Two to Four Day Trips: On The Range and In the Valley

Test

The Okanagan:  by Joanne Osborn
Do you long for dazzling periwinkle blue skies that never seem toend, turquoise waters in lakes that are bath water warm, theoverpowering scent of pine trees, or orchards laden with succulentfruit? How about the site of an honest to goodness cowboy? Then atrip to the Okanagan is just the destination for you.
The Okanagan is situated 400 km east of Vancouver in south centralBritish Columbia. It's warm climate 2,000 hours of sunshine per yearon average) and fertile land make it one of the richest agriculturalareas in Canada. Its three major cities, Vernon, Kelowna andPenticton, rest on the spectacular shores of the 120 km. OkanaganLake. Whether you are on your way to the Canadian Rockies or lookingfor an outdoor getaway, the Okanagan is a great place to visit.

How to Get There
        You can reach the Okanagan by car, air or bus (see the OkanaganSimilkameen Tourist Association for travel details). The quickestroute from Vancouver by car is via the Coquihalla (Route #5) and theOkanagan Connector (Route #97). On average, this drive takes aboutfive hours.


        DOUGLAS LAKE RANCH

A must stop on the way to the Okanagan is the Douglas Lake Ranch(about a half hour drive outside of Merritt on the Coquihallahighway). The Ranch is ranked the largest working cattle company inCanada and is guaranteed to be one of the highlights of your trip.You can take a tour of the Ranch's day to day operations, take atrail ride through the surrounding rolling hills and flower ladenmeadows, or relax on the secluded lake for some of the best fishingin British Columbia. For those who wish to stay on the Ranch, thereare a variety of accommodations from luxurious lakefront cottages toroughing it ranch style in canvas wall tents. All activities on theRanch must be reserved ahead of time (Douglas Lake, British Columbia,Canada V0E 1S0, 1-800-663-4838 or (250)350-3344, Web Site:http://www.douglaslake.com ).

AGRICULTURAL TOURS
From Douglas Lake Ranch, you can reach the Okanagan in about 2 1/2hours via the Okanagan Connector (#97). Once in the Okanagan, treatyourself to a visit to one of the many fruit stands which dot thevalley. Fruit harvesting begins in June with strawberries andcontinues throughout the summer with cherries, peaches, pears,apples, and grapes.
There are over 100 agricultural tours to take advantage of whilein the Okanagan from horse drawn tours of the Kelowna Land andOrchard Co. in Kelowna to self guided walking tours of theDavison's family orchard in Vernon. Many of the local farms havesmall markets of produce, country baking and handicrafts. For thebest cinnamon buns in B.C. be sure to stop by Friesen's Country TimeGardens in Vernon.

WINERIES
If wine tasting is your passion, the Okanagan offers over 30wineries to tour. Many of these wineries have won internationalcompetitions and are as well known as those from California andAustralia. You can visit individual wineries or tantalize your tastebuds with a guided Okanagan Wine Tour throughout the valley (forfurther information 1-800-667-9898).

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
From bathing in the warm lakes to horseback riding, the Okanaganoffers a variety of outdoor adventures.. If you enjoy cycling,Skedaddle Tours organizes a variety of cycling tours includingday trips through the valley's orchards and farmlands. If you enjoyhorseback riding, Silver Star Mountain offers trail ridesthrough its spectacular Alpine setting. For those who prefer hiking,a variety of parks and mountains provide easy to advanced hikes.Kalamalka Provincial Park offers a great place for an easyhike with a stunning view of the interior grasslands and KalamalkaLake, one of the areas best swimming lakes.

ACCOMMODATION
        There are a variety of luxurious hotels to stay in while visitingthe Okanagan, but to get the full country getaway, treat yourself toone of the many bed and breakfasts scattered throughout the Okanagan.Many of these are located on farms and offer everything from farmtours to trail rides. (Vernon reservations 1-800-665-0795).

For More Information:
Okanagan/Similkameen Tourist Association
        1332 Water Street
        Kelowna, B.C. Canada
        V1Y 9P4
        (250)860-5999
        Fax: (250)-861-7493
        E-mail: osta@awinc.com
        Website: http://travel.bc.ca/region/ok/index.html

Test

Wilderness Adventure: The Cariboo Chilcotin        By - Teresa Murphy
  
      If you grew up learning the about knights of the range and thecall of the canyon from Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour, and still yearnto wander through the awe-inspiring wild west with its fascinatinghistory, untamed rivers, and lakes where you're the only personaround, the Cariboo and Chilcotin is where you should head.

  Getting There
      Driving will offer you an unparalleled adventure. It will let yousleep under the light of the western stars and give you theopportunity to be that mysterious rider.
      Head north from Vancouver on the Sea to Sky Highway 99. If youleave early you can stop for lattes in Whistler at one of themyriad upscale restaurants. If you decide to stay the night, bargainon rates at one of the many luxury hotels. It's off season forskiers.
      Continue North to Pemberton, a rustic little town. From there takethe Duffey Lake Road. You're headed for the Tyax Mountain LakeResort in Gold Bridge, 130 miles north of Vancouver in theChilcotin Mountain Range. Here you'll be treated to an enormous loglodge with a 30 foot high, stone dining room fireplace, and a numberof log chalets, all set at the edge of Tyaughton Lake, in the remotewilderness. It will take you about 5 hours to drive here. TyaxMountain Lake Resort, Tyaughton Lake Road, Gold Bridge, B.C. V0K 1P0.Ph: 604-238-2221. Get explicit instructions on driving. Note: BC Railat 604-984-5246 provides daily service to Lillooet, where Lodge staffwill pick you up.
      The next day, drive back to Highway 99. Turn north on Highway 97and head for Clinton. Stop here and have a look at the Museum, whichwas originally built as a school in 1892, from handmade bricks.
      Continue north to 70 Mile House along Highway 97. Turn onto NorthBonaparte Road. You're headed for the Flying U Guest Ranch, a25,000 acre working ranch, complete with real cowboys and cattle.$125 per day ($90 for children 6-12 years; free for children under 5years) will get you accommodation in your own rustic log cabin, threehome cooked meals per day served in a 140 year old building, andhorseback riding from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. There is also swimming,canoeing, and some fishing. The Frenlin's have owned the ranch since1980, and are well known for their hospitality. Of all the ranches inthe Cariboo, the Flying U is considered one of the best. Don't missthis chance to experience life much like it was 100 years ago in awild west setting.   
      Box 69, 70 Mile House, BC V0K 2K0. 250-456-7717.  
      BC Rail at 604-984-5246 provides train service to 70 Mile House eachSunday, Wednesday, and Friday. You can arrange for someone from theRanch to pick you up.
      From here it's just 38 miles along Highway 97 to the HillsHealth Ranch, which won the prestigious 1993 InternationalSpecialty Spa of the Year award.
      The Hills offers all the creature comforts from gourmet spacuisine to a fitness centre with a staff kinesiologist, to massageand beauty treatments, all in the heart of a wonderful naturalsetting. This is where my wired up friends go for their twice yearly"meltdown." And from horseback riding to hiking, to fitness classes,you too can get in shape, both mentally and physically in a stressfree, encouraging, ranch air, environment. 108 Mile Ranch, B.C. V0K2Z0. 604-791-5225. BC Rail at 604-984-5246 provides service to 108Mile each Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. You can arrange for someonefrom the Hills to come and pick you up.
      Continue along Highway 97. At Williams Lake turn left onto Highway20. You're heading west, through Riske Creek, Hanceville, and AlexisCreek, to Tatla Lake. Here, fill up your gas tank. You're going tohead south for a two hour drive on a well graded gravel road to theChilko Lake Resort. You'll pass through some of the province's most dramatic scenery, from pristine lakes, to dense forest in this area known as the Chilcotin.
      The Chilko Lake Resort sits at the mouth of the Chilko River, onChilko Lake, an 84 km (52 mile) long lake, acclaimed for its vividblue water. It is surrounded by the rugged snow covered peaks of theCoast Mountain Range, and is in Ts'yl-os Provincial Park,which was created by the provincial government, the Nemiah IndianBand, and the people of Chilcotin, to protect the area.
      Even by British Columbian standards this area is as wild awilderness as you get. If you stay a while, you'll catch glimpses ofwildlife, including Grizzly bears. If you revel in a sense ofsolitude, this is the place to visit.
      The Chilko Lake Resort offers accommodation in a beautiful loglodge, or in cabins, some new, and some original log buildings. Allare comfortably appointed. Activities include horseback riding,fishing, wildlife photography, fishing, canoeing, white waterrafting, listening to the mournful calls of coyotes at night whilesitting under star filled skies, and eating - the place has a chefthat would rival any of those in Vancouver's finest restaurants.
      Overnight wilderness pack trips can be arranged. While we werethere, Boysie William, a local Nemiah Indian, was our pack guide -and we did see a grizzly bear! If you don't want to drive, youcan take a 55 minute flight to the Resort's own airstrip.1-800-667-8773. German spoken.
  
        http://www.netpac.com/provenance/vol2no2/travel/trav7.htm