NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 646

Accommodations and Camping
One of the least expensive motels along the highway is Blue Belle Motel (9705 Alaska
Hwy., 250/785-2613, $85 s, $95 d), where basic rooms have microwaves and coffeemakers,
while guests also have use of a barbeque and laundry facility.
The seven-story M Stonebridge Hotel (9830 100th Ave., 250/263-6881 or 888/
419-4657, www.stonebridgefortstjohn.com , $119 s, $129 d) is a modern, full-service hotel
with regularly revamped rooms and a restaurant. It's also centrally located one block from
the Alaska Highway and a similar distance from the visitor center and Centennial Park.
Two small provincial parks with campgrounds lie along the shoreline of Charlie Lake,
just over six kilometers (3.7 miles) north of town. Charlie Lake Provincial Park (519/
826-6850 or 800/689-9025, www.discovercamping.ca , mid-May-Aug., $16), at the junction
of the Alaska Highway and Highway 29, is mainly a campground, while 312-hectare
(770-acre) Beatton Provincial Park, on the lake's east shoreline, features beautiful aspen-
lined hiking trails, a beach, boating, fishing, and swimming, but a smaller campground
(519/826-6850 or 800/689-9025, www.discovercamping.ca , mid-May-Aug., $16). For
more facilities, check in to the Rotary RV Park (Mile 52, Alaska Hwy., 250/785-1700,
www.rotaryrvparkfsj.com , tents $19, hookups $29-38), also beside Charlie Lake. Amenities
include hot showers and a laundry, and it's within walking distance of a general store and
Jackfish Dundee's restaurant.
Food
Steer off the highway to the town's original main street and you'll find spacious and stylish
Whole Wheat & Honey (10003 100th St., 250/787-9866, 6am-4pm Mon.-Fri., 9am-4pm
Sat., lunches $5-10), a real treat this far north. All the food is prepared from scratch, includ-
ing daily soup specials, and the coffee is as good as it gets in town.
My favorite place to eat dinner in Fort St. John isn't in town, but 6.5 kilometers (four
miles) north at Mile 52 of the Alaska Highway. M Jackfish Dundee's (250/785-3233,
11am-10pm daily, $14-26) is in a big wooden building that has an inviting atmosphere and
lake views. The food is delicious and well priced. Start with calamari with a tangy lemon
dill sauce and choose from mains such as salmon baked on a cedar plank and veal man-
icotti.