Beautiful British Columbia

To start my site off on a good note, I thought my first region to focus on should be near and dear to my heart. So, I chose my favorite province in all of Canada- British Columbia. Now, don't get me wrong. Canada is an amazing country with beautiful nature in every province; however, after spending time in multiple provinces for my entire summer, British Columbia stole my heart.

Put yourself in my shoes. You're on hour ten of driving a 28 hour road trip. So far, you've driven through hours of canola fields and wheat. Then, you go through a curve and the Rockie Mountains are looming in the distance. Your fear of heights and exhaustion dissapear entirely. The mountains call to you like sirens. As you drive around steep mountains you can see mountaingoats drinking from small waterfalls and deer grazing in meadows filled with wildflowers.

If you love hiking to beautiful sights, cliff diving and swimming in glacier-fed lakes, and exploring the paths less traveled then here is a list of some of the countless places to visit in the Canadian Rockies:

• Squamish, BC

• Kelowna, BC

• Kamloops, BC

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Compared to American national parks, Canada reigns supreme on conservation. There is no garbage left anywhere because fines can reach $2000 for littering. Well, and the possibilty of bears and cougars (oh my) encroaching on more and more human inhabited land. Yet, no matter how steep the fines, littering happens. Throwing cigarette butts, or anything with a lit ember, out at a campsite or out of a car window are the main causes of wildfires in BC. However, a spark as small as a muffler scraping the pavement can cause a huge fire in a matter of minutes. In this past summer alone, there have been over 491,000 hectares burned throughout the province according to the BC Wildlife Service. With rain being scarce, wildfires can last days-even weeks. So, when visiting in the summer months, read all signage along roadways and campgrounds. They inform you of the current fire hazard, if there is a fire ban, and the water conservancy level. Staying informed not only prevents the possibilty of more fires, but prevents you from heavy fines and even jail time for not abiding by the rules.

To help the victims of BC Wilfires you can donate to the Canadian Red Cross with money donations or donations of clothes, water, and food.