I have evolved into the unofficial tour guide for friends and family when they visit. A favorite day trip from Dawson Creek is to the W.A.C. Bennett Dam on Williston Lake. It takes about an hour and a half to get there and is the perfect way to spend a day visiting and seeing something amazing at the same time. It's a real treat to drive across the dam itself, it's huge! The trip wouldn't be complete without taking the bus tour deep into the belly of the dam on the bus. You will have to wear a hard hat. The guided tour costs six dollars for adults and lasts about an hour. Once I get over my immediate feeling of claustrophobia, I really enjoy the tour. The air once you are underground is cool and you can feel the energy vibrate and hum in the stone all around. Visitors are always blown away by the project. My Dad worked on the Dam from start to finish, so I have lots of stories to tell them, like the day the water was first released and the bear clinging to a floating log being swept away... Editor's note: Learn more about the W.A.C. Bennett Dam and the Peace Canyon Dam

  Exploring British Columbia by motorcycle is an incredible experience.

  On the first weekend of November, we did another trip to Mabel Lake to explore the mouth of Tsuius Creek and the areas beautiful fall colours. Tsuius stands for "where the two lakes meet..." and Mabel Lake is about the narrowest at that point and it is an excellent place for crossing over.

We set out from Dawson Creek, Mile O of the Alaska Highway while it was still dark, with a full tank of gas and a fresh cup of coffee-to-go. About an hour and a half up the highway, just as the sun was rising, we found out how Pink Mountain got its name. Fireweed grows everywhere up the mountain and in the ditches. We must have hit peak season because along with the pink flowers, there were butterflies everywhere. Sadly, many butterflies got caught in the grill of our vehicle. The air was fresh and clean and the views were awesome. We stopped at an interesting place called Sasquatch Crossing Lodge to fill up our coffee and ask about the butterflies.  We were told that these are yearly phenomena and are Arctic Yellowtail Swallow butterflies. We didn't see any sasquatches though, maybe next time.