Prince George, British Columbia
Canada Day!

Each town review we do is unique and Prince George proved no different. This time, 3 teams organized a whirlwind tour of the area and handed us off to each other as smoothly as any professional relay team could......they didn't the baton once. What a weekend!!!

It all started with Peter and Julie Griffith at Griffiths on Gilbert Bed & Breakfast. Their B&B is 10 minutes from downtown. They took us to the Canada Day activities at Fort George Park. We sampled food from around the world. Cindy especially like the choices from Greece, Italy, the Phillipines, Germany, Korea, China and Canada. She settled on Chinese. I took pictures of all the people having fun. The kids were enjoying the early days of summer.

Then, we went to the Railway and Forest Industry Museum. The hostesses were so nice. It was fun seeing the machinery that had forged the rough territory. There were snowplow trains, passenger trains, and Pullman cars. And there was a neat diner car in one. The museum also houses other early 20th century machinery and information. They have cabins showing early loggers' lives and the equipment they used to topple and cut up huge trees.

There were also fire trucks, from horse-drawn types to early model driven ones. The fire hoses and types of tanks explained why it was difficult back then.....boy have we come a long way since! And in the final building, we saw the early days of the telephone business. All these facets are so interesting in comparison to today's standards. Thank goodness these early pioneers stayed the course and didn't give up on technology. Our lives are so much better thanks to these folks.

After this, Julie and Peter took us back to their place and served us a meal, the ingredients of which were provided by local businesses, and prepared by Julie. Before our dinner, we tried a couple of different local brews from the Pacific Western Brewing Company. Pacific Western has been brewing beer in BC since 1957. We sampled both a light beer and a dark one. I preferred the light beer, while Cindy liked the dark beer. Both had a smooth taste.

We started off with a salad and then the main course of beef, courtesy of Homesteader Meats. Ben Klassen, owner of Homesteader Meats, has over 40 years of experience as a butcher, a trade he shares with his father. His butcher shop, located in Parkhill Centre, was established in 1983 and has served the community of Prince George some of the finest beef, pork, lamb, chicken and buffalo available! The cut of beef for our meal, which Julie cooked on the grille, was tender and flavorful. She served it along with fresh corn on the cob.

Accompanying our dinner were rolls from Baker Extraordinaire. Located in Parkhill Centre, the bakery offers whole grain breads made with freshly milled stone ground flour and they are baked daily. No chemicals, no preservatives, no fat, no sugar.....just good bread. We were very pleased to be able to enjoy so much something that has no fat in it! Our dessert was saskatoon pie that was delicious, also provided by Baker Extraordinaire!

A great meal before a great night's rest at Griffiths on Gilbert Bed & Breakfast!

After breakfast, Peter and Julie took us to the University of Northern British Columbia. This is a really grassroots college. It started with $5 donations and now is one the newest and best institutions in the province. It's goal is to keep local talent at home. And with it's strong curriculum and dedication, is exceeding all expectations.

The school is strong in First Nation culture, women's studies and forestry. They also offer a full curriculum. The architecture throughout the campus was stunning, radiating out from a central courtyard. Each building was designed by a different architectural firm.

Afterward, we went on a driving tour of the town, seeing all the newest businesses and community centers. We had heard that "there's nothing to do in Prince George". From what WE saw, there aren't enough days to enjoy all Prince George has to offer!

It was time for lunch and we had reservations at Ten.85 Café. Here we were joined by Cheryl Kelly, Executive Director of Tourism in Prince George, and Anne of Borealis Back Country Tours. The original plans were for Cindy to go canoeing with Anne & Cheryl after lunch. The weather, however, did not cooperate. It was raining and cold and Cindy is not exactly the super outdoors woman to go canoeing despite the weather!

Cheryl took the "baton" after lunch and we headed to the Huble Homestead and Giscome Portage Trail, located off Hart Highway No 97, just outside of town. It was a trading post established at the joining of the Pacific and Arctic Watersheds. There were relics of the times and personal artifacts of the Hubles, animals and even the 1912 house that Al Huble built for his family. The Tourism Department helps maintain this site and it was a great visit. We met 3 college students, in full costume for the era, who took us on a tour and helped take care of the animals.

We dropped Cheryl at her car back at the Café and then got ready for our evening dinner at Ric's Grille.

After dinner, we went to Laura's Roof Top Garden Bed & Breakfast and met the folks, Wilf and Laura Courtemanche, who had initiated our entire weekend and review of Prince George.

Anyone thinking this area has "nothing to offer" must have their eyes closed. Ice skating rinks, swimming areas, golf, hunting, fishing, skiing and so much more are available year round. Do yourself a favor, contact Tourism Prince George or their Event Website and organize your next holiday to this area! The people, the places and events will create lasting memories because Prince George is "right in the middle of it all".........and be sure to tell the folks that Cruising America says HI!