 Barkerville Historic Town
LT Rhead photo
 1 In Vancouver, begin your exploration with a tour of some 6,000 objects from BC's Aboriginals at the University of British Columbia's Museum of Anthropology. Then as you travel east, stop in at Fort Langley National Historic Site. Continue on through the rich farm country of the Fraser Valley to Hope; walk through the Othello Quintette Tunnels, part of the famous Kettle Valley Railway built between 1910 and 1916. Continue on Hwy 1 to Lytton for a guided rafting trip down the mighty Fraser or Thompson rivers. Then take Hwy 12 to Lillooet where you can try your hand panning for gold. Continue north on Hwy 99 back to Hwy 97 and experience the arid desert settings near Clinton.
2 Continue to Clinton, following the original Gold Rush Trail north on Hwy 97. Further north is 100 Mile House – named because it was 100 miles along the original Cariboo Waggon Road from Lillooet – official start of the old Cariboo Waggon Road. Here the only surviving stage coach of the Barnard Express and Stage Line is on display. Plan to stop at the 108 Mile Heritage site. Learn a little about the gold rush at this picturesque lunch spot. From here to Williams Lake and Quesnel, enjoy fishing, camping, canoeing, mountain biking and horseback riding. Make sure you bring your golf clubs and stop at the many community courses in the area – challenging courses where tee-off times are easily accessible. To see where the gold rush boomed, make a side-trip east to Barkerville, a historic gold rush town settled in 1862. With over 125 restored heritage buildings, the town was voted best provincial attraction by Attractions Canada two years running.
3 From Prince George, drive Hwy 16 west, following the trail of settlers, gold-seekers, fur-traders and explorers. Stop to see the Fort St. James National Historic Site at the centre of the fur trade in the 1890's, and now a restored Hudson's Bay Company trading post. Don't miss the 50 million year-old fossils at Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park near Smithers.
In The Hazeltons, visit the world famous 'Ksan Historical Village. 'Ksan is the Gitxsan name for the Skeena River. This replicated ancient Gitxsan village features large decorated house fronts and totem poles facing the water. Continue on to view the famous totems at Kitwancool and the Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Park where over two centuries ago, a volcano erupted, leaving a pocked lava moonscape. Heading south on Hwy 37, Kitimat is a stunning adventure playground recalling the fjords of Norway, and stop in lively Terrace to stroll the Grand Trunk Pathway and learn the history of this Skeena River city.
4 Spend a few days of cultural exploration between Prince George and Prince Rupert. Get a close-up view of the region's diverse Aboriginal communities, from the Carrier Sekani in the Prince George-to-Burns Lake area, to the Wet'suwet'en, Gitxsan, Nisga'a, Haisla, Tsimshian and Haida. Hiking and wilderness viewing also abound in these areas.
In Prince Rupert, board a BC Ferry for the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii). Learn about the Haida's enduring presence amid these magical islands. Arrange a tour to Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, a celebration of over 10,000 years of connection between land, sea and Haida culture. Back in Prince Rupert, tour the fish cannery at the North Pacific Historic Fishing Village then enjoy a full day cruise on another BC Ferry down the Inside Passage through dramatic fjords and green forested channels to Port Hardy on Vancouver Island. This scenic trip also offers glimpses of porpoises, whales, seals, and black bear. When in Port Hardy, make sure to stop in at the Copper Maker Gallery, where you can inhale the aroma of cedar in the downstairs workshop and watch carvers creating beautiful, original Northwest Indian art works.
5 Drive south to Port McNeill where another memorable BC Ferry trip glides you to Alert Bay on Cormorant Island. Visit the U'Mista Cultural Centre, which preserves the rich culture of the Kwakwaka'wakw Aboriginals, and see the totems of the 'Namgis Burial Ground. Back on Vancouver Island, take a side trip to historic Telegraph Cove. Much of the town is built on stilts, raised above the water, and linked by a wooden boardwalk. Then follow Hwy 19 to Campbell River where you can visit Gilda's Box of Treasures Theatre and Aboriginal Journeys. Also check out the Campbell River Museum "Treasures of the Siwidi" – a dramatic light and sound presentation which spotlights a series of Aboriginal masks.
6 Continue south to the Courtenay and District Museum to dig for fossils in the 80 million-year-old sea bed at Puntledge River, then onward to the communities of Royston, Union Bay, Fanny Bay and finally Qualicum Beach, renowned for its flower gardens and views of the Straight of Georgia. Sunny Parksville further south has 7 km (4.3 mi) of sandy beaches and may offer the warmest saltwater swimming on Vancouver Island. Stop in Nanaimo's Petroglyph Park to see 10,000-year-old stone engravings of mythological sea creatures and other fascinating symbols. While in Nanaimo, the Nanaimo District Museum exhibit of Tu Snu'wayulhs Tu S'uléluxw provides a unique glimpse into the lives of Nanaimo's First Peoples dating back more than 2,000 years.
7 In Duncan, the ancestral home of the Cowichan tribes and the famous Cowichan sweaters, see carvers at work at the Quw'utsun' Cultural and Conference Centre. In Victoria, the Royal British Columbia Museum showcases the human and natural history of BC, featuring outstanding Aboriginal exhibits, natural history galleries and pioneer artifacts. Finally, relax on another scenic cruise with BC Ferries back to sunny Tsawwassen, south of Vancouver. To complete your tour, visit the Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary west of Ladner, with over 280 bird species recorded across these managed wetlands and marshes.
Please note: This route itinerary is only a suggestion. You can begin your journey from any point along the route.
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