June 21, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort Nelson, Sightseeing Tours
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Given the chance to stretch my legs and to see a great view I would say “yes, please!” Roughly five miles north of Coal River on the Alaska Highway there is a great little place called Whirlpool Canyon. If you don’t have the Milepost with you, there is a very good chance that you will miss this opportunity to not only stretch but to take some beautiful pictures as well.
Whirlpool Canyon can be accessed via a pullout that looks like your average rest stop with a green litter bin—very inconspicuous. Even I didn’t know that there was more to this little spot until someone told me.
In June, we parked in the pullout and made the roughly 300-metre walk over to the canyon. The trail (about the width of a vehicle) was easy to see and opened up into a great expansive bed of shale. Being that it was shale, we had to walk carefully on it, but it made for an adventurous walk both to the river side and up the cliff side. What a view from the heights of the cliff (although not recommended for those who are afraid of heights)!
In general, this area makes for an ideal pit stop for those who need to pull over and take a break, walk the dog or even have a picnic. And at the very least, this spot is a must-see for those who want to experience all that the north has to offer them. Happy canyon-ing!
June 21, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Art Galleries & Artists
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I recently found myself in Dawson Creek and pointedly strolled into the Art Gallery there. I had always wondered what I would find hidden inside the old prairie elevator that contains the gallery, so I had to satisfy my curiosity while I was there.
As it turned out, the art gallery in Dawson Creek is simply amazing! I can assure you that it is no less than a northern treasure.
Inside I found a warm and ambient atmosphere; soft lighting, classical music and an affable feel. On my right I found an open area full of glittering, colourful and even bizarre treasures! Lovely jewelry was laid out everywhere, hand-crafted pottery was displayed and locally made hats and bags were strewn about. I even saw a knitted hat that could hold aluminum cans (for pop, of course)! Truly a treasure chest meant to be adored and all of which were for sale!
My eyes then wandered up the ramp that spiraled all the way up into the rafters, a similar concept to that of the Guggenheim in New York. Here I leisurely wandered up into the ceiling of the old prairie elevator while taking in the beautiful pieces of fine art. As it turns out, Northern British Columbian artists are extremely talented!
Once I made it to the top, there were several narrow staircases leading back down, all of which were lined with either pieces of art from the gallery’s permanent collection or rare photos taken during the construction of the Alaska Highway. Needless to say, it took quite some time before I made it back to the main level of the gallery.
Before leaving the gallery, I perused through the gift shop. I felt as though extra-special attention had been paid to the items for sale in the shop (as there were many things to see, touch and smell). One gorgeous piece that really stood out to me was a walking cane that had a duck masterfully carved into it!
I was pleasantly surprised by this fantastic gallery with its gorgeous display of fine art and carefully chosen items. I absolutely must visit this gallery at least one more time before the end of the summer and I hope you do too! We may even run into each other!
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 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!