deb

We are looking for unique places to visit this summer - general area would be south of <BR>prince george to the can/us border <BR>(preferably not in the major cities). THANKS

Bob Brown

Would you consider heli hiking in the Canadian mountains around Golden BC to be in your plan? Or perhaps a house boat on one of the lakes around Salmon Arm? <BR>It is not in Bc, but how about being helicoptered into Mount Assinniboine Lodge?? It is a long walk, otherwise. <BR>Or how about just soaking and relaxing in a hot spring near Princeton Hot Springs? <BR>Or if you budget can stand it, how about <BR>Emerald Lake Lodge in Yoho National Park? <BR>

Carl Z

Vancouver Island,hands down. <BR>believe me i've seen&done it all,VI is IT. <BR>check out <BR>www.vancouverislandabound.com <BR>www.bcadventure.com <BR>be advised our province is having one of it's busiest seasons tourism-wise ever,the place is Rockin',ressies are essential everywhere you go,consider September if you can. <BR>also www.hellobc.com for the BC Accomodations Guide. <BR>

BCBob

I have lived in or visited every square inch of British Columbia. <BR> <BR>My first choice is the Windermere Valley hands downs. My next choice is Vancouver Island though it is a very distant second to the spectcular scenery of the Windermere Valley.

sheri

BCBob, where is the Windermere Valley? I see a town called Windermere over in eastern BC near Radium Hot Springs--is that it? I haven't been to that part of BC but hope to soon. <BR> <BR>For now, my favorite place in BC is Tofino on Vancouver Island. Can't get enough of that place! <BR> <BR>

BCBob

Sheri: <BR> <BR>You are correct. That is the Windermere Valley. It is also called the Columbia Valley as it is the source of the Columbia Eiver. <BR> <BR>The valley sits between the Rockies on the east and the Purcell Mountains on the west. <BR> <BR>If you are interested, there are several good web sites for this area. Just do a search for Windermere or Invermere and you will turn up several sites.

Deborah

VANCOUVER ISLAND ALL THE WAY! I was fortunate enough to see most of the entire island last summer as my boyfriend was doing a project for a bank and we traveled to all the big and smaller towns. It was so beautiful and just a great place to relax, take in nature. The mountains there make the ones in Whistler look whimpy.

james

I would like to second the recommendation for Emerald Lake in Yoho Park. Emerald Lake is grand in itself, but it is also less than an hours drive from other spectacular sights in the rockies.

Marilyn Rice Davies

I would have to say Kimberley. It is about 150 Km south of Invermere and 50 Km. north of Cranbrook. It's a small town in a beautiful setting with some very good restaurants. In the early 70's, they converted it into a Bavarian city. The ski hill is very good. There is also a golf course. There is a web site. You can search it under Kimberley B.C. Sorry I don't know the URL. <BR>Mandy

Robyn

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the Okanagan Valley! It's about a 4-5 hour drive east out of Vancouver situated on the east side of the Cascade mountains, around the cities/towns of Vernon, Kelowna, Penticton and Osoyoos. Most Vancouverites go there for vacations that are still close to home. It's a unique area to BC, let alone Canada. The climate is quite different from anywhere else in Canada - it's semi-arid, and home to Canada's only desert. <BR> <BR>You have Lake Okanagan, one of the deepest lakes in North America, and the home of the lake monster "the Ogopogo". All the lakes are perfect for swimming - most have various beaches to chose from. All the beaches I've been to have been extremely clean. <BR> <BR>The Okanagan is pretty well known as the fruit-growing region in BC. In the summer you'll see many fruit stands full of apples, peaches, nactarines, apricots, plums and more. The orchards and vineyards are everywhere... everywhere you drive is beautiful. <BR> <BR>And don't forget about the wine industry. (I feel like I'm working for the Okanagan tourism agency, but believe me, I don't!) You can tour the wineries, taste the wine, have picnics in their gardens - the settings are beautiful. <BR> <BR>I'm from Vancouver, and I've been to the Okanagan various times during the summer months, and I've always had fond memories of the place. Hope this helps!

Carl Z

yes the OK is beautiful,but JAMMED with tourists,absolutely HEAVING at times. <BR>as well a dirty little secret is the presence of so much Pesticide in the air,comes from the spraying of the Valley orchards,in season the spraying only stops for harvesting,sometimes not even then. <BR>i really noticed it on my last trip,while we were driving thru the hills ,on the way to a Winery as a matter of fact. <BR>last year a friend of mine had severe breathing difficulties/angina while in Osoyoos,the local hospital told him it was a result of the spraying,it's not a great place for someone with respiratory ailments to visit. <BR>I agree that the eastern valleys are really unique places,myself i rarely mention them on the we!) <BR>i nominated VI because of my love of water mostly. <BR>

OKVisitor

I spent some time in the Okanagan a couple of years ago. Quite frankly, I was very diappointed in the area. We saw it all from north of Vernon to the US border. We were there in the summer. It was very crowded and not particularly scenic compared to many other areas of BC.

deb

Thanks everyone for contributing all the great ideas - decisions, decisions.....

Tom

I don't understand the comments that the Okanagan Valley is packed with tourists. I was there last week, and it was wonderful. The wineries were a real treat, the view of the lakes spectacular, and I met some wonderful people at the B&Bs in the area. I plan on returning to spend more time, perhaps with a day or two at the lodge in the middle of Manning Park along the way. Regardless of where you go, stop at the fruit stands for rasberries and cherries!

tothetop

topper

rose

Fodors: <BR> <BR>The West/East Kootenays are the best kept secret in BC. Oops, I guess I let the cat out of the bag! A beautiful driving loop to take is down from the Transcanada at Revelstoke to Nakusp (includes a ferry ride), New Denver, Kaslo, Nelson, Creston (another ferry ride), past the Kimberley turnoff, north to Radium and hook up with the Transcanada again at Golden. FYI - Revelstoke, Nakusp, New Denver, Kaslo, Nelson are West Kootenays, and Creston, Kimberley, Radium and Golden are the East Kootenays. It's a big recommend, and Happy Trails everyone!

Bob

The best place is the Fraser Valley with a wide range of attractions, parks, recreational activites and museums, etc. Check all of this out at: http://www.fraservalleyguide.com

Cameron Mackenzie

The FRASER VALLEY? <BR>LOL!!! <BR>You MUST be joking,most of the Valley disappeared under blacktop in the past decade. <BR>Rows&rows&rows&rows&rows&rows of cookie-cutter suburbs are hardly the 'Best of BC' are they? <BR>The pollution problems are legendary,20,000 cars start up between 0530 and 0830 hrs every weekday morning in Abbottsford alone;the air is as foul as anything I've ever seen in 40 years of traveling. <BR>Groundwater is rank with cow manure,absolutely undrinkable. <BR>Crime is out of control the whole area is crawling with Marijuana Grow Labs controlled by gangsters of one vicious kind or another. <BR>The Fraser Valley as described on that site exists in some people's memories only,in real life it's a place to drive thru on the way to somewhere else with the windows closed,if not for fear of crime then because the air is unbreathable,as noted. <BR> <BR>

Susan

After seeing Cameron's response, I have to say I think he's exaggerating. Sure, it's not the peaceful rural area that it once was, but I'd hardly describe the crime situation as out of control. I don't live in the Valley, but my parents and siblings do live there and I am out there at least twice a year. I still love going home. (Mind you, I also love my adopted home city - Toronto - so maybe it's all relative!)

Robyn

Susan's right... Cameron has to be exaggerating. People move to the Fraser Valley to get away from the city life of Vancouver. Abbotsford and Chilliwack = crime ridden? Give me a break. <BR> <BR>Even though the Fraser Valley has become home to urban sprawl, there's still some very beautiful areas that people forget about - Harrison Mills, Harrison Hot Springs, etc