August 14, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Parks
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Whew, temperatures are soaring in the Peace and heaven knows we need a place to cool off. Dawson Creek has just the place for that. A little man-made swimming watering hole that is located on the North end of town. The area is now open to the public and is a great location to have a picnic, or play outdoor activities, in and out of the water!
On this particular ‘hot’ day in Dawson Creek, I took my book and sat beneath a tree for a couple of hours ~ it was quite serene. For the family goers, there are public washrooms and a kid’s playground available. There is also the Walter Wright Pioneer Village just a hop, skip and jump across the way to take a tour through. The village is a wonderful break from the water activities and is a step back in time with a collection of historic artifacts from in and around the Dawson Creek area. This is a definite hot spot to check out (or should I say cool spot) on a warm summer day in Dawson Creek!
August 11, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Festivals & Events
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I have been anticipating the arrival of the annual fall fair to Dawson Creek since I got here ~~ and the time has come. Last night I was eager to take in the Chuckwagon races. Here there was a show of Western and World Class Professional Chuckwagon racers. I have to say I have never realized the importance nor the difficulty that an out-rider has in this sport. Needless to say there were already vendors set up on the mid way….food, food and more food. From what I saw there was 2 watering holes which are going to have nightly entertainment. One cannot forget that tomorrow morning is a fall parade, which is going to be huge and great for the families. Did I mention how exciting these Chuckwagon Races are!! It is non-stop action packed with horses, cowboys, outriders, dirt, dust and cheering fans. If you are in the Peace Region be sure to come and check out the fall fair in Dawson Creek.
August 07, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Outdoor Activity Tours
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This is something that I have wanted to do since the day I came to Dawson Creek, that was to get up and see the Wind Turbines (British Columbia’s first commercial wind facility). When you are coming into Dawson Creek you cannot miss the turbines lined up on the west side of the highway. There are 34 of them, and each one will produce enough energy to power 1000 homes. From the highway these turbines seem small but when up close the power of these giants is absolutely amazing and exhilarating.
I stopped at the Visitor information center in Dawson Creek and the counselors there were helpful and gave me directions as well as an informative pamphlet of the ‘Bear Mountain Wind Park’. It takes about 20 minutes to get there. Be sure to take a lunch because there are many places that are great viewpoints (picture taking) and picnic areas. There is some good hiking up there from turbine 0 to 25 is a distance of about 8km along the Rim Rocks hiking trail. Great look out on turbine #18 too!
Did I mention the size of the turbines and the power? These guys are 78 meters tall and weigh over 215 tonnes each. The blades on the turbines are 41 meters in length and weigh approximately 7 tonnes. You really have to be there to experience the marvel of these machines.
Whether visiting Dawson Creek or a resident, if you have not taken a ½ a day to explore ‘Bear Mountain Wind Park’ be sure to do it. It is something that has to be seen and experienced up close and personal.