A-Life BC Travel Blog

By Ross Collicutt

There are hidden secrets tucked between Nanaimo and Mount Benson. They are large and small and embedded in the rocks. They were also a mystery to me until I discovered them myself.

I'm talking about the fossilized hard shells of extinct molluscs that give Ammonite Falls its name.

The spiral-shelled creatures lived around the time of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago and died out along with the larger creatures of that era. The cause of the extinction is unknown but, of course, there are many theories.

The fossilized molluscs are closely related to squid, octopus and cuttle fish. The name "ammonite" comes from a Roman named Pliny the Eldar, who was a naturalist and author. He called them ammonis cornua ("horns of Ammon") because of their resemblance to the Egyptian god, who was often depicted wearing ram-like horns.

Ammonite fossils look like compact spirals with ridges all the way down. The outside end is open where the creature's tentacles would hang out. The fossils can be found all over the world, from Madagascar to Alberta, and right here in BC.

By Michael McCarthy

Vermilionville, Louisiana, is a replica of a French settlement dating from the 1800s and a popular tourist attraction located just outside of Lafayette, the “capital of Acadiana.”

You’ll find Lafayette about 190km west of the big city of New Orleans as the crow flies. This is pure “Cajun” country, comprised of swamps and backwater bayous. Many little towns in the region are, literally, swamped by dance music. The aroma of tasty Cajun cooking wafts through the air and old-fashioned French is often spoken.

By Ross Collicutt

With so many spectacular hiking areas on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, it's a wonder we all aren't out there every day. Regular commitments and daily routines often get in the way and make it difficult to get out there and hike.

Rain and cold temperatures can make even the most seasoned hiker want to retreat indoors. Sore legs and feet from ill-fitting shoes or boots can send you hobbling back to your car after what could have been a peaceful walk on an excessible forest trail. Like any other sport or activity, there are important things you should know about hiking to enhance your experience. Here are six tips to get you started.

1. Get stable shoes that fit

Easily the most important piece of gear for a hiker? Shoes! You can hike for an hour or you can do a four-month trek in Nepal, but if your shoes don't fit your feet properly you've got a problem. Make sure you take enough time in the store to walk around and gauge their feel. Try to buy your shoes from the most knowledgable salesperson you can find. The salesperson should be able to match your foot length and width with a brand of shoe that best matches your shape.

By Michael McCarthy

The fabulous Taj Mahal, located in Agra, central India, is a beautiful building, one of the most famous and recognizable in the entire world. But the nearby ghost town of Fatehpur Sikri is easily more fascinating.

Situated only 30km west of the Taj, out in the emptiness of the desert, Fatehpur Sikri blends both Islamic and Hindu elements into its fantastic architectural style. A brilliant variation of red sandstone only available locally was used for construction of most of the buildings, which provides the city with much of its fabulous red lustre.

By Ross Collicutt

A new multi-use trail is hidden just off the Island Highway near Nanaimo. It's the first section of a six-part series that the District of Lantzville plans to build over the next few years.

Strollers, walkers, runners, bikers and wheelchair users are allowed on the E&N Trailway. Just keep your eyes peeled! Fortunately, there is plenty of room on the Trailway, which measures more than five feet wide.

The best part of the Trailway is actually not on the trail itself. It's the fact that it connects to Nanaimo's Parkway Trail, which runs alongside Nanaimo Parkway.

By Jessica Woollard

Ah, January... the month of fresh starts and fitness regiments. Like several million people around the world, I’m committed to staying in shape through to the end of 2012—after all, it might be the last chance I’ve got!

I’ve made this promise to myself in past years, along with eating more broccoli and buying fewer flavoured coffees; but while I still cringe at the sight of green flowers on my plate and give in, at least once a month, to the sweet aroma of a Caramel Brûlée Latté, I have found the key to sticking to a fitness plan: signing up for races.

Photo/Tony Austin

By Jessica Goerzen

Since I was a little girl watching magical Christmas movies, I have always wanted to bundle up and go skating on an outdoor skating rink, followed by a big steaming mug of hot chocolate. Well, this dream has been made a reality thanks to the newly opened Stuart Park outdoor skating rink in downtown Kelowna. The rink is very popular with families, couples, little hockey players and first timers.

Located in the heart of Kelowna’s downtown core, off Bernard Street and parallel to the boardwalk, the Stuart Park outdoor rink enhances winter in the city. It includes gorgeous Christmas lights, a view overlooking Okanagan Lake and Kelowna's newest art piece: the 10-foot-tall Stuart Park Bear.

By Michael McCarthy

Beverly Hills has been home to the stars (and the ultra rich producers and promoters who can also afford to live there) since the original Beverly Hills Hotel was built back in 1912 in the midst of what was then an apple orchard. Movies aren’t made on Hollywood movie lots any more (it’s a tawdry area full of cheap tourist junk) but many Hollywood stars still live in nearby Beverly Hills. Of all the attractions in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills may be the most scenic, and it costs nothing to window shop.

Sometimes real movie stars can be sighted in the fashionable shopping district centred on Rodeo Drive.

By Ross Collicutt

The smell of mulled wine and gingerbread wafted through the air. Lights twinkled all around us. We had just walked into a German Christmas village.

We hadn’t really flown all the way to Germany. In fact, we had only walked down West Georgia Street in Vancouver and found ourselves transported to a world full of beer steins and every kind of sausage you can imagine. Back for a second year, the Vancouver Christmas Market brings authentic German food, drink and Christmas gifts to a beautiful market on West Georgia and Hamilton streets.

By Jacqueline Windh

The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States. Its image appears on many American government seals. But when I used to kayak-guide in Clayoquot Sound, I found it ironic that many Americans only see a bald eagle for the first time here in Canada. To residents of Tofino and Ucluelet, a soaring bald eagle is almost a daily sight.

Bald eagle populations fell into decline in the U.S.A. as a result of both DDT pesticide use, which kept the birds from reproducing successfully, and as a result of hunting. By the mid-1950s, a bald eagle population that was estimated to have been in the hundreds of thousands had fallen to just 412 nesting pairs (in the U.S.A., excluding Alaska). The bald eagle was placed on the endangered species list in 1967, and DDT was banned in the U.S.A. in 1972.