Exploring the BC Coast by Car [Paperback]

Diane Eaton (Author), Allison Eaton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1999

With its island-studded Inside Passage, towering fiords, open-ocean beaches, quaint villages and sparkling cities, the BC coast is known as one of the world's great maritime cruising destinations. What many travellers may not realize is that you don't need to own a yacht or go on a cruise ship to explore it. This indispensable book shows how you can use BC's world-class ferry and coastal road system to reach the coast's most spectacular places in the comfort of your family car. And for those who want to go farther, lace on your hiking boots, grab a paddle, hop aboard a floatplane, or switch into four-wheel-drive and head off into the back of beyond - there's a lot more than just road travel in this book.

Each chapter has simple, straightforward "getting there" directions, full information on recreation opportunities and local must-sees and points of interest. To inspire you along the way and help you dream up new trips, the book includes anecdotes and facts on local plants, trees, wildlife and sea life - all infused with the enthusiasm of two writers whose love of the coast spills over onto every page.

Cruise the coast for a weekend or a year, for business or pleasure, from your car or your favourite comfy armchair - just make sure to take this terrific little guidebook with you.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Diane Eaton is a long-time resident of BC and an inveterate coastal explorer. She holds a PhD in English literature for the University of British Columbia and is author of Paul Kane's Great Nor'west and Exploring the BC Coast by Car (with Allison Eaton).
Allison M. Eaton was born in the Netherlands but spent most of her life in Canada, earning a degree in communications from Simon Fraser University. When no kayaking coastal nooks and crannies, she works as an international investment banking executive.
Her first book, written with Diane Eaton, is Exploring the BC Coast by Car.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Since 1592, when the old Greek pilot Juan de Fuca scurried back to Europe excitedly trying to convince his countrymen he had discovered an earthly paradise on the far side of the New World, the BC coast has been known as one of the world's most rewarding places to explore.

Occupying the 500-mile space between the 49th parallel and Alaska, the BC coast complicates itself into some twenty thousand miles of intricately entwined inlets, islands and channels. It boasts the busiest seaport on North America's west coast and a maritime wilderness beyond measure, as well as the world's most treacherous ocean graveyard and its most enchanting inland sea. It is a land of ancient, crumbling totem poles and humming high-speed ferries, of towering, desolate fjords and vibrant, modern resorts.

To experience the full magnificence of the coast you might assume that you would, like Juan de Fuca, require a well-appointed caravel. and the backing of the Spanish Crown, or at least a pricey ticket on a cruise ship. But this book proves that you can explore the BC coast just as enjoyably and far more cheaply - thanks to the world's most highly developed ferry system - in the comfort of your family car.

The book is divided into eight chapters covering the coast's main geographic regions. Each begins with a brief overview, then takes you through the area from one end to the other.

Like each region it describes, Exploring the BC Coast by Car is unique. It is first of all a thorough and practical travel guide, carefully organized and laid out in an easy-to-use format. But it is much more than that. Despite the efforts of Captain Juan and the many explorers who followed in his footsteps, this coast of wonders is still relatively undiscovered territory on the world's travel map, and it needs some explaining. The authors have spared no effort to make sure you have all the background information you need to make the most of your coastal explorations. Even for those who know the coast well will find the book worth having for its overall portrait of coastal history and contemporary life.

Whether you want to burn up the territory or simply relive great sights by the fireside, we know Exploring the BC Coast by Car will prove an indispensable travelling companion. (Introduction )

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Harbour Pub Co (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155017178X
• ISBN-13: 978-1550171785
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,450,830 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A well researched and written guidebook dedicated to seeing all the sights the land of British Columbia has to offer, August 17, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Exploring the BC Coast by Car Revised Edition (Paperback)

A beautiful coastline, and in order to experience the full beauty of nature, you need a boat which can cost thousands, right? Not so, says "Exploring the BC Coast by Car", a well researched and written guidebook dedicated to seeing all the sights the land of British Columbia has to offer without all of the expenses that one would expect have to pay. Promoting routes through the wilderness of the province by car, by foot, by kayak, or by float plane, it's an ideal reference for any hiking enthusiast. "Exploring the BC Coast by Car" is highly recommended to community library travel collections.

5.0 out of 5 stars Nicely orgainized, September 19, 2011

By 

robert "hiker person" (oregon,usa) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Exploring the BC Coast by Car Revised Edition (Paperback)

I bought this book, along with another one, just prior to my trip to Vancouver Island, B.C. This book was wonderfully informative and even organized to the point that it followed my route along the coast and inland.It gives detailed information about the villages, both large and small, that one encounters plus interesting information about other sights along the way. It would have been nice had it included locations of provincial parks. I did buy another book for the purpose of locating parks but it only listed provincial and national parks and even then failed to mention some that I found through other sources. I would highly recommend Exlploring B.C. Coast to anyone planning a trip plus ordering a free road map and parks guide that's put out by B.C. Tourism at hellobc dot com