14-Nights Totem Peaks Self-Drive from $2,376

Port Hardy lies along the rocky, beautifully forested northern tip of Vancouver Island, and it has a medley of wildlife and activities.  Market Street is laden with galleries featuring work by First Nations artisans, including jewelry, masks and paintings. Stroll town to see the various murals throughout, such as at Malone's Oceanside Bistro, North Island Diving & Water Sports and the Airport Inn. The Port Hardy Museum & Archives houses a collection of natural history, regional archives and First Nation antiquities. Go bird-watching at the Quatse River Estuary, where bald eagles and blue herons flock to all year long. Look out for whales from June to October, or submerge yourself in cold water diving off the coast to witness the area's thriving underwater ecosystem. Watch the coming and going of boats at the harbour along the seawall's Carrot Park, view the war memorial, or picnic at nearby Kinsmen Park.

Revelstoke, British Columbia, is a small mountain city about 250 mi/403 km east of Vancouver, with a historic feel in southeastern British Columbia. Hikers and skiers often make it their base camp, and there are two national parks worth visiting in the area. The Trans Canada Highway passes right through the exquisite scenery of Glacier National Park (not to be confused with Glacier National Park in Montana), a landscape of rugged mountains with several hundred glaciers. A little southwest of Glacier National Park is Mount Revelstoke National Park. This is another park that's suitable for a driving tour (there's a paved road to the top of Mount Revelstoke), and it includes part of the Selkirk Range, as well as lovely lakes and forests and lots of wildflowers in late summer.

About 10 mi/16 km west of the town of Revelstoke is Three Valley Gap. This reconstructed 1880s pioneer village (24 restored buildings) shows what the Eagle Pass region looked like more than 100 years ago. Several theme attractions are also found in the area, including the Enchanted Forest, where the woods are filled with "fairy folk."