Surrey

Scott Road parathas, Blackie Spit at low tide, Cloverdale by evening

Begin early in Newton or along Scott Road, where Punjabi cafes open at breakfast time with stuffed aloo parathas, yoghurt and sweet milky chai. Then drive south down King George Boulevard, a long, straight run that shows the city changing from strip malls to horse paddocks and newer estates.

Time the morning walk at Crescent Beach for low tide. Follow the sand out to Blackie Spit, where the flats of Boundary Bay attract herons, ospreys and, in spring and autumn, thousands of migrating shorebirds. Lunch in the beach village, or carry on to the White Rock promenade and walk its long wooden pier.

In the afternoon, swing inland to Cloverdale. The Museum of Surrey on 56A Avenue tells the story of the farming settlements that preceded the suburbs, and the old main street nearby still has a country-town look. If you prefer gardens, Darts Hill Garden Park in South Surrey and the formal beds of Bear Creek Park are the best in the city; check opening days first. End the day in City Centre with a stroll through Holland Park, then take the SkyTrain from Surrey Central if you are sleeping in Vancouver. Without a car, cut this down to Newton and Holland Park, because buses between the north and the beaches are slow.

Chole bhature, kulfi and fish and chips on the Semiahmoo shore

Roughly a third of Surrey's people have South Asian roots, mostly Punjabi, which makes it one of North America's best places for that food. The strip malls of Newton and Scott Road serve chole bhature, sarson da saag with corn roti, tandoori chicken and lassi, and sweet shops sell kulfi, jalebi and barfi.

Roughly a third of Surrey's people have South Asian roots, most of them Punjabi, and this is one of the best places in North America to eat that food. The strip malls of Newton and the Scott Road corridor hold family restaurants, sweet shops and grocers by the dozen. Order chole bhature, spiced chickpeas with puffed fried bread, sarson da saag with corn roti in winter, tandoori chicken and paneer dishes, and wash it down with a salty or mango lassi. For dessert, sweet shops sell kulfi, dense frozen milk with pistachio or cardamom, plus trays of jalebi and barfi.

The rest of the city eats widely too. Sushi counters are everywhere, and King George Boulevard is lined with Korean barbecue, Vietnamese pho, Filipino bakeries and Mexican taquerias. For a sit-down dinner with a view, South Surrey and neighbouring White Rock have the smarter restaurants, and fish and chips on the White Rock waterfront after a beach walk is a local habit.

Drinks cost more than food. Liquor taxes in British Columbia are high, so a cheap pub meal can come with a surprisingly large bill once beer is added. A Punjabi dinner with lassi and chai, without beer, stays far cheaper.

Vaisakhi in Newton, Cloverdale's rodeo and the November downpours

Surrey shares Vancouver's mild, wet coastal climate. Summer is the dry season: July and August average highs of 23C to 24C, and each sees less than 50 mm of rain. That is the time for Crescent Beach, the Barnston Island bike loop and evening walks on White Rock's pier.

The calendar has two big spring events. The Vaisakhi parade in Newton each April celebrates the Sikh new year and the harvest, and it ranks among the largest outside India, with hundreds of thousands of people, free food served from tents along the route and widespread road closures. In May, over the Victoria Day long weekend, the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair takes over the fairgrounds. July brings the Fusion Festival in Holland Park, with food and music from dozens of cultures.

Autumn turns wet fast. October rainfall jumps to about 140 mm, November is the wettest month at around 225 mm, and the deluge continues through January. Temperatures seldom drop far below freezing, with January highs near 7C, so snow is unusual and short-lived. Winter visits suit eating and the Surrey Art Gallery more than the coast, though Boundary Bay at Blackie Spit does fill with wintering waterfowl.