We all have the ideas of the perfect drive or a picturesque setting where it’s just you and your car, maybe a spouse or family member and you enjoy the road in complete solitude. Let’s face it you can’t experience that on the everyday commute or even when you plan to just take a nice drive sometimes. Maybe you haven’t had time to look for a place to go where you can enjoy a quiet road and a fun destination at the end. The lower mainland and B.C in general have a wide variety of topography and regions that differ from one to the next. Small historic areas and quaint shops dot the country side that lies low on the lesser known roads that run between our main arteries. We are on the hunt for these fun journeys big and small that can make a drive in your Porsche just that much more special.
For our first run we did not have to look very far to enjoy the crisp and cool fall air as well as take in some small-town ambience. 8 kilometres north east of our driveway sits the historically labelled “birthplace of BC” the village of Fort Langley. The small town has a fantastic amount of small antique shops and great restaurants that dot the main street of Glover Road. It’s a great spot to plug into the map and enjoy a cruise in the low farm land and hillsides of the Langley area. We decided to enjoy the long curves of our route it would be best to take a 911. Particularly a rear drive Carrera S with PDK and a Graphite on Chalk interior with Sport Tex seats making for a very comfortable trip.
The exact route we took wound from our doorstep up Glover road to 64th avenue where we would detour around traffic and swiftly roll out into the open and gorgeous scenery on Rawlison Crescent. This stretch is where you really feel that this is a special drive and it makes the turn back onto Glover at the end feel like you’re pulling into pit lane. After the short but adventurous drive you’ll find yourself in the Village and surrounded by early century architecture, massive leaning chesnut trees and the Fraser River within earshot.
Fort Langley began as a trading post in 1827 and was originally located about 4km up river of where the town sits today. It has a long history that is older than Canada itself. Through the 19th century it served as a main hub for fur traders, fisherman, farmers and prospectors. In 1858 over 30,000 new faces made their way through the area after gold was discovered. Shortly after the government revoked the HBC monopoly and the crown colony of British Columbia was established ultimately bringing Fort Langley into a fast decline and eventually shutting it down. The Hudson’s Bay Co. land was put up for sale years later and the fort was declared a national historic site in 1923.
We tried to get to the restored Fort but on this particular day it was quartered off for a local film crew as there was an active shoot happening, so we continued back into town. There are a wide variety of great places to eat, enjoy a coffee or browse at everything form boutique clothing to well patinaed antiques. If you head down toward the railroad crossing two staple eateries in the area are located at the edge of the Fraser River. The first place we would highly recommend it Wendels Books, a small Café/bookstore on the corner of Glover Road and Mavis Avenue. Fresh baked cookies, delicious comfort food and wonderful coffees make it a great place to relax after a great ride. If your more of the Pub type patron then a 30 second walk down the street will bring you to The Fort Pub. A rustic atmosphere with great service and incredibly satisfying fare await you and will make any trip distance 100% worth the effort, not to mention it sits right on the riverside!
From the Fort you can make your way south out of town and towards the City of Langley or Highway 1 on to Vancouver. It is a great location and we are quite fortunate to be located so close to such a great community. The area has such a great charm it makes any outing in your Porsche just that extra bit special. Don’t just take our word for it, go for a drive, check it out, tag us in your stories and maybe stop by on your way.