June 30, 2008 | Tips from Travellers >
Nanaimo, Kayaking & Canoeing
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So often living here on the island we forget to stop and take the time to really enjoy all the benefits of living in paradise. Well the other week through a series of events I was 'forced' to take a paddle from the dock of the Dinghy Dock pub back down the Newcastle Channel. As I paddled (and towed!) the rental kayaks back I hugged the shoreline of Newcastle Island. I had a great little converstation with two raccoons digging in the sand. The waters of the channel were calm and the a brillant green. Passing boaters waved, and float planes passed overhead. Here I was right in front of the second largest city on the island I truly felt a million miles away.
There is really only one kayak rental outlet in town, they offer great tours of all levels too. So you can enjoy a slice of paradise too.
June 28, 2008 | Tips from Travellers >
Courtenay, Art Galleries & Artists
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In Courtenay, on Vancouver Island, I discovered Spirits of the West Coast Gallery. They show Native American jewelry and native art including Haida art, Haida prints and Kwakiutl masks. Beautiful carvings and sculptures made of yellow and red cedar, yew wood, box
wood, alder and argillite. Original Native
Indian Jewelry made of gold, silver, argillite. Stunning painting and prints. Friendly people who have personal contact with the
artists and masters from the Haida and Kwakiutl Nations. I highly recommend this gallery.
June 26, 2008 | Tips from Travellers >
Vancouver, Air / Airports
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I'm not much of a flyer, but recently took my first floatplane return trip Vancouver-Victoria and am a total convert! What can be better than hopping aboard a plane right in Vancouver's downtown, and flying over sandflats, houses, the Lion's Gate Bridge, beautiful islands, vast expanses of water and golf courses, before touching down in Victoria's central harbour a mere 35-minutes later? I love the ferry ride, certainly, but you can't beat the speed and fun of bundling aboard a little plane and peering into the blue below (I even spotted an eagle and what I think was a dolphin or a small grey whale - yes, I'm certain it wasn't a rock or a log)! We flew over with
Harbour Air, and I heartily recommend the journey. Next time you need to nip over to the island, it's the only way to go. It's quick, and while not cheap, makes it easier to get to where you want to be. Plus, the views are incredible!
June 26, 2008 | Tips from Travellers >
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, Wildlife Tours
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On a recent trip to Golden, I came face-to-face with a grizzly bear. A huge, hairy and – from what I could tell – hungry grizzly bear.
Luckily for me, though, this bear was also behind a fence. And he seemed too preoccupied with a peanut to notice me standing fifteen feet away.
I never thought I’d see a grizzly bear use the back of his plate-sized paw as a platter while he delicately crunched a peanut shell to get to the nuts inside. But, I saw this – and much more – on a Grizzly Refuge Tour at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort.
The Grizzly Refuge at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is home to Boo, a grizzly that was orphaned as a cub. Boo's refuge, located right on the ski hill, is approximately twenty acres – the largest protected and enclosed grizzly habitat in the world.
Our small tour group rode the chairlift to reach the refuge and to meet Jubilee, an expert on Boo and all things grizzly. Jubilee gave us a run-down of how the refuge tour works; basically, Boo does whatever he wants to do.
On this particular day, Boo decided that he wanted hang out near the perimeter of the fence, which meant I could see a grizzly doing grizzly things: rubbing up against a favourite tree, splashing in a large pool of water, and foraging for food.
Boo forages for naturally occurring food in the refuge, but his diet is also supplemented to make sure he gets all the nutrients he needs. So, in addition to roots and grasses, he looks for nuts, fruits, veggies and meat that the bear experts toss over the fence or drop from the gondola (which stretches over his enclosure).
Throughout the Grizzly Refuge Tour, we wandered alongside the fence while Jubilee gave a running commentary on Boo and bears in general. She was very open to answering all of our bear questions, and taught us some neat bear facts. For example, did you know that female bears give birth during hibernation?
I also checked out the interpretive hut at the refuge. My favourite part of the hut was seeing how my hand dwarfed in comparison to a big male grizzly paw (made from a mold of a paw imprint).
If you’re interested in bears, this is an incredible opportunity to learn about grizzlies... and maybe even see Boo himself.
For lots more details on Boo and the Grizzly Refuge, visit: http://www.kickinghorseresort.com/activities/bear/bio.asp
June 25, 2008 | Tips from Travellers >
Naramata, Wineries & Vineyards
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Just back from the Okanagan. We had a great time touring around and had one of those idyllic lunches by the lake. The weather which had not been that great, warmed up and we found the patio at Lake Breeze winery (Naramata) just at the right time.
The lunch was excellent and the suggested wine pairings went very well. Our server was able to tell us about the food when we asked if it was local. Sadly not everything was!
Highly recommend a visit.
Warmly,
Frank
June 25, 2008 | Tips from Travellers >
Vancouver, Dining
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I had great seafood on Granville Island during my last trip to Vancouver. I don't remember the name of the restaurant, but the miso seared black cod was fabulous, and the fresh oysters were great too.
June 23, 2008 | Tips from Travellers >
McBride, Sightseeing Tours
Recently my friends and I were ATVing up the cottonwood, which is located in McBride. We saw lots of interesting things, such as wildlife, avalanche areas, and waterfalls. While travelling up, we stopped at a waterfall, hiked up where the waterfall was, and we found a little cave. Even though the cave wasn't very large, it was still very beautiful. We also stopped at a burner, which was used when there was a mill up the cottonwood. The burner is close to the river and is a great place to just stop and relax. After that we travelled 35 kilometers up, which goes to a trappers cabin. At the cabin there is a fire pit, and the river is close by. Although the cabin was locked, we had a fire, has smores, and had a great time. This ATVing trip in McBride was lots of fun and I would reccommed it to anyone who is going to be travelling in BC.
June 20, 2008 | Tips from Travellers >
Victoria, Skiing & Snowboarding
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June 10, 2008 | Tips from Travellers >
Salmon Arm, Camping
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This is a lake that many are familiar with accross canada. IO had a hard time choosing an activity to match my submission, because there are SO many things to see and do. For the outdoor enthusiast, I rank the area of shuswap lake along HWY 1 from Salmon arm to Chase as one of BC's most diverse recreation destinations. Within a short drive from one of the many great accomodations along the way, a world of beatiful hiking, mountain biking, ATV'ing/dirtbiking, boating, great fishing, white water rafting, cross country skiing, snowmobiling and much more is right at your fingertips. There are numerous things to do YEAR ROUND, ranging from beginning to advanced pursuits. I recommend walking through Margaret Falls, Mountain Biking the upper and lower Schizo trails just of the HWY, boating accross any of the 5 arms of Shuswap Lake, Cross country skiing at Larch Hills, Snowmobiling in Fly Hills or the amazing Crowfoot mountain, and water rafting the Adams River...or simply sit around a campfire and roast some marshmellows with friends and family.
Whatever your traveling dreams are...you don't have to go far. For accomodation I highly recomend Blind Bay Resort. I have stayed there a couple of times already, and always pleasantly enjoyed my experience. They make a great home base for families or groups, offering an incredible assortment of amenities with very close proximity to vast outdoor pursuits. Swim in the pool and work out at the gym, then walk accross the street to the private marina and beach for some great boating and a suntan. Or pick up groceries at the local Sportsman's Store, and head up the road to amazing biking/hiking/ATV'ing/dirtbiking/snowmobiling...just minutes away. You can check them out at www.blindbayresort.com
Wherever you stay though, I highly recommend a vacation in the Shuswap. You will walk away with amazing stories and fond memories to last a lifetime.
June 08, 2008 | Tips from Travellers >
Mount Robson, Train
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We have just returned from Whitecourt, Ab. where we had the wonderful surprise of seeing the Rockies by Train. We drove to Jasper and from there boarded the Train, we had reservations which is a must! From there we went for three and a half hours through the mountains!! It was the most beautiful and comfortable way for us. We were blessed with wonderful weather and all was clear and picurtesque!! Mount Robson was absolutely breath taking as was the wild life. We saw bears, deer, elk, and even two little bear cubs in a tree, one hiding behind the other, what a memory this has given us. We were met at Dunster by a van that returned us safely to Jasper. The tour guide driving the Van was very informative and we learned lots of wonderful things. So if you get the chance take a Train Tour, it is wonderful!! We stayed in Jasper for the weekend and we couldn't stop talking about our TrainTour. Be sure to take lots of pictures, we did!!