May 18, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Anahim Lake, Attractions
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When we got to Escott Bay Resort, the owner, Bill, said we had to see Precipice Falls and Canyon. He referred to it as the Baby Grand Canyon, so clearly, we just had to see what he was talking about. He led us to an unmarked turnoff on the road and we only had to walk a short distance to see the spectacular view he was referring to.
The canyon opens up in an area you would not have expected it to, filled with lush trees and large scree faces. The fall were stunning, and a surprising amount of water flowed over them, creating a crashing sound that echoed through the valley. We were told the canyon itself and the water flowing through it makes its way down to the Bella Coola coastline.
In all, it was a great stop, but you would definitely need to stop in at the Lodge or at ask a local for directions, as the location is not signed from the highway. It is well worth the effort!
May 18, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Anahim Lake, Accommodation
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When we arrived at Escott Bay, I thought it would be just a fishing resort but it turned out to be an impressive cowboy experience (and fishing resort!). We not only were treated to a great view of Anahim Lake, but we were delighted when Bill, the owner, demonstrated how to pack a pack horse for an overnight trail ride and shared with us his admiration and enthusiasm for the beautiful area around Escott Bay.
May 18, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Anahim Lake, Accommodation
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We spent two nights at the Clearwater Lake Lodge, and I must say, it filled my expectations of a perfect, relaxing retreat! The main lodge and suites are comfortable, cozy and complete with a giant, hand built fireplace. The view from the lodge onto the lake is extraordinary and was coupled with various bird sightings throughout our stay.
The host, Gisela and Bernward, were absolutely delightful, and fed our group the most wonderful homecooked meals. Sharing their experiences in the area, they had plenty of local lore and history which added a great value to our stay. Berward was a great tour guide who led us on hikes and brought us to some of the many highlights in the area, such as Tatlayoko Lake. We had great fun learning and exploring with him! He even brought us out to see a nearby osprey nest.
Essentially, after having a great day exploring the Chilcotin, it is wonderful to come back to a place offering luxury, urban amenities with a flourish of great hospitality and company.
May 18, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Anahim Lake, Sightseeing Tours
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Tatlayoko Valley is about a 45 minute drive from Clearwater Lake Lodge. On our second day at the lodge Bernward took us to do some sightseeing. The drive is mostly on dirt-gravel road so drive safely and take a vehicle that can handle it…small cars will probably have troubles. Our first stop was at Tatlayoko Lake which is a long skinny lake that hugs the eastern boarder of the Homathko River–Tatlayoko Protected Area. The park was created by the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Land Use Plan and is a wonderful destination for the rugged wilderness adventurers. The strong thermal winds on the lake create the perfect location for windsurfing aficionados. The lake is also a beautiful location for sightseeing and capturing that picture perfect moment. With the spectacular mountains surrounding the lake on one-side and the grassy rolling hills on the other the spot is surely to take your breath away.
Our Tatlayoko Valley experience continued on to Horn Lake and Bluff Lake were we stopped for lunch at a reclusive provincial park picnic and camping area on Bluff Lake. Although the water was a bit chilly in early May I can just imagine the swimming in this glacier clear lake on a hot summer day would be superb.
A trip to the Valley would not be complete without a stop at the famous rock face. Tatlayoko Valley is somewhat famous for being one of the many locations for the film ‘Seven Years in Tibet’ with Brad Pitt. If you are lucky Bernward will show you the rocks Brad himself climbed during the film!
May 18, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Williams Lake, Guest Ranches & Horseback Riding
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Chezacut Wilderness Adventures Guest Ranch is a must stop when travelling on Highway 20. This guest ranch retreat is the perfect place to ‘Get Away’…literally. Located 7.5 km off the main highway and 150 km west of Williams Lake, when you are here you are really away. The western accommodations and unique organic food is a great way to experience living off the land. I definitely tried some unique foods during my short stay…ask about the juice it is like something I have never seen!
The horsemanship lessons are really what the whole experience is about. Dominique is absolutely amazing with the horses and with us silly humans. She is very patient and descriptive when trying to explain the lessons. Our few hours spent with the horses were very interesting. We learned how to communicate with the horses; how to get them to back up, come forward, pivot on their back and front legs, how to run in a circle around you, and how to load them into a trailer. The most amazing thing I found was the simplicity in the ways to communicate with them. Dominique has trained them so well that when I simply stared at his rear end my horse would stop what he was doing and stand right in front of me, just amazing!
This is a great time for anyone, horse lovers and those who have never even touched a horse. Dominique is a superb teacher and will help you master the skills needed in your own time!
May 18, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Quesnel, Farms & Markets
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At Pine Meadow Farm (also a B&B) outside of Quesnel, there is a wide array of farm animals, from horses to pigs to chickens to rabbits, but the feature animals are the lamas!
They are really neat animals and owner Wylie is so knowledgeable that we learned a huge amount about the animals, as well as the challenges and joys of running a farm that size.
We were able to feed all of the animals and had a great time interacting with them. Another unique attribute to the farm is her pet Dalmatian ‘Spring” who comes with an appropriate accessory, an old fashioned fire truck!!
May 18, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Quesnel, Farms & Markets
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A great morning farm stop just outside of Quesnel is Moose Meadow Farm. They have a wide array of animals including lamas, ducks, chickens, horses and even a dog that looks like a spirit bear! The lamas are friendly and it was so neat to see them come running in from the fields when owner Heloise called them from the fence. She showed us around the farm after giving us a tour and explanation of birch syrup production (the farms main product) and it was really neat to see all of the animals wandering around in the sun and interacting with one another without issue. The farm is a lovely setting and the little gift shop that she has is a great place to stock up on souvenirs such as the birch syrup made on site, alpaca socks (from wool sheared from their alpacas), as well as other crafts and keepsakes made by local artisans.
May 17, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort Nelson, Sightseeing Tours
Along the 2.5 hour drive northwest of Fort Nelson my family and I saw some beautiful scenery. We wound our way up the Steamboat Mountain to see breath taking mountain ranges and the Muskwa River way below. Then we drove further to the highest lake along the Alaska Hwy. – Summit Lake. It was beautiful and cold with some snow on the mountain tops. There were tons of mountain sheep climbing around on cliffs right beside the road and they were on the road too licking salt. Finally we came down off of the high mountain roads to Toad River town, we saw some elk and moose down near the town. Past there we wound our way along a very twisty part of the highway, right beside the Racing River. About an hour after Toad River we were at Muncho Lake. We got to stop at the Double G services and eat lunch at the bakery. It was a nice friendly place with really good home cooked food . . . I ate way too much! Then we poked around the area. We hiked up some of the old washes from the flood of ‘74. It was really easy walking and we got to see the awing effects of Mother Nature. There was so much debris that had been washed down to the lake and the amount of rock that made up the wash was dumb founding. Then we drove just past the north end of the lake and on the left side of the road we saw there was sheep licks that we could walk too. There was a nice gravel parking lot with a great view of the mountains. We walked down the short trail to see the salt saturated ground that the animals in the area come to get salt. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see any wildlife but it was interesting to see none- the- less. After that we drove on to the Laird Hotsprings. The road was so hilly and I couldn’t believe that the mountains were still so beautiful. Slowly we wound our way down to cross the Laird River then up onto an old terrace on the other side. On our right was the Laird Hotsprings Lodge which we stayed the night at. And the hotsprings was on the left. So we walked over through the campsite and down the boardwalks over really swampy ground. After a 5 minute walk we could see the hotsprings. It was getting cool out so the warm water was very nice!! I am too much of a wimp so I stayed in the lowest pool because it was cool. But my family went into the upper pools because they were way warmer. It was too cool walking around the lowest pool and there was willow trees and others leaning in over the pool.
May 14, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Mackenzie, Fishing
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I'm not much of a fisherman so I cannot take full credit for this massive lake trout caught on Williston Lake. If you know what you are doing or use a guide (like I did!) there are many more trout like this waiting to be caught. After fishing, we spent the rest of the afternoon jet-boating around the lake and then went back to shore for a BBQ dinner ... hamburgers, not trout! We released this big guy for someone to catch another day.
May 14, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Hudson's Hope, Attractions
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Ever wonder when you turn on a light in BC, where the power comes from? There's a good chance it came from Hudson's Hope!
There are 2 major hydro electricity projects near the community - WAC Bennett & Peace Canyon Dams, and BC Hydro runs tours of the facitlilites to show you how it all works. We went on the tour at WAC Bennett where they take you deep into the base of the earth-filled dam to see the massive turbines and power generating equipment. The shear size and scale of the equipment is amazing! The tour is a must if you're in the area and would be fun for the whole family.