December 28, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Sightseeing Tours
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Our flight left Dawson Creek on a very cold and clear day in early winter. There were a couple of inches of snow on the ground.
For the most of the flight, we saw snow covered mountains. As we got closer to Greater Vancouver, the snow thinned and the mountains were green.
The skies in Vancouver were clear and our flight took us on a great sight seeing tour.
From our chairs in the sky, we saw the ocean, Vancouver Island and big empty cargo ships sitting in the Burrard Inlet, the Lions Gate Bridge with 2 lanes of traffic going one way and one going the other. We saw the seawall and industrial parks and the skyscrapers of downtown Vancouver.
We really noticed the miles and miles of urban sprawl that stretched farther than our eyes could see.
Our plane landed after an hour and twenty minutes in the air and we disembarked into pleasant weather and enjoyed a city weekend in a beautiful city.
December 22, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Vancouver, Arts, Culture & History Tours
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On our last trip from Dawson Creek to Vancouver, we had 3 days to hang around and explore the city.
So much had changed since our last visit. We stayed in Fort Langley so when we went into the city, we crossed the Port Mann Bridge and saw the massive construction project and were amazed at how efficient the huge volume of traffic made it's way deeper into the city.
We were awed by the housing developments where whole hillsides being cleared for whole new communities. There was growth and prosperity evident everywhere.
Stanley Park, the Aquarium and the Sea Wall were a full day adventure and we took the long way around across the Ironworkers Bridge, along Marine Drive and back over the Lions Gate Bridge.
We hadn't been to Stanley Park since the big storm a few years ago when so much damage was done to the forest, and even though evidence of lost trees are everywhere, the park is as beautiful as always and parkway drive along the water was a real treat for inland dwellers.
For some reason, the lineups to the Vancouver Aquarium were long, but worth the wait. The aquarium was bustling and there was so much to see.
One of our other trips into the city was to watch the Canucks play at GM Place. We took the Sky Train from Surrey right to the stadium. It's great to relax, enjoy the views and be a passenger.
I think we crossed most of the bridges in those 3 days. We got our fill of traffic and business and it was with a big sigh of relaxation when we saw the Welcome to Dawson Creek sign outside of our small city and were home.
December 20, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Whistler, Skiing & Snowboarding
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Join Santa Claus as he skis around Whistler sharing the Christmas
Spirit of snow with others! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
December 14, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Festivals & Events
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The annual Old Fashioned Christmas Festival sponsored by the Rotary Club of Dawson Creek is held at Pioneer Village and is free to the public.
I went to meet up with some friends and was impressed to see so many people there.
As chance had it, the temperature climbed from a chilly -20 to a balmy -5 on the day of the outdoor festival and many in the community took full advantage of the reprieve from the cold.
It was dark already by the time the festivities began at 6pm and the Village was all lit up. There were two teams of horses giving rides to sleighs full of people, bonfires strategically placed around the village for hand warming and marshmallows and Santa hats everywhere.
Christmas carols were being played while hot dogs, hot chocolate and cookies were being passed out to everyone.
Chestnuts were actually being roasted on an open fire and the gentleman who was manning the roasting pan was being kept busy by an eager audience of young and old alike. I tried my first one and it was delicious. Kind of nutty.
December 08, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Art Galleries & Artists
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We went to the Art Gallery in Dawson Creek for the annual opening of the Christmas Gift Show and Sale.
The Grain Elevator Gallery is one of the few places in the city that is big enough to house a 15 or so foot Christmas tree, and I learned that each year, the Art Gallery uses all it's decorations from the previous year to decorate trees downtown to be auctioned off as a fund raiser.
The Gallery was bursting at the seams with top-drawer work from artists and artisans from the bottom gift shop and lobby all the way up the spiraling ramps that go to the top.
I saw woodwork, jewelry, pottery, watercolors, stained glass, fiber arts, soaps & lotions, metalwork and Christmas decorations. I checked a lot of the names on my gift list for the season.
There were trays of goodies and glasses of punch being served the whole time I was there. At 2 pm a local woman's choir came in to sing carols for an hour.
This annual event is a favorite for many shoppers whether they live in the community or come in as visitors and it's always well attended. It's more than just going shopping; it's a chance to participate in a celebration of community, art and Christmas. I wouldn't miss it.
December 02, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Fernie Alpine Resort, Skiing & Snowboarding
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Spectacular early season snowfall allows Fernie Alpine Resort to open one week early and all five bowls. You know the snow is deep when the talk in the local pub starts out like this "back in the day"... "before the road came through the cornices were 30 feet..." Often it's the old-timers from the railroad sharing the tales with the Pro Ski Patrol team at Fernie Alpine Resort.
So far this season is shaping up to be one of those historic winters that the old timers tell tall tales about. We have snowbanks high in town now and Fernie Alpine Resort received 8 feet of snowfall in the month of November alone!
December 01, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Festivals & Events
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The weather for this year's annual Tree Light Up was a bit chilly, it was minus 20 something on the morning of November 19, and we almost decided to stay home by the fire instead of getting all bundled up and driving in to town, but we had arranged to meet some friends, so away we went.
The City of Dawson Creek moved the Mile O Post to a temporary location at the Northern Alberta Railway Park, a block north of it's usual home and put up a 35-40 foot tree in it's place and draped it with multi-colored lights. The streets have been decorated with big white snowflakes and it really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas here.
I'm glad we went because it turned out to be a great community party and the cold weather actually added to the fun.
It's nice to offer events like this to both the people who live here and also the many who find themselves far away from home and staying in our hotels, motels and bed & breakfasts.
Many of the local businesses were open for the light up celebration and some were handing out hot chocolate, hot cider, popcorn and even glow sticks.
There were kids of all ages mingling around and of course Santa was there too.