May 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Bella Coola, Attractions
View a larger image on flickr.com
Bella Coola is absolutely gorgeous and going out to the very end of Highway 20 you get a spectacular view of the North Bentinck Arm. The drive took us right past the ferry terminal and the boat harbor and out to a small recreational site near the Clayton Falls Park. The walk to the falls takes you just in behind the hydro station and their is a great little viewing platform where you can take pictures. There are lots of signs around that indicate swimming is not permitted as the undertow below the falls is very strong. The falls are a must see as the rock formations are unusual. They have been smoothed over by centuries of water coursing over the face of the rocks which has created a series of shapes and crevices and holes that make this place very special.
We also took the time to wander along the beach head for quite a while as the sun was shining and the tide was low enough for us to explore the tidal pools at will. There is a huge log across one smaller section of water and I was the first to suggest that walking the log to the other side was a must do. Better yet, half way across I realized you could get the log to bounce up and down making the trek that much more difficult and therefore much more fun. The picture is of Anne trying to work her way back across without the bounce and she is concentrating fiercely to accomplish the feat. We also spent some time at the recreation site which has washrooms and several picnic tables in the area so you could have a great lunch in a particularly beautiful setting.
May 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Bella Coola, Sightseeing Tours
View a larger image on flickr.com
The trip over the mountains to Bella Coola is not as bad as I thought it might be, however, if you have someone with you who is nervous it can be a bit scary on some of the hairpin turns and switch backs. The grade is up to 17% at times and it is a long way - close to 22 kilometers of mostly downhill. Make sure you stay in a low gear to save wear and tear on the brakes as you’ll need them as you go down the hill.
On the upside, the scenery is awe inspiring and we simply had to stop at various points to take pictures. It’s a bit difficult to account for the scale of the mountains in pictures but if you frame a tree in the foreground it helps a lot. I was excited to take on this section of the highway as I’ve been on these types of roads before and wasn’t at all nervous about the heights or drop offs. I did take my time though and the frequent stops gave extra time to cool the brakes.
May 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Clearwater, Car / Truck / Motorcycle
View a larger image on flickr.com
I have enjoyed my stay at the Lodge immensely, my only regret being that I cannot stay longer. Bernward is right in that you should plan to stay at least three nights as there is so much to do and see in this area. It is surprising how much you slow down once you are here. The atmosphere is so relaxing and the ambiance of the lodge itself lends well to a slower pace. Whether you are out canoeing, heli-hiking or taking part in the many winter activities such as ski-doing, three days is barely enough time to see and do it all.
My personal favorites here at the lodge are: the food - which was totally amazing; the lake and views from the lodge are fantastic; the richness of the colors are so vibrant - the greens, the blues, and the heather grey of the mountains; the hospitality was genuine and warm - you can tell that Gisela and Bernward truly love their work; and, last but not least the larger cabin that overlooks the lake - I have to come back someday to experience that - a few nights there with some long walks and coffee on the deck in the morning would work for me. I'm making plans already.....
May 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Clearwater, Sightseeing Tours
View a larger image on flickr.com
Another option if you are headed down the Tatlayoko Valley is to take the right fork and drive into the Horn Lake and Buff Lake area. We stopped for a quick lunch that Gisela had made up for us at a wonderful little campground on the eastern shore of Horn Lake. This is a small campground but it lies right on the shores of the lake with a plenty of space between each of the campsites so there some level of privacy. It’s actually quite nice and I’ll recommend it to my Mom and Day who like to find out-of-the-way places to take their fifth wheel and camp for several days at a time. They would love this spot and the pooch could take a swim any time right from their camp site.
Next up we drove another fifteenish minutes to Buff Lake which is also gorgeous and past that we ended up at White Saddle Air Services which is located at the far end of the lake. This section of the road is a bit more difficult to get through but totally doable if you take your time. This is also the location where parts of Seven Years in Tibet was filmed starring Brad Pit. In one scene he climbs this huge section of rock wall and yes, you guessed it, we actually drive right by that section of the rock wall where this was filmed. In the movie it appears to be a massive cliff high off the valley, but in reality it is a rock wall about twenty feet high and Brad Pitt was never any more than about a foot off the ground at any time.
May 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Clearwater, Sightseeing Tours
View a larger image on flickr.com
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
View a larger image on flickr.com
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
View a larger image on flickr.com
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
Find more information about Quesnel - Nightlife & Casinos
View a larger image on flickr.com
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
View a larger image on flickr.com
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
Find more information about Bella Coola - Hiking
View a larger image on flickr.com
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!