Here I am back on the Canadian West Coast, and loving it. Loving it because this is our Canadian California. Although it pains me to admit it, I must say that although the East Coast has more history, Vancouver and its surrounding areas are breathtaking and far more appealing.
A few weeks ago, I was out here for the launch of the uber-cool 2012 Hyundai Veloster. Part of our drive route took us up the Sea-to-Sky highway to Squamish. This time, in our equally uber-cool (but very different) Range Rover Evoques, we trekked all the way up to Whistler.
From the City of Vancouver, it's a 130-km ride to Whistler. In less than 2 hours, you will have travelled from sea level to an elevation of roughly 2,250 ft (675 m) and you will be surrounded by towering mountains reaching nearly 7,600 ft (2,300 m). The highest point in Ontario is 2,274 ft (693 m). Perhaps you are beginning to see what I'm getting at.
Road trip enthusiasts need to go out there at one point or another in their lives and imbue themselves in the scenery, the ice caps, the trees; the world. I've been lucky enough to go north, waaaaaayyyy north in this portion of the world, twice, and I'll never tire of travelling by car in these parts.
One excellent way, I've discovered, is by Range Rover Evoque. As it glided effortlessly through the scenery, I quickly appreciated the virtues of this capable yet involving vehicle. My previous forays in the north west were at the wheel of a Porsche Cayenne and a smart fortwo. Although using the fortwo for this type of mission sounds like suicide, it really did well. Really!
The Evoque turns out to be a well-balanced blend of big and powerful and fun and nimble; you'll be able to read more about it in my review. Thing is, you don't need a Range Rover to drive up there, but something from the compact luxury CUV segment is sure to make the entire experience that much more interesting.
I guess what I'm getting at with this random collection of comments and ideas is that I want to move to Vancouver, buy an Evoque – or an Audi Q5 or Volvo XC60 or BMW X3 – and live the good life. I adore my native Montreal, but once you've been to Mont Tremblant you're arguably pretty much covered on the sights and natural scenery. In BC, the snow-capped Rockies are mind-blowing and spotted by the occasional crisp, blue-green lake and more nature than you could possibly imagine.
Ah hell, just get out there at one point and tell me how great it is. Yeah, I know, traffic is bad, housing costs are absurd and it always rains, but I think these are small snafus when considering that the Pacific and Rockies are less than a half-hour's drive from a modern, dynamic, urban centre like Vancouver.
And no, I've not been paid by the City of Vancouver to write this; I just like what I see every time I go.
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| Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre/Auto123.com |
A few weeks ago, I was out here for the launch of the uber-cool 2012 Hyundai Veloster. Part of our drive route took us up the Sea-to-Sky highway to Squamish. This time, in our equally uber-cool (but very different) Range Rover Evoques, we trekked all the way up to Whistler.
From the City of Vancouver, it's a 130-km ride to Whistler. In less than 2 hours, you will have travelled from sea level to an elevation of roughly 2,250 ft (675 m) and you will be surrounded by towering mountains reaching nearly 7,600 ft (2,300 m). The highest point in Ontario is 2,274 ft (693 m). Perhaps you are beginning to see what I'm getting at.
Road trip enthusiasts need to go out there at one point or another in their lives and imbue themselves in the scenery, the ice caps, the trees; the world. I've been lucky enough to go north, waaaaaayyyy north in this portion of the world, twice, and I'll never tire of travelling by car in these parts.
One excellent way, I've discovered, is by Range Rover Evoque. As it glided effortlessly through the scenery, I quickly appreciated the virtues of this capable yet involving vehicle. My previous forays in the north west were at the wheel of a Porsche Cayenne and a smart fortwo. Although using the fortwo for this type of mission sounds like suicide, it really did well. Really!
The Evoque turns out to be a well-balanced blend of big and powerful and fun and nimble; you'll be able to read more about it in my review. Thing is, you don't need a Range Rover to drive up there, but something from the compact luxury CUV segment is sure to make the entire experience that much more interesting.
I guess what I'm getting at with this random collection of comments and ideas is that I want to move to Vancouver, buy an Evoque – or an Audi Q5 or Volvo XC60 or BMW X3 – and live the good life. I adore my native Montreal, but once you've been to Mont Tremblant you're arguably pretty much covered on the sights and natural scenery. In BC, the snow-capped Rockies are mind-blowing and spotted by the occasional crisp, blue-green lake and more nature than you could possibly imagine.
Ah hell, just get out there at one point and tell me how great it is. Yeah, I know, traffic is bad, housing costs are absurd and it always rains, but I think these are small snafus when considering that the Pacific and Rockies are less than a half-hour's drive from a modern, dynamic, urban centre like Vancouver.
And no, I've not been paid by the City of Vancouver to write this; I just like what I see every time I go.
 |
| Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre/Auto123.com |