White Rock Walk

Date of Walk:August 6, 2001

Length:1 1/4 mile each way (without walking the pier)
Time to Walk:35 minutes (without stops) each way
Type of Walk:Trendy/Shopping/Dining/Beach
Location:White Rock
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Parking
Parking is available all along the walk. There is street parking and a series of parking lots. It is metered at $1.00 per hour so make sure you bring dollar or two dollar coins to plug the meters. We chose to start at the south end of the beach at the OceanView Restaurant.

Let's Go!
There are actually two quite distinct walks. One is a paved path along the beach and the other is the sidewalk along the shops of Marine Drive. They are separated by Marine Drive and the railway track. We started on the beach walk and headed north. The path is lined by wild and natural flowers and follows the beach. If you look south across the water, the land you see is Washington State, USA. The first landmark you'll see is a statue of a bear.

After the statue you stroll along the beach. If you have any of the child in you, you'll be irresistibly drawn to the sandy beach. Not only is it great for the kids but the sand is great for building sandcastles (a world famous sandcastle contest is held here). Soon you come to a large rock painted white. What a surprise! A little farther down the beach you can see the pier. David chose to take a break here.

The walk down the pier (about 1/2 mile roundtrip) gives a different perspective to the beach. At low tide, starfish and sea anemones can be seen below the end of the pier. There are restrooms at the start of the pier.

The beach walk continues on past a statue and an old train station. There is a tourist information booth near the old train station. The path continues for about the same distance as led up to the pier. After you have completed the beach walk, you can cross the track and road and start your return trip. Remember, the train tracks are in use so, like Bill, be careful crossing the tracks.

The other side of Marine Drive is made up of 2 commercial sections and some residences. There are many pubs, restaurants, food stands and touristy shops. The residences and store owners have decorated in bright colours and wonderful plantings. The effect is totally different than the beach walk.

We ended our walk at the Sandpiper, a nice pub where we replenished our bodily fluids.