Page 261 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Pacific Northwest

BRITISH C OL UMBIA  259

O Raptors Birds of Prey Centre
1877 Herd Rd, Duncan. 19th-century buildings, including
Tel (250) 746-0372. Open daily. the Nanaimo Court House (31
& ∑ the-raptors.com Front Street), designed in 1895
by Francis Rattenbury. Learn
about the city’s history at the
4 Chemainus Nanaimo Museum. One of the
highlights is the replica coal mine,
Vancouver Island. * 4,000.
n 9796 Willow St, (250) 246-3944. which gives visitors a chance
∑ chemainus.bc.ca to experience what it was like
to work underground. Also part
When the local sawmill closed of the museum is the bastion
in 1983, the picturesque town located on the waterfront, North
of Chemainus transformed itself America’s only freestanding
into a major attraction with the Pleasure craft and fishing boats moored in Hudson Bay Bastion. This wooden
painting of giant murals that Nanaimo Harbour structure, built in 1853, is the
depict the history of the region. town’s most recognizable land-
Local and international artists 5 Nanaimo mark. When open, canon firings
continued the project and, Road map 2 E4. * 86,000. take place here at noon.
today, over 40 murals appear n 2450 Northfield Rd, (250) 751- The opportunity to snorkel
on specially built panels 1556. ∑ tourismnanaimo.com with sea lions also attracts
throughout the town, depicting visitors to Nanaimo throughout
events in the region’s past. Originally the site of five Coast the year.
The Chemainus Theatre Salish villages, Nanaimo was
Festival, another main attraction established as a coal-mining E Nanaimo Museum
100 Museum Way. Tel (250) 753-1821.
in the town, stages world classics, town in the 1850s. Its Old City Open Victoria Day–Labor Day:
musicals, and plays year-round. Quarter contains many 10am–5pm daily; Labor Day–Victoria
Day: 10am–5pm Mon–Sat. Bastion:
Pioneer Waterfront Plaza, 95 Front St.
VISITORS’ CHECKLIST Open Victoria Day–Labor Day: daily.
& (donation for the bastion). 7 =
Practical Information 8 by appt. ∑ nanaimomuseum.ca
Hwy 4. Tel (888) 773-8888.
Open daily. 7 limited. 8 Jun–
Sep ∑ pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/bc/ 6 Gulf Islands
pacificrim/index.aspx
Strait of Georgia. n (250) 754-3500.
∑ gulfislandstourism.com
West Coast Trail
Stunning scenery, including Key Their tranquility and natural
moss-draped rainforest, sea Major road beauty draw visitors to the Gulf
stacks, and sea arches, is Islands, where sightings of eagles
typical of this trail. Minor road and turkey vultures are common.
West Coast Trail
Fishing charters and kayak tours
National park boundary provide views of otters, seals,
River and marine birds. The largest
and most populated island,
with about 10,000 residents, is
At the Nitinat Narrows,
a short ferry ride transports Saltspring. In summer, visitors
hikers on the West Coast Trail stroll around pretty Ganges
across this pretty waterway. Village. Galiano has many hiking
trails; Mayne’s tiny century-old
museum recounts this island’s
history as a stopping-off point
for Gold Rush miners and rum-
runners. North and South
Pender Islands are linked by
a wooden bridge. Relics of a
5,000-year-old First Nations
settlement have been found
here. Saturna, the smallest
and most remote of the islands,
hosts a lamb barbecue each
0 kilometers 10
Port Canada Day (see p35). Visitors to
0 miles 10 Renfrew Gabriola can view Snuneymuxw
First Nations petroglyphs.
For keys to symbols see back flap

US_PNW_258-259_Catalog1.indd 259 04/07/16 12:35 pm