vancouver

The Fraser Valley fills a full day out of Vancouver, with hot springs, mountain scenery and a town full of chainsaw sculpture along the way. The route curls through the valley to Harrison Hot Springs, where the stop allows both a look around and a soak in the Harrison Mineral pool. From there the drive carries on to Hope, a small, picture-book town sitting where the Coastal and Cascade ranges meet and where the Coquihalla river joins the Fraser. Hope calls itself the chainsaw carving capital of the world, and time is set aside to walk among its many carvings; this is also the town where Rambo was shot. A coffee at the Blue Moose is part of that stop. Between November 21 and January 10 the group doubles back to Harrison for the Lights by the Lake festival. Transport, the activities and a packed lunch all come from the host, who is open to arranging things for larger groups or on a date that is not on the posted schedule.