NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 620

322-3388, $35-95 s or d), offering beds to suit all budgets. In the main lodge, single “sleep-
ing rooms” with shared facilities cost $35 per person, but definitely worth the extra money
are the rooms with private bathrooms, balconies, and harbor views (some with kitchens)
from $65 s, $75 d. Behind the main lodge is the simple Premier Creek Hostel (same tele-
phone numbers as the lodge, dorm bed $25). It has two four-bed dorms and one double
room, a kitchen, a living room, a laundry, and a barbecue.
The least expensive rooms at Dorothy and Mike's Guest House (3127 2nd Ave., 250/
559-8439, rooms $79-90, suites $125, cabins $245) are simple spaces with a shared bath-
room and shared kitchen facilities, but my favorite is the en suite Kumdis Room ($90 s or
d), where a sliding door opens to a private deck with fantastic views. Two modern, three-
bedroom cabins are perfect for families. Common areas include a kitchen, a TV room, a
large deck area, and a library overflowing with island literature. A hearty cooked breakfast
will get you going each morning.
Haydn Turner Park ($10), through town to the west, has toilets, picnic tables, and fire
rings for campers, but no showers or hookups.
Food
The place to go for coffee is Queen B's (3208 Wharf St., 250/559-4463, daily for breakfast
and lunch, lunches $7.50-10), with a welcoming ambience, walls decorated in local art,
and a delicious selection of light lunches and sweet treats. For something more substantial,
head to the Sea Raven Motel Restaurant (3301 Oceanview Ave., 250/559-4423, 7am-2pm
and 5pm-9pm daily, $12-21), which specializes in local seafood in a no-frills dining room.
Howler's Pub and Bistro (3rd Ave., 250/559-8602, 11am-10pm daily, $13-22) has a down-
stairs pub and upstairs dining room. Menus in both are publike, but with a surprising num-
ber of vegetarian choices and a good selection of desserts.
Information and Services
Down on the waterfront, Queen Charlotte Visitor Centre (3220 Wharf St., 250/559-8316,
www.qcinfo.ca , noon-5pm Mon. and Fri.-Sat. April-May, 9am-4:30pm daily early June-
mid-June, 8:30am-8pm daily mid-June-early Sept., noon-5pm Mon. and Fri.-Sat. early
Sept.-Dec.) offers natural history displays, a wide variety of brochures and information on
everything that's going on around the islands, and current weather forecasts. The most com-
prehensive source of island information is www.haidagwaiitourism.ca .
Emergency services in Queen Charlotte City include Queen Charlotte Islands General
Hospital (3209 Oceanview Ave., 250/559-4300) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police