July 23, 2012 | Tips from Travellers >
Chetwynd, Sightseeing Tours
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It's been years since I have stopped at the look-out point at the Gwillim Lake Provincial Park; so, naturally I had to stop there to eat my lunch on the way to Tumbler Ridge. I had completely forgotten just how breath-taking the landscape in this part of BC really is; I love this valley so very much!
It is a marvelous experience to gaze out at the roling hills, with snow capped mountains hiding off in the distance - we are in the foothills of the rockies after all - and lose yourself in the scenery. The look-out is far enough off the highway that the quiet stillness just consumes you and your can enjoy the sights without distraction; definitely made the right choice to stop there, and I will most certainly be making the drive out there a few more times before the summer is over - though seeing the glorious fall colours grace the hillsides would be just as breath-taking!
July 23, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Chetwynd, Sightseeing Tours
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I spent my day yesterday doing what I always loved as a kid: exploring the Peace region's finest scenery!
After a late lunch a friend and I decided to take an adventure and travel for the day to Fort St John, through the amazingly scenic route along Highway 29 through Hudson's Hope. To me there is nothing more iconic in this regions summer season than descending a hill to mass fields of green and yellow canola sparkling in the sun and stretching for miles. In my opinion it really is one of the wonders of BC and everyone should experience it in their life; the fields just glow and really make you believe summer has arrived, no matter how much rain has been falling from the sky!
But of course that ended as we had to keep moving along the Highway, so we spent the afternoon driving around the city of Fort St John, saw a great movie in the amazingly large theatre (large for being in a mall!). We eventually made our way back home to Chetwynd, and seemed to time our return just perfectly as we caught one of the iconic Peace region summer sunsets on our trip through Highway 97 (Dawson Creek)!
It was the perfect day trip to remind me that whether it seems like the rain never stops, there are still those golden fields and sparkling sun sets which really do complete the summer scene of the BC peace!
June 09, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Chetwynd, Sightseeing Tours
I took a couple of friends with me and explored some of Chetwynd's walking paths. The trails were awesome! As we crossed under the Legion Bridge, we caught a glimpse of the Chainsaw Carving Championship tents. They were all set up and just waiting for the carvers to begin on Thursday morning.
I can't wait to check it out tonight after work. There is an air of excitement around the town. Did you know the Championship is in its seventh year?
May 31, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Chetwynd, Sightseeing Tours
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The time was right. The roads were clear and I got to do a road trip from Hudson’s Hope to Prince George. It was so nice to see the soft green of growth in the valleys. As I rounded that last corner to Chetwynd, the valley opened up to show me Chetwynd nestled in the valley with the Rockies as a back drop. I stopped in at the visitor centre as there is quite a collection of chainsaw carvings just out front. I found out there is a walking trail that takes you all over town as the carvings are scattered all over town. Check them out! Then off to the mountains I headed. There is a nice rest area close to Pine Lemoray Provincial Park. It was a beautiful warm 24 degrees but still the snow was heavy on the mountains looming so close, you felt like you could touch them. Everyone at the stop was friendly and smiling; the surroundings and heat made it so. I ventured in to see Heart Lake and was amazed to see it was still frozen but a reminder that it was still early spring. Not far down the road you are viewing Azouzetta Lake, looks like a nice campground there, and then just pass Powder King Ski Hill, you reach the summit of the Pine pass at 933 metres. Water was running off the mountains and created numerous water falls , cascading off the rocks along the highway. I knew my next stop would be to pull in to Bijoux Falls, where you can park, meet fellow travelers, cheep with the cheeky well fed Stellar Jays with the huge volume of the falls roaring in the background. Take a picnic for this stop!
Continuing along you break out of the mountains and next stop was the Mackenzie junction Visitor Centre. It is so cute… a wooden train caboose. Kids just love it. And so they did a few miles down the road at Windy Point, restaurant and gas stop. The building has owner’s dwelling on the second floor, that opens onto a flat roof, complete with dog house and a couple of dogs that like to survey the goings on below. It was hilarious!
Carrying on through Macleod Lake and then Crooked River, I watching for the swans that are usually spotted this time of year but I was either too early or too late. But I did see three bears; one black turning over a stump, one very sleepy looking black and a powerful looking brown grazing a green hillside. And I moose. I made a point to stop in at Crooked River Provincial Park on Bear Lake because the last time I was there, we did see a bear. Not this time but what did greet me in this serene setting when I got out of the vehicle was an uproar of ducks. Lots of ducks! I’m sure things quiet down once the campers arrive to take in the fine sandy beaches on this lake.
And onto Prince George to close out the day! Stayed at Ester’s Inn … met up with some friends and had pizza in the indoor garden courtyard; it was fantastic. The pool was just feet away and the steam bath as well. I couldn’t ask for a better day.
July 22, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Chetwynd, Sightseeing Tours
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Good thing Chetwynd has two great car washes, because we sure needed one after our last 4x4ing excursion!
I had an absolute blast driving through the big mud holes on a local 4x4ing road in our 1979 Ford F150 pickup truck. Within the first few minutes the truck was completely plastered with mud! Once we navigated through all the mud puddles and ruts in the road, we saw some beautiful local countryside and even a few deer in a meadow.
As always when heading out into the backcountry we made sure our family knew where we were going and when we planned to be back. We carried some extra fuel and made sure the winch was in good working order in case we got stuck!
July 10, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Chetwynd, Sightseeing Tours
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What a first date! We set off in the Bronco II down a local 4x4 trail to find some mud and test our driving skills. Not too far down the Three Culverts road, we found this mud puddle... we didn't think we would get out at first! Good thing the truck has big tires!
The Chetwynd area is full of opportunities for 4x4 adventures like this one - just remember to bring all the necessary supplies in case you break down or get stuck, and always let someone know where you are going and when you plan on being back. You never know, you just might see us out there!
August 30, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Chetwynd, Sightseeing Tours
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The Chetwynd Visitor Centre offers FREE tours of some of the many chainsaw carvings in town. The walking tour is offered daily at 1:00 pm but earlier times can be arranged if necessary; they are always happy to accommodate bus tours or large groups. Call ahead or stop in to make arrangements to have your own personal tour guide while exploring Chetwynd's magnificent chainsaw carvings!