Collectively known as the “Tri-Cities”, these three lively communities half an hour east of Vancouver grew up along the twin highways of commerce, the Fraser River and the Canadian Pacific Railroad (CPR). (604) 464-2716

• CPR Station. This restored 1907 railway station in Port Moody is the focal point of the annual Golden Spike Festival. Rocky Point Park, also in Port Moody, features a boat launch ramp, pier, outdoor pool, playgrounds, walking trails and paved paths for biking and rollerblading.
• Belcarra Regional Park. Oceanfront beaches, mudflats and a unique floating walkway around Sasamat Lake give the park unusual variety. The wharf is ideal for crabbing, fishing and scuba diving.
• Maillardville. Coquitlam’s French quarter, the oldest francophone settlement in the Lower Mainland. Place des Arts offers painting, weaving and pottery, and residents stage an annual Festival du Bois.
• Minnekhada Regional Park & Lodge, a 65-year-old hunting lodge in Coquitlam’s 175-hectare nature park that include a marsh teeming with wildlife, a trail and lots of spots for picnicking.
• PoCo Trail. In Port Coquitlam, the trail takes you along the Coquitlam and Pitt Rivers past waterfowl nesting grounds, logbooms and mills.