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Exploring BC When the Olympic Flame Goes Out

Mar 4, 2010; 12:23 PM ET

The 2010 Winter Olympics might be over but don't go home just yet. British Columbia is more than just wonderful alpine landscapes and fresh powder. Once the snow melts, Cypress, Seymour, and particularly Whistler Mountain, are taken over by hikers, mountain bikers and day-trippers who attend food and wine events, children's art festivals, and more. But if you've had enough of the mountains, there are 47 ports of call--quaint seaside towns like Tofino, cultural cities like Victoria, and picturesque fishing towns along the Sunshine Coast--that are easily accessible and within a couple of hours of Vancouver. Here's a quick guide of worthwhile trips easily undertaken with BC Ferries.

TOFINO

The Wickaninnish Inn is the place to stay in the quaint town of Tofino. The inn sits within a UNESCO biosphere reserve on land that has been inhabited by the First Nations people for thousands of years. Out the inn's back door is Chesterman beach, a popular spot for storm watching during the winter months, when ferocious waves roll in from Japan and pound the rocky headlands, hurling themselves up on the pristine beach with astounding force. Tofino also has great surf for beginners.

Celeste Moure for ShermansTravel.com

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