June 23, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Dining
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I went with a friend to lunch at this new restaurant in town. From the topiaries at the front and the hostess opening the door to welcome the guests, we had a great time!
The restaurant is big and tastefully decorated with several TVs, a great sound system with music and a Sports Bar in the center. On the day I was there, the place was full of people laughing and enjoying lunch.
The menu has a lot of fresh food dishes and I was especially pleased to have a choice of very healthy items to choose from. I had chicken with braised cabbage & feta instead rice with my lunch.
The service was excellent as well.
My prediction is this place will be around and popular for a long time. I know it will be a favorite for me.
June 13, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Shopping
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Everyone loves a toy store. The Toy Box on 10th street Dawson Creek is one of the busiest and most popular shops in town and a real hit with visitors looking for a special souvenir. This store is known in neighboring communities as a destination for shopping as well as a favorite with locals.
The store is packed to the rafters with toys, games, crafts, books, puzzles, remote control airplanes, trains, models, art supplies, teacher resources, science kits and wind chimes.
No one gets bored in this store, it doesn't matter how old a person is, there's a lot of great stuff to check out. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to look around, you will need it.
June 01, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Dining
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Right in the middle of town on
102nd Ave is the Hug-A-Mug coffee shop and it has a couple of tables
outside. I met my friend there the
other day and really enjoyed just sitting in the sun enjoying my favorite
specialty coffee.
There was a constant stream of
people passing by consisting of both locals and visitors. It was great to say hello, have a few
mini visits.
The Hug a Mug is less than ½ a
block away from the Mile O Post that sits in the middle of the main
intersection so we had a great view of the visitors who were jaywalking over to
have their pictures taken.
The Mile O Post is one of the
most recognized and photographed monuments in Canada. We noticed how patient the motorists are with the people
jaywalking to get to the post and also saw a local offer to take the photo so
that both visitors could get in on it. It reaffirmed what a friendly community we have.
Hug a Mug is a popular spot for
lunch. Laurie and her staff are
really friendly and make great food.
May 26, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Farms & Markets
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One of the best things about spring is the opening of the Farmers Market and this year is no exception!
Although May is a bit early to find produce, it's the best place to find fresh homemade baking, preserves and local eggs.
Along with the poppy seed cake, cinnamon buns and chocolate chip cookies, I bought a big loaf of unsliced white bread and a jar of local Saskatoon jam.
Cut a big thick slice of bread, toast it, butter it and slather it with jam... can a Sunday morning breakfast treat get any better than that?
There are lots of craftspeople that bring their wares to the market too.
The market is held in and around a big white tent on 8th Street on the corner of the Co-op Mall parking lot, and the inside of the tent is stuffed with vendors!
There is plenty of easy parking for RV's and such and along with the locals who make the market part of their weekly shopping; visitors enjoy the bounty as well.
May 17, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Dining
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Stuies Diner is one of the newest restaurants in Dawson Creek. The parking lot is often full and it is very popular with both the locals and visitors.
It's a big shiny silver metal building with a 50's retro theme. You can choose to sit in a booth or sit at the old fashioned counter.
There is a big jukebox in a corner and the music is nostalgic. The waitresses were wearing 50's style uniforms too. We listened to Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly while we ate.
The menu has mostly hamburger and fries and the portions are generous. We got there just as the supper crowd was starting to come in and within minutes the place was full.
It's on the east side of 8th Street, which is one of the main drags in town and there is easy parking. It's a great trip down memory lane.
May 05, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Bird Watching
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Bring Your Camera and Your Rubber Boots!
Now that the snow is really melting, there is water pooling in fields everywhere and the Canada Geese, Snow Geese, Swans and Ducks are arriving by the thousands and it's a great time to take photos.
About 3 miles north of Dawson Creek on Rd 219, I saw 2 other camera buffs parked beside the road taking photos of one particularly large mixed flock of big birds.
This only happens for a short period of time in the spring until the water runs off and soaks into the fields. Soon the birds will be gone and the fields will be growing a crop. In the meantime there is a lot of activity and much honking to go along with it.
Make sure you have your camera handy for those great photo opportunities when you pull to the side of the road to enjoy the water life.
April 27, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Sightseeing Tours
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Just a short 45 minutes north of Dawson Creek on the Rolla Highway is the Clayhurst Bridge across the Peace River. It's a great place to experience a big river, a big bridge, a beautiful view and peace and quiet all at the same time.
There is a place at the south end of the bridge to pull over and park so you can walk across the bridge. There used to be a plaque that dedicated the bridge to a former MLA, but it was vandalized years ago and not replaced.
There is very little traffic on the bridge and no other sounds of civilization so you can really appreciate the sounds of the water, the wind that comes down the valley and the vibration of the bridge under your feet. The power is amazing.
The center of the bridge is the best place to stop and lean over the rail to watch the water flow by under your feet carrying the occasional log downriver. The last time we were there, a pair of Canada Geese flew under the bridge right under us.
On the north side of the bridge is another old wooden bridge that crosses a smaller river that flows into the Peace, we like to cross that one too and carry on hiking up the banks for a bigger workout.
I was really impressed with the thickness of the ice on the banks of the river. Take your camera!
April 20, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Dining
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There is a new coffee house in town and it's really great! It's called Cups Tea & Cakes and I spent a morning there last week. I brought my laptop to catch up on some work, sat at a high table in the corner with my favorite large Americano with cream and watched the scene on the street and the constant comings and goings in the shop.
Cupcakes are the specialty of the café and they have upwards of 20 varieties for sale each day. The mixing, baking and decorating are done behind the counter for customers to watch and I admit to watching with great interest as batches of icing were flavored and piped onto the many cupcakes.
Strawberry Shortcake, Black Forest, Coconut Lime, Cookies 'n Cream, Red Velvet, Mocha are just a few of the names. It's as hard to choose your favorite cupcake as it is to pick a favorite ice cream. I guess the best way is to just try a different one every time.
Another feature worth noting in this café is their beautiful washroom with granite counters and glass basin... everything sparkling clean.
This is going to be a favorite spot for locals and visitors.
April 13, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Shopping
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Any time friends come to town and want to do a bit of shopping, I always tell them about the Olde Creek Store on 10th Street, one block south of the Mile O Post. This is one of the most popular stores downtown.
People even come from neighboring towns to shop there because the merchandise is so unique.
The store is reminiscent of an old fashioned mercantile stuffed with a blend of the hottest trends in home décor and personal fashion along side great antiques.
I recently went in looking for a gift basket for friends and ended up buying a bunch of stuff for myself as well.
They have a huge collection of cast iron reproduction hardware. I found a chickadee towel bar and a set of kitchen drawer pulls that I have never seen before.
The next area I checked out was the bath and linens. I fell in love with the Egyptian cotton towels and the tablecloths.
They have really unique clothing and accessories too from around the world.
I had to walk by the big jewelry display on my way to the antiques, and although jewelry didn't fit for the gift basket, I found a wonderful sterling silver bracelet for my pile.
My friend collects antique dinnerware, and I chose a great Royal Dalton teacup that I know she will love and a 1955 Webster's Dictionary in great shape for their collection of antique books.
A couple of stained glass candleholders for me, a sterling silver picture frame and wicker basket for them and I was done.
Tina, the woman behind the counter, decorated the basket and gifts with beautiful tissue and ribbon.
When you come to Dawson Creek, make sure you give your self plenty of time to poke around this store...
March 23, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Snowshoeing
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Last Sunday we went out for our weekly winter exercise. This time we went snowshoeing which is one of my favorite ways to enjoy this beautiful country. It's simple, great cardio exercise and we especially love the quietness. Snowshoes are light, easy to travel with and a great way to hang out with people.
If you need some, they have a great selection of snowshoes at Corlane's Sporting Goods store.
Last Sunday, was a sunny, warm day, great for snowshoeing. We chose a spot near the little village of Rolla, about 10 miles north of the city, which has great bush trails and fields with sweeping views all the way into Alberta. It's beautiful there.
We had just about completely crossed a field when we saw something big moving in the tree line just ahead of us. It moved like a coyote but was a lot bigger. We had our binoculars and little camera with us.
It was a Gray Wolf. Even though common sense told us that he would not bother us, being out in the middle of a field in deep snow with a wolf watching us was scary-exciting.
We stopped and watched the wolf, and the wolf stopped and watched us. We figured we would just wait for it to make the first move and after several minutes the wolf turned and resumed his travels away from us.
When we got home, I looked up Gray Wolves on the Internet and found that there are estimated 7,500 in BC. Life isn't easy for a wolf. Living on large and small game, they only have a 10% success rate with their hunting and so live by feast or famine. I also learned that they often travel 200 kilometers in a day.
A friend told me that a Gray Wolf had been spotted about 30 kilometers from here; maybe it's the same one. The mystery is whether or not there is a pack around.
Whether a local or a visitor, it's important to keep eyes and ears open when you are out an about in the country. There are a lot of wild animals living here. Cameras, binoculars and a cell phone are a good idea. It's also a great idea to mention to someone where you are going.