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by Guest AuthorDisclosure: Sponsored Post — Published in partnership with ZenSeekersPlease review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
#Route97 is a collection of experiences and destinations you will find within the Okanagan Valley and into Washington state.
ZenSeekers challenges you to explore the region this fall and have a series of stories to help make that happen.
Waterfall Hunting in Wells Gray Provincial Park with Dax Justin
Wells Gray Provincial Park is also known as ‘Waterfall Park’ for its 39 named waterfalls.
Wells Gray Provincial Park in the Clearwater Valley, about a five-hour drive northeast of Vancouver, is a pristine part of the province that attracts adventure seekers looking for wild and wonderful year-round experiences – from wildlife sightings to kayaking, snowshoeing, hiking.
And seeking out its dozens of waterfalls.
You could spend a lifetime exploring the more than 5,000 square kilometres of forest, mountains and waterways here, but an autumn weekend is plenty of time to find much-needed peace from the city.
There’s good reason why Wells Gray is also known as, “Waterfall Park”. There are 39 named waterfalls, and my aim on a late September weekend was to discover a few of them with the help of park ambassadors and locals Chance Breckenridge and Raymond Jones.
I had one in particular that I just had to see – Moul Falls. Though it’s the third highest waterfall in the park, it has an added attraction that I wanted to photograph and experience. The way the canyon has been carved by the cascading water, an alcove has been created so you can stand behind the falls.
It sounded like something I just had to experience.
The hour-long hike to reach it began easily enough on an abandoned road from the trailhead on Clearwater Valley Road. Signs along the way kept us moving in the right direction.
The grey day made the fall colours more vivid.
The crisp pine-scented air put me in a great mood, making me forget about the time of day and all of my deadlines.
The recent rainfall made the colours of the trees pop and I photographed the big and small things in my midst – the big vistas right down to the smallest drop of water clinging to the changing leaves.
There were also three other waterfalls on our wish list for the day: Spahats, Helmcken and Dawson. Ray and Chance promised me they were all worth visiting because each had its own beauty, whether it was the nearby vegetation or rock formations surrounding them.
The cool thing about searching for waterfalls is that you can hear them before you see them.
Grouse Creek is the source of Moul Falls, 35 metres above. We’d arrived and the trail was a little slippery and narrow, but well worth the effort to get face to face with these falls.
I stood there mesmerized by the sound, the force and the beauty of the moment, enjoying the mist lingering in the air and feeling the coolness of the spray on my skin.
But going behind the falls was the most magical part of all. I’d felt like I’d entered a secret little kingdom and I didn’t want to leave. I lingered for as long as I could.
But Chance and Ray were ready to impress me with their bravery, wading into the river just below the falls. It was a photo opportunity I didn’t want to miss.
I’d set out to see a bit of BC’s wild and wet side and was completely satisfied with my first time here. But there’s so much more to discover – like those 36 remaining waterfalls – so I’ll definitely be back.
Chance and Ray braved the chilly waters below Moul Falls.
About the Author: Dax Justin on Behalf of ZenSeekers Dax Justin is a Canadian explorer, adventure/landscape photographer, visual content creator, and destination storyteller based in Alberta, Canada.
His photographic work focuses on outdoor adventure, landscapes, mountain lifestyle, people and sports. The photography captured on expeditions bring the adventure to a worldwide online audience in real time, expanding brand reach through social media and travel networks including Seekers Media.
Vancouver Institute of Media Arts (“VanArts”) is hosting an info session and workshops on Saturday, and you’re invited! Learn about the thousands of creative jobs in Vancouver and how VanArts trains people to enter a career as a video game or visual effects (VFX) artist; 2D or 3D animator; online, radio or TV broadcaster; professional photographer; web developer/designer/marketer; or a professional actor!
Experience VanArts Info Session and Workshops
Where: VanArts – 570 Dunsmuir St, Vancouver Register: FREE! RSVP online here
For over 20 years VanArts has been the launch point for new artistic and creative talent. This weekend, meet faculty and students, choose a workshop and experience what it’s like to be working in one of these industries.
Info Session
Saturday, October 21, 2017 from 2:00pm to 2:45pm
Brief presentation of VanArts programs and student work, with Q&A and faculty introduction
Workshops
2:45pm to 4:00pm break out program workshops with Department Heads and Instructors
Acting lesson with industry professionals
Step-by-step process for 2D/3D character animation
Voice-over and green-screen filming in our broadcasting studio
Portrait lighting demo in our photography studio
3D modeling & engines for video games
Green-screen visual effects compositing for film
Design and development for the web
Door prizes will also be given away during the event.
Win a VanArts Prize Pack
I’m giving away a VanArts bag full of prizes (valued at $200) to one lucky winner that includes:
1 DVD of Wonder Woman (visual effects worked on by VanArts grads)
1 FIFA 18 videogame (PS4 or Xbox One version, to be determined by winner)
1 Season set of “Rick & Morty” (animation worked on by VanArts grads)
1 DVD of “The X-Files” Season 10 (starring William Davis, founder of acting development at VanArts)
Click below to get another entry by posting on Twitter:
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win a @vanarts #ExperienceVanArts prize package http://ow.ly/KLKz30fWvOr” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw one winner at random from all entries on Friday, October 20, 2017 at 12:00pm. The prize package will be available for pick up at the VanArts Info Session on October 21st.
Producers of Squamish Valley Music Festival are launching new festival experience in British Columbia next September. Located on the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, Stanley Park will be home to this brand new three-day SKOOKUM Festival that will celebrate diversity and creativity and showcase some of the very best in music, food and art.
sSKOOKUM Festival
Launching September 7th – 9th 2018 at the Brockton field complex, the 17-acre site will have a first year capacity of 20,000 per day, and will feature multiple stages of today’s best contemporary music across broad genres, styles and cultures.
The site animation program will include branded environmental design elements; live and multimedia art installations, along with roaming talent and surprise pop-up performances. Meanwhile a sophisticated food and beverage program will provide unparalleled culinary experiences and tasting areas showcasing the best BC wines, craft beers and craft distilleries. The weekend will also include a series of late night events in the downtown core branded as “SKOOKUM After Dark”.
The full festival line-up will be announced in Spring 2018. For more information, follow SKOOKUM on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with the tag #SkookumFestival.
Vancouver’s iconic Haunted Trolley Tour is back for another year. This time it not only explores Vancouver’s haunted past but dives into its terrifying future.
Vancouver Haunted Trolley Tour
Hosted by The Vancouver Trolley Company
Where: Tour departs at The Irish Heather Gastropub, Gastown at various times throughout the evening.
When: On now until October 31st (closed Sundays and Mondays). Tours will run on Sunday, October 29th, and Monday, October 30th. Plan for 2.5 hours, must be 19+ years of age.
As the damp autumn evening transforms Gastown into an eerie place of shadows, stories and the occasional bump in the night, you will be whisked away by a trolley where you will see streets and homes, which seem normal, but if you look and listen close enough you will hear echoes of murders and other devastating events.
Your host will tell the gruesome tales of The Castelanni Milkshake Murder, the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver’s Lady in Red and more. You will drive through dank locations such as Stanley Park to hear about The Babes in the Woods and continue through the winding roads and mansions of Shaughnessy.
The tour stops to visit Mountain View Cemetery where the troubled spirits occupy their time. When you arrive at the Vancouver Police Museum you will climb the stairs to Vancouver’s first city morgue where over 15,000 autopsies have been performed, including Errol Flynn. You never know if you will stumble onto another autopsy in progress.
After visiting Vancouver’s spooky past, you will be transported into its terrifying future through the haunted Virtual Reality Experience, DREAMSCAPE, at Shebeen Whiskey House. In this 15-minute original live action, haunted experience, participants will put on virtual reality goggles and headphones becoming fully immersed in the adventure. DREAMSCAPE was filmed using 360-degree directional cameras to absorb viewers in the video as the thrilling experience unfolds. You will find yourself teleported into a series of dark, haunted locations filled with terrifying creatures and events.
Win Tickets
I have a pair of tickets to give away so that one lucky winner can enjoy the Haunted Trolley Tour this season. Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
Click below to get another entry by posting on Twitter:
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win tickets for the @vantrolley #HauntedVancouver tour http://ow.ly/IhFi30fVf3b” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Sunday, October 22, 2017. The winner will be able to choose their preferred tour date/time (based on availability).
Follow the Vancouver Trolley Company on Twitter and Facebook for more information.
Houses, pop-up attractions, and historic sites are ready to offer Halloween fun (and fright) for all ages this season. From North Vancouver to the Fraser Valley, spooky fun and bone-chilling adventure await all those who dare enter these haunted houses:
Haunted Houses to Visit in Metro Vancouver
Click the links provided below to go to the full websites for each attraction. Prices are listed on the attraction websites, along with age appropriateness/recommendations for each event.
Surrey
What: Potter’s House of Horrors Where: 12530 72nd Ave, Surrey When: October 6th through October 31st from 4:00pm to 10:00pm nightly. 4:00pm to 7:00pm is for Li’l Haunted (12 and under), 4:00pm to 6:30pm is Family Hour, and 7:00pm to 10:00pm is the ultra scary show. About: Two Ultra-Scary Haunted Houses: House #1 Monstrosity. House #2, new for 2017, is Devil’s Descent. A terrifying vortex of rotted wood, rickety mine-shafts, punishing industrial machines, monsters and zombies. There’s also the Li’l Haunters, a kids-only attraction with two mini haunted houses that aren’t too dark or scary and contain no animatronics or actors. Additional features: Coffin Ride, Haunted Photo Booth, Xtreme Paintball Haunted Shootout.
North Vancouver
What: The Valley Haunt Where: 1311 Appin Road, North Vancouver When: October 20th to October 31st
Mon-Fri 7:00pm to 10:00pm; Saturday 6:00pm to 10:00pm; Closed Sunday About: The Valley Haunt has taken off as one of must-see haunts in the Vancouver area. Karen and her 15 year old daughter, Paisia, have strived to upgrade and improve the haunt as the years go by. Two years ago, we began taking donations for the BC Professional Firefighters’ Burn Fund, an amazing organization. We were able to raise over $4000 for the fund and would love to increase that number in the following years. For the 2017 Halloween season, THE VALLEY HAUNT: CONTAINED will be returning with new themes and spine-tingling scares. Get ready for an even more blood-curdling, hair-raising, and bone-chilling experience.
What:Belmont Haunted House Where: 1006 Belmont Ave, North Vancouver When: October 23-31, 2017. Monday to Thursday 2:00pm to 9:00pm; Friday to Sunday 12:00pm to 9:30pm. About: The Haunted House features over $100,000 of spine‐tingling animatronic special effects and live actors. While offering creepy fun for the whole family, the event also makes a difference to BC families. Admission to the Belmont Haunted House is by donation and all proceeds benefit Ronald McDonald House BC. Built at their home by North Vancouver residents Jim and Danielle Myers, the Belmont Haunted House is now in its 7th year. Over the years donations from this event have raised almost $30,000 for RMHBC.
Vancouver
What: Barclay Manor Haunted House Where: 1447 Barclay St, Vancouver When: Friday, October 27,2017 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm; Saturday, October 28,2017 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. About: For bigger, braver souls. Barclay Manor has been converted into a spooky scary house. Being a heritage home, it has its own natural creepiness. It takes approximately 5 min to make your way through the house. Pre-purchase your tickets or pay at the door.
What:Waldorf Haunted Hotel Where: 1489 E Hastings St. Vancouver When: Saturday, October 28, 2017 9:00pm until late About: Named for the iconic East Van institution’s spooky vibe and mysterious past, this Halloween party combines world-renowned talent, three floors of music, theme rooms, incredible cocktails and surprises to create an original halloween experience that is sure to leave you with chills.
Burnaby
What: Haunted Village Where: Burnaby Village Museum, 6501 Deer Lake Ave, Burnaby When: Friday, October 27, 2017 to October 30, 2017 6:00pm to 9:00pm About: Explore the Village in the dark of night. Come wonder at the curious, find the unusual and discover the unexpected. Visitors are encouraged to wear their costumes and dancing shoes! Everyone is invited to join the beautiful, Madam Monarch, for the Hill Street Bash. It’ll be a spooktacular time. The newly opened “Dead & Breakfast” at the Love Farmhouse will appeal to those who love adventure and off-the-beaten path experiences.
What: PirateHouse Fundraiser Where: 5970 Portland St, Burnaby When: Public night is Tuesday, October 31, 2017 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm About: Consisting of an annual Halloween pirate-themed yard display and an online auction, PirateHouse began in 2013 as the brainchild of Dr. Julie Desroches to raise funds for St. Stephen Children’s Centre in Uganda.
Coquitlam
What: Coquitlam Halloween House Where: 332 Draycott St, Coquitlam When: Friday, October 20, 2017 until October 31st, 6:30pm to 9:00pm nightly. About: Celebrating 18 years! This family-friendly haunted house is wheelchair accessible. There are lots of spooky attractions suitable for all ages, lights and lasers, pumpkins and ghouls, and much more. Proceeds support Variety BC – The Children’s Charity.
Richmond
What: Halloween at the Cannery Where: 12138 Fourth Ave, Richmond When: October 28th & 29th from 11:00am to 4:00pm daily About: A Spooktacular Halloween weekend at the Cannery. Dare to explore the haunted house, encounter ghoulish cannery characters along the way, and see what tricks you have to play to get some treats.
The following has been contributed by Dax Justin in partnership with ZenSeekers, exploring Wells Gray Provincial Park and #Route97. 
Dax Justin is a Canadian explorer, adventure/landscape photographer, visual content creator, and destination storyteller based in Alberta, Canada.
