http://www.RealAdventures.com/vacations/184935_articles-british-columbia.htm Check out some of the recently updated travel & vacation listings on RealAdventures. Be inspired, go explore! en-us Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:30:15 GMT Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:30:15 GMT http://www.RealAdventures.com http://www.RealAdventures.com/vacations/184935_articles-british-columbia.htm 100 100 http://www.RealAdventures.com/listings/1024436_Sea-Kayaking-in-Style http://www.RealAdventures.com/listings/1024436_Sea-Kayaking-in-Style Articles British Columbia Thu, 08 Jan 2004 00:01:00 The highlights of sea kayaking in British Columbia, including great food ... -
The highlights of sea kayaking in British Columbia, including great food ...


by Lucas Aykroyd

Hint Do not watch the very bad 1977 Bo Derek movie Orca before you take this sea kayaking trip off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island. It will only distract you from the true raw beauty of these waters and cedarladen shores.

Sea Kayak Adventures of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho has recently begun offering sixday tours of Queen Charlotte Strait, the lesserknown neighbor of Johnstone Strait, which features the world's highest concentration of killer whales. It's a chance to experience the British Columbia wilds without other groups of affluent tourists waving to you and local fishing boats tooting
their horns. One such tour was in late July.

Launching from the town of Port Hardy, the group of 16 (from as far away as Connecticut and New Mexico) packs a flotilla of stable twoperson kayaks after an orientation session and simple howtokayak lesson. Then it's out on the water, where a salty breeze assists our passage along the Vancouver Island coastline. Our three guides (Jorge, Jackie and owneroperator Terry
Prichard) marshal the less experienced kayakers ahead to the first "lunch beach" as bald eagles lurk above in the trees.

SKA's culinary instincts are impeccable. When was the last time you went camping and feasted on deli sandwiches, Tarragon chicken and lime cheesecake instead of baked beans? Not to mention the wine and cheese horsd'oeuvres that materialize shortly after final landing each day.

The pace of six to ten miles per day is relaxed enough to accommodate both teenage boys and retired couples. These waters are relatively sheltered, allowing you to concentrate on the rugged mountains of mainland B.C. in the distance and the outlandishly colorful sea anemones clustered on nearby rocks.

Even one foggy morning when someone tries out one of the guides' single kayaks and accidentally flips it, there is no danger. The guides race to her side, pull her out of the sea and bail out the water in mere minutes. Another day, we get a lesson in how to traverse a strong eddy quickly and efficiently.

As we navigate the perimeter of Nigei Island beneath sunny skies, we spot more wildlife. A minke whale's fin flashes above the surface, which is a rare sight. A shy doe trots away from the shore as the kayaks pull in, although her relatives can be heard sniffing around the tents at night. Sea lions, harbor seals and salmon also pop up from time to time.

Terry ensures the local history, geology and vegetation don't go overlooked. He incorporates nature walks into the morning routine and takes us through the ancient site of an Indian village where little remains but dry grass and gooseberries.

At night, his fellow guides not only cook and clean up but also join the rest of the group in campfire games and the infamous World RockSkipping Championships.

Naturally, as the end of the trip approaches, everyone is eager to spot a pod of orcas. They're not as numerous as in Johnstone Strait, so there are no guarantees. But just as we're about to turn into a channel and head back to Port Hardy, a shout goes up. And there they are! The orcas head north, their giant black fins emerging sometimes three abreast, blowing and breaching in a magnificent display that seems to last forever.

The sight of a baby black bear hunting hermit crabs near the shore minutes out of Port Hardy adds a nice closing touch. And back at "home base," connections to bus or air transportation for your return trip are easy to make.

SKA offers an ideal introduction to sea kayaking. Professional and personable, their guides ensure the journey is both enjoyable and safe.

And oh, those horsd'oeuvres!
Details & Reservations: Sea Kayaking in Style
RealAdventures | British Columbia Articles

]]> http://www.RealAdventures.com/listings/1023974_Vibrant-Victoria-British-Columbia http://www.RealAdventures.com/listings/1023974_Vibrant-Victoria-British-Columbia Articles British Columbia Tue, 27 Mar 2001 00:03:00 Situated on Vancouver Island, British Columbia's capital has a character and style all its own. -
Situated on Vancouver Island, British Columbia's capital has a character and style all its own.


Victoria is just as vibrantly colorful as the flower baskets adorning the Inner Harbor lampposts in its famous floral signature. Situated on Vancouver Island (the largest Pacific island in North America), 40 miles across the Strait of Georgia from the B.C. mainland, the capital city of the province of British Columbia was established by the Hudson&8217s Bay Company as Fort Victoria in 1843 in honor of the British queen. The fort officially became a city in 1862, and the varied combination of cultures that had already passed through and those that were gathering there gave the growing town its unique character and style. There were the Northwest Coast Indians, with their stunning totem art the fur traders of the Hudson&8217s Bay Company miners venturing to the gold fields (who became a large and raucous presence with the Klondike strike in 1897) the Royal Navy, which came for the lowpriced land the Englishmen who journeyed there because of the sunny climate and proceeded to create a British reproduction in the colonies (complete with cricket fields, English gardens and semicastles). All of those influences have mingled to produce today&8217s Victoria...a city of great natural beauty and graceful oldworld charm a place where horsedrawn carriages coexist with touring rigs that are bicyclistpropelled an urbane society which enjoys garden parties and hightea as well as kayaking and windsurfing. It has been said of Victoria that it is "more English than the English"...a stroll around town will reinforce this statement but it is also a product of the aboriginal people and all others who have taken part of Western Canada&8217s fascinating history.

An impressive focal point on the beautiful Inner Harbor is the B.C. Legislative Buildings (also called the Provincial Parliament Buildings). Completed in 1897 and opened in 1898 to commemorate Queen Victoria&8217s Diamond Jubilee, these ornate structures overlook the busy waterway and send a bright greeting to passersby with "Welcome to Victoria" written in flowers. At night the scene becomes totally enchanting as the 3,300 light bulbs which bedeck the buildings (and were part of the original architectural design) are lit, casting a glow over the area. These small globes were initially turned on in June 1887, and their first major replacement didn't take place until 1976...things were built to last in those days.

The other gracious anchor on the Inner Harbor is the Empress Hotel, built in 1908 and planned by the same architect who was responsible for the Parliament Buildings. This Grande Dame contains restaurants, tea rooms (with all of the appropriate ceremony), boutiques, an historical overview...and a lovely step back into another age. It is adjoined by the very modern Victoria Conference Center, which provides a striking counterpart in design that manages to blend pleasingly with its older companion. Located just across the street are the Royal British Columbia Museum the Carillon Tower (a gift from BC residents of Dutch descent, with 623 bells producing wonderful melodies) and Thunderbird Park, which contains several examples of the totem art which has been handed down from the aboriginal inhabitants as well as a carving shed in which traditional pole carving continues to take place. A glance through the magnificent and stately poles reveals the Empress, the Conference Center, and the Victoria skyline beyond....all the vibrant worlds merging!

On the other side of the Conference Center is Crystal Garden, a glass hall which opened in 1925 (and is another product of that very industrious architect who designed the Legislative Buildings and the Empress). It has been, at various times, the largest indoor swimming pool in the British Empire, a ballroom, an exhibit hall, and the site of W.W.II parachute training. Today it is a conservatory described as "a tropical paradise under glass". The exhibitions include hundreds of tropical plants, birds, the world's smallest monkeys, fruit bats, waterfall and fountains, and a special enclosure containing freeflying butterflies. The organization is actively involved in conservation and preservation, as well as breeding programs dedicated to returning endangered species to their natural habitats.
Details & Reservations: Vibrant Victoria, British Columbia
RealAdventures | British Columbia Articles

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