Fort Steele heritage town in the B.C. Rockies is a restored mining boomtown of the 1890s, while Fort St. James in northern B.C. is home to an authentic Hudson's Bay Co. outpost. The historic fort and trading posts still remain at Fort Langley, site of the 1866 proclamation of British Columbia as a Crown colony. Tourists can experience aboriginal culture and arts at the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver or shop for artifacts on a walking tour through historic Gastown. The Thompson-Okanagan is home to lakes, orchards and lush vineyards with 35 wineries offering tastes and tours. There's a vintage CN Supercontinental wine train making trips between Kelowna and Armstrong.
Explorers can tour thousands of undeveloped and uncharted caves on Vancouver Island.
They include Horne Lake Caves near Qualicum Bay, Upana Caves near Gold River and Little Huson Cave Regional Park near Zeballos. Birdwatchers flock to the B.C. coast where some 467 species can be found year-round or just passing through. The Columbia River in the B.C. Rockies provides habitats for waterfowl, herons, osprey and eagles, while in May there's the Festival of Birds and Bears in Golden. Rare white pelicans have a breeding colony just west of Williams Lake. Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, just west of Victoria on Vancouver Island, covers 47 kilometres and is filled with forest and beach trails, wildlife and sealife.