26 ~ Sunday, August 16, 1992 - North Shore News

Take the kids te B.C?s historic Cariboo area

I HAVE very few regrets
concerning the amount of

travel

we did with our

children when they were lit-

TRAVELWISE

Aside from hauling them over
several other continents, we cid
pienty of car trips, especially in
the western provinces and U.S.
How did we miss Barkerville?

One of our daughters and her
husband heave just returned from

- there, asking the same question.
They enjoyed the trip thoroughiy

as adults but added, “‘What a
Place for kids! We'd have loved

So if you’re looking for a vaca-
tion spet to take your. family, give
the Cariboo a lor of thought,
especially if you’re campers.

The most direct route is via the

.Coquihalla to Kamloops and the

Carivoo Highway, #97 through
Cache Creek, Williams Lake and
Quesnel.

There are a number of detours
you can make but the one they
1eok on the way ‘up is highly
recommended. Going north on #5
from Kamloops, detour onto #24
(west) and stop at Sheridan Lake
Campground (more about that
later). You will return to #97 near

between Wells and
Barkerville, the best being
Lowhee. It has showers. The
others, Forest Rose and Govern-
ment Hill, don’t. (No hook-ups
but Lowhee has a Sani-Station.)
Suzy and Dan parked their
camper at Lowhee and_ cycled
back and forth to Barkerville.
Fee: $12 per night.

No vehicles or cycles are allow-
ed within the town itself — park
outside the gate.

Pgrounds

When you come through the
main gate — entry fee $5 adult,
full day — you are given maps
and timetables of events. Suzy
cautions to look at these carefully
and don't miss (as they did!) the
evening show at the Theatre
Royal. This revue is presented on-
ly on Saturday and Sunday nights.
They missed the Sunday perfor-
mance so that was out unless they
could stay another weck.

The visitor’s best bet is to begin

with one of the two daily walking
tours which start from the Visitor
Reception Centre at 10:30 a.m.
and 2:30 p.m. These take about
two hours, are guided by costum-
ed guides and give you the histor-
ical background that you’ll need
to prowl again on your own.

Costumes and displays are ev-
erywhere. ‘‘Residents’’ in period
outfits will caution you that you
“shouldn’t be going about in your
bloomers’’ (shorts) and that you
could use a few lessons in dress
and deportment from Mrs. Neate
(open Thursday to Monday, 10:20
a.m.-5:30 p.m. Etiquette classes
at noon, ladies’ fashions at 3
p.m.)

Because of the number of daily
activities, study your schedule
carefully. Otherwise, it’s hit or
miss. The town has demonstra-
tions of many of the activities that
would take place ia a frontier
village -

Outside Barkerville, near the
campgrounds, don't miss ‘The
Grubstake Store’’ that sells almost

everything from milk to antiques.
Very handy for campers.

Suzy and Dan suggest two days,
minimum, to visit Barkerville,
especially if you want to get out
of town a bit to try gold panning.

They also recommend a visit to
nearby Likely, on Quesnel Lake;
excellent fishing, boating and
water-skiing. They stayed at
Neilsen’s takeshore Cabins (cam-
pground, six cabins and room-
and-board facilities at Aurora
Lodge). ‘‘Fantastic facility
immaculate, beautiful setting.’*
And, although the road is iffy,
take the drive to Quesnel Forks,
the nearby ghost town.

Now, back to Sheridan Lake
(highway #24 between Kamloops
and {00 Mile House). The high-
way is gravel but quite good. The .
lake is beautiful —- a trout lake
where you can launch your own
boat or rent. They’ll smoke or
freeze your catch for you. The
campground has hook-ups and
showers — $12 for a two-person
site. (604) 593-4611.

CATHEDRAL, LAKES

C6 b GE

Art Class in Cathedral Park
with renowned English Artist
Geoff Watkinson.

For reservations call 499-5848 or 492-1606 (Lodge)

RR#1, Cawston, B.C. VOX 1CO
Art classes limited to 12 participants only

100 Mile House.

One of the highlights of the trip
is the road from Quesnel to
Barkervilie —- the historic Gold
Rush Trail. Don’t plan to hurry
over this stretch of road; you'll be
stopping every few miles to pull
over and fook around.

Do not leave home without the
B.C. government pamphlet, ‘‘His-
toric Driving Tour, Quesnel to
Barkerville.””

Other than camping, there is no
accommodation available in
Barkerville. For motel accom-—
modation, it’s available in nearby
Wells or in Quesnei, approximate-
ly 80 km away.

There are three provincial cam-

IN THE heart of Barkerville, the beautifully restored Victorian
Masonic Hall, Jos Danny's Saloon where you can’t get a drink
and the House Hotel Root Beer Saioon, where you can.

It should be noted here that the
town of Barkerville is not histori-
cally accurate as to the layout, but
to give an authentic flavor to the
town, buildings have been moved,
and rearranged. What you see is a
reconstruction, using authentic
buildings and artifacts, of what
the town could have been like.

The restored buildings line both
sides of a main street, some you
can enter while others are open to
look inside only.

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