NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 585

ing tools, a rock collection, and plenty of local history from Gold-Rush and pioneer days.
Surrounding the main building are 11 restored heritage buildings, among them a jail, a 1922
schoolhouse, and a gambling room. Also here is the OK Café (10am-6pm daily late May-
Sept., lunches $7.50-11), where you can tuck in to hearty homemade soup and rolls, salads,
and tasty pie and ice cream. It's inside a heritage building that was Vanderhoof's first res-
taurant.
Vanderhoof's town symbol is the Canada goose. You can see these beautiful birds and
other waterfowl in spring and fall at their transient home, Nechako Bird Sanctuary, along
the banks of the Nechako River. Access it via the wooden bridge at the north end of Burrard
Avenue, the town's main street.
Accommodations and Camping
Inexpensive accommodations are available at the Hillview Motel (1533 Hwy. 16, 250/
567-4468, www.hillviewmotel.com , $75-95 s or d), on the east side of town and with
an onsite restaurant. Similarly priced, but right downtown and home to Vanderhoof's
best restaurant, is the 37-room North Country Inn (2625 Burrard Ave., 250/567-3047,
www.northcountryinnmotel.com , $75-90 s or d).
Riverside Park Campground (250/567-4710, May-Sept., $20-28) enjoys a pleasant
setting beside the Nechako River. Turn north off Highway 16 onto Burrard Avenue and con-
tinue through town; the campground is to the west side of Burrard Avenue. Showers and
firewood are supplied.
Food
For delicious food at reasonable prices, head to the comfortable North Country Inn Res-
taurant (2625 Burrard Ave., 250/567-3047, 6am-10pm daily, $12-29), where the restaurant
is in an imposing alpine-style log building. Breakfasts are hearty and cost from $7; lunch is
mostly burgers and sandwiches. In the evening, try the delicious chicken lasagna.
Information
One block north of the highway is Vanderhoof Visitor Centre (2325 Burrard Ave., 250/
567-2124 or 800/752-4094, 9am-7pm Mon.-Fri., 9am-5pm Sat.-Sun. in summer, 9am-5pm
weekdays only the rest of the year).
FORT ST. JAMES
A sealed road leads 60 kilometers (37 miles) north from Vanderhoof to Fort St. James (pop.
2,000), the earliest European settlement in northern British Columbia. While it's worth a