White Rock’s sandy beaches and mile-and-a-half red-brick promenade along Marine Drive are active year-round with visitors. The waterfront community is bright and welcoming with flowerbeds and colorfully painted restaurants, pubs and shops.
What’s there: Shopping, dining, museum, parks
Who will enjoy it: Couples, families
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
How to get there: Take I-5 North toward Vancouver, B.C., which becomes provincial Route 99 at the border. Take exit 2 toward Highway 99A/White Rock/Cloverdale/ Hope. Follow to 8th Avenue and head west. Eighth Avenue becomes Marine Drive.
Crossing the border: Adults need a passport or birth certificate along with a driver’s license or government issued identification. Children must have their birth certificates and possibly a letter of permission for travel from parent or guardian if not present.
Parking: Several parking lots are situated on the waterfront for $2 Canadian an hour. There is a currency exchange right after the Peace Arch border crossing and several exchange ATMs along the promenade.
Plan to stay: 2-3 hours. The promenade is wheelchair- and stroller-friendly, however no skateboards, bike riding or dogs are allowed.
DINING Nearly all the restaurants on Marine Drive have wonderful seaside views that complement almost any meal.
Breakfast: Down by the Bay Café, 15677 Marine Drive, (604) 531-6284; open 8:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Or try Whitby’s Coffee House at the Beach, 14829 Marine Drive, (604) 535-0200; open 7 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.
Lunch: White Rock Café and Bistro, 15481 Marine Drive, (604) 542-6315; open 9:30 a.m.- 9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Or try Café on the Beach, 15547 Marine Drive, (604) 531-1559; open 6:45 a.m.-3 p.m. daily.
Dinner: DB’s Bar and Grill, 15021 Marine Drive, (604) 538- 9373; open 11 a.m.-12:30 a.m. Monday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m.- 1:30 a.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.- midnight Sunday. Or try Cosmos Greek Restaurant, 14871 Marine Drive, (604) 531-3511; open 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
UPCOMING EVENTS
White Rock 50th Anniversary festivities (April 15). Web site: www.city.whiterock.bc.ca. The White Rock Station Museum and Archives, 14970 Marine Drive, will open “Celebrating 50 Years,” a special anniversary exhibit. To kickoff the event, the Royal Hudson steam engine will stop at the waterfront museum at noon-3 p.m. on April 15 — the steamer’s first appearance since it was de-commissioned in 1999.
Semiahmoo Bay Regatta and Kite Festival (April 28 & 29). Web site: www.semiah moobayinternationalregatta .org. White Rock community’s annual celebration of wind and waves includes a sailing regatta and kite-flying exhibition. There is also a kids zone and an outdoor products trade show on the promenade.
THREE THINGS TO DO
1. The White Rock Pier Location: Marine Drive, just past Fir Street Hours: Dawn to dusk
Built in 1915 and reopened in 1977, White Rock’s wooden pier juts out 1,559 feet into Semiahmoo Bay and is the centerpiece of the promenade. The pier acts as a divider that splits White Rock’s beach into East Beach and West Beach. Visitors can enjoy a brisk stroll to the end of the pier to enjoy the sea air and watch the passersby. The pier is known for its amazing sunset views.
2. Totem Plaza
Location: Marine Drive at Cypress Street Hours: Dawn to dusk
Totem Plaza gets its name from the totem poles that mark the entrance to Lions Lookout Park at East Beach. Coast Salish artist Susan Point and Haida artist Robert Davidson designed the totem poles and named them, “The Gift.” The totems were first displayed to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and its alliance with the Semiahmoo First Nation.
3. White Rock Station Museum and Archives
Location: 14970 Marine Drive, (604) 541-2222
Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday- Sunday Admission: By donation
The Great Northern Railway built the White Rock Station in 1912. Passenger train service was discontinued in 1971 and the building is now home to the White Rock Museum and Archives. The museum houses exhibits on native birds, natural history and the First Nation Semiahmoo people. There is also an extensive collection of paintings on display until April 8 by Canadian painter Robert Genn. The museum’s next exhibit, “Celebrating 50 Years” will open on April 15 and runs through Nov. 18.
If you have an idea for “Day Tripping” contact Lance Henderson at lance.henderson@bellinghamherald.com or call 756-2859. You may also comment on this story by clicking on it at The Bellingham Herald.com.
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