July 17, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Museums
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Have you taken part in the Smithers Culture Crawl yet? I worked my way through this self-guided tour and learned a lot about the history of Smithers!
First stop: I picked up my self-guided-tour-pamphlet at the BV Museum (corner of Main St & Hwy 16) and viewed the displays there before venturing out for the rest of the tour. Don't miss the exhibit about the household items that was invented by one of the ingenuous locals!
Next, I walked the one block over to Safeway, where I learned how our great recreational ski facilities came to be - love the retro ski suits! I then headed down Main St to Schimmels Fine Pastries to see the photos depicting the early Dutch settlers and the difficulties that faced our first farmers...and of course I couldn't help but enjoy a nice big apple turnover while I was there! Down the street in Hometown Furniture, I learned about our earliest Swiss settlers who arrived shortly before the previously mentioned Dutch settlers. After a quick hop over to the Old Church located at King St & 1st Ave to see the beautiful gardens (which are particularly lush this year thanks to all the rain!), I ventured over into the residential part of town to see a couple of the Aladdin Company "Kit Homes" that were built here in 1920. I've driven by these houses plenty of times without realizing the history behind them, so it was really neat to learn their story!
It was really neat learning about Smithers' history within the present downtown setting, and I sure couldn't complain about the chance to eat some tasty pastries along the way either! This is definitely a great tour to check out when you're in Smithers
July 15, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Festivals & Events
This morning, I checked out the BMW Vintage & Classic Car Club of America's display of antique cars on Main St here in Smithers. They've been touring around Western Canada, and their stop in Smithers coincides with the BV Museum's celebration of the 100th anniversary of the first automobile to drive overland from the US to the Bulkley Valley. I really enjoyed seeing all the BMW cars and motorbikes from every decade - including the oldest one from 1937. I would have been happy to take home one of the zippy little red convertables, but my favourite was definitely the 1940's vintage touring car!
After a short parade, they'll be rolling on to Prince George, so be sure to check them out in Prince George if you missed them in Smithers!
July 14, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Sightseeing Tours
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I recently hosted a couple of Australian travellers and although they'd been in our fine province for a few months already, they had not yet seen a moose. So we piled into my car and drove into the beautiful outskirts of Smithers to get them a photo of a moose!
We headed East and turned onto the Babine Lake Road. This turns into a gravel forestry road just a few kilometers out of town, but it's a nice wide & smooth road. We continued on this road for about an hour - out past the trail heads for the Babine Provincial Park and on to Chapman Lake, which is approximately 50km from Smithers. I've been told that Chapman Lake is swarming with moose, but they must have all been hiding this evening. As a consolation prize, we saw 2 black bear and a stunning view of the mountains, so we weren't too sad about the lack of moose! We enjoyed the quiet views of Chapman Lake (featured in the attached photo) for a short while, then jumped back in the car to head home. We took one of the many detours that the road home offers - just a few kilometers from town, we turned right onto the Telkwa High Road and drove to Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park. No moose here either, but a fox came right up to our car to check us out! We then drove the final leg of our trip home via the Old Babine Lake Rd (more stunning mountain views!) and came upon a deer with a fawn so small that it hardly reached the mom's belly! This was definitely the smallest deer I've ever seen!
So, still no moose for my Australian company, but some other great wildlife finds and mountain scenery that's hard to beat!
July 14, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Sightseeing Tours
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Twin Falls is definitely one of the more popular trails in Smithers (see past blogs on the hike to the falls!), but did you know that you can see these stunning falls without even breaking a sweat?
Recently I had the urge for a picnic with a view but was not in the mood to pack my mini BBQ up some slippery mountain trail for 2 hours! Instead, I headed out to Twin Falls. Many people hurry along to the end of the trail for the close-up views of the falls, but I decided to set up lunch at the picnic tables that are just to the right of the large map near the head of the trail. I would say that this is approximately a 45 second walk from the parking lot. Here, I sat at 1 of the 2 tables and enjoyed a panoramic view of the whole mountainside (including both waterfalls of course) and the sound of rushing water filling the air (good thing the pit toilets were only 45 seconds away in the parking lot!). This short walk was only minimally sloped and is well groomed, so it would be great for those folks with young kids or mobility difficulties.
Whether you're a hiking enthusiast or someone looking for a nice view without the workout, Twin Falls can offer something for everyone!
July 11, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
New Hazelton, Historic & Heritage Sites
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If you're travelling in Northwest BC, the 'Ksan Historical Village & Museum is a stop that should not be missed! I recently visited the site and was really impressed by the tour that I received. The tour will cost $10 instead of the $5 fee for just wandering around, but it's WELL worth it!
My tour guide showed our small group into each of the 3 clan houses where an audio tour led us through each part of the detailed displays. My favourite was the Fireweed house, which featured the masks, clothing, and props used in ceremonies and celebrations - keep an eye out for the one-horned goat!
After our tour, I visited the site's museum and gift shop. Did you know that this was the very first First Nations museum in the country? Me neither!
I really enjoyed my first visit to the ‘Ksan Historical Village, and I’ll definitely be going back again soon!
July 11, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
New Hazelton, Historic & Heritage Sites
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I recently visited the New Hazelton area and ventured up to Kispiox. If you travel down Totem Drive in Kispiox, it will lead you straight to 10 totem poles erected near the place where the Kispiox and Skeena Rivers meet. Each pole is completely different from the next in height, diameter, and the carved figures. I found it interesting that some of the poles were only carved partway up, and others featured birds or other animals perched on top while others had bare tops. I’ll definitely have to do some research into the meaning of this…or better yet, stop by the Kispiox cultural centre where they provide guided tours of the poles – I’m sure they’d know exactly why this is!
Seeing these 10 poles side-by-side really helped me appreciate the amount of time and skill that goes in to creating each pole. I’m hoping to travel to Kitwanga and Gitanyow to see the totem poles in those villages as well!
August 10, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Attractions
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Last weekend, me and a few friends headed to Bubba Baloo's here in Prince George to play some laser tag! For $14, we played three games (and yeah, I even won one!) and had a blast doing it! The course is pretty big, and there are lots of obstacles to jump over, hide behind, and summersault out from.
After we'd had our fill of lasers, we played some of the games and earned ourselves enough prize tickets to trade in for a couple of sticky hands (remember those? The gummy hands that your mom would never let you play with on the furniture?)
Bubba Baloo's is a great place to be active and have fun - whether rain or shine!
August 10, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince Rupert, Sightseeing Tours
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Earlier this summer I visited Prince Rupert. There were tons of fun things to do there, but one of my favourites was a walk around Moresby Park. A small network of trails went around and over a creek, and the sound of rushing water along with the nice shady, forested trail made our short time in the park really enjoyable.
Due to the major moisture in the park, the plant life around the trail is awesome - moss covers many of the tree and ground surfaces and there are different kinds of ferns and other unique plants everywhere you look. I especially enjoyed the way the trees grow right out of the hillside next to the trail, displaying their impressive root systems.
If you're visiting Prince Rupert and looking for a great walking trail, be sure to check out Moresby Park!
August 10, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Sightseeing Tours
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The view from Connaught Hill in downtown Prince George is great! A friend and myself grabbed a coffee and went up onto the hill to enjoy some conversation with a view. The gardens as you crest the hill are beautiful, and the rest of the park is equally as nicely groomed. We wandered slowly around the perimeter of the park to take in the 360-degree view. This lets you take in the feature of the Nechako and Fraser Rivers meeting, the whole downtown area, and other nearby neighborhoods as well.
My favourite Connaught Hill fun fact: in the early 1900s, PG had one of the world's only 2 illuminated olympic sized ski jumps...and jumpers landed right where the art gallery now stands.
There are many nice parks from which to get an overhead view of PG, but Connaught Hill's gardens and panoramic views make it the best in town!
August 10, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Fishing
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A couple of times over the summer, I took advantage of Tourism Prince George's free fishing rods (yes, free!) and tried fishing at 2 lakes right within city limits.
My first try, I headed to Ferguson Lake, located north of the city. This lake has a nice little dock and is stocked with trout. My bait apparently wasn't quite tastey enough, but the 6-year old kid next to me was having a really good day! Hmmph.
My next fishing excursion was at Shane Lake, within the Forests for the World park. The lake is just a 10 minute walk in from the parking lot and also has a dock to fish from. The trout here stole the bait right off my hook, but nothing more than a nibble for this amateur.
Obviously I need to work on my fishing skills, so I'll have to borrow Tourism PG's rods again sometime!
Editor's note: Learn more about fishing in Prince George here.