The Most Interesting Roads - British Columbia

Continuing on with our series about the world's most interesting roads, today's episode: British Columbia, Canada. I grew up in The Pacific Northwest, right next to British Columbia, Canada. British Columbia is a gorgeous part of the planet. The primary cities, Vancouver and Victoria, are wonderful (apart from the weather), and they are set in a fantastic natural setting that looks like something from Lord of The Rings turned up to eleven. Even better, the roads are fantastic.

A lot of driving in B.C. (as most people from the area refer to it) is going to be very weather dependent. Any time from about Halloween to April first, the whole of the Pacific Northwest, from about Salem, Oregon up to the northern end of Vancouver Island, it usually raining in some form or another.

As you would imagine, that can seriously cramp your driving style. The good news is that when it's not raining, mainly in the summer months, the whole place is laced with roads that are some of the best you're likely to find.

For example, the road North out of Vancouver up to the ski resort areas of Whistler and Blackcomb is just such a road. Talk about being between the Devil and the deep blue sea, this road is it. It hugs the coast on what's known as The Inland Passage, the gap of water that separates B.C. proper from Vancouver Island.

The road clings to sides of literal mountains. They rise from the slate gray sea at staggering angles, covered with pine tress up to the timberline, and above that are bare granite and snow. The road itself is like an autobahn jammed into a Peter Jackson set. Smoother than the winters should let it be, it's all sweepers that could be taken at very high speeds if it weren't for traffic or the B.C. Police.

Once I was up in Whistler with my friend Carl. At the time, he had a VW Vanagon that used to be a diesel, but actually had a GTi motor swapped into it. It could go much faster than you'd expect, and Carl a Detroit native, master mechanic knew how to peddles it. We were cruising along, heading back towards Vancouver when what looked like an old Porsche Speedster passed us on the left.

"Was that a Speedster?" I asked.

"Maybe. Let's go see," said Carl, dropping it two gears and punching it.

After three big sweepers, we were pulling even with the car.

"Nah, it's a repro," said Carl. "The exhaust ain't right."

What also fell into the category of " ain't right" was the look on the Speedster drivers face when a "diesel" Vanagon passed him like he was tied to a post.

Like I said, during the right time of the year, the roads of British Columbia are some of the finest and funnest around.

Oh, and if you get the chance, drive across the Lions Gate Bridge. With the top down, natch.

Source: National Geographic. Photos from Flickr users by pdstahl and by marc__s