48 — Sunday, June 13, 1999 —- North Shore News ANDREA Messent, a concierge at The Sutton Place Hote! in Vancouver, recently took time off work to explore the endless array of a¢ventures available in Squamish. Squamish secrets revealed Garibaldi Ees Eciventure Centre will reserve walks in the wild Deana Lancaster News Reporter deana@usnews.com ON the 1% hour drive that winds from here to Whistler, most of us stop at the halfway point — for gas, ciga- think, is Squamish. . And many of the people who live there like it just fine that we know it in no other way. : They don’t want us to find our about the misty green rainforest hugging the cdges of the Sea-to-Sky highway. Or that you can stop in at Sea to Sky stables and saddle up for a ride through it, quiet with the pleasure of listening to your horse as he picks his way through the roots and rocks, or the birds 2s they call warn- ings about you. And they certainly don’t want you to know about the Squamish River, where you can paddle downstream in 3 voyageur canoc with compa- nies like Squamish Kayak and Adventure Centre, keeping a the Land of } Video Presentation: June 15, 1999, 7 p.m., at our West watchfal eye out for cagles and bears as they hunt for salmon. Yer another well-kept secret, the Squamish Estuary, is full of aquatic, plant, bird and animal life — ideally suit- ed for exploration by kayak. Tn fact, in Squamish there’s an almost endless list of out- door and indoor adventurcs that will challenge the mind and body — and most of us city folk never had any inkling. Now one Squamish resi- dent has a vision to change all that. “Highway 99 is like this big people mover and there’s enormous energy at one end from Whisder and then this vortex from Vancouver. Most people are really surprised to earn that Squamish is more than a drive-thzough,” said Barbara. Cummings, the owner and mastermind behind the Garibaldi Eco Adventure Centre. With her background in eco adventure travel, Cummings was amazed by the small town when she moved there, and by all it offered. “There’s so much to do here, and it’s so beautiful. I just saw the potential.” And cven though many residents would love to keep g ety? Squamish’s abundant beauty 2 seerct, the local forestry industry isn’t what it used to be. The municipality’s civic leaders saw the need for some- one to coordinate adventure tour operations and to ger the word out to the rest of the wodd. Cummings is that some- one. The purpose of the Garibaldi Eco Adventure Centre is to act as a central reservations system for all of the tours, trips, activities and accommodation in Squamish. “We're the onc-stop shop for Squamish,” said Cummings. To launch the business, Cummings and her sidekicks, Janet Toomey and Christie Dean, recently hosted a siew of travel writers and staff from several of Vancouver's major hotels on a four-day “Squamish Challenge.” Participants went whitewa- ter rafiing on the Elsho River, RUISE THE NILE... chars erie Vancouver office 25 aoe ROSEWAY T rec ONG 'VEL ° 106-100 Park Royal South Groand floor. Black Tower www.rosewaytravelcom email: rosewayedirect.ca R.S.V.P. by June 14 Admission $5.00 926-4344 tried climbing, went Scuba Diving in Howe Sound, and participated in a First Nations Workshop at the new Totem Hall. They went on a tour of the Squamish Golf and Cexntry Club, went horseback nding, canocing and kayaking; and saw the area by boat and by helicopter. ; The challenge wes capped by hiking around The Chief and Shannon Falls and by playing paint bal! games. But even as they toasted their adventurcs with a glass of the Howe Sound Inn and .Brewing, Company's ale (one of the only “brew inns” in B.C., and site of the fabulous Red Heather Restaurant and of a cozy pub), the partici- « pants still found it hard to believe they were = in Squamish. You can sce for yourself June 26 to July 4 at the Squamish Adventure festival, featuring the Test of Metal mountain bike race,.a trials competition, Cansdz Day activities, a windsurfing com- petition and Jots more. Call the Garibaldi Eco Adventure Centre toll-free at 1-888-684-8828. Or by visit- ing the Web = site at . WE PAY AEMBERSHIP. FEE HUATULCO (farniy village} Departures june 26 reg. *T54G. - Save up to $500 per coupie Now only § t 4 99 Departures July 2 to 31 rey. TF4Q Save up to $700 per couple Now only sa | 399 An autumn trip fail for to really This autumn, discover Canada’s colourful past in our country’s east- em and Maritime provinces. John Steel Rail Tours’ “Eastern Canada Fall Colours” offers a journey through Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia, with miles of pic- turesque autumn scenery ind history to soak up Canada’s Maritimes boasts both quaint fishing villages and lively cities offering renowned hotels, dining and activities. Breathtaking national parks, historic seaside resorts, covered bridges, museums, and centuries-old settlements also make-up the landscape. Peggy’s Cove lighthouse; historic Lunenburg, home of the Bluenose TE and a UNESCO World Heritage Site; Bay of Fundy National Park; and the spectacular Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island are some of the more well-known stops. And no tour of the Maritimes would be complete without a visit to Prince Edward Island’s fabled Anne of Green Gables’ cottage. There are two trips, one from October 1-14 and the second through October 1- 19. The latter departs from Vancouver {including door- Bali + Singapore..... Bright fall foliage graces the front of a rural Nova Scotian church. to-door transfer service) to Montreal. A land tour through Eastern Canada fol- lows. Then return to Vancouver aboard VIA Rail’s Ocean and transcontinental Canadian trains, viewing spectacular scenery and fail colours all the way across Canada. Prices are from $3999. For more info: John Steel Rail Tours Reservations toll-free in North America 1-800-988- 5778. Email info@johnsteel corm. &® EXO -fron $1779 Package includes air, 13 nts hotel, tours & more! Cap ; Amsterdam/i.ondon/Paris/Frankfurt _ Amsterdam, Cairo, Nairobi + jo’burg (stay up to 6 months)........... 31980 Restrictions apply Ambleside Office SONORA BAY fary age} Departures July 24 to 31 . * Pnights $9349 WILD CARD Surprise Destination Departures July 3 to 30° * $9299 * Inights with airfare — call for details. Edgemont Office CANCUN adults only) Departures sune 26 ty kay 31 a * Fnights How only *4 B49 Good news on all destinations Our Millennium & Wintes sales are maw