Go & Do Summer 2019

Riondel Days
It’s old home week in Riondel
over the BC August long
weekend holiday. Can you think
of anywhere else where the
highlight of the festivities is a
standing still parade? Riondel's
parade arrives, and all the floats
and the musicians and costumed
groups take a seat in the
main street and it’s the crowd
who moves around them! It’s a
fun Sunday morning of catching
up and creative inspiration.
Other events include a softball
tourney, live music, pancake
breakfast, cakewalk, wheelbarrow
races, kids’ bike decorating
and other very serious
contests!
Day Trips
Golf Balfour Take the ferry
from Kootenay Bay to Balfour,
golf a round on the fabulous
Balfour Golf Course and then
shop or dine at the ferry landing
on your way back.
Gray Creek Pass. This section
of the Trans Canada Trail takes
you from Gray Creek to Kimberley
– a distance of 91 km
over the summit of 6,800 feet.
Bike it or drive it. A vehicle with
clearance is best. Check in at
the Gray Creek store for road
conditions before you head out.
Hike Mt Loki This epic hike
is a rite of passage for locals.
The iconic triangular peak rising
to 2,761 m (over 8,000 feet)
presides over Kootenay Lake.
Climbing to the top is a real
challenge, so plan well and be
prepared to spend 8 hours at
it. Trailhead is 15 km north of
Riondel up Portman Creek Road.
Bring food & water. August is the
best month!
Hike Mt Thompson Rim
This hike is a perfect
family-friendly outing for an
afternoon because you can drive
most of the elevation gain in your
high clearance vehicle. Bring
water, there’s none en route.
www.crestonvalleytrails.ca/trails
for more hikes.
Creston
Known today as the “Valley of
Swans”, Creston has a population
of approximately 5,300. Surrounding
orchards and the rich valley
bottomland produce a bounty of
fruit, vegetables and grain, and
the valley’s gentle slopes are
seamed with rows of grapevines.
Along the main road through
Creston there are many farmers'
stands where you can buy the
local produce and other products.
Creston’s many artists and artisans
display their work in galleries
and gift shops throughout town.
The valley is also home to
several wineries, a fascinating
historical museum showcasing
rural life and some artifacts
of First Nations culture, www.
lowerkootenay.com, and the
Discovery Centre.
Discovery Centre
A 17,000 acre wetland stretches
from the south end of Kootenay
Lake to the US border. Over 286
species of birds, 57 species of
mammals and 29 species of fish,
reptiles and amphibians call the
wetland home.
The Discovery Centre is open
May to October. Take a one-hour
guided tour of the waterways
and wetlands; your group will
be paddling in a voyageur-style
(cargo) canoe. Nighttime walking
tours of this lush and active wetland
are also available in August.
Or just walk along the trails.
There are multi-storied wooden
viewing towers located along the
route that give you breathtaking
views of the valley.
Kootenay-Columbia Discovery Centre
Guided Canoe and Walking Tours
Special Events and Programs
Educational Displays
Trail Maps and Information
#visitcrestonvalleyBC
offering wetland education programs at the
Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area
1760 West Creston Rd (11 (11 kms west of of Creston, BC BC off off Hwy 3) 3)
Open Open Seasonally from from May May-Oct to October • Phone: • Phone: (250) 250-402-8661
Email: education@discovery-centre.ca
www.discovery-centre.ca
east shore/creston
We carry a large selection of kids’, men’s and
women’s TYR performance swimwear.
Stands up to
chlorine,
beach ready
132-15th Ave N, Creston • 250-254-9707
www.facebook.com/ActivityBase/
BC Canada www.gokootenays.com #gokootenays - share the adventure! 2019 Summer/Fall GO & DO 55