THE BEST DAY EVER: SUNSHINE COAST

Take the 7:30am sailing from Horseshoe Bay. Arrive early enough to get a window seat on the upper deck. Bring coffee from home or grab one at the terminal — the crossing is 40 minutes and the views of Howe Sound are the kind that make you put your phone away without being asked. By the time you dock at Langdale, you'll have already had the best part of most people's days.

From the Langdale terminal, it's a 25-minute drive to Skookumchuck Bakery in Egmont. Yes, it's worth the detour. The pastries are the kind that require a moment of silence before you eat them — laminated, properly buttered, made with the kind of attention that most bakeries reserve for their flagship item and applies to everything. The coffee is good. The atmosphere is exactly what a Sunshine Coast morning should feel like: unhurried, warm, and slightly improbable.

Drive back toward Sechelt and head up to Coast Gravity Park. If you ride, this is non-negotiable — BC's premier mountain bike destination has trails for every level, and the views from the upper network across Sechelt Inlet are the kind that make you stop pedalling just to look. If you don't ride, the park's hiking access is worth the drive for the views alone. Allow three to four hours. The food truck handles the mid-day refuel.

Post-ride, drive into Sechelt for a cold pint at Batch 44 Brewery. This is the earned beer — the one that tastes better because you did something to deserve it. The brewery takes its product seriously without being precious about it, which is the correct attitude. Order whatever's on tap. Sit outside if the weather allows. This is the Sunshine Coast at its best: a cold beer, a view, and the particular satisfaction of a morning well spent.

Drive down to Gibsons and spend the late afternoon at the harbour. Sunday Cider is a short walk from the waterfront — order the Sunday Wild or the Twice is Nice Pinot Noir co-ferment and find a spot in the picnic area. Then walk down to Lunitas for the hibiscus mezcal margarita and Mexican street corn on the best patio in Gibsons. The harbour view is real. The margarita is genuinely excellent. The street corn goes fast — order it immediately.

Drive three kilometres south to Davis Bay and the Wobbly Canoe for the sunset. The west-facing patio is the best on the southern Sunshine Coast — the kind of orange and pink that makes you understand why people move here. Order the mango mezcal margarita and the chuck and brisket burger. Watch the sun drop into the ocean. Take the last ferry home feeling like you've done something right.