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Another summer has arrived and British Columbians are planning their holiday excursions. Let us suggest that you think about staying close to home this year and exploring some of the fascinating places our own province has to offer. Every corner of British Columbia has its own attractions, but to give you something to think about, the editors of the Encyclopedia of British Columbia have chosen five of their favourite BC adventures.
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View of the village of Bella Bella. Les Bazso/Vancouver Province
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Take the BC Ferries Discovery Coast route from Port Hardy at the north end of Vancouver Island up the Inside Passage to Bella Coola, with possible stops at Bella Bella, Klemtu, Ocean Falls and Namu along the way. (Visit www.bcferries.com.) It's the only way to visit this isolated stretch of coastline, short of renting a seaplane or buying your own yacht. The leisurely voyage to Bella Coola takes at least a day, overnight if you choose a longer route. It carries you right past the spot where Alexander Mackenzie completed his first-ever crossing of North America more than 200 years ago. Foot passengers can make a return trip, but we recommend you take your car and drive the Chilcotin Highway. After white-knuckling your way up the Big Hill outside Bella Coola, you'll be atop the Chilcotin Plateau with breathtaking views of the Coast Mountains from the "other side." The highway takes you right through the heart of cattle country and the territory of the Tsilhqot'in people to Williams Lake. Short side trips to Ts'yl-os Provincial Park at Chilko Lake or the hoodoos at Farwell Canyon are highly recommended. Caution: the Big Hill and part of the highway are unpaved.
Visit the W.A.C. Bennett Dam near Hudson's Hope in the far northeast corner of the province. When it was built in the 1960s, this huge structure, named for the longest-serving premier in BC history, included the largest underground generating station in the world. Along with the Peace Canyon Dam, it produces one-third of all the hydroelectricity consumed in the province. Definitely take the time to tour the bowels of the dam to see the turbines in action. Of course, if you've taken the trouble to come all this way, you'll want to spend a few days touring the beautiful Peace River District.
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Fort Steele. Duncan McDougall/Image Makers
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The gold rush town of Barkerville is one of the most popular tourist spots in the province, and well worth a visit. But for something a little bit different, why not try BC's other historic town, Fort Steele? Located in the east Kootenay near Cranbrook, this reconstructed Mounted Police outpost has all the flavour of our very own "Wild West," without the lousy exchange rate! You can get a good sense of the place by visiting www.fortsteele.bc.ca before you visit in person.
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Killer whales in Johnstone Strait. Greg Shea photo
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Whale watching is big business on Vancouver Island at this time of year. Several companies have sprung up in Victoria, Nanaimo and Tofino/Ucluelet. But it all began at the tiny coastal hamlet of Telegraph Cove back in 1980, when Jim Borrowman and Bill and Donna Mackay started taking whale enthusiasts out on the water to watch the orcas cavorting in Johnstone Strait. The Cove remains a whale-watching base, where you can get a seat on one of the tour boats and spend a delightful day out on the water with the whales. With any luck you might see some dolphins as well. A side trip by ferry from nearby Port McNeill to the Kwakwaka'wakw community of Alert Bay and the U'mista Cultural Centre is highly recommended.
It can be argued that the "cradle" of British Columbia is a small Nuu-chah-nulth village on the outer edge of Vancouver Island in Nootka Sound. The British called it Friendly Cove; to the Nuu-chah-nulth it is Yuquot, "the windy place." It is the spot where Captain Cook arrived in 1778 and the post-contact history of the province began. It is possible to visit Yuquot by driving first to the village of Gold River, where you can catch a ride on the historic supply boat Uchuck down Muchalat Inlet and across Nootka Sound to the island village. The local Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation also runs tours. A visit to Yuquot combines fabulous scenery with one of the most important historical sites on the coast.
Harbour Publishing Co. Ltd and Harbour Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. © 2002.
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Here are some useful books to consult when you are planning your BC vacation.
The BC Travel Guide produced by Beautiful BC Magazine is the single best resource for holiday motorists. It has detailed maps of all the highways in the province, descriptions of every major sight, tips on how to get where you're going and where to stay when you get there, all of it illustrated with dozens of beautiful colour photographs.
A Traveller's Guide to Historic British Columbia by Rosemary Neering has just been reissued in an updated edition. This is a very useful guide to many of the interesting people and important events that shaped the province, arranged geographically for the convenience of motorists. You don't have to be a history buff to be charmed by this book's anecdotal style and convenient presentation.
And don't forget to throw a copy of the Encyclopedia of British Columbia in the back seat of the car. It is crammed with all sorts of information about the province.
As well, check out two useful online travel planning sites: www.travel.bc.ca and www.bcadventure.com.
Bon voyage!
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