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March 28, 2008 | Tips from Us > Victoria, Dining
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The restaurant is located on Fort Street which also happens to be called Antique Row - a great place to look for treasures.
March 21, 2008 | Tips from Us > Princeton, Snowshoeing
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The best thing about snowshoeing in Manning Provincial Park is the diversity of terrain. There are pretty rigorous vertical ascents to Windy Joe Mountain or Blackwall Peak, and flat forest trails around the lakes.
My ascent to the Blackwall Peak lookout took 2.5 hours of nearly non-stop snowshoeing plus a 20-minute stop for lunch. This is snowshoeing for the sake of snowshoeing -- and to admire the view. The "trail" is actually an unplowed park road. So there's no challenge in finding your way. But the snow is plenty deep for snowshoeing. I saw a lot of animal tracks, including lynx, and caught sight of many birds and squirrels.
The trail around Lightning Lake has no major changes in elevation, but much of it crosses the slope running down to the lake, so you're snowshoeing at an angle and stepping near some edges that could be tricky if you don't watch where you're going. If you hike around all of Lightning Lake, you'll need about 7 hours. If you take the shortcut across the bridge halfway down the lake, you'll need 2.5 hours -- assuming you never pause to take a picture or watch the wildlife. If you follow the trail to the left from the parking lot, the last leg of the hike is a bit deceiving. Just when it seems that you've nearly reached the end, the trail winds wildly around a sharp peninsula and adds another 30-45 minutes to the trip. The only other way off the trail is to sneak onto the cross-country skiing track, which has signs warning off snowshoers. Or to venture onto the frozen lake...if the ice is thick enough (
be sure to check).
I stayed at the Manning Park Lodge. The place is modest but immaculate, and you just can't beat the location. The nearest snowshoe trail is literally a few steps out the door of the lodge.
March 20, 2008 | Podcasts > Revelstoke, Festivals & Events
Excepted from the weekly radio segment on "All Points West", a CBC Victoria show heard every Friday from 4:00 - 6:00 PM.
Podcast for March 14, 2008.
Kootenay Rockies Region Highlights:
- Ski Resort season conclusions and parties
- Golf courses opening
- New Revelstoke Mountain Resort skiing until end of April
- New geo-tourism map guide unveiling - the crown of the continent area
- Bird Festival May 5th - 11th: Wings over the Rockies, held in the Columbia Valley Wetlands
March 19, 2008 | Tips from Us > Osoyoos, Museums
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My colleague and I had an extra hour before our meetings in Osoyoos began and the road signs pointing us to the Osoyoos Desert Model Railroad were so darn easy to follow, we thought, "what the heck, lets go check it out". Off we went. This attraction is a 5 minute drive from the Osoyoos Visitor Centre, tucked in behind an array of industrial buildings. From the outside, it appears to be a large shed, and truthfully, our expectations were modest. But what a surprise we got once we made our way through the giftshop, up a set of stairs and through a set of double doors! While there most certainly is a model railroad incorporated into this miniature village, it is so much more....3000 feet more including 8000 little painted people (painted by members of the family that operate the attraction), a working Ferris wheel, a ski hill complete with an operational gondola system, Euopean style houses and buildings, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, running cars, even a brothel! In fact, the model railroad, impressive as it is, was a secondary experience to just trying to take in all the detail of the village.
While we were there, a man in his twenties asked the owner if he could take his picture because "visiting this place was in the top 5 highlights of his life". My colleague and I planned to spend about 30 minutes...we could have stayed most of a day. At a modest $6 entrance fee ($4 for children) this is a must-see while in Osoyoos. You can even buy some of the little painted people and start your own village at home! The Gift Shop is well supplied with unique stuff including some great kids toys; the attraction is wheelchair accessible, easy to find, well maintained and well cared for. I will be back.
March 15, 2008 | Tips from Travellers > Clearwater, Cross-Country Skiing
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I live in Vancouver, and while the city provides much needed cultural excitement and entertainment, i often need to get away from the crowds and head up to the interior of BC for quiet nights and star filled skies.
I grew up in
Clearwater, a little town known for being the 'gateway' to
Wells Gray Park, and I love to head back there in winter or summer for all the amazing outdoor activities. Since it is enroute to Jasper and Banff National Park, Clearwater gets just enough tourism to have the infrastructure you need, without the crowds.
Some of my favourite things to do if you are there...
Cross Country Skiing in the winter: There are over 80 kilometres of groomed ski trails in Clearwater with 3 major set tracks; Candle Creek trails, North Thompson Park, and Wells Gray trails. Visit www.clearwatervalley.com/winter/winter_activities.htm for more information.
Canoeing in Wells Gray Park on Clearwater or Azure Lake - beautiful! Visit www.wellsgray.ca/canoe.html for more information and pictures.
Hiking: there are endless opportunities for hiking in Clearwater including Raft Mt. and the Trophies, any of the waterfalls including Helmcken Falls, and of course any of the well maintained trails in the Park. Visit www.britishcolumbia.com/regions/towns/?townID=3395
Some of my favourite places to stay are:
- Helmcken Falls Lodge: at the entrance to the park with a number of cabins and a lodge.
www.helmckenfalls.com
- Cedar Haven Cabins: less than 1 km from the Candle Creek ski trails on Raft Mountain with nice log cabins incl. kitchens.
www.cedarhavencabins.ca
I've already planned my trip there for this August - can't wait!
March 11, 2008 | Tips from Us > Victoria, Dining
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Being the youngest of eleven children, food (and mealtime in particular), has always been competitive and somewhat of a contact sport for me. I research, I sniff out, I long for a gastronomic experience not exactly like ones I‘ve had in the past. Last Friday I found a gem of a place called LURE, located just across the Johnson Street bridge from downtown Victoria in the Delta Ocean Pointe Resort. Both their lounge and dining room have, in my opinion, one of the best views in the city. Our table looked straight across the harbour to the Fairmont Empress and Parliament Buildings.
The crab-stuffed salmon roulade followed by a tender lamb shoulder prepared me well for one of the naughtiest chocolate desserts I’ve had in a long time. Had I not had that last glass of wine, I could probably tell you the name of it. Just ask the server for the dessert with the word “sin” in it. He/she’ll know what you mean.
Whether you are just stopping in for a drink or decide to sample the quality fare, LURE is definitely worth a visit. Tip: if you go at night, you’ll see the Parliament Buildings lit up!
March 11, 2008 | Tips from Travellers > Nanaimo, Dining
Friends and I went to Basque Restaurant in Downtown Nanaimo the other night- it was awesome! They specialize in spanish influenced cuisine. Basque is housed in somewhat of a landmark building - it was home to the Rendezvous Restaurant for many years, which in its day was a Nanaimo hot spot in its own right They featured 'dining under the stars' and the new owners maintained that element-you'll have to see it for yourself to understand.
The service was friendly, but not overly so and the atmosphere was great. Just one more block in the rebuilding of Nanaimo's downtown core.
March 8, 2008 | Tips from Travellers > Vancouver, Accommodations
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Hello,
I am from Taipei, Taiwan. and I am planning to fly to Vancouver on March 14, 2008. As this is my first time to go to Canada, I am so excited but afraid now.
Any comments or suggestions could share with me ? weather? clothes? sightseeing? how to arrange my trip plan?
I would like to stay in Vancouver for 10 days.
Thanks & best regards,
nicole
March 5, 2008 | Podcasts > Victoria, Festivals & Events
Excepted from Margaret's last weekly radio segment on "All Points West", a CBC Victoria show heard every weekday from 4:00 - 6:00 PM.
Podcast for February 29, 2008.
Be a tourist in your own home province:
- Vancouver Coastal & Mountains - White Rock and Savory Island beaches, Cloverdale Rodeo, Vancouver Jazz Festival
- Cariboo Chilcotin Coast - Kermode Bears, Stampedes, Barkerville
- Thompson Okanagan - Wineries, Wine and Music Festivals
- Kootenay Rockies - 25 championship golf courses, Spas, Accordian Championships
- Northern BC - Inside Passage to Prince Rupert, Seafest, Terrace River Days
- Vancouver Island - Pacific Rim Whale Festival, Jazz Fest
March 5, 2008 | Tips from Us > Victoria, Hiking
Find more information about Victoria, Hiking
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This oasis is one of 60 or so parks in the Greater Victoria area and if you are into waterfalls and bird watching, it is a great discovery. I like to visit soon after a rainfall as Sitting Lady Falls is at its best, cascading over the dark rock face into the lagoon below. Moss and ferns cover much of the cliff so you get dramatic contrasts between greens, whitewater and black rock.
The Lagoon trail meanders through the forest and along the waterfront with various viewpoints and benches ideal for watching the variety of birds that seemingly make this their all-inclusive holiday.
If you opt to take the Beach trail and time your visit at low tide, you’ll be rewarded with sand that stretches almost ½ km (1/3 mi) wide along with amazing views of the Olympic Mountains and Juan de Fuca Strait. As well, seals love to play in the waters just off the beach and I’ve seen as many as 30 or so flip-flopping around.
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