August 29, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Attractions
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Fall is such a wonderful time of the year here in the Peace River Country. The nights are getting longer and cooler and there is a smell in the forest that is hard to describe and signals the change in season.
Family from the Kootenays came up with their 5th wheel for a visit so most evenings were spent outside around a firepit, kids roasting marshmallows and adults talking late into the dark.
What a sky we have! It's like an amphitheater above stretching from horizon to horizon.
Each night the sunsets have been spectacular! The sunsets have been followed by the most amazing night sky full of countless stars and a waning moon. Being serenaded by coyotes completes the scene.
There is something timeless and mesmerizing about being outside late into the night, telling stories of childhood adventures and sharing hopes for the future.
This is a great time of the year!
August 25, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, River Rafting
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They say once you drink from the Peace River, you'll always come back.
Friends of ours invited us on a day trip of floating down the Peace River in inflatable rafts. Even the floors of the rafts were filled with air... I felt like we were inside big green marshmallows. We were very comfortable.
We had picnic lunches, cameras and binoculars.
We took our rafts to the junction of the Peace and Beatton Rivers to put in and we floated down to the Clayhurst Bridge where we had vehicles waiting for us.
The Peace River is immense and strong, yet smooth and quiet. The water has been through the W.A.C. Bennett Dam in Hudson Hope with the addition of the Kiskatenaw and Beatton rivers flowing in.
We didn't see any rapids at all in our 5 hours of floating.
We did see eagles, several black bears, deer and a couple of moose. One of the black bears was swimming to a small island near the edge of the river. It's always humbling to see how animals behave in their natural environment without human interference.
We weren't the only people on the river that day. We met a group of river boaters with company from Wisconsin. It was fun to pull off to shore with them and have a visit and a snack and a stretch and the famous symbolic sip of water.
The Peace River leaves a strong impression. Everyone said they would be back.
August 18, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Festivals & Events
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We have such a great Fall Fair here in Dawson Creek. I have been going every year since I was a kid. People from all over the world come to make Rodeo Weekend a holiday.
I love to go early on Saturday morning with a fresh cup of coffee, a few bucks in my pocket and fresh batteries in my camera to take in all the exhibits and competitions.
Every type of animal has it's own facility and over the years, it keeps getting better. All the barns are brightly decorated, there are flowers everywhere and so much to see and appreciate about the agriculture that is the backbone of this community.
I spend the whole day walking around talking to people, looking at the exhibits and watching the various shows. I love seeing cows being groomed, heavy horses pulling great skids of weights, llamas wearing halters, dressage in the light horse ring, displays of grains and quilts and jams and sweet peas. It truly is a wonderful fair!
Over the years, the booths have been built to resemble a western town. There is excellent fair food offered by the local service groups and everyone has their favorites.
There is always great country band in the Watering Hole Beer Gardens and it seems that everyone knows how to two-step. Staying to watch the nightly fireworks is the perfect end of a great day of fun and community.
August 15, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Festivals & Events
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Going for a spin with friends on the Tilt-A-Whirl is one thing, but hanging upside down and being whipped around for 5 minutes in a gravity defying machine is quite another.
It's Fall Fair Days in Dawson Creek and it seemed like the whole region and friends from far and wide show up to celebrate.
A big part of the Fair is the Midway. This year, as usual there were bumper-to-bumper line-ups of people of all ages waiting to get on one of the rides for an adrenalin rush.
Several of those rides are not for the faint of heart.I love the way the Ferris Wheel faces to watch the Chuck Wagon races. We were lucky this time and were loaded first on the Wheel so we got extra airtime while they loaded the rest. We watched a Pro Chuck Wagon race thunder around the track from the best seat in the house, high above.
The Midway wouldn't be the same without the smell of cotton candy, loud music that almost drowns out the screams of delight and the sight of people walking around with stuffed toys they won at a game.
I spent my usual amount tossing rings at little floating duckies and even threw a few darts... no luck this time...
but there is always next year.
August 11, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Dining
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When I lived in the city, I got hooked on Wor Wonton Soup and thought a move to a northern community would mean the end of that. What a great surprise to learn that Dawson Creek has excellent Vietnamese Food.
Tucked away in a small corner of a mini-mall is the Noodle Hut, one of our favorite local restaurants in town (1405 102nd Ave).
The first thing you notice about this little treasure is how small it is and how busy it is. But don't let size fool you. This is a top-drawer restaurant and it's been a part of the community for many years.
The menu is authentic Vietnamese and absolutely delicious. It's licensed and has great service. It's also a favorite take-out in town.
I wish I could vouch for every dish on the menu, but I am so in love with the Wor Wonton Soup and Spring Rolls, I don't seem to order anything else. My friends do and they all have their favorites as well. The portions are very generous and the prices are very reasonable.
Maybe next time I'll order something else... then again... maybe not...
Editor's note: Learn more about some places to dine in Dawson Creek here.
August 08, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Festivals & Events
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Every year we go to the
Kiskatenaw Fall Fair. Tucked away on a country road just off the Hart Highway about a half hour west of Dawson Creek, this old time community fair is a reminder of simpler times.
There is none of the glitz and glimmer found at large exhibitions, this country fair is like down-home cooking.
There is a barn filled with local handcrafts and preserves, a few rows of prize farm animals and 2 days of horse shows.
We always go on the Saturday for the heavy horses pulls. I love to see those huge animals showing what they were raised to do. They skid heavy logs through obstacle courses just like they skidded logs out of the forest when horses did logging. The teams also compete to see who can pull the heaviest loads. It truly is teamwork at it's finest.
The food is home cooked, generous and very affordable. The admission price to the fair is by donation and the atmosphere is friendly and welcoming.
The fair is held at the beginning of August every year and is well attended by locals and visitors alike.
August 04, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Farms & Markets
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Ask anyone who lives in Saskatoon Berry country and they'll tell you they have a favorite spot to pick.
Saskatoons are big, blueberry-like berries that grow on bushes along side the many country lanes here in the Peace River Country. They grow in clusters like grapes and are absolutely delicious and very plentiful.
Mine favorite spot north of town is way off the beaten path and I can only reach it if the roads are dry.
The Saskatoon Bushes are twice as tall as I am with berries the size of small cherries. Of course, the size of the berries also depends on the amount of rain we've had, but I have a great spot regardless.
Being a serious picker I go equipped with a great system. A small bucket attached to a belt at my waist for hands free picking and several bigger buckets to empty my full one into. I like to keep the bigger buckets in a cooler in the trunk of my vehicle.
I also take lots of water, my camera, binoculars (my spot has a fantastic view of a valley), some mosquito spray and hand wipes for very sticky hands.
The berries are ready and I had my first picking. Someone else likes my spot and this year they got there before me. I'm ok with that because not only is there more than enough berries, but they made trails through the underbrush.
So, if you are here in Saskatoon Berry season, grab your buckets and your belt and head out of town on any country road. Look for tall dark bushes in the ditches. If you look closely, you can often make out the purple berries.
Saskatoon pie? Mmmmm...
August 01, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Farms & Markets
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Ask anyone who lives in Saskatoon Berry country and they'll tell you they have a favorite spot to pick.
Saskatoons are big, blueberry-like berries that grow on bushes along side the many country lanes here in the Peace River Country. They grow in clusters like grapes and are absolutely delicious and very plentiful.
Mine favorite spot north of town is way off the beaten path and I can only reach it if the roads are dry.
The Saskatoon Bushes are twice as tall as I am with berries the size of small cherries. Of course, the size of the berries also depends on the amount of rain we've had, but I have a great spot regardless.
Being a serious picker I go equipped with a great system. A small bucket attached to a belt at my waist for hands free picking and several bigger buckets to empty my full one into. I like to keep the bigger buckets in a cooler in the trunk of my vehicle.
I also take lots of water, my camera, binoculars (my spot has a fantastic view of a valley), some mosquito spray and hand wipes for very sticky hands.
The berries are ready and I had my first picking. Someone else likes my spot and this year they got there before me. I'm ok with that because not only is there more than enough berries, but they made trails through the underbrush.
So, if you are here in Saskatoon Berry season, grab your buckets and your belt and head out of town on any country road. Look for tall dark bushes in the ditches. If you look closely, you can often make out the purple berries.
Saskatoon pie? Mmmmm...