July 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Car / Truck / Motorcycle
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Hot weather demands icecream. In my world, that fact is completely non-debatable.
Friday evening, after a morning of overcast and rain, the weather perked up, the sun came out and icecream became the order of the day. With our friends from Edmonton, my mother and I headed out to Fort St. John’s only hard icecream parlour: Peppermint Patty’s.
There are over twenty different flavours and the generous scoops are available in sugar or waffle cones. It was enough to throw my mother’s friend into a fit of indecision that lasted nearly 15 minutes. In the end the girl working there found a more than adequate solution (one flavour to fill the cone; one flavour as the scoop on top) and we all left contented with huge single scoop cones of gourmet icecream.
The prices are a bit steep but when you need a creamy frozen complement to the sun, Peppermint Patty’s is the place to go.
July 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Kayaking & Canoeing
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Now I won’t try to claim that Charlie Lake is a beautiful swimming lake; it’s not. The water is green with algae and swimmer’s itch is more common than not but the shoreline is beautiful and when the sun’s on the water, a kayaker couldn’t be happier.
I’ve been kayaking on the lake for years now and just the other day I finally made time to take my first paddle of the season. The weather was obliging and I had the lake almost entirely to myself. When I finally found my way back to the dock I was relaxed, refreshed, and pretty darn tired (I was on the water for over 2 hours).
Charlie Lake is a relatively small lake, the south end is heavily developed and offers views of both quaint and imposing lake houses, while the north end is largely untouched and offers glimpses of wildlife in and amongst the dense forests and ragged limestone cliffs.
For a kayaker Charlie Lake offers a great afternoon paddle (it’s big enough to go somewhere on but not so large as to whip up dangerous storms) and fishermen will be pleased to note that it is full of a variety of different types of fish. A local fellow offers boat rentals at the south end of the lake on nice days for very reasonable rates or if you happen to meet a local paddler you may just be able to join them on a leisurely (or workout oriented if you prefer) trip on, the fondly nicknamed, Chuck’s Puddle.
July 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Spas & Wellness
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I had always thought that my hometown, Fort St. John, was a desolate, yoga-less abyss. How wrong I was! Upon checking out a locally published brochure on health and wellness I discovered yoga practitioners and teachers at almost all the local gyms as well as several independent yoga studios. I was flabbergasted!
I was also determined to take advantage of this wealth of yogis so I set out to The Sacred Space Yoga Studio one grey morning. The studio was small but soothing, decked with dark wood, mirrors, candles and crystals. The instructor sat at one corner of the room on a sheepskin layered over a yoga mat. She was framed by candles, a gong, and a large willow tree making its home behind her.
After an hour and a half of yoga, meditation, chakra opening, singing, and, most importantly, learning about my breathing I was fairly sold on this musical-meditative-yoga mash-up. I emerged refreshed, relaxed, and largely at peace with the world. The next day I was more than a little stiff, but I guess even with yoga, no pain means no gain.
If you happen to be needing a little realignment, a touch of serenity, or even just a nice dose of stretching, next time you wander through Fort St. John, don’t hesitate to stop by one of the local yoga studios. If The Sacred Space is anything to go by, the local studios know exactly what they are doing!
July 12, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
McBride, River Rafting
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A full day in the Robson valley, on any day of the week, is always a nice break for city folk like myself. Two and a half scenic hours east out of Prince George, past Sugarbowl-Grizzly den and the Ancient Rainforest, the valley floors widen and the hills roll into mountains as you get closer to the BC/Alberta border.
With an unbridled view of Mt. Robson, it is among the thousand-metre peaks over the headwaters of the Fraser River that Mount Robson Rafting begins their whitewater route. A family owned business with roots reaching back to the 1970’s, Mount Robson Rafting offers both scenic float trips for the camera-saavy, and whitewater rafting on the Fraser and Beaver Rivers for the adventurous. While on the Fraser, look forward to Wildcat, Terry Fox and “The Ejector”; just few of the well-known stretches of rapids that will greet and soak you before you drift towards a set of Class V waterfalls. Luckily, a portage route bypasses Rearguard Falls, while you pause and get misted by the falls while guides reset the raft. Float closer to Rearguard Falls and the team’s standby-guide/photographer can get great group photos, and will rip the photos to a CD and have it available at the office before you leave. Continuing downstream, raging torrents roar past gravel bars, eddies and sweepers and you can learn a bit about the local history and geography from your trusty guide. A deep, flat section of water usually invites the wettest and bravest guests for a quick dip as you float to your takeout point near the end of the route.
My time in the Robson Valley was perfect despite scattered thunderstorms looming over the peaks. McBride and area is beautiful, especially in the summer when the valleys are lush with vegetation and wildlife viewing opportunities abound.
July 12, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Hiking
Find more information about Prince George - Hiking
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Even though the Raven Lake Trail in Sugarbowl-Grizzly Den Provincial Park is a bit off the beaten path, it is well worth it in the end. Being only about 90 kilometres from the city (with 16 kilometres being up an old, gravel forestry road) this 10 kilometre round trip is a perfect hike that will both last you the whole day and provide an little bit of a challenge. While the first few kilometres look pretty familiar with it's standard spruce tree composition, as you get higher you will see the change in the forest from sub-alpine to alpine, and than eventually to alpine meadows. Don't be surprised if you run into waist deep snow in the middle of July! After hiking for a couple of hours you will come to majestic Raven Lake, situated at the bottom of a mountain, which is the perfect setting to sit and have lunch at for an hour or so. If you are looking for overnight accomodations, there is a lovely A-frame cabin right on Raven Lake (make sure you bring all of your supplies though) or several tenting pads. Imagine waking up to crisp, mountain air and clear blue sky! If you have room to pack some fishing gear with you, it is worthwhile as Raven Lake is stocked with rainbow trout. When you make it back to your vehicles, you might be a little exhausted. But you will also be exhilarted with being able to find this pristine, mountainous environment fairly close to the city.
Krystin
July 11, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Gibsons, Festivals & Events
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One of my favourite summer activities is Music in the Landing. Gibsons Landing puts on free concerts in various parks every weekend all summer long. Kick off the weekend on Friday nights at the Gazebo, Saturday afternoon by the Visitor's Centre, Saturday night by the marina, and Sunday afternoon at the artisan's market. Every concert features fabulous local talent and the series covers a wide range of musical genres.
Saturday nights are my favourite, as they are a great way to wrap up a long day following the Fiddlehead Farmers' Market. Tonight's show (sorry, forgot the camera) featured Chelsea Crawford and Verna Chan each playing 1 hour sets. Winegarden park is next to the marina. You'll have to imagine sitting by the ocean, watching the boats come in for the evening, with picturesque mountains in the background listening to light jazz. Some people spread out the blanket and have a picnic. Others stroll by with gelato from down the street. Everyone greets their friends and neighbours who have come out for the evening. Kids run freely in the back with plenty of space for tag and other games. By evening, temperatures slip into the 60's and with a light ocean breeze a jacket or a blanket is required.
What a fabulous way to spend a Saturday night! I can't wait for next week.
July 11, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Attractions
It all started off innocently enough with a lovely sunny morning stroll through peaceful streets to indulge my senses at the weekly Farmer's Market. For those of you who are wondering, the market is held Saturdays at 8am to 12:30pm from May to October at the Co-Op Mall on 103 Ave and 8th St, a short distance to drive or walk from the well equipped and very friendly NAR Visitor Centre.
The Market was every bit as eclectic as I had hoped and as I approached I was excited to see a variety of locally made goodies including everything from tie-die shirts and dresses to fresh rhubarb to hand tied fishing flies. The selection in the additional covered area was equally as eclectic and I managed to have some great chats with some of the vendors, even convincing a few to just maybe come and visit my home turf of the Yukon. Just an added bonus.
After I had spent all my hard earned cash on such irresistible items such as locally homemade Bumbleberry Jam, Black Current Syrup and some funky one of a kind jewelry that can only be bought at a street market, I decided to wend my way to points beyond.
I walked through the serene streets lined with the most beautiful hanging baskets I have ever seen over to the Alaska House on the corner of 102 Ave and 10th St - the intersection containing the historic Mile Zero monument, I spent well over an hour in the Alaska House including watching a captivating film about the awe inspiring construction of the Alaska Highway in 1942. The film was above and beyond anything I have seen until now and I surprisingly learned a few things that I had not realized even after living for 20 years on the Alaska Highway in the Yukon Territory myself.
This is almost when I became a star - albeit a temporary one!
The missing link right now for this entry is the fact the 15th Annual Summer Cruise-Show and Shine Event for original, restored classic and will-be classic cars from all over BC and Alberta is happening this weekend. There are some very proud owners and sweet looking rides circulating through town all shined up and in immaculate condition. The weekend event is a must-do for everyone whether one considers themselves an enthusiast or not. The town of Dawson Creek and the Mile Zero Cruisers have definitely created an event that will last for years to come.
The Summer Cruise folks were having a scavenger hunt throughout town for what I'm assuming must be great fun due to the enthusiasm and smiles on the faces of everyone I saw participating. This is when my modeling career began!
One task for teams was to find tourists, get their names, hometowns, give a pin to and take a picture with said tourist - each team needing to find four tourists each to participate! Well, I decided to jump head first into the persona of volunteer-tourist-for-pose. I had a large stash of Yukon logo pins handily in my bag and as the pics snapped, appropriate scavenger hunt forms filled out - the pins were flying back and forth between us and I'm wondering honestly who had more fun - the great folks I met or myself - I'm thinking me!
I'm out of alloted words - so hang on for the rest of my adventures in beautiful, friendly Dawson Creek!!!
July 11, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Car / Truck / Motorcycle
On Wednesday, July 8, 2009 my children and I decided to visit the "Walter Wright Pioneer Village" in Dawson Creek, BC. It was an amazing trip and we saw many wonderful exhibits. My children especially liked the old school house - they thought writing with old-fashioned ink pens was so cool! They had each exhibit very well displayed with many historic items to see and marvel over. The absolute best part of the trip though was the vintage style photo studio.
My girls and I went in and she had the coolest pictures and props in there. We decided to get our picture taken dressed in the 'pioneer style' and she gave us the coolest costumes to put on. After she had taken our picture, she asked if we would like to go outside and do a couple poses out there. We thought that was great! She set it up so that it looked like we were having a 'pioneer picnic'. They turned out so nice!
I was was really impressed with the service there and I thought the prices were reasonable. I'd definately recommend stopping by there to check it out!
July 10, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Attractions
The Mile 0 post in Dawson Creek is the one thing that tourists must have a picture of. I was quite intriqued to learn about the history of the post as it is not the orginal. The first post was located in the traffic circle as was foolishly run over by a drunk driver. The city felt that this post was important and decided to design a new one to honour all the hard work of building the Alaska Highway. Since then, this post has made its way to Vancouver when the engineering students stole it from UBC, been set on fire and has had endless men and women tied to it the night before their wedding. Due to all its adventures, the post is now metal and bolted to the cement. Make sure you look both ways though before you get your picture taken with post as you are jaywalking.
July 10, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Car / Truck / Motorcycle
So much hard work and dedication has been done in this museum. I absolutely love animals and having the chance to see them up close and personal was amazing. My hat goes off to the South Peace Historical Society.