RV Lifestyle 6. Stand on the spot where B.C. began Experience the excitement of the earlyWest Coast fur trade at Fort Langley and stand in the spot where British Columbia was proclaimed a British colony in 1858. Explore the scenic fort − built by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1827 − where fur traders once exchanged furs, salmon and cranberries with Indigenous communities. Fort Langley National Historic Site offers interactive displays and activities. Watch blacksmithing, barrel-making or historic weapons demonstrations, take a guided tour and pan for gold. Additional experiences include overnight stays in a furnished oTENTik, audio tours available in seven languages and Sxwimele Boutique and Gifts. There is also free parking on site for visitors. Special events take place throughout the year such as Grave Tales walking tours, Brigade Days, Canada Day, the Cranberry Festival, Christmas events and Vive les Voyageurs Winter Festival in January. The Fort Langley National Historic Site is within walking distance of Fort Langley Village, where you can explore locally owned shops, cafés, restaurants, museums and beautiful walking trails along the Fraser River. 7. Drink in the wine and sunshine in the Okanagan Imagine a valley floor filled with a 135-km-long lake, wildlife including bighorn sheep, cougars and rattlesnakes, rainfall of less than 7 cm a year but with the greatest concentration of wineries and orchards that you can imagine. The Okanagan Valley is the heart of British Columbia’s grape-growing region and boasts more than 130 licensed wineries. An ever-changing panorama, the valley stretches for about 200 km, across distinct sub-regions, each with different soil and climate conditions suited to a range of varietals. Add to this the Okanagan’s natural beauty (it’s a hallowed summer vacation spot for Western Canadians), its wide range of nonwine related things for the whole family to do − from riding the century-old Kettle Valley SteamRailway and swimming in those pristine lakes, to biking and hiking − as well as its lush orchards selling juicy peaches and cherries on the roadside and you’ve got a wine country experience like no other. 8. Travel off the beaten path in Lesser Salve Lake Provincial Park As you dig your toes into warm, soft sand and watch the setting sun reflect off the glassy surface of the lake, you may feel as if you are far away in some tropical locale. At nearly 1,200 square kilometres, it isn’t hard to mistake Lesser Slave Lake for an ocean. Its white sand beaches are some of the finest in Alberta and, when the west wind blows across the vast waters, you can get wave action big enough to surf on − though most people choose to ride the big breakers in kayaks. The unique microclimate that encompasses the lake and rich habitat of the surrounding boreal forest has created a haven for nesting andmigratory birds − particularly songbirds − which is why the area has been dubbed the continent’s bird nursery. Built to study them, the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory and Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation are fascinating to visit. You’ll learn that nearly half of all North American bird species nest and raise their young here, and billions of birds pass through during the spring and fall migrations. Tour the Boreal Centre and take a walk along the Songbird Trail, pausing in the middle to stand quietly and listen to the natural symphony created by songbirds in the towering aspen/poplar forest. 34 | www.snowbirds.org
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