June 03, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort Nelson, Sightseeing Tours
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Hello Travellers!
For those of you headed through my part of the province (Fort Nelson) you are probably not too thrilled to see the snow we received last night. Have no fear it won't be here for long. But in the mean time I thought I would share some things to do in our community if you end up staying a little longer then expected.
If you are looking to relax, book an appointment at one of our local spas. All of which are listed in the business directory at our Visitor Center. On a snowy day a hot stone massage would sure feel nice.
Cozy up with a coffee or hot chocolate at one of our many cafes. Sit down indoors where it is warm and watch the snow melt away.
Drop in to the Public Library, books for all ages as well as internet use.
Summer hours are:
Mon/Tues/Wed: Noon to 5pm & 7pm to 9pm.
Thursday/Friday:10am to 5pm
Saturday/Sunday:12pm to 4pm
Have a look around the inside of the Fort Nelson Heritage Museum. You'll find lots of interesting items, animals from the surrounding area, as well as information on the construction of the Alaska highway.
Head up the hill from the visitor center to the public pool, hot-tub and sauna on site to warm your goosebumps! Admission only a few dollars.
Enjoy a movie indoors at the Phoenix Theater. It is a single screen, this weekend's movie is 'Thor', call 270-774-SHOW for more information.
If none of those options interest you come on down to the Visitor Center and chat with our counsellors, use the free WiFi, inquire about our area, use the washrooms or just stretch your legs in the new facility, open 7 days a week: 7AM to 8PM.
For those of you continuing right on through, drive cautiously, watch for animals and lots of slippery sections. Happy Travelling.
Looking forward to sunshine!
June 02, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Richmond, Parks
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So I’ve shot a lot of crazy, weird, and interesting things in my life… But I have to say that today probably takes the cake. Wow! Today I went out to the Richmond Nature Park (located on Westminster Hwy) and filmed my very first ever SLUG RACE! Yes, you read that right. All day today the park was celebrating ‘Slug Fest’, an educational celebration of all things slug. The event, geared towards families and youngsters (and ME), teaches kids about the little garden critters and gets them involved in various fun games, climatically finishing in the annual slug race. I had to see this with my own eyes…
Before I delve into the slug race though, some quick background information about the Richmond Nature Park: The park consists of 200 acres of raised peat bog habitat, lined with 5km of walking trails and a boardwalk for scenic nature viewing. Open all year around, you can find a wide variety of flora, fauna, and critters. Examples include humming birds, owls, migratory birds, turtles, frogs, deer, and spectacularly coloured foliage depending on the season. If you ever wondered what natural untouched Richmond looked like, look no further than the Richmond Nature Park. Oh, and did I mention it’s free? (though they do accept donations)
The slug race. Oh my… This was a fun little event that pitted dozens of the slimy little guys against each other in an epic race for the finish. Tensions ran high as the slugs barreled down the raceway, in a mad beeline for the glory of winning Slug Fest 2011. It was a heated, intense battle and at the end of the day, two slugs (two weight class categories) took the gold medals. It was a great day. I witnessed two slugs live out their dreams of competing in the major leagues of competitive slug racing. Sometimes I film the weirdest things.
I had a great experience at The Richmond Nature Park today. If you’re looking for a nice nature hike in your own backyard, this is definitely the place to be. They have a beautiful facility with lots of informative displays, helpful and knowledgeable staff, and a gorgeous series of trails and boardwalks that really show off what natural untouched Richmond looks like. Slug Fest 2011 is over now, but be ready for next year when the tracks are once again lined with the fastest slugs in Richmond. In the meantime, go take a nice stroll through the park and escape into the wilds of Richmond!
June 02, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Queen Charlotte City, Beaches & Swimming
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Sunshine on Haida Gwaii! Finally the forecast stuck true to the sunshine, and for about 3 days straight Islander's enjoyed bright sunny days at the beach! Many daring and brave teenagers decided to test the May waters as well, coming out shivering, but happy nonetheless!
I spent my day off venturing around Queen Charlotte City, in search of a good meal and some shopping. "Downtown" is located on Wharf Street, littered with small cafes, restaurants, some small shops, as well as the Visitor Centre!
I enjoyed lunch on the patio at one of the small cafes and explored some of the small stores, picking out a few things for myself. When I finished with my shopping, I walked to the community park, only about 5 minutes from downtown. Here is where I access the beach, and walk along the shore all the way home! But before I made it home, I found a comfy, warm spot on the beach, and opened up my book. So relaxing!
From the stores to the shores, I always recommend a little bit of R&R, and on Haida Gwaii, it's never hard to find.
June 02, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Biking
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Are you feeling wild today? Well this is the ride for you. The ride time for this adventure is approx 5 hours, not including the stay at Sewell Valley Game farm. Plan a whole day for this one. I rate this 3 bikes out of 5.
Your wild and crazy adventure will start off in Dawson and heading out on highway 49 then turning onto and following Rolla Road. The ride there is about 45 km. I recommend stopping in at the Visitor Information Building in Dawson Creek to get further information, they are extremely friendly and they have been there too. If you phone Sewell Valley Game farm ahead, you can make an appointment for lunch & the wonderful hostess will be sure to feed the monster in your belly. This game farm has so much to offer, even for the ‘kid at heart’. This is a wonderful place to see many, many different species of wildlife (reindeer, elk, donkey, peacock, wild boar, even herds of buffalo).
The picture here is of the ever mighty buffalo, Parker. His head is almost as big as me, really. If you are up for fishing you can do that too, there are 3 different ponds jumping with trout and they supply you with ‘state of the art’ fishing gear. All said and done the bike ride home is lovely, from the Rolla Store into Dawson Creek is one of my favorite. Don’t forget your sunscreen, the sun out here is powerful. Until next bike adventure, happy pedaling.
June 01, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Museums
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Here at the junction of the Fraser and Nechako Rivers is Prince George, the capital of Northern BC. The city received this name when the forestry boom of the early 1900s spurred the arrival of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway in 1913. The Prince George Railway and Forestry Museum commemorates this event and the story of what follows in a fun, interactive and informative display. When visiting the museum you will be able to walk through the diner of the 1920 Endeavour which became part of the American Freedom train, sit in the drivers seat of a Electric Locomotive, climb through a 1902 wooded plow used by the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, walk through the home of workers at Penny station and much more. This is one of the most enjoyable museums I have ever visited.
June 01, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Hiking
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At the beginning of last week, I hiked in the LC Gunn trail that overlooks Fort George Park and a bit of Prince George! The trails are in awesome condition and the sun was shining which made the hike so much more worth it! There is a steep section at one point, but once you get to the top of it, it makes you realize the climb is definitely worth it!! There is a parking lot in the area that is safe and fine to leave you vehicle and the trail is very accessible from there! Make sure you bring bug spray, the mosquitos are pretty bad!
June 01, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Hudson's Hope, Attractions
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Last week, myself and some other Counsellors from Dawson Creek took a circle tour to Hudson's Hope and back. When we got to Hudson's Hope we decided to go out and have a tour of the dam. The W.A.C. Bennett dam is one of the largest of its kind and provides BC with about 25% of it's power. It was quite a marvel to behold up close and personal. The staff there are very friendly and knowledgeable and it made for a great way to spend an afternoon. The tour includes an informational video, interactions around the facility, and a guided tour to operations of the entire dam. It was great and I'm sure I'll be doing it again sometime in the future!
June 01, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Hiking
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A friend and I went hiking in Fort George Canyon last week and the hike was great! The hiking trails are a little bit damp in some areas, but not enough to ruin the hike. On just the drive out there, we saw a mother bear and 3 cubs and 2 deer. It was definitely worth going out there! We found it a bit tricky to find when we first went out, but once found it, there was no problem getting back out. For hiking on this trail, bug spray is a must!
June 01, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Car / Truck / Motorcycle
Located approximately 50 kilometers North of Prince George is a well drained and natural water source lake. The lake is stocked with several fish and the lake is also warm enough if you are interested in swimming or cliff jumping. The lake is often busy with people looking to catch some afternoon rays and have a picnic with the great scenery. I recommend this location for all ages, families or individuals.
Driving directions: Continue on Highway 97 North and until you see a sign for Tallus Road. Make a left onto Tallus Road and follow it over the railway tracks and around the corner. You will see a bright yellow gate that is open, make a left on that road. You can drive all the way down to the waters edge, or you can park and walk down.
June 01, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Hiking
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I went hiking at Teapot Mountain on Monday May 30 and the hike was great. There were no damp, muddy or snowy spots on the hike that would make it hard to climb. It was a steep one from the beginning and about 1 km up. The top of the mountain has an awesome view of the surrounding lakes and great variety of dense forest. There is no places that supply water along the hike so make sure you are prepared with that and bug spray!