Best Places to See in BC - Milkhouse Derby Reach

British Columbia's 

is chock full of interesting history

at every turn of the road.

Take Derby Reach Regional Park

in beautiful Langley.

Located along Allard Cresent

the oldest existing road in British Columbia,

this milking shed is part of the 

Houston farm which dates back to 1909.

The sign on the shed states it was

built in 1935 and restored in 1996.

You can envision bygone days here quite easily.

The lazy drone of bees on a hot summers day

mixed with gull cries from the nearby 

Fraser River.

Come, spend a few hours to explore

British Columbia's past. You might just

discover the present.

To see more photos from
fabulous British Columbia
please visit my other website

karencoopervancouver.ca

Best Places to See in BC, Brae Island Regional Park

Brae Island Regional Park is a gorgeous spot
along the Fraser River in Fort Langley, BC.
I must have driven by this gem
dozens of times and never paid attention
to the signs.
Filled with the sights, sounds and smells
of a British Columbia springtime,
the park is easily accessible for all.
A 4.2 km walk takes you to
Tavistock Point which
offers views of the Coastal Mountains
and the Fraser River.
A truly wonderful way to spend a couple
of hours of Mother Natures essence.

Boom Boats, Fraser River, BC, Canada

Boom boats are used in
the forest industry in British Columbia, Canada
for sorting logs right in the water.
They act like miniature tug boats,
are highly maneuverable, and
a total joy to watch
darting and zipping
amongst enormous logs, sorting them into
booms, which in turn are towed by huge tugboats to
sawmills and wood processing plants along the Fraser river.
These tiny boats have the ability to turn on a dime and
take water over their decks, making
them highly entertaining to watch, especially
on a rainy afternoon.
I haven't had the privilege to
ride on one yet, it's one of those
adventures that is on my to-do list. My list keeps
getting longer instead of shorter.

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Exploring the Gold Rush Trail - The Fraser Canyon

You cannot come away from any exploration
of the Gold Rush Trail unchanged.
The staggering vistas of sagebrush and
broken dreams, tales of heroism
and folly are enough to engender
a new appreciation for both Mother Nature and
the human spirit.

Both men and women were drawn to this area
for the promise of unlimited wealth and riches.
Many hundreds would settle along the route to
establish roadhouses, dance halls, farming communities,
cattle ranches and supply lines for the Gold Rush contenders.
They literally changed the face of the land.

To fully understand this time in our provinces' history,
I needed to see and understand the land.
As a photographer,
I have been drawn to the essence of the land,
its spirit,
and what it means to the people who live on it and with it.

The Fraser Canyon is as vast as it is beautiful.
The Fraser River plunges through the
ancient rocks of the Coast Mountains,
creating a myriad of canyons and gorges.
She is completely awe inspiring.
Hanging on the verge
of sheer drop offs with your knees turning watery from
vertigo, Gold Fever seems a far distant
affliction.

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Exploring the Gold Rush Trail - The Lytton Ospreys

My aim in exploring the Gold Rush Trail
in British Columbia, Canada
was going to be about the scenery of
this stunningly beautiful part of the province.
It very quickly took on a new life
once I started to talking to the people
who live there.
Their indomitable hearts and spirits
are touching in ways that exists quite rarely in
our world today.
The story of the Lytton Ospreys
is one of those tales of human passion.

Ospreys usually mate for life.
They nest in cliffs and ledges,
far above the hustle of cities and human life.
This pair of ospreys, nesting
right at the confluence of the Fraser and Thompson
Rivers, are probably descendants
of the pair of osprey that have been returning
to this area for eons.
Then along comes man, building railways and roads,
power lines and noise.
The osprey adapt, building their nest in the
power poles amidst high tension wires with the
scream of the railway engines and the
nearby buzz of human habitation in the background.
Along comes some very caring and
concerned power line people and local citizens.
In goes a new nesting pole close to the original nesting site,
an exclusive "Osprey Pole" just for them.
Amidst the kerfuffle of train whistles and
passing cars,
you can hear the cries of this particular pair of
osprey echoing through the canyon walls.
Their haunting cries echo past glories of a species that
has adapted to change and human encroachment on
their otherwise pristine environment.

Their essence prevails, touching
my spirit in ways I cannot describe.

Their story needs telling.

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Exploring the Gold Rush Trail - Lytton, BC

Lytton, British Columbia, Canada
sits at the confluence of the Fraser and Thompson Rivers.
(The Thompson is the darker blue river in the image above,
the Fraser, the lighter grey colour)

I wanted to walk through some deeper history of
British Columbia, and follow the
Caribou Gold Rush Trail.
With such fantastic names like Horsefly,
Likely, Gold Bridge and Cache Creek, I knew this
would an area that would not only be a trip through
British Columbia's history, but quite possibly,
a trip further back in geological time.

It draws on your spirit and sense of awe
that such wild, rugged areas were merely hindrances to overcome
in their drive to find wealth and riches.
I wonder if the prospectors took the time to
experience such incredible beauty that the whole area has to offer.

Today, there are several driving routes you can
take to tour the paths and adventures that the
gold miners and hope filled entrepreneurs experienced
from bygone days.

Lytton is along the Caribou Gold Rush Trail,
and was a stopping place for prospectors to replenish
both their supplies and waning spirits.
There was originally a First Nations village here
called Camchin, the meeting place,
and Lytton is one of the oldest continually settled
communities in North America.

She's a truly beautiful and wild area of British Columbia.
Peregrine Falcons abound here.
At the junction of #12 and #1 highways (across from
the old hospital, you can park here and walk across #12 just before the bridge,
look for 3 poles that have been erected),
the hydro company has erected a utility
pole for a nesting pair of falcons.

I was told by a native woman that the falcons come back every year, and
have for many decades. They are part of the heritage here,
and their haunting cries can be heard echoing along
the canyons walls and city streets of Lytton.
The city inhabitants know these falcons, know how many chicks have
been laid, how they are progressing and when they fledge from
their nest. Their lives are somehow intertwined
with the rhythms of nature.
It's all so perfect.

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Port Kells Heritage Trees, Surrey, BC, Canada

The Sugar Maples trees along 188th Street
in Surrey are part of the Port Kells
Heritage Trees.
There are 12 of these majestic beauties
lining the street, and their history alone
is worth taking time to explore.
Port Kells, in northeastern Surrey, BC,
was founded by two Irish pioneers,
both bearing the name of Henry Kells.
The two Kells men, later related to
each other by marriage, intended to
form a freshwater port along
the Fraser River in late 1800's.

The Sugar Maple trees were planted
along the former Erickson Road, now 188th Street,
by Mr. Erickson. Though
little archival history can be found on
Mr. Erickson, I think he would be
proud to know the trees he planted so many
years ago are protected and loved, and
stand in stately splendor overlooking
a truly spectacular view.

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Nicomen Slough, British Columbia, Canada

Nicomen Slough is another one
of British Columbia's almost-hidden treasures.
Besides providing a spawning ground
for salmon, Nicomen also hosts
trumpeter swans in the winter.
Nicomen Slough is part of the Norrish Creek
waterway. Which in turn all flow into
the Fraser River, and into the
Pacific Ocean.
I've only wandered part of the Nicomen
ecosystem today. The winds are biting cold,
but the blue skies and sunshine are more than
inviting. The "arctic outflow" that
the weathermen promised us is definably here.
I wonder how the swans keep warm.

Maquabeak Park, Coquitlam, B.C. Canada

Maquabeak Park is situated on the north bank of
the Fraser River, off Burbidge Street, off of
United Boulevard in Coquitlam, B.C.
There is free boat launching, and many
Coquitlam residents come here to fish, bike or
walk away a
sunny, lazy afternoon.

The area has a spectacular view of the Fraser River,
and is dedicated to
Dorothy Macquabeak Francis (1912-1990).
Dorothy was an aboriginal Canadian
who worked for over 50 years to
help preserve the culture and
spirituality of her people.
Dorothy was given the
Order of Canada
on January 11, 1978.

If the area does not put you in awe,
Dorothy's lifelong pursuit to
preserve her individuality does.
A beautiful spot for a
reminder of this beautiful woman.