Monday, November 30, 2015

Mural Paintings In 100 Mile House British Columbia (2 Pictures)


Above Photo: Parkside Art Gallery website is: http://www.parksideartgallery.ca/

The District of 100 Mile House has always been a special place for me. When I was a lot younger, I along with friends would drive to 100 Mile House to go fishing, hiking, etc. 

On one of those trips I ended up at Montana Lake Resort which was owned by a fellow who resided in from Vancouver, B.C. and was owner of a mill.

To view the write up and see the other 2 pictures, please visit Brian Vike's Travel Blog at:

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Amazing Little Man Formation And The Tranquille River In Kamloops British Columbia (9 - Pictures/Video)


Above Photo: Little Man Formation Kamloops, British Columbia.

On our visit to my families home in Kamloops, British Columbia, I was driven around to see some of the sights Kamloops has to offer travelers.

One day my son-in-law and my grandson thought it would be fun if we drove some of the back roads on the outskirts of Kamloops. As we drove along following the Tranquille River which was way, way down in a canyon my son-in-law pointed out a really awesome formation. 

The formation was located across the canyon and half way up the mountain, and there were no roads that we were able to take for a up close look at this amazing formation.

To view the write up and see the other 9 pictures, please visit Brian Vike's Travel Blog at:

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Sunday, November 29, 2015

Plan Your Next Holiday To Clinton British Columbia (Old Brick School House 9 - Pictures)


Above Photo: Clinton, British Columbia Museum.

There is a small town, actually it is called a village with a population of approximately 650 people. This would be Clinton in British Columbia. Clinton is located between Prince George and Vancouver in the Cariboo region.

Know matter from which direction you enter Clinton, it always looks the same, beautiful with a country charm. When traveling through the community on Highway 97, which was the historic trail from the famous gold rush days, actually Clinton was founded in the 1860's because of the gold rush.

Clinton attracts tourists from around the world to see wild and splendid scenery. Some of the sights that travelers take in are Hart Ridge, Marble Range, Limestone Mountains and Cougar Point. You can hike, or ride the many trails until the cows come home. Also Clinton offers up some excellent fishing on Beaverdam Lake, Leighwood Lake, Kelly Lake just to mention the few. Wildlife can be seen all throughout the area, from Bear, Moose and Deer, and all the smaller animals.

To view the write up and see the other 9 pictures, please visit Brian Vike's Travel Blog at:

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Christmas Lights In Steelhead Park Small Town Houston British Columbia (20 Pictures/Video)


Above Photo: A look at Houston’s old church at Christmas time November 27, 2015.

Since we are getting into the Christmas season, I thought that this message would be a 
great place to start.

I moved to Houston with my family in 1981 from Surrey, British Columbia, it also was in the dead of winter. The temperature at that time was in the minus 30’s, and what a time to start a new life in a small town and trying to dig frozen ground for water lines, etc. Honestly, I thought I had made a huge mistake, but life moves on and you have to make the best of the situation. Winter passed and Spring and Summer rolled in, and we got things ready for the next winter.

To view the write up and see the other 20 pictures, please visit Brian Vike's Travel Blog at:

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Thursday, November 26, 2015

Painted Hills Cache Creek British Columbia (3 Pictures)


Above Photo: Mother nature’s painted hills outside of Cache Creek, British Columbia.

If you travel north along Highway 97 outside of Cache Creek, you will come to a spectacular site where the mountain side seems as if someone used a paint brush to colour it. It is iron and other minerals that make up the color of the soil which gives us a wonder display from Mother Nature.

To view the write up and see the other pictures, please visit Brian Vike's Travel Blog at:

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Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Old Steam Shovel/Moffat Bridge/CN Railway Bridge In Quesnel British Columbia (7 - Pictures)


Above Photo: Moffat Bridge. The first bridge across the Fraser River at Quesnel was built in 1928 and opened in the Spring of 1929. This bridge served the area until it was replaced by the present Moffat Bridge in 1970.

Also In The Above Photo: The replica of a Cornish water wheel was donated by W.H.Boyd of Cottonwood House. This replica of the Cariboo gold rush was dedicated by Governor Randolph Bruce in 1930.

As we drove through Quesnel I spotted an old steam shovel that is located in Ceal Tingley Park. I slowed the car down and got off of the main Highway and onto a side road and then into a parking lot in the park. It was just awesome, the shovel was used in the early 1900s at the Bullion Mine which was owned by the Cariboo Hydraulic Mining Company. From what I read, it was used to dig a trench from Spanish Lake to the Bullion Mine. The Bullion Mine. was later closed in 1912. 

To view the write up and see the other pictures, please visit Brian Vike's Travel Blog at:

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1909 Brick Courthouse Located In Kamloops British Columbia (Heritage Building - 4 Pictures)


Above Photo: 1909 Brick Courthouse Kamloops, British Columbia.

As my wife and I continued our travels in November 2015 throughout British Columbia, our next stop was at my daughter’s home. It is always nice to be there visiting with my daughter, son-in-law and my two grandchildren.

Since we were in Kamloops, and knowing some of the history there, I figured this was a good time to check out some of their heritage sites.

At our first stop, it was the 1909 brick courthouse located at 7 Seymour Street West. 

To view the write up and see the other pictures, please visit Brian Vike's Travel Blog at:

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Tuesday, November 24, 2015

CN Railway Bridge And Scenery From Around Houston British Columbia (8 Pictures)


Above Photo: The CN Railway bridge and the Pleasant Valley Highway bridge over the icy Bulkley river in Houston, British Columbia.

Yesterday, November 23, 2015 I had a little time to kill as I dropped my wife off at the doctors, so I thought I would make a quick trip around town to see what might make a good photo. I revisited a couple of areas to show how winter’s icy grip is starting to settle in with the Bulkley River starting to ice over. The CN Railway bridge always has looked like a nice place to snap a photo from, so I did.

To view the write up and see the other pictures, please visit Brian Vike's Travel Blog at:

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Sunday, November 22, 2015

Thompson River Canyon In British Columbia (14 Pictures/Video)


Above Photo: Below is the Thompson River In British Columbia.

One thing I have always enjoyed is traveling along Highway 1 (Trans Canada Highway) through this dry climate. It is so different from here in Houston, B.C. where we are surrounded by green coniferous trees. 

In this drier area what you will see are tumbleweeds, rugged pine and mountains of rock. Also when driving the Highway, keep an eye out for sand hoodoos, as seen in some of my pictures.

To view the write up and see the other pictures, please visit Brian Vike's Travel Blog at:

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Saturday, November 21, 2015

Fraser Canyon Yale Tunnel British Columbia (Pictures)


Above Photo: The Yale Tunnel, 286 metres long, just 1.5 km east of Yale.

The Fraser Canyon is an 84 km landform of the Fraser River where it descends rapidly through narrow rock gorges in the Coast Mountains en route from the Interior Plateau of British Columbia to the Fraser Valley. 

Colloquially, the term "Fraser Canyon" is often used to include the Thompson Canyon from Lytton to Ashcroft, since they form the same highway route which most people are familiar with, although it is actually reckoned to begin above Williams Lake, British Columbia at Soda Creek Canyon near the town of the same name.

To view the write up and see the other pictures, please visit Brian Vike's Travel Blog at:

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108 Mile House Ranch - Heritage Site In British Columbia (23 Pictures)


Above Photo: 105 Mile Ranch House.

From an earlier post I spoke about a trip my wife and I went on in early November 2015, we were traveling through a number of British Columbia communities and we stopped at the 108 Mile Ranch and Heritage Site. The heritage site I referred it to being one of 
British Columbia's gems, and it truly is.

When we stopped, it was the off season, so we were not able to tour through the buildings, but just stand looking at the buildings gives you that feeling from the past. The members of the 100 Mile and District Historical Society have out done themselves by putting together such an amazing display for us all. The hard work that has gone into building up of this site is truly remarkable. 

To view the write up and see the other 22 pictures, please visit Brian Vike's Travel Blog at:

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Friday, November 20, 2015

Massive 975 Pound Grizzly Bear On Display At Houston British Columbia’s Visitor’s Centre (Pictures)


Above Photo: Massive 975 pound Grizzly Bear on display at 
Houston, British Columbia’s Visitor’s Centre.

I have been trying to get a good picture of the Grizzly bear that is on display in Houston, but seeing it is in a glass enclosure, there is always a reflection to deal with. Today, November 20, 2015 my wife and I stopped by the Visitors Centre and we managed to take a decent photo.

The Grizzly bear that is on display in the Houston’s, Visitors Centre was one of two bear which were given the name of “Phantom Bears”. 

You can read a lot more on this bear and view another picture at Brian Vike's Travel Blog:

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Thursday, November 19, 2015

Coquihalla Highway And The Great Bear Snow Shed In British Columbia (Pictures)


Above Photo: The Great Bear snow shed seen from the north end.

For those who have never driven the Coquihalla Highway, you are missing some fabulous scenery and you should make a point of traveling on the Highway. Winter though can put a damper on the drive as the summit gets heavy snowfall and ice. You just have to keep an eye on the weather reports.

To view the pictures, please visit Brian Vike's Travel Blog at: 

I have a lot photos and information to post from our recent trip through British Columbia, so do drop back to check it out.

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Williams Lake To Prince George British Columbia Old Buildings Along Highway 97 (Pictures)


Above Photo: Between Williams Lake and Prince George, British Columbia along Highway 97.

Continuing on from our last trip south to Kamloops and then onto Langley, British Columbia in November 2015 we spotted a lot more older buildings. There was a good number of sites I was not able to stop at, as we wanted to get home before it got dark and I still had a long way to travel.

I did manage to take some pictures of a number of other buildings, the ones posted here, and a couple of others along Highway 97. I also stopped and spent some time at a rest stop and I took a stack of photos of the 108 Mile House heritage site. 

To view the pictures, please visit Brian Vike's Travel Blog at: 

I have a lot photos and information to post from our recent trip through British Columbia, so do drop back to check it out.

Travel British Columbia with Brian Vike blog, please contact me at b_vike@telus.net

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Monday, November 2, 2015

Mural Paintings In Burns Lake British Columbia (Pictures)


Above Photo: Bull Moose and Fisherman.

I am really glad I decided to film the mural paintings that I find in towns across British Columbia. In each of the paintings, they illustrate some of the history of a town, or what can be found in and around each area, such as the wildlife, in this case two Moose. 

In this same mural, you see a fisherman who has hooked into a good fighting fish. In and around Burns Lake there are approximately 20 lakes close to the town, and around 300 lakes in the district. All of the lakes have fish in them.

In the other mural it shows a First Nations person with a fire, but more than that, it shows that the First Nations People had settled throughout the area so long ago.

So I will certainly keep taking pictures to shed a little light on what communities have to offer.

To view the other Mural Painting, please visit Brian Vike's Travel Blog:

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