British Columbia Top Things To See

Downtown Vancouver
Gastown, the city's reconstructed old centre, is a pleasant array of cobblestone streets, cafes and shops. Museums and galleries include the University of British Columbia's Museum of Anthropology, Science World and the Vancouver Maritime Museum.

Sensational views
Also in Vancouver, the Grouse Mountain Skyride on the North Shore offers views of the city and fjords of the Pacific coast. You'll find more breathtaking city and coastal views in Vancouver's eastern suburbs at Burnaby Mountain Park.

Pioneer sites
Historic towns are dotted along the Cariboo Gold Rush route. Common stops include 100 Mile House, which recalls the days when Cariboo pioneers measured journeys by the distance from the Gold Rush town of Lillooet, otherwise known as ‘Mile 0'.

Lakes and deserts
Vineyard views and their vinous produce abound in British Columbia's ‘playground' around Lake Okanagan. The northern tip of Mexico's Sonora Desert ends in this rich countryside and azure-blue waters. Autumn wine tours attract many visitors. Shuswap Lake offers resort-like summer weather and excellent boating opportunities.

Bear facts
Many visitors are eager for a close encounter of the furred kind with foraging black bears; prime viewing areas include Wells Gray Provincial Park and rural roads nears Kamloops and Merritt. Learn about bear safety first, and keep a safe distance. Never approach or feed them.

Ranches and lodges
Vast tracts of untamed lakeland, forest and wilderness define the Cariboo. The arid, desert-like terrain is best known for its guest ranch accommodation and winter lodge facilities.

Glaciers
More than 400 glaciers continue to sculpt the dramatic Columbia Mountains and to feed the crystal-clear rivers in the spectacular Glacier National Park.

Volcanoes and natives
The Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed, a sacred Aboriginal site about 100km (62 miles) north of Terrace, is a unique volcanic landscape where you can learn about Nisga'a culture and legends. The Queen Charlotte Islands are also inhabited by several Aboriginal communities, and are accessible by boat or floatplane.

Ancient history
Fossil hunters can see specimens dating back 50 million years at Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park.

Royal British Columbia Museum
The Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria is home to exceptional collections of First Nations masks and totem poles, as well as other items from the province's history.

World Heritage Site
More than 1 million seabirds and animals populate one of Canada's many UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information..
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