June 30, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Attractions
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We love to take our out-of-town visitors on Sunday Drives for picnic lunches. We are really lucky here in the Peace River Country, because we have so much history and a lot of great scenery to choose from.
We took our cousins for a drive and picnic lunch to the
Kiskatenaw Park. This trip is a guaranteed hit with all visitors.
The park is in a canyon right below the famous
Kiskatenaw Curved Wooden Bridge that was built in 1942 during the construction of the Alaska Highway.
It's about 20 miles north of Dawson Creek on the Alaska Highway. You have to pay attention to the signs, because it is off the beaten path. The curved bridge can still be driven across but had to be protected from modern heavy trucks so a new section of highway and new bridge were built to bypass the original. The old one is now a historical site.
The wooden bridge is amazing and quiet enough to stroll across and enjoy the river far below.
In the late summer, the river is often quite low and you can walk across it. There is a sandy area, a swimming hole, a playground and campground. We found some great hiking trails and walked for a couple of hours.
Although we didn't bring any fishing gear, I've heard that the river has pike, bull and rainbow trout. Maybe next time.
June 29, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Dining
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I love homemade organic
food! We have a great little
eatery in town that is a favorite spot for local residents and visitors
alike. It's within close walking
distance to downtown and has a menu of homemade
and locally grown food. I can
personally vouch for lunch menu (soups, baked goodies, sandwiches, salads).
The first thing you will
notice when you enter is the tantalizing smells of homemade food and a very
welcoming atmosphere.
There is proactive
environmental policy written on the front of the till counter that is really
powerful to read. Under the Willow
has a mission to reduce, reuse and recycle and the tearoom is known for using biodegradable
products and composting. In the
spring, scraps are donated as needed to a local animal rescue center to feed
bear cubs.
Attached to the restaurant is
a used book and record store to poke around in.
It's is also a favorite venue for local artists and
musicians to play and jam, so you never know what you might have happened
upon. The last time I went, it was
"Open Mike", and I was surprised by how many brave folks got up and
shared their talents.
This is a great place to have
lunch when you are exploring downtown Dawson Creek.
It has wonderful food, a great environment, friendly service and very
reasonable prices all while supporting an eco-friendly business.
June 28, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Festivals & Events
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Do you desire good music? Crave dancing? Love to eat good food, and
be surrounded by awesome people? Come to Smithers annual Midsummer
Music Festival, located at the fairgrounds.
I had the privilege to
attend and perform at this year's festival with the local vocals-
Smithers' community choir. Midsummer is the stomping ground for many
of our local musicians, and coming from such a broad base of talent,
there are alot. This year featured bands such as Mamaguroove (from
Dunster), Tambura Rasa, and the one and only Jim Byrnes.
I
camped both Friday and Saturday night, providing great opportunity to
stay up late to enjoy music into the wee hours, and get up early (but
not too early) enough to get a steaming hot chai with breakfast.
Our
festival offers an eclectic assortment of shopping, activities for
children, jam zones, and ethnic foods from different vendors. Luckily,
the weather held out for us festival-ers, and a good time was had by
all. There is always something for everyone, whether you enjoy folk,
bluegrass, punk, or rock music, so I highly recommend and invite
everyone to visit the midsummer festival.
June 28, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Golden, River Rafting
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Many rivers in BC are directly affected by snow melt and warm weather. In Golden BC, the Kicking Horse River come directly from the Wapta Ice field in Yoho national park. The water is a crisp 4 degrees all summer long, and 12 hours before we raft on it, it was ice and snow. It's as glacial and fresh as it gets.
Third week in June 2010 the weather got hot, and the river came up. Check out this video from Glacier Raft Company as they take people on a thrill of a lifetime down the Kicking Horse river. Filmed on June 23/24.
June 28, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
New Hazelton, Kayaking & Canoeing
On a warm sunny summer afternoons, Hazelton
locals can often be found cooling off at one of our many nearby lakes. On this particular June afternoon, my
family and I set out equipped with our canoes to enjoy the warm gentle breeze,
cool waters, and relaxing paddle that can be found at Ross Lake.
Ross Lake is located
6km east, about ten minutes, of New Hazelton BC. A diverse range of activities
can be enjoyed at Ross Lake including swimming, fishing, hiking, picnicking,
and bird watching. This video blog is focused on the canoeing adventure
opportunities at Ross Lake!
June 27, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Historic & Heritage Sites
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Ginter Park is one of my favourite places to go for a walk in Prince George. You can access the park from the ends of Ferry Ave, Massey Dr, or 18th Ave. Be sure to bring your pooch along, because this is a very dog-friendly park!
The park is named after Ben Ginter, who played a large part in putting Prince George on the map in terms of Canada's brewery industry.
There is a nice gravel walkway that extends the length of the park, but my favourite area is located near the Massey Dr access. This is where you can walk up to the site of Ben Ginter's house. The foundation of the house still remains, as well as some beautiful stonework where the driveway and entrance once were. Be sure to check out the little stream that runs beside the house as well - this stream comes all the way from Shane Lake in the Forests for the World park.
My favourite time of year to visit this park is in the fall, but it's a great site to check out any time of the year!
June 27, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Guest Ranches & Horseback Riding
The best way to check out the beautiful scenery in BC's northern interior is from atop a horse! I recently visited Triple J Ranch, just 20 minutes north of Quesnel or 45 minutes south of Prince George on Hwy 97, and it was awesome!
I enjoyed a two-hour ride through terrain ranging from a bright sunny meadow to a narrow, forested path. The scenery was gorgeous during the whole trip, and don't be surprised if you catch glimpses of bear or other wildlife along the way! Half way through the trip we hopped off the horses to take a quick break at a great viewpoint over Ahbau Creek. There's even a wolf den at the creek viewpoint - now there's something you don't get to see every day!
I got to ride "Stormy", who was a very friendly horse. I was a little nervous at first, but all the horses are so calm and well trained that my worries were very quickly put to rest. For those of you who are fans of the show, you might even be lucky enough to ride the horse that "Mantracker" used while filming an upcoming episode!
Whether you're looking for a fun hour-long activity or a 14 day adventure, Martin and the rest of the gang at Triple J Ranch will make sure it's an experience that you won't soon forget!
June 27, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Dining
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Whenever I go for lunch with a friend, we always hum and haw
about where we should go. There are so many options in town and it makes it
hard to decide. Lately I have been either exploring a new place, or trying out one
of the places I haven’t been to in ages.
One such place is Cosmic Grounds…or should I say Patch Java.
A local coffee enthusiast who roasts his own coffee took over ownership of the
popular local coffee establishment and is making it his own. Although the menu
is still similar, the special was certainly something different for most lunch
places. BBQ ribs, with soup and a scone for under $10 was a fantastic deal, but
I was in the mood for something lighter, I bought a chicken salad wrap with a
bowl of soup. I liked the ordering system of picking up a sandwich/wrap
form and picking exactly what I wanted.
I was also really impressed with the
green consciousness of this place. The sandwich forms were laminated so they
can be re-used and the woman ringing us through encouraged us to use the free
water cooler with washable glasses rather than the requested bottled water that
I am usually forced to purchase. I was grateful that the woman suggested we
enjoy their complimentary water cooler; it saved me several dollars at the same
time saving a plastic bottle.
The wrap was fantastic and very filling, the soup was warm
and tasty and I would certainly recommend that people stop by and see the new
Patch Java.
June 26, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Valemount, River Rafting
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Problem: A hot summer day, and
you’re dying to cool yourself off somehow.
Solution: Take a dip in the
instantly refreshing 7°C waters of the Fraser River.
Obviously that wouldn’t be a
sensible thing to do by yourself, but you can turn it into a half-day adventure
by going on a whitewater rafting trip. There are several rafting companies
located in the Valemount area, and we chose Stellar Descents just west of Tete
Jaune Cache.
After the safety briefing it was off on the bus – already sporting
our very form-fitting neoprene suits
– to the launch site. Once all bundled up with helmet and lifejacket, we
departed from the banks of the Fraser with a magnificent view of a cloudless
Mt. Robson in the background.
The first ten or so minutes of the trip are gentle,
and allow rafters the chance to get used to the boat and how to properly
paddle. Then we hit the first moderate rapids, which got everyone into the
rafting spirit and already provided a few cool splashes of glacial water. After
several more challenging rapids (ranging from 1-3+, on a scale out of 6), it
was time to pull over the boat about half-way through the trip. The reason:
Rearguard Falls, a whopping class 5 waterfall that even the guides treat with
significant respect.
After hauling the raft up a little incline we had a chance
to explore the newly installed viewing platform over the falls, which is
literally suspended over the water and takes visitors as close to the
thundering – and earthshaking – masses of water as possible. On the other side
of Rearguard Falls we climbed back onboard and were soon off into the wildest
rapids of the trip, causing the raft to rise and fall, sway back and forth, and
washing over us a number of times. After the last rapids of the trip are
navigated, the waters become much calmer and we were allowed to jump into the
Fraser for a refreshing dip. Mind you, when it comes to glacial water the term
“refreshing” is a bit of an understatement, but on a hot summer day like the
day we went it is definitely worth trying out.
Soon thereafter we were back on
shore, loading the raft onto the trailer and heading back to where we had
started. And just like that three hours had passed – hours in which you
experience the unique feeling of complete concentration as your mind focuses
entirely on the roaring waters ahead of you. Such intense focus is almost
meditative – until a swell of icy water hits you in the face and catapults you
right back into paddling for what it’s worth!
Roam plenty and roam safely,
Your Traveller13
Image courtesy of Stellar Descents
June 26, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Quesnel, Guest Ranches & Horseback Riding
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If you’re looking to get away
from it all for a little while – and doing so on horseback – Triple J Ranch
just north of Quesnel is the right place for you.
Upon our arrival we were
greeted by Martin, the owner and our guide for the afternoon. After saddling up
we set out for a small waterfall on Ahbau Creek, passing through forest and
over wide-open meadows on our way. The trek took about an hour each way, and
the stop at the waterfalls was a welcome opportunity to stretch our legs and
enjoy the scenery.
On a side note, wildlife is abundant in the area, and the
chances of seeing bears or deer are quite good. While our ride lasted about two
hours, visitors at Triple J Ranch have the opportunity to customize their rides
to both their skills and endurance levels – from leisurely one-hour rides to
rides lasting multiple days.
Triple J Ranch also offers special events such as
a wagon train to historic Barkerville. Add to that gentle, well-trained horses
and a group of hosts that really go out of their way to make your experience
special, and you’ve got yourself a great “Cowboy Experience”!!
Roam plenty and roam safely,
Your Traveller13