When the boundary between the United States and British North America was fixed along the 49th parallel in 1846, nobody seems to have noticed, or cared, that the line would cut off the tip of the Tsawwassen peninsula south of Vancouver. The result is Point Roberts, a small piece of Washington State, about thirteen square kilometres, that can only be reached by land by passing through Canada. To get there from the rest of the United States, you cross into Canada, ride about forty kilometres through British Columbia, and cross back into the US. Bring your passport, and expect four border crossings for a round trip.
The community is quiet and slightly surreal: a few streets of houses, a marina, a golf course, some shops and a lot of forest, with water on three sides. Many of the homes belong to Canadians who use them as holiday cottages, and the local economy depends heavily on visitors from the north. When the border was closed during the pandemic, Point Roberts was cut off from the outside world for well over a year, and the community struggled.
The views from the shore are wide and beautiful. From Lighthouse Marine Park, at the south-western tip, you look out over the Strait of Georgia to the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island, and in summer, orcas are sometimes seen passing close to shore. The sunsets over the water are spectacular. Monument Park, at the north-western corner, marks the start of the land border, with a stone obelisk on the bluff.
Next door in Canada, Tsawwassen is the terminal for the BC Ferries to Victoria and the Gulf Islands, and you can watch the ferries come and go from the shore. The roads in Point Roberts are short and quiet, with little traffic, and they make a pleasant loop. There are a few fuel stations, a grocery store and some cafés. Border queues can be long on summer weekends.