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 16, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Parks
What better way to spend a sunny weekend afternoon than sitting by the beautiful Nechako River, enjoying good food and a good book?!
Last weekend my husband and myself decided to take advantage of the great weather Prince George has been having lately and check out a local site we weren't too familiar with, Wilkins Regional Park. Located north-west of the city, just 13 km down Otway Rd (which turns into Miworth Rd), this park is a short drive from Prince George down a nice scenic road. Sidenote: this is also a really fun road for a bike ride, as there aren't any big hills! Many locals use this park as a launch site to float down the Nechako River, but there is also a great river-side picnic site.
There were a few other groups out enjoying the park as well, but we found ourselves a picnic table near a nicely treed area and settled in for the afternoon. Being a self-proclaimed "bird nerd", I was excited to see a Rufous Hummingbird zipping back and forth over our heads and a couple of Downy Woodpeckers exploring trees just a few metres away. The river here is really shallow, so it's great for anyone looking to take a safe dip in one of BC's rivers - there was one guy half way across the river and the water was hardly up to his waist!
There are fire pits beside each picnic table (bring your own wood, I believe), but we had brought out a little campstove, so we enjoyed some good ol' hot dogs before stretching out in the sun with our books.
Whether you're looking for a lazy afternoon in a scenic park or a place to swim and play frisbee or soccer with friends, there's lots of room for everyone at Wilkins Park! This is a great park, and we'll definitely be spending more time there this summer!