Sea-to-Sky Highway

SHOP | EAT & DRINK | DETOUR | GET THERE

Once a white-knuckle run, the highway connecting Vancouver with Whistler has been turned into a safer, scenic byway by means of a $600-million upgrade. After the Games, day-trippers and weekend skiers will shave time from their commute, and some will add years to their lives. 

Since opening in October 2006, Agnes Jean has focused on the “greener side of things,” continually expanding its stylish, sustainable, mostly B.C.-made inventory of clothing, baby items, home décor, and beauty products. Going fast: anything warmth inducing, like Libre Tea Thermoses, Chloe Angus wraps, and Padraig slippers made from lamb’s wool. 38016 Cleveland Ave., 604-892-9181. Agnesjean.com

You’ll find some of the Lower Mainland’s best sushi in a strip mall, behind another strip mall. Really. At Sushi Sen even standard rolls are elevated. The yam tempura roll comes with paper-thin slices of shiitake mushroom, and still-warm yam in the middle and thinly layered over top. Perfection. Inventive starters show the chefs’ range. Try the gindara saikyo yaki (grilled black cod marinated in saikyo miso) or generously stuffed salmon gyoza served with a dipping sauce redolent of charcoal. Savour with a flight of sake (any three for $12). 40380 Tantalus Way, 604-898-8235

The Burrow Divided into nibbles, salads, “the hot stuff,” sharing plates, and desserts, there is something to please all at this stylish tapas and martini lounge. Tops are the lemon poached prawns with house-made cocktail sauce, the sweet potato and goat cheese salad, and the wild Pacific salmon skewers. Great cocktail list, too. 11-40437 Tantalus Rd.,604-898-2801. Theburrow.ca

Howe Sound Brewing scored a hit with their latest beer, Bailout Bitter, which remains elusive in most liquor stores. Score it at the source: the lodge-like brew pub that’s stocked with chilled beers for takeaway, though we suggest you stay and sample a few others on tap. 37801 Cleveland Ave., 604-892-2603. Howesound.com

Located about a 10-minute drive north of Squamish, the Tantalus Viewpoint offers incredible panoramic views of the snow-capped peaks of the Tantalus mountain range, and dense rolling forests below. Look for the new bell-shaped cedar-shingled gazebo to signal the short pulloff.

Click here for a map of the Sea-to-Sky Highway.