June 09, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Parks
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Connaught Hill Park is the highest point in the downtown Prince George area and offers visitors a pleasant 360-degree panorama of the downtown area. In the summer, the park bursts into bloom with well-manicured flower beds and is always a popular spot with visitors. I visited with some guests from overseas and they enjoyed the opportunity to take a stroll amid the flowers and take in the panorama of Prince George without having to leave the downtown area. Whether you go for 10 minutes or an hour, Connaught Hill Park makes for a nice stroll and a great photo opportunity.
Roam plenty and roam safely,
Your Traveller13
Photo credit: Flickr
June 09, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Whistler, Ziplining & Bungee Jumping
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Whistler offers once-in-a-lifetime chances to go ziptrekking with Ziptrek Ecotours. Experience the exhilaration of flying over a forest while being suspended high above the tumbling white-water river dividing Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. Was truly, truly amazing. Take a look at this video from a UK visitor!
June 08, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince Rupert, Bear Watching
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Cruising a steady 24 knots, the bright yellow catamaran sped northwards in search of both the legendary grizzly bear and the majestic orca whales. Beads of rainwater streaked across the window, while heavy clouds broke over the piercing Coastal Mountains. This is the North Coast, one of the last few places on earth where grizzlies can be observed in the wild without compromising feeding, mating or behavioral patterns.
Encompassing a 44,300 hectare area of coastal western hemlock, old-growth cedars and rich salmon-bearing streams, the lush Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary was set aside for conservation in 1994 after a UN survey conducted here found an especially healthy and robust population of bears. With a massive range of anywhere between 70 to 200 square kilometers, imagining such a density of bears could only mean two things: access to both ample salmon stocks and plenty of sedge grass.
It was in this particular patch of sedge grass that I realized that these specimens were no more than spoiled-rotten kings of the forest. Munching away contently of a buffet of green, a rather large male glanced over at us quietly snapping photos from the railings. His coat soaked from the rain, he could not have appeared much happier while he dined on the protein-laden plant. When the salmon aren’t around, these bears can eat up to as much as 60 pounds of sedge grass a day. For other foods, these omnivores roam around the park’s three ecosystems – coastal western hemlock, mountain hemlock and alpine tundra consuming small rodents, clams, berries and other mammals along the way. A cough from the silenced crowd rolls the bear from his side, peering dumbfounded through the rain. His button nose twitching at us, he lumbers across the shoreline digging about for other things to eat. His reserved nature and regal entitlements signaled to me that humans are not a threat to these bears, provided everyone kept quiet and stayed on board – which we did!
The shrill cry from an eagle echoes across the inlet, promising excellent glimpses of the famed raptor. Earlier, dorsal fins of the orca sliced through the gray water as harp seals looked on from the rocks, soaking up what sun they can. Overall, a perfect day on the water: a total of four grizzlies, a small pod of orcas, a humpback whale, some seals and a half-dozen eagles rewarded eager sea-life enthusiasts on this beautiful day in June. Coming soon – more whales in August and September when the long-awaited salmon returns, transforming the area into a jungle of feeding frenzy.
Check in with Normand at the Prince Rupert Adventure Tours for tour and wildlife information. The company is a reputable guiding operation with enforced maritime conservation guidelines. The company offers affordable 2 hour to 6 hour tours for families, couples and backpackers alike all having a pretty good chance of seeing something.
June 08, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Kelowna, Boating & Sailing
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During a trip through the Thompson Okanagan in British Columbia,
I took the jet boat for a rip on Lake Okanagan. It's a great summer
time place to go boating and make a splash!
June 08, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Museums
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Recently I visited the Railway and Forestry Museum in Prince George. Located only a few minutes from downtown (and appropriately right by the railyards!), it makes for a great excursion on a nice day.
I started by looking around the exhibits in the main building, and then proceeded to the outdoor area. There, you can visit a great number of different locomotives, railway vehicles, and train cars (including exotic ones such as the Royal Car that carried Prince Charles and Lady Diana on their travels in Canada). The forestry aspect of the museum should also not be missed, with a great variety of equipment on display.
The outdoor area is quite large and does not feel crowded even on a busy day, and for kids there is a miniature train that runs around the perimeter (including through a decommissioned beehive burner), leaving from the miniature train station at the main building.
Overall it's a fun place to visit, especially for those with kids or with a general interest in trains and forestry.
Roam plenty and roam safely!
Your Traveller13
June 07, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Revelstoke, Hiking
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Just outside of Revelstoke I had the great pleasure of hiking in the "Meadows in the Sky". A scenic parkway winds its way up from Highway 1 to Balsam Lake, scaling a vertical distance of over 1000m on the way. When we visited (during the height of summer), we could already see the different flowers in bloom along the road as we drove further up the mountain.
Once at the top we visited the "Icebox" (a spot that is shaded in such a way that snow persists year-round), and then began hiking. It was quite extraordinary to see the alpine meadows explode into bloom during their short growing season.
On a clear day the views down into the valley are spectacular, and we took a moderately strenous hike to an alpine lake. Those brave enough can jump in for a dip, but most people just take the opportunity to breathe the clear mountain air, relax for a moment, and take in the spectacular surroundings. The beauty of the Meadows in the Sky is fleeting, so if you find yourself in the Revelstoke area in July or August, I highly recommend taking a hike in this alpine flower garden.
Photo copyright: Parks Canada
June 07, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Parks
Have you ever wanted to gain an overview of Canada's diverse flora without having to travel through the entire country? Now you can! Goodsir Nature Park, located just north of Prince George, offers you the opportunity to experience over 200 kinds of native trees, shrubs and wildflowers from all over the country - all within about 3kms of nature trails.
The park was designed and developed by Jim Good, who has had a lifelong interest in trees and flowers and developed the park on his own property. When we arrived, we were greeted by Jim himself, who first showed us around his plant museum.
Covered floor to ceiling (no exaggeration) with exhibits and pictures, this small museum was a great introduction to the various ecological zones and biological diversity of Canada. We then went on a guided tour of the park, seeing all kinds of trees, shrubs and flowers on our way. During the summer the view changes almost daily as different flowers bloom, and with a bit of luck one might also see bears, moose or deer along the way. And for those interested, the park also includes a small gift shop where one can purchase recordings of the natural environment or beautiful photographs of the plants in the park.
Goodsir Nature Park is a quite unique experience, and anyone interested in flowers and trees would most certainly enjoy a visit there.
June 07, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Sightseeing Tours
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Last Saturday my girlfriend and I packed up the Volkswagen and headed to Prince George for the day, a trip I had made 1000's of times before but this trip however turned out to be a little special.
We left Smithers at 6am so we could have plenty of time in the city before returning the same day. We arrived just before 10 am without experiencing anything out of the ordinary, like clock work we passed through Telkwa, Houston, Burns Lake, the Fraser Lakes and Vanderhoof, everything like it usually was. We spent the day in PG but like all things in life its never the destination but always the journey.
We headed out of the city at 6pm and began the 368 km journey home again. For those of you who aren't from the north as the sunlight begins to fade and you are staring at the beautiful sunset your eyes really should be on the sides of the road...
One owl, one bald eagle, one hawk, 8 deer, one bull moose and one mother black bear with a massive litter of cubs... WOW! If you have ever driven into Smithers at sunset you know how beautiful it is to see the sun at the peak of Hudson Bay Mountain, but after starting to see all the wildlife the sunset was the last thing on my mind.
So for those of you who are planning a trip up north remember that the views on the side of the road can be just as spectacular as those of the sun setting over the firey orange mountain tops...
June 05, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Terrace, Farms & Markets
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Skeena Valley Farmers Market is the largest market in northern British Columbia and from what I know, simply the best. I had the pleasure of going this morning as well as the past few weeks since I've been home in Terrace and not once has it disappointed.
The market has over 70 vendors with preserves, baking, crafts, jewelry, art, plants, vegetables, eateries, and local meat. It is a wonderful place to stroll through and then sit and have a bite to eat while listening to the live music. This farmers market is a real treat, and if you're in the Terrace area on a Saturday morning be sure to check it out, this is one place you don't want to miss.
June 04, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Kayaking & Canoeing
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We bought a couple of Pelican kayaks a couple of years ago and although we don't use them as often as we would like, we do love those days when we take a break from the endless to-do projects and get away for a leisurely day on the water with our paddles, our cameras and a lunch.
One of our favorite places to go is Swan Lake about a half hour south of Dawson Creek. What we love about this lake are the endless nooks and crannies to explore. It's a fairly big lake and a regular camping spot for locals.
Swan Lake allows motorboats, but they can't go where we go. They stay out in the open water while we silently skim through the reeds and shallow water near shore without disturbing birds and fish. Often, we can see the bottom of the lake and are amazed at all the life under the water.
I really enjoy locking our kayaks together by holding each one end of each other's oars and forming a cluster, while we float and enjoy our lunch and a visit. Once in a while, a speedboat roars by with a skier behind, sending big waves that give us a bit of excitement.
What a great way to relax, and a great place to do it.