May 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Clearwater, Sightseeing Tours
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If you want to go for a great half day excursion away from the Lodge a great option is to head back west on highway 20 into the Tatlayoka Valley. It’s about a 30 minute drive to the Tatla Village and just past a long section of split rail fences to either side of the highway you hang a left and head south into the valley floor. This a fairly good ‘chip seal', type road and is pretty easy to navigate even a small car. Another 30 minutes takes you past endless ranches and farms tucked away into the more protected corners of the valley.
Once you get closer to the mountains they soar above you to the right and the views are spectacular. We stopped at a small pullout at the Taklayoka Conservency (there is a sign posted on a tree) and walked along the northernmost shore of the Taklayoko Lake. Apparently, it is very windy here most of the time and it was quite cold given the early May dates of our travel time. I can see that windsurfers and kite boarders would be in heaven in this place. The beach head is quite long, I would guess three miles across, and there is plenty of room to set up and camp at any number of great spots along the beach. You’d have to check into whether one can actually stay overnight though as it is a conservancy area. If not the other option is to continue down the valley another 10 minutes to a small camp ground on the lake side.
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 >
Clearwater, Accommodation
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You simply can’t miss the sign to this beautiful lodge. It’s big and colorful and clearly marks the entrance to the property. We were greeted by Bernward and Gisela on the front porch and warmly welcomed to their home where they have lived since immigrating to Canada from Germany in 1993. They came to Canada just the year before that for a vacation in the Terrace, B.C. area and the idea was born at that time to exchange their busy lives in Germany for the rustic outdoors of Canada. They fell in love with the property at Clearwater Lake at first sight and began renovating that same winter to turn it into the very special place that it is today.
Bernward and Gisela both take excellent care of their guests who come from around the world to enjoy the outdoor wilderness experiences that they offer. Bernward takes care of the guests and arrangements, but Gisela does all the cooking as it is her passion and as a Chef trained in Bonn, Germany you are in for a treat - several of them. Every dish is prepared with fresh ingredients purchased from local growers and the presentation is fabulous with taste treats such as bison (buffalo), pine mushrooms, schnitzel and homemade bread that you can’t quite stop yourself from gobbling up. There is also an endless supply of good wine, great company and a roaring fire in the hearth to keep you warm.
May 12, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Clearwater, Accommodation
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The views here are amazing. The Wilderness Ranch has several suites separate from the main house that guests can choose to take their ease. Nothing overly fancy but the view out over the valley and cattle range is outstanding. There is even a large balcony you can sit on and enjoy a hot cup of coffee, hot chocolate or a nice glass of wine. On a warm summer evening I can picture myself with a special someone chatting and letting the timelessness of the place wash over you. You can cook for yourself or go up to the main house and let them do the cooking, which consists of some great home cooked meals made from scratch and you can enjoy the company of the cattle hands who live on the property. A week here and I’d be the perfect little cattle girl - yee haa!
May 11, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Clearwater, Guest Ranches & Horseback Riding
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I have gone on trail rides before, but I was amazed to find our guide, Dominique, had no intention of taking us riding - at least not right away. Her approach to riding is to actually spend time with the horses and familiarize riders with the methods she uses to work with her horses. I really appreciated being taught something about how to handle a horse and not just plopped up on a dusty old mare to go for a trail ride. Each of us in our little group was asked to select a horse and I liked the light brown one called ‘Roper’.
We then walked over to an open area with our horses and we were instructed on how to make the horse back up, how to get them to move their hind quarters away from you and then the front quarters, and then how to get them to walk in a circle around you on a long lead. I realize these are trained horses, but there is a knack to getting them to do these things as they read your every move and look and interpret it accordingly so it took several attempts to get it it all right.
One of the most interesting tricks we were taught was that if we wanted the horse to stop walking in a circle or to get their attention you had to make a very serious or angry face and stare pointedly at their hind quarters. It was amazing to do this and watch as the horse did exactly as she said it would and immediately came to a complete standstill, looking at you expectantly and waiting to see what you wanted next. This was so very cool to see! It was like being a horse whisperer for real. It was this same circling technique that we used to load the horses into a trailer which was much easier to do than I would have thought. Roper of course was the youngest horse there so was harder to manage and the instructor had to help me out a bit. No matter, I actually learned something and I loved it.
May 11, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Clearwater, Car / Truck / Motorcycle
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Anyone traveling to this location had better double check the directions before leaving as there are two Chezacuts to look out for - one at the very end of a 30 kilometer stretch of road and the other only about 7.3 kilometers along the way. Both have Chezacut in the name so we of course got it wrong and went to the very end and had to turn around and go all the way back. There is currently no sign to mark the entrance to the ranch but the applications have been sent in and they expect to have proper signage up early summer 2009.
The drive is worth it though as the Chezacut Wilderness Adventure Ranch is amazing. You have to drive up this very long winding driveway, but go slow as it is quite rocky - though they are working on it and making some improvements. There is certainly a gardener in the group as the grounds are impressive even this early in the season. The best time to visit is around middle of may to the end of August and even into September as the trees will have leafed out.
The views at the ranch are panoramic and the main house has an absolutely huge kitchen where you can kick back and relax. I’ll go back to the garden though for a moment as there is a huge pond they’ve created right off the kitchen with surrounding decks and lounge chairs. It’s a bit cold right now, but in a couple more weeks it will be warmer and I can so see myself with some coffee and snacks and a good book out on the deck. That would be my favorite spot and you get the added bonus of humming birds flitting around while you relax. Apparently, they have several varieties that frequent the little feeders and they’ve counted as many as twenty-four at one time. I tried to get a picture of a little one with blueish wings but he flitted away before I could get set up. I couldn't help but attach a picture of the resident mutt whose bed was an old half water barrel with a big old horse blanket to lay down on - too funny!
May 11, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Clearwater, Sightseeing Tours
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This part of the drive is actually pretty straight forward. It reminds me of the Alaska Highway only a bit less winding. The valleys are huge with mountain views go miles off into the distance. It’s breathtaking to be on the side of the highway and the pictures don’t really do it justice. There are miles and miles of fences and we couldn’t possibly have counted the cattle and sheep in the pastures and fields we passed. It’s a bit early in the season still and the trees haven’t leafed out quite yet so its a bit grey looking in places. Soon though the leaves will come out and it will be a stunning. I would think the best time to drive this part of the world would be the middle of May to the end of June when it’s not too hot yet.
We stopped at a little garage station to get gas. There was a big old red dog lying in the sun on the porch that allowed us to wander over and scratch his ears. He liked that a lot. The next little community was Alexis Creek and it’s quite nice. The houses overlook the valley and we stopped to take pictures of this quaint little house on the hill with a beautiful garden just starting to send up new green shoots. It’s fun to be on the highway with the girlies - so many miles to go and we’re just kicking back listening to some great music. This is my idea of a good time!
May 11, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
100 Mile House, Culinary Tours & Schools
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It gets dark here in the evening and by the time we unpacked it was time to get something to eat. I was hungry after the long drive to get here. The dining room is called the 1871 Room, named after the year the Cariboo Region made the decision to join Canada on the promise a railway would be built to bring people and supplies to the gold fields of the day. The dining room is spacious and the windows look out over the valley and mountains to the east. There is only one waitress but she was very nice and helpful with our questions.
The white wine she suggested was great and went well with the fondu that was served. The meal was fat free and we skewered thin strips of beef and shrimp into a pot of boiling broth to cook. It was delicious and not too filling. I appreciate the low fat, healthful approach to cooking and sharing of food. Loosing weight is a lot of work and its frustrating when you go out for a nice meal and there are no good choices on the menu. Their menu features the number of calories and fat for each item which is helpful. Dessert was a fruit fondue dipped in a little bit of dark chocolate. Before we knew it almost three hours had flown by - not sure where the time went. It was a wonderfully relaxed dinner and I enjoyed the service and ambiance of our first evening at the spa.
May 11, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
100 Mile House, Spas & Wellness
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Hills Health Ranch
This ranch is located at 108 Mile House on the #1 Highway headed north. It’s just off the beaten track and easy to find. The drive up to the main house passes by huge horse pens and an impressive red barn to the right - it was so big we all thought that's where we were supposed to being staying. The main lodge is a log building and parking is easy and plentiful. We were greeted at the main hall entrance by the owner and provided a brief tour of the before heading to our rooms. I was surprised to find they had the cutest little wedding chapel and Pat, the owner, told us a couple stories of people who have been married there and ceremonies held in the winter with snow candles lighting the pathways.
They have 16 spa and therapy rooms and each has a different specialty - I’m liking the massage and mud rooms myself. They sell Rose Hip Oil that they produce themselves and even sell to other high end spas and resorts around the world. If it’s not too expensive I’m thinking of taking some home with me. The rooms are softly lit and darker in color and look very relaxing. The chalet I’m in overlooks the valley and the deck off the main room is the full length of the building. Coffee on the deck early tomorrow is where I’ll be for sure. Great spot to work and just enjoy the view and watch the horses wander by.