December 31, 2008 | Tips from Travellers >
Harrison Hot Springs, Hot Springs
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South Garden Bed and Breakfast in Harrison was the most wonderful place to stay. The service and food were amazing, the surroundings breathtaking (even in snow) and the room was fantastic. We are soo happy we stayed there and would absolutely recommend it to others without hesitation!!!
December 29, 2008 | Tips from Travellers >
Rossland, Cross-Country Skiing
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Had the most magical evening last night in Rossland. We went with Le Petit Fromage to a cabin out at the BlackJack Cross Country Ski Club. It was wonderful- Bridget had the cabin warmed up by fire and the table dressed for a banquet! We skiied out (took us about 30 minutes) and had a fabulous meal- Cheese fondue, cold meats, salad and to finish it off chocolate fondue. The ski back took us a bit longer (may have been due to the schnapps, beer and wine which we consumed!) This was a fantastic and authentic Kootenay experience- would highly recommend it to others.
December 23, 2008 | Tips from Travellers >
Chilliwack, Hiking
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most of the way up mount webb in chilliwack lake provincial park is radium lake .this is a moderate 15 km. hike from the footbridge by the campground. this area was opened by british royal engineers training between ww1 and ww2. .they named the alpine lakes for the beautiful green colour of the water. flora,greendrop,and radium lakes. the trail was very scenic, with alpine meadows and dark old growth rainforest. the trail follows and crosses radium creek fort he over 900 meter climb.there are numerous log bridges and a wild suspension bridge on the way, along with historical ruins of charles lindemans old sattelite hunting cabins.upon reaching the lake i was impressd by the rugged beauty of it all. it was definitely worth all the effort.
December 23, 2008 | Tips from Travellers >
Chilliwack, Hiking
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In May i went camping at Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park.The hiking trails were closed by snow, and water levels so high that the boat launch was inacsessible.My neighbour suggested we drive to the south end of the lake and hike in to the reserve. The 11.5 km. road is not suitable for cars, but a 2 wheel drive truck is no problem (use caution).As we neared the end of the road, Depot Creek was washing over the road, so we decided to add an extra kilometer to the hike and not drive through as the ability to drive out would be uncertain. The easy trail is normally 5.4 km. return. Along the way there is a visible line where 2nd growth forest meets old growth.There is a beautiful sandy beach here, but it was under 1 meter of water. The trail ends opposite the mouth of the south chilliwack river. This part is a narrow peninsula with an old beaver pond to the south and lake to north. Near here my hiking partner walked right past a rare and endangered spotted owl. It was napping about 3 meters off the trail, and resembled a boulder. On the return trip it had moved to better cover about 10 meters off the trail. This place is so beautiful i wish i could post all the photos.
December 23, 2008 | Tips from Travellers >
Merritt, Camping
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One of 2 lakes in Kentucky-Alleyne Provincial Park, Alleyne lake is about 40 km. from Merritt, just southeast of Aspen Grove. The lake is a stunning turquoise colour that changes with the light This is mainly due to the mineral content and depth. The lakes were created when huge chunks of ice fell from retreating glaciers and sunk in the surrounding mud. The beautiful white sand on the shore is seashells ground up by the glaciers. Be careful near the water's edge,as this sand is like quicksand. Many intact seashells can be found near shore. The calcium supports a large population of gammarus shrimp which impart a tastiness to the 2 to 3 kg. rainbow trout . The smaller potholes between the 2 lakes are stocked with trout and fishing in these kettles is restricted to young people. The mule deer population is numerous and they have little fear of humans. They regularly browse throug the campground, and caution should be used as the does with fawns can be agressive and territorial. Osprey fish the lakes regularly, and often land to rest in the old nest just out of sight from the campground. The park staff are excellent people, and keep the pit toilets very clean.i have been here twice and will return again in may when the ice is gone and the water is re-oxygenated.
December 22, 2008 | Tips from Travellers >
Kimberley Alpine Resort, Skiing & Snowboarding
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We have just heard from some of friends in the states about this fantastic new air service into Canadian Rockies International. Non-stop service from Salt Lake City, Utah. This air service gives you access to some of the best skiing in the Canadian Rockies- with less than 12 minute drive to Kimberley Alpine Resort, and or about 1hr to either powderful Fernie Alpine Resort or Panorama Mountain Village. There are also great seat sale prices for packages now available. So this might be the best way to access the Canadian Rockies as in the past many would use the Calgary, Alberta gateway. But now with this new Delta Air Service it is much easier to land in British Columbia and have quicker access to skiing and no mountain passes to drive. In fact it might be the closest airport in Canada to skiing!!
Also it is great to see all of the resorts that are served by this flight are now fully open and have great skiing and riding conditions
December 20, 2008 | Tips from Travellers >
Duncan, Breweries, Distilleries & Cideries
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I'm from Duncan on Vancouver Island and when my husband I were out for a drive about two weeks ago we saw some signs for Merridale Ciderworks, so we said, "Why not?" and we checked it out.
This place is amazing! It's an estate cidery tucked away on Merridale Road (a side road on Cameron Taggart rd.) and they have the nicest views! As soon as we walked in the door we were greeted by the hostess and asked if it was our first time visiting. When we said it was, she offered us to go on their self-guided tour of the distillery to learn more about the process of cider-making, and once we finished that, we went back inside and had a tasting of several different types of their cider (our favourite was the Scrumpy! mmm!).
After the tasting, we had lunch in their bistro (I think it was called the Pommeraie Bistro) and the food was FANTASTIC! My husband had the chicken pot pie and I had the lamb burger and everything was locally grown and organic, and the waitresses were friendly and helpful. I can't believe we had never been to this place before, but now that we know it's there, we've been twice since that first day!
I definitely recommend Merridale Cidery for anyone who wants good food in a warm (literally, they have a fireplace!), friendly venue. And if you want a laugh, go to the tasting bar, Darcy is hilarious! :)
December 09, 2008 | Tips from Travellers >
Delta, Bird Watching
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Every November, I get a fantastic birthday present that arrives from Russia. Actually, I get tens of thousands of birthday presents – and every single one of them is hungry and honking.
Sound like a birthday disaster? Not for bird nerds like me. I look forward to this time each year, when tens of thousands of snow geese arrive at
Delta’s Reifel Bird Sanctuary. It’s the perfect gift (just don’t try wrapping it).
In total, up to 80,000 Lesser Snow Geese make the 4,000-km trek from their arctic breeding grounds on Russia’s Wrangel Island to their wintering grounds on the Fraser River estuary.
Once the geese reach their wintering grounds, they hang out in dense flocks of about 20,000 birds and chow down on tasty grasses, weeds and marsh plants. When they take flight, it’s a feathery explosion: thousands of wings and beaks make a lot of noise.
My favourite place to view the snow geese is when they land in a field near the road (as seen in the above photo). However, they could be anywhere. During my visit this year, they munching and socializing near the river, so goose-watching involved Reifel’s viewing tower and a pair of binoculars.
If you're interested in checking out the snow geese, here are a few tips:
> The sanctuary says that the best times to view them are mid-Oct. to mid-Dec. and mid-March to mid-April.
> Check with the admission booth at the sanctuary for details on where to best spot the snow geese when you visit. Depending on where the geese are located, you may not need to enter the sanctuary, but I recommend it. It’s a beautiful place to go for a walk.
> There is a very small admission fee to enter the bird sanctuary (adults: $4, kids and senior: $2).
> Bring binoculars and keep an eye out for all the other great wildlife in around the sanctuary. On my last visit, I saw a barred owl, a black-crowned night heron and sandhill cranes.
December 08, 2008 | Tips from Travellers >
Tofino, Camping
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I have a soft spot for
Tofino. Sure, it’s foggy (most mornings), it rains (more than 10 feet a year) and it’s not exactly a hot weather beach destination (always pack a toque, even in summer), but there’s something special about this ocean-hugged town.
On past Tofino camping trips, I’ve battled tarps blowing off tents, prepared burritos in sideways rain, and peeked into tidepools while desperately clutching a wind-blown umbrella.
So when the sun finally does shine, I feel like I’ve earned it.
This past summer, a group of friends and I were lucky enough to experience one of those spectacularly sunny days. We surfed, cooked burgers on the beach, watched bald eagles and looked for sea stars and anemones – all under a bright blue sky. It was almost enough to make me forget about the sideways-rain-burrito-incident (almost).
The photo above is from the tail end of that blue-sky day, as we tried to find a way to hold on to those final moments of Tofino sunshine.
If you’re planning a summer trip to Tofino and the weather forecast is looking rather un-summer-like, here are some wet-weather tips:
> Exploring the beach can still be fun on a rainy day, as long as you have good wet weather gear. Umbrellas are tricky to handle when it’s windy, so opt for rain jackets, hats and rubber or waterproof boots.
> You can still
surf if it’s raining. A wetsuit will keep you warm in the water, regardless of whether the water is in ocean or rain format. If you do surf in wet weather, keep your warm clothes/towels in a plastic storage bin on the beach or in your vehicle. There’s nothing worse than “drying off” with a cold, wet towel.
> The
Wickaninnish Interpretive Centre is a favourite place of mine to visit on a rainy day. Enjoy a hot chocolate from the
neighbouring café and watch the waves.
> If you’re camping, bring a couple of tarps. You (or your friends who forgot a tarp) will be thankful you packed them.
> It’s foggy most mornings, but don’t despair. The fog often burns off mid-afternoon.