Best Places to See in BC - Dawson Creek

One of the best places to explore in BC

is Dawson Creek, Mile 0

of the Alaska Highway.

Named in honor after Dr. George Mercer Dawson, 

Dawson Creek is also

known as the capital of the Peace River District.

The 16 foot tall iron statue of a surveyor was

created by Karl Mattson from scap metal

he found on nearby farms.

True in dress and equipment to surveryors

from the 1942 era, this surveyor 

points north along the route of 

the Alaska Highway.

The pioneer spirit of the North

is alive and well here in northwestern BC.

Things to Do in British Columbia -- Enjoy the Weather

You just can't beat British Columbia

in the sunshine. 

Clear skies and temperatures in the mid 20's C

today.

Doing any activity outside is a pure joy,

from sight seeing the local mountains,

taking a nature walk, 

or sitting in the shade enjoying 

the back yard garden.

Whatever you choose to do in 

British Columbia, this

weather can bring you pure joy

and some pretty impressive vistas.

Things to Do in British Columbia - Milky Way Viewing

British Columbia offers us some pretty spectacular

dark nights to view the Milky Way.

The crisp clear winter skies are great for

amazing star gazing, it's almost unimaginalble

how many stars are really out there.

Always best to have some back up when

trying to photograph the winter night skies,

lots of patience, hot chocolate and boot warmers come to mind.

This particular shot was done near

Tumbler Ridge, BC at -19C.

A lot of hopping around to keep warm was

 done for this one, plus a promise

to an upgrade in the winter mittens department.

To gaze in awe at the night skies is well 

worth the effort here or anywhere 

the skies allow your mind to wander

to infinity and back.

Things to Do in British Columbia - Bird Watching

The most striking thing about the Spotted Towhee

are their red eyes.

They like to live in scattered shrubs 

and thickets which abound here in British Columbia.

I get to spend a lot of time in nature

and these birds are always a joy to be around.

Though Towhee's are considered resident birds in British Columbia, 

their distinctive call heralds the beginning of

spring for me, of new life around us 

and life yet to come.

I wait anxiously for the their first brood

to make their appearance.

Best Places to See in BC - Kiskatinaw Bridge

Kiskatinaw Bridge, Alaska Highway, British Columbia

 The Kiskatinaw Bridge is located before the Mile 21 marker 

along the old Alaska Highway

in British Columbia.

The Kiskatinaw Bridge was the first curved wooden bridge

built in Canada

and is still in use today.

Built in 1942-43 it stands

30 meters (100) feet above the Kiskatinaw River, 

a tributary of the Peace River.

It curves 9 degrees along its length and is 162.5 meters (534 feet) long.

Quite the view from the bridge deck, the river meanders

its way gently through the rolling hills

below bringing to mind wandering dinosaurs

in ages past. 

Best Places to See in BC - Gitwangak Battle Hill

Gitwangak Battle Hill 

National Historic Site of Canada

(formerly known as Kitwanga Fort)

is located in northwestern 

British Columbia along highway

37 - the Stewart-Cassier highway.

Built in the 1700's by the

Gitwangak First Nations people 

the hill was used as a fortified

location for homes and

a site to launch raids against 

the Nass River and coastal peoples.

The indigenous trading routes of British Columiba

included the Grease Trails, named after

the small fish called eulachon

which run in the Nass and Skeena Rivers.

The fish were boiled to extract their oil and

were traded with other Native groups

that did not have spawning rivers in their

territories.

Best Places to See in BC - The Alaska Highway

Mile "0" of the Alaska Highway begins

in Dawson Creek, BC.

Construction started on the highway during World War II

to connect Alaska to the United States through Canada.

Completed in 1942, it stretched 2,700 km. 

Due to reconstruction and repair today the highway is actually

2,232 km and ends in Delta Junction, Alaska.

The first 987 km (613 miles)

are constructed through British Columbia.

You can still find historic mile postings along the highway

and the Canadian metric system has warranted the change to

signposts being in kilometers. Most residents along the highway

refer to their location as "mile x along the highway".

The history of the Alaska Highway is one of heroism and

  determination. I visited the 

There is a fascintaing

display of old photographs taken from the road building era at the

Dawson Creek Art Gallery.

The Alaska Highway should be on everyone's

"must visit while in BC" list.

Best Places to See in BC - Tumbler Ridge

One of the most interesting places to visit in British Columbia

is Tumbler Ridge.

Today Tumbler Ridge is best known for its coal mining

endeavors,however, it also has a rich history of dinosaurs

and ancient peoples.

The largest concentration of accessible dinosaur footprints 

in British Columbia is here at Cabin Pool.

In 2003 the Peace Region Palaeontology 

Research Centre was established to further 

study the areas rich finds of various

dinosaur bones in beds and some of the

oldest dinosaur bones in Canada.

Unfortunately the day I was there the Dinosaur

Museum was inexplicably closed, but I did

get to see some pretty amazing dinosaur prints

on display in front of the building.

As you drive through this area you can well imagine the

dinosaurs slowly wandering through the softly rolling hills

and plateaus leaving traces of their lives behind as they made their

way to water to drink. I did look up at the skies a few times

to see if I could spot anything large and unexplained

flying overhead. Perhaps it was only my imagination,

but this area feels like it reaches into the past right 

before you eyes. Centuries are perhaps a few

mere days past.

Best Places to See in BC - Peace River Foothills

The rolling hills of the Peace River District

in British Columbia, Canada are

magical in both their beauty and history.

The headwaters of the Peace River

today start at the WAC Bennett Dam on

the eastern arm of Williston Lake.

The Peace River was historically used 

as a travel route for the First Nations people

and then by the fur traders of British Columbia.

Today, the Peace River is the heart of a diverse ecosystem

that supports many threatened and endangered species.

Country Lanes of British Columbia

I've always found peace and contentment

 in the country. Life seems to slow down

and become somehow normal in

the enveloping quietness.

There is always a scene to capture here, 

always time to stop and listen

to the creak of frost slowly 

settling into the timeless weathered fences

along rural lanes.

 Far off cries of chattering blue jays

  echo haunting memories

of summer days long past.

Best Places to See in BC - Avatar Grove

The Avatar Grove

on Vancouver Island

should be on everyone's 

"to do" list in life.

 Located a few mintues 

drive outside of Port Renfrew,

these old growth trees

have recently been protected

from logging.

Their massive size and the

overwhelming tranquility of

 the rainforest must be experienced

in person. 

The Avatar Grove a life altering

journey into the very

beginnings of time.

Best Places to See in BC - Botany Bay

Botany Bay 

on the west coast of Vancouver Island

has everything you would expect from
a name steeped in legend.

Rugged, rocky, windswept

and hauntingly alive.

The easy

2.8 km trail connecting

Botany Bay to Botanical Beach
should be on the must do list for everyone
visiting this area.
From gnarled stunted trees
to the tidal pools and rocky beaches
there is glorious life along every inch of
the trail.

  With me "easy" means

a good 3 hours of ewwwing and aaaaahing

over some fabulous West Coast scenery.

Even in the pouring rain the West Coast

of Vancouver Island is stunning and wild.

Add shifting mist, long stocks of bull kelp washed ashore,

some weather beaten coastline and

Botany Bay is a photographers dream come true.

Though I have not hiked the

Juan de Fuca Marine Trail yet,

it is high on my list of priorities for

the coming year.

Best Places to See in BC - Gordon River

One of the most beautiful rivers

in British Columbia I have 

had the privilege to see is 

the Gordon River 

on the southewest coast of

Vancouver Island.

 The Gordon River is

known by white water kayakers

with its many rapids, pools,

and drops.

The day I saw her, the Gordon

River was sodden in torrential rains

and autumn colours, sinuous

mists and the haunting cry of white swams

and loons.

I was lucky enough to spend a few hours

here. Reveling in the

intimate bond with Mother Nature

 as she revealed her 

timeless spirit and infinite beauty to me.

Best Places to See in BC - Cowichan Lake

Cowichan Lake on Vancouver Island

is a truly mystical and enchanting place 

to visit.

One of the largest bodies of fresh

water on Vancouver Island, 

Cowichan Lake and has an average depth of

50 meters and has a spot that measured at

152 meters in depth. For those of us that

think in feet, that's close to 500 feet. 

Deep.

Straight down.

 Home to several species of fish

including cutthroat and rainbow trout,

kokanee, chum and coho salmon, 

and oddly enough the

western brook lamprey.

Lampreys look eel like and

lack jaws or scales like the fish

we are used to seeing.

 They have round sucker like mouths.

Fascinating.

The western brook lamprey 

is considered a species at risk.

Though I was not lucky enough to see one

in my wanderings along the shoreline 

of Cowichan Lake,

I heard the plaintive cries of bald headed

eagles in the early morning mist echoing

their plea for all of us to please live

in harmony on precious Mother Earth.

Best Places to See in BC - Botanical Beach

Botanical Beach Provincial Park 

 on the west coast 

of Vancouver Island

is a magical place to visit

and should be on everyone's Best Places

To See in BC list.

It is a fabulous location for

watching storms that roll in off of the Pacific Ocean as

 well as sea life galore. Several species of 

bird life soared on the strong winds and rain while I

stood in awe of this vast ocean scape.

Bull kelp lay in long yellow rope like strands along  the

rugged coastal rockscape and

the feel of being here and alive were present 

on the tang of the salty air.