Mission takes its name from St. Mary's Mission, a Catholic mission and school founded in the nineteenth century by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate on the north bank of the Fraser River. The residential school that grew out of it is now remembered for its painful role in the history of Indigenous people in Canada. On a hill above the town stands Westminster Abbey, a Benedictine monastery whose modern church tower is visible from far away, and whose grounds offer peaceful views over the river valley.
Today Mission is a growing town in the Fraser Valley, about an hour east of Vancouver, and it serves as a practical fuel stop on the ride to Hope and the Fraser Canyon. The town has fuel, supermarkets and restaurants, as well as Mission Raceway Park, a drag strip and road course that hosts motorcycle and car events. The bridge across the Fraser connects Mission to Abbotsford on the south bank.
The ride east from here follows Highway 7, the Lougheed Highway, along the north bank of the Fraser. It is a much more pleasant route than the busy Trans-Canada Highway on the south bank, with farmland, forests and views of the river and the mountains. The road passes through small communities and past the turnoff to Harrison Hot Springs, a resort town on a large lake, before reaching Hope at the mouth of the Fraser Canyon. The traffic is moderate, the curves gentle, and the mountains grow steadily closer.
North of Mission, Stave Lake and Hayward Lake, reservoirs for hydroelectric dams, are surrounded by forests and mountains, with quiet roads, picnic areas and trails. The Golden Ears, a distinctive twin-peaked mountain, rises to the west. Weather in the Fraser Valley is mild but often rainy, and in winter the outflow winds from the interior can bring cold, gusty conditions. Summer is the best time to ride, with long days and generally dry weather.