May 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Clearwater, Culinary Tours & Schools
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I cannot say enough about the quality of food prepared at the lodge for guests. I feel like a pampered royal at each meal! This morning we had a wonderful breakfast with fruit and cereal, fresh coffee, bread and jam, bison sausage, scrambled eggs done with garlic chives grown fresh on the window sill that were to die for. For dinner this evening we are cooking our own meals on heated stones from the oven on which we will roast bits of pork, bison, ham, and beef. Thoughts of more wine, more fresh baked bread, more salad treats is making my mouth water already. The smells coming from the kitchen have invaded every nook and cranny and the hordes are beginning to descend to the main room en-mass. Gotta go dinner is on......
Honestly, that meal was one of the best I’ve ever had. Much better than a simple fondue and the variety of what we could cook on the hot stones was amazing. There were three of these heated stones set up down the center of the table and we were given a whole plate of different sliced meats and Gisela even added fresh wild salmon to the mix which was absolutely wonderful. I’m not a huge fan of salmon generally, but when cooked this way it was very very good. After dinner we sat around and drank white wine and enjoyed a light hearted conversation with several people from our group, Bernward, and Gisela. We sat down to eat at about 6:30 and we didn’t leave the table for our beds until 11:00. I’m not sure where the four hours went but I had an amazing evening.
May 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Clearwater, Bird Watching
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We took an early morning hike about a half hour from the lodge to a site where Osprey’s have built a nest. Apparently, the nesting pair have returned to this same location for many years. It’s an easy walk into the area with lots of scrub pine and soil that is much more sandy that I would have expected. The weather was great with a bit of cloud and sun so we didn’t get overly heated by the walk.
Once there we sat on one of the many sand dunes that over look the nesting site. No doubt you’ll have brought a camera, but one with a good to great zoom is better so you can get some good close-up shots. You can hear the hollow chirping of the Osprey long before you see them, but we didn’t get the opportunity as we had to head back. Bernward said that they are a bit shy of strangers this early in the season and we would have to wait a long while for them to return so we departed.
Other birds I saw while here were the colorful Rufous Hummingbirds that frequent the feeder on the front porch, a young eaglet that was swaying in the wind currents at the southern tip of the Tatlayoko Lake, and a frisky Wiskey Jack that was looking for a handout that never came. Of course there are the loons on the lake and Gisela said there are probably four to five pairs that reside here from spring to fall. Other birds you might see include several varieties of pigeons, ravens, sandpipers, bluebirds, hawks, and any number of ducks. You can walk into many of the areas to see birds, but you can also paddle around the lake or take the all terrain vehicles to go into the back country areas.
May 12, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Quesnel, Nightlife & Casinos
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The Billy Barker Casino is in the heart of downtown Quesnel and is cleverly shaped like a boat. In the bottom of the building there is a newly renovated Ball Room with a stage, bar, stunning chandeliers and comfortably fits a party of eighty people.
The top of the building has affordable and unique guestrooms with décor that makes you feel like you have travelled back in time. The rooms (The Empress, The Sewing, and The Captain’s room) range in price and amenities and boast the ambience of the Cariboo history.
The main casino seemed like a popular place, offering a variety of games from cards to the slot machines and in keeping with the exterior theme of the building life boats decorated the ceilings. There is also, a restaurant where hungry gamblers can get a decent home cooked meal.
May 12, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
100 Mile House, Culinary Tours & Schools
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Our whole dinner experience at the 1871 lodge at the Hill's Health Ranch was wonderful. The dining room has a cozy log cabin feel to it and had an outstanding view of the hills.
Our service was exceptional, the waitress and chef were genuinely friendly and eager to learn more about us. We had fresh garden salads with Cedar Planked Salmon which gave a delicious smoky finish and paired nicely with the red wine. As we ate a local musician serenaded us with his soothing melodies leaving us reminiscing over this unforgettable dining experience.
May 12, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Bella Coola, Hiking
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Upon arriving in Bella Coola, we were ready for a short walk, and the Big Cedars Trail was it! Located in Walker Island Park, this short loop trail took only 20 minutes total and provided some time up close to the giant cedar trees famous on BC coast.
It was really neat to see these huge trees, especially after spending some time in the sparser forests east on Highway 20. This rain forest ecosystem was quite nice and lush, and we managed to arrive early enough in the season to
not have to deal with mosquito!
May 12, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Bella Coola, Bear Watching
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We saw a little black bear along side of the highway on our way into Bella Coola, right after existing Tweedsmuir Park after out decent of the Bill Hill on Highway 20. It was pretty neat to see such a newborn cub, but we made sure to keep our distance, as mama bear was probably pretty nearby!
May 12, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Bella Coola, Attractions
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We made it out to the inlet at Bella Coola, which is one of three destination access points to the Pacific in BC. What a cool little place! We spent some time exploring the ocean front, hopping from log to log, photographing the port and walking along the shore. It was pretty quintessential BC traveling experience: the ocean, snow capped mountains and lush green valleys!
May 12, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Bella Coola, Historic & Heritage Sites
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To see some wonderfully preserved First Nation's petroglyphs, Bella Coola has a short guided hike or walk available to see a number of examples. Only a 1/2 hour walk to reach the site, this hike is enjoyable and the end result is fantastic.
I, unfortunately, was only able to do this hike with a private group, but there are guided hikes offered throughout the summer, starting mid-June by a Nuxalk Nation member. I would imaging the interpretation during the hike would add great value to the hike, and I myself would love to go back to get the full details on the site.
May 12, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Bella Coola, Attractions
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A great little stop in Bella Coola is Clayton Falls. From someone who has spent a lot of time visiting pretty significant waterfalls, Clayton Falls are pretty unique as the water has smoothed the rock it flows over into interesting formations. Good photo stop!
Really easy to get to right at the end of the highway. There is a nice little recreation park with some benches and picnic tables close by as well. Wonderful views into the inlet and back onto the wharf.
May 12, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Williams Lake, Guest Ranches & Horseback Riding
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We took a short horsemanship lesson at Chezacut, which turned out to be probably one of my favorite moments of the trip. Dominique, the owner, taught us how to become more in tune with a horse, demonstrating how to get the horse to move forwards and backwards, sidestep and around in a circle. The lesson culminated with all the members of our group managing to load our respective horse into a horse trailer.
I had never experienced something like this before. It was a level of connection and higher learning I've never had working with horses or going on typical trail rides (which I've done plenty of!). Dominique was great too, not letting us back down from the challenge of working with the horses. And to top it off, beautiful scenery!