July 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Campbell River, Beaches & Swimming
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If you're from around Campbell River you already know this spot, But for people traveling or the odd person who just doesn't about Stories Beach - come and relax with the view. A camp fire and hotdogs are always good ways to put a smile on anyone's face and when it comes with a great sand beach and a view like this you feel like staying for a while for sure.
July 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Outdoor Activity Tours
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On Sunday July 12, I made my way across the bumpy road to the longest wooden curved bridge in North America. It is located off of Highway 97N between Fort St John and Dawson Creek, close to the Farmington Store. I was surprised by the amount of motor homes and fifth wheels that were parked on the road, right beside Kiskatinaw Provincial Park. The owners of the vehicles were actually walking across the bridge rather then driving. So I followed suite and parked my truck. Once I got onto the bridge, I understood why people were walking. The scenery was beautiful out there! It was a gorgeous day to begin with but it is nice and quaint out there. The wooden bridge is definitely something that you can’t just drive over and keep on trekking along the highway. There is more then enough room for travelers to pull over, get out and enjoy the scenery as well as the structure of the Kiskatinaw wooden curved bridge.
July 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Festivals & Events
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Being a Canadian resident for all my life, I have never had the opportunity to experience a Canada Day parade. When I found out that the City of Fort St. John has a parade each year on this special day, my body was roaring with excitement. What would this parade entail??? The only parade I have ever experienced in the past was followed by Santa riding a sleigh.
The parade was everything I had hoped for and more. The pride exhibited by the numerous individuals who came out on a cold, rainy day to watch the parade absolutely amazed me. There were residents of all ages waving Canadian flags with excitement. Children and adults had Canadian flags tattooed to their faces and most people wore red and white.
The floats were all very well done. Several exhibited different cultures which I really enjoyed as it reinforced the fact that our country is one big salad bowl. I felt sorry for some of the dancers who danced their way through the parade shoeless in the rain; however they continued to smile and enjoy themselves. I think it was wonderful that there were several live animals, mainly horses, marching as well, which made the event even more festive.
The parade was followed by several booths of activities. I have been told that usually the events are outside however due to the poor weather, they were forced to be in the arena. It didn’t faze the individuals, as they continued to enjoy themselves. There was tons of food, live music, and an enormous Canadian flag made entirely of cupcakes, which, of course, was my favourite part! All in all, the day was an enormous success. I definitely enjoyed my first ever Canada Day Parade!
July 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Surfing & Watersports
Yesterday, July 12th, my family and I went to Swan Lake, BC, about half an hour from Dawson Creek, BC. It was an absolutely gorgeous day outside, and we spent the evening tubing and waterskiing on this glorious lake. The provincial campground here is fantastic, with friendly neighbors, a boat launch, a beach, great fishing, and for a great price (only $15 a night!). We roasted hot dogs over the campfire, and had a truly rich outdoors experience.
This lake is a favourite of locals, and once you’re there, you can see why; it’s large size and crystal surface make a great location for water sports. I would also definitely recommend the fishing, as you can catch Northern Pike, Walleye, and Perch at Swan Lake.
If you want to see some Northern wildlife, Swan Lake is a fantastic place to go. In the few times I have been to Swan Lake, I have seen endangered bald eagles, ducks, loons, beavers, deer, frogs, squirrels, and hummingbirds. Just yesterday I must have seen about 5 loons and 3 or 4 hummingbirds. There are lots of other birds that can be seen on the lake, including woodpeckers and even swans at certain times of the year!
There is also a fantastic bed and breakfast, the Rising Moon B &B, located on Swan Lake. They have awesome amenities, including queen sized feather beds, cable TV, a hot tub and much more! They also have an abundance of activities available, such as pontoon boats, paddle boats, fishing, and wildlife spotting.
I absolutely love Swan Lake, and I can’t speak highly enough about it. You’ll just have to see it for yourself!
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
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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.