June 12, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort Nelson, Dining
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Some people like rainy days and others do not. For some folks, the rain can be a welcome occurrence, as it allows them the opportunity to sit back, read a book and relax. For others, the rain spoils their plans for outdoor activities like hiking, camping or simply basking in the sun.
Either way, one thing is for certain, we cannot control the weather on our travels, even with the best of laid plans. And sometimes, as hard as we might try, we cannot out-drive it either; sometimes the rain is here for a stay, whether it be lingering or looming.
So let us embrace it and not race it!
One of my favourite rainy-day pastimes—or any day, really—is to sit back with a great cup of coffee, and I know a lot of our travelers enjoy their cup of joe too! So let me give my fellow caffeine-aficionados the scoop on the lovely cafes here in Fort Nelson!
Located in the middle of our shopping district, is a charming place called Capp*A*Lu’s. You’ll find it in the same shopping plaza as Subway and Rexall IDA pharmacy. They have a great selection of hot and cold drinks as well as some delicious homemade goodies; Capp*A*Lu’s is known to make some very fanciful cakes and cupcakes worth every last bite. Here you can grab an extra-hot macchiato and fresh baked item and cozy up on their couch.
Just around the corner from Capp*A*Lu’s you can find Down to Earth Health Shop. In this modern and eco-friendly building, you will find a bright and spacious café. Committed to both green living and healthy lifestyles, Down to Earth has a variety of organic treats ranging from Power Balls to cream cheese-topped cinnamon buns. Indulge yourself with good company over great, earth-friendly coffee.
Less than a block away from the Visitor’s Centre is the Northern Rockies Café. Stop here not only for a great cup of Seattle’s Best coffee, but also if you need to fill the gap in your stomach; they have yummy daily soup and panini specials as well as several homemade entrees.
So, go ahead and take a rainy day and turn it into something special, something that you will remember, by visiting coffee shops and indulging in the local flavours and conversations.
June 11, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Chetwynd, Festivals & Events
Hey everyone!
Just wanted to inform you all about the Chainsaw Carvings that are going on in Chetwynd! They're so amazing, I've been having such a great time looking at them for the past three days. Each year, I look forward to seeing who will be coming, and what they create.Each carver definitely has there own style and way of showing their creativity.
I love to see how they turn a huge piece of wood into a beautiful masterpiece. There are a few places you can go and get a snack, my favorite place is the Mini-Donuts! You can get about fourteen mini-donuts in a bag for only $3.50! There are a few different flavours to choose from, I like the cinnamon ones the most! This year they're also selling Screamers!Screamers are Vanilla ice cream and Slushi IN ONE!
I highly suggest coming to the annual Chainsaw carvings in Chetwynd! It's a fun experience for anyone, so come check it out! The carvings are almost complete and I'm looking forward to seeing how they all look in the end! I will definitely blog about the end results tomorrow!
June 11, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Powell River, Boating & Sailing
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Wind, waves and perfect anchorages await those lucky enough to spend time in Desolation Sound, a 30-square-mile premier cruising area and the province's largest marine park, due south of West Redonda Island on British Columbia's glorious west coast.
With the sun just peaking back in BC, a few friends gathered up supplies and plenty of sunscreen to get out and play in the wind up in Desolation Sound. Two of the days we were joined by resident Orcas and porpoise who joined us in playing of the surf.
We enjoyed sunny, windy days and cool refreshing nights filled with fresh Pacific seafood bounty -- crab, oysters and Salmon!
June 11, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. James, Historic & Heritage Sites
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Tucked 53km off of highway 16 west, what was once a buzzing hub of trading activity, is the Fort St. James National Historic Site. This wild land is the home of the Nak'azdli First Nations and the Stuart Lake Outpost which in 1821 became Fort St. James with the amalgamation of the North West Company and the Hudson Bay Company. This trading post was alive and active until 1952 and is now authentically maintained.
My friends and I expected to check out the site very quickly on our way to Smithers. However the people there were so knowledgeable and friendly that we ended up staying for four hours. We learned so much, ate traditional food, tried our hand at measuring fur quality and played at ladel a traditional archery like sport, but much better! We also enjoyed a picnic on the shores of beautiful Stuart Lake. This is a stop you will not forget and will not want to miss.
June 11, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Sooke, Beaches & Swimming
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Sunshine, salt air, the bark of seals and... fossils await for those lucky enough to beach comb the fossiliferous shores near the fishing community of Sooke on Vancouver Islands' southwestern edge.
Sooke was originally inhabited by the T'sou-ke, a group related to the Salishan First Nations, who found the mild climate and sea access ideal. A fossil field trip brought me there last summer to explore the tidepools and well preserved marine fossils near the seaside exposures at Muir Creek.
Along the beachfront, you can find blocks of late Oligocene, 20-25 million year old, sandstone full of small gastropods, bivalves and barnacle bits of the Sooke Formation. By the late Oligocene ocean temperatures had cooled to near modern levels and the taxa preserved as fossils bear a strong resemblance to those found living beneath the Strait of Juan de Fuca today.
Mammal material, echinoids, coral, chitin and limpets are also found here but are rare. The largely intertidal assemblage of fossil species, many of which will look familiar as you've seen their modern relatives, tell us that the formation was layed down near shore.
The thickly strewn layers you'll see as big fossiliferous blocks and the lines of fossils you'll notice in the nearby cliffs suggest that they may have been deposited along a strand line. What you're sure to notice is the great ocean view and how easy it is to find something spectacular.
Whether you make a day of it or just a twenty minute luxurious beach stroll, your pockets will be filled with a healthy serving of ancient clam stew!
June 11, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Biking
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This bike ride started off in Dawson Creek in the quest to see the Chainsaw Carving Championships in Chetwynd, BC. All 9 hours of riding was worth it. This bike ride was an amazing way to see the landscape south of Dawson Creek. Once I cruised down into Chetwynd I found the town very friendly and the hospitality ever so welcoming. I really enjoyed my stay there, hotel and food was more than expected.
The focus of my trip was to experience the annual chainsaw carving competition that Chetwynd is known for. The ambiance and anticipation was evident throughout the town. Everyone from the coffee shop to the local pizza joint was advertising and talking about it. When it came time on Thursday morning to find where the competition was held, I could literally find it by the trail of cedar scent in the air.
There was the sound of chainsaws everywhere, wood chips were flying and men were leaning into the wood with their saws giving it there all. 12 different tents set up with huge slabs of cedar being carved upon. There was excitement and awe in the air from the artists who worked diligently on the clock to the sound of a horn for their break time, to the on-lookers in the audience. I have never seen anything like this; there were artists from all over the world and even a couple local artists competing. Local vendors were also set up with amazing artifacts for sale from carvings to hand knit sweaters to healing magnetic jewelry. Crowd pleaser vendors were also set up making sure there was an endless supply of mini donuts and coffee, yum, yum.
This event started on Thursday morning and runs through to Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately I could not stick around to see the final products. This is a must see event if you are in the area this weekend, bike or by car. It is only about an hour drive from Dawson Creek. If you require information about the event or directions, please be sure to check in with the Visitor Information center in Dawson Creek, they will answer any questions you may have.
Until next ride-adventure, Happy Chains!!
June 10, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort Nelson, Hiking
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I’ve always wanted to touch a hoodoo even before I knew what to call them.
Hoodoos are tall, thin spires of rock that protrude straight up into the air from the ground. If Mother Nature was a real person, these would be her fingers. Perhaps this analogy is strange, if not borderline creepy, but it is this inherent, super-natural element of the hoodoos that makes you want to get up close and personal with them.
I thought that I would have to travel to the Grande Canyon or some other far-away land to see them, however, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they existed in my (almost) backyard.
So where are these hoodoos that I speak of? I live in Fort Nelson and these particular Mother-Nature-fingers exist in Stone Mountain Provincial Park, about 145 kilometres (or 90 miles) north of here on the Alaska Highway. To learn more about how I could access the closest hoodoos, I went to the Visitor Centre to look at their hiking and trail guide. I discovered that the most easily accessible hoodoos were the Erosion Pillars. The guide said that the trail was accessible from the highway and was an easy, roughly a half hour trip. My thought? Who knew it would be so easy to touch a hoodoo?
I packed all the necessities to go on my adventure: water, energy bar, jacket, good closed-toed shoes, bear bells and bear spray (precaution and protection folks!). I must mention that you should pack bug repellant also, as my legs took a good biting.
I made the hour and a half long car trip up the highway with some good friends on an overcast day. The travel time to Stone Mountain flew by as the roads were in good condition and, as always, the views were spectacular and the animals were plentiful!
The trail was well-travelled and well-marked with yellow tree diamonds, so there was no way to get lost. But, I figured that if that failed, the 30 foot pillars towering over the trees would probably suffice as markers.
There were two hoodoos along the trail. The trail ended with the biggest hoodoo of them all; it was a monster! I was surprised to see that I would have to climb a steep slope to actually touch the hoodoo but I figured what the heck – I’m not getting any younger and I didn’t make the trip to just view the hoodoo! So I climbed (practically on all fours) up the slope and let me tell you, it was worth it! Not only did I hug the hoodoo, but the view was phenomenal, overlooking a nearby creek, trees and mountains!
We made our way back down to the highway by following the creek we had seen. It was awesome to hop from one big rock to the other while listening to the rushing water; I felt like a child without a care in the world!
In total, we spent a leisurely hour or so hiking. We finished our trip off by warming up with some homemade chicken noodle soup and fresh, homemade bread at the Toad River Café (a 45 minute drive north of the Erosion Pillars). It was among the very best homemade bread and soup we ever tasted.
So if you find yourself travelling along the Alaska Highway in the Fort Nelson area, drop by our Visitor Centre to find out how you can experience Mother Nature in a big way in very little time. Hugging a hoodoo is just a matter of stretching your legs! Hope to see you soon!
June 10, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Historic & Heritage Sites
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Here is a fun and creative showing of the Pioneer Village. Corporal Dawson explores the village for visitors to get a taste of what to expect! Visitors to Dawson Creek should be sure to check out this great spot maintained by the South Peace Historical Society!
June 10, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Chetwynd, Festivals & Events
Wow, I strolled through the carvings last night after work and was amazed at what I saw. The chunks of Western Red Cedar had already taken shape into Dragons, Dinosaurs, sea life and so much more! After only 10 hours of carving you can already guess at what the are about to become.
Definetly worth the stop!
June 09, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Duncan, Wineries & Vineyards
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Recently myself and a small group of friends headed to the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island for a small tour of exploring and imbibing the wines of "the warm land".
We started the day with breakfast at Whippletree Junction and hunted for bargains in the nearby antique shops, set in charming restored buildings from the early 1900s. Next stop was Cherry Point Estate Wines, for incredible mussels paired with pinot gris, followed by a tasting in the wine shop with Xavier Bonilla, the friendly owner of the winery. There were crisp ciders to sample at Merridale’s lovely cidery in Cobble Hill and it was hard to resist wandering the sunny orchards afterwards. We finished with refreshing gelato and organic chocolate at Organicfair farm and turned our tour into an overnight trip by camping at Gordon Bay Provincial Park on Cowichan Lake. Sipping our Merridale Scrumpy Ciders next to a campfire under the tall Douglas firs was a great way to end the day.
Next time I head to the Cowichan Valley, I’ll tour via bicycle and make sure to try lunch in the 1903 farmhouse at Zanatta Winery and Vinoteca or maybe time my visit with the annual Cowichan Wine and Culinary Festival.