David Hancock and Karen Bills of Hancock Wildlife Foundation View Eagles

And while you’re visiting the area, check out the scenery aboard a riverboat tour with Fraser River Safari.  For schedules and tour details visit www.fraserriversafari.com.

Sandpiper Golf Resort's Owner, Betty Anne Faulkner and eagle,Sonsie share a wink

The Greater Vancouver Zoo is working with the team at Xa:ytem Interpretive Centre  during the festival as well.  Drop by to see the live exhibit of the Great Horned Owl, Barn Owl and maybe, if you’re lucky, Meredith the Bald Eagle may be visiting.  Xa:ytem features local native art and gifts in their First Nations gift gallery too.  There are great gift ideas for Christmas.  For directions and hours of operation visit www.xaytem.ca.

Extend your eagle viewing adventure with an overnight stay at Sandpiper Golf Resort and Rowena’s Inn.  This exquisite heritage Manor is the former summer home of the Pretty Family. Filled with favourite family antiques and heirlooms, including a photo wall revealing the faces of the family behind the home, the ambiance is cultured and luxurious.  Enjoy a lavish hot and cold breakfast in the solarium located off the main dining lounge, or stay in one of the four west coast chic cabins – each complete with king-sized bed, soaker jacuzzi tub and river rock fireplace – a perfect retreat to relax with a glass of wine while admiring the view out over the river.  Whether you choose to stay at the Inn or in a cabin, the eagles will soar past gracing you with their majesty.  Visit www.sandpiperresort.ca for package details.

The Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society – OWL – is a dynamic organization comprised of people who care deeply about the safety of birds of prey.  The web site offers information on educational programs and special events, as well as contact information should you site a bird in need.  Please visit www.owlcanada.ca.

All Photos Courtesy of R. Bond, CtoC Productions

Interior cabin at Sandpiper Golf Resort and Rowena's Inn

Cozy up in this romantic cabin with someone you love.

Easily one of the most accessible romantic getaways in the lower mainland is at Rowena’s Inn on the River in Harrison Mills.

Located less than two hours from Vancouver, half the fun is getting there. The colours of autumn fuse together like a cozy quilt as you travel along Highway 7. Once you arrive at Rowena’s the warmth, elegance and especially the intimacy of the Inn and its nearby cottages provides the perfect setting to unwind together. Exquisitely decorated with lavish antique furnishings collected for decades by family members, the Inn’s guest rooms and public areas evoke a luxurious standard from a by-gone era, yet remain completely comfortable and relaxing. More recently built, The Cottages offer authentic west coast ambiance with the finest linens, soaker tubs, river rock fireplaces and a cozy seating area from which to take in the soothing views of Harrison River. Sit back, light the fire and savour the complimentary wine and fresh fruit with cheese. Kick back for a few days either exploring the fascinating history of the area – the Pretty family, who own and operate Rowena’s and the adjacent Sandpiper Golf Course and Club – are descendants of one of BC’s founding timber barons, Charles Nelson Pretty.

A challenging but idyllic spot for a hole-in-one.

Great golf, nearby hikes and gentle bike trails are right out the front door affording easy outdoor adventures. Then, as you head back to Vancouver, take the scenic drive back via Highway 7 and be sure to stop at Xa:ytem Long House. This fascinating First Nations cultural attraction provides a most unique opportunity to learn about the history and culture of the Sto:lo, the ‘people of the river’ who have lived in the Fraser Valley for centuries. An advanced society of people who fished, harvested the forests systematically and traveled long distances to trade, the Sto:lo culture is steeped in ceremonial traditions from which all peoples might benefit. Xa:ytem interpreters share their heritage through engaging inter-active displays, Monday through Friday, year round.

Get The Calendar

Harrison Sandpiper Golf Resort

One of the best times of year to visit Harrison Mills and Harrison Hot Springs – only twenty minutes apart by car, is most definitely in the fall. Sturgeon and salmon fishing are popular, as are guided wildlife tours. One of my favourites? Heading out with the Charlie family and their tour company, Sasquatch Tours. From the traditional First Nations welcome dock-side, to touring the lake aboard a certified power boat, the tours provide a unique look into local history.

BC Sportfishing Group, also located in Harrison Hot Springs, offer guides, equipment and incredibly good times for fishing and wildlife tours down the Harrison River.

Mark off November 21 and 22 for the annual Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival. If you’ve never been to watch these majestic creatures return to a familiar nesting ground, this is a fantastic getaway. Pack up the kids and make it a day trip or better still, check out the accommodation packages at Tourism Harrison and go for the entire weekend!

Get Going

• Harrison information at www.tourismharrison.com.
• Fraser Valley golf is at www.fraservalleygolf.ca and for great sport fishing in this area, visit www.bcsportfishinggroup.ca.
• Visit Xa;ytem Lodge at www.xaytem.ca
• The Bald Eagle Festival site is www.fraservalleybaldeaglefestival.ca
• Book your getaway at www.rowenasinn.com or call toll free to 1.800.661.5108

Other attractions include Westminster Abbey, Xa:ytem Longhouse Interpretive Centre, the Power House at Stave Falls, Mission Raceway Park, and the beautiful Fraser River Heritage Park.

Also, don’t miss spectacular events, such as Old Car Sunday, the Mission Folk Music Festival, the Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival or Candlelight Parade.

Mission is located about 70 kilometres east of Vancouver in the beautiful Fraser Valley. Situated on a hillside overlooking the mighty Fraser River, Mission is a growing community of over 35,000 residents.

We invite you to experience all that Mission on the Fraser has to offer.

For more information about this beautiful community,

visit www.mission.ca;

The National Historic Site of Canada remains similar to the way it was and is now a first-class interpretive centre. The generator hall is filled with the original five generators and turbines for visitors to experience up close.

All tours start in the theatre, where the video, Rain, introduces you to hydro electricity. You also get a glimpse of the early 1900s and see what the facility has become today. Electrica, a hands-on area, is divided into two sections, alternative energy and the science of electricity.

Next you make your way along the mezzanine floor, overlooking the generator hall on your way to view the penstocks (special water pipes) and the dam. On a warm sunny day, you can finish the tour with a cold drink and a snack on the deck overlooking the old tailrace channel and the MV Shirley.

Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily until Oct. 12 for self-guided tours.

For more information call

604-462-1222 or visit

www.bchydro.com/stavefalls

or e-mail stavefalls@bchydro.com;

The downtown has several key features customers appreciate, including exceptional service, and a wide variety of unique items you can’t find anywhere else. All this is packaged in a few square blocks radius.

The personal touch is what many customers rave about after visiting downtown. These unique streets offer a relaxed shopping atmosphere, where customers feel like friends.

For more information, visit

www.missiondowntown.ca;

Guiding growth in the area is the Downtown Business Association (DBA). There are several new people involved, bringing a fresh energy, which will undoubtedly help the DBA fulfill its mandate of promoting and enhancing a vibrant downtown meeting place with unique shops and services.

Most often, when you’re speaking to a merchant, you’re conversing with the owner or a long-term employee. The downtown is almost a town within a town, said DBA president Bob Mackovic, with its collection of retail, commercial and service-oriented business, couple with residential units.

For more information visit www.missiondowntown.ca;

- In the downtown core, you will find an abundance of independent, locally owned retail stores, restaurants and services. A heritage walk takes you past several specialty stores featuring new treasures to be had and collectibles.

- Along the Lougheed Highway, just west of downtown, there are a number of shopping plazas, fast food and franchise restaurants, retail stores and service stations.

- Between the railway tracks and the waterfront you will find repair shops, a boat repair facility and a neighbourhood pub. This area was the original Mission town centre, and there are plans to redevelop and expand the waterfront area over the next several years.

- The Junction, on London Avenue, is a former industrial site, and includes several major specialty stores, franchise restaurants and a movie theatre.;

Rotating exhibits focus on specific aspects of Mission’s past, including Sto:lo native artifacts over 3,000 years old, and agricultural and forestry developments of the area. The new exhibit, Kitchen Rations, showcasing a 1940s kitchen, opens in June. Have a Seat Children, an interactive educational exhibit, will be in place until May.

The museum is located at 33201 Second Ave., and exhibit hours are Thursdays 10 a.m. to noon, and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and Fridays, 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.

Phone 604-826-1011 for more information.

Mission Community Archives

Located in a specially constructed building at the west end of the library. The archives is located at the corner of Second Avenue and Welton Street. The archives is open Thursdays and Fridays.

Phone 604-820-2621 for more information;

On Aug. 14-15, Rockin’ on the River will provide local music fans with a solid blend of country and rock ‘n roll, all wrapped into a family friendly environment. A permanent stage will be built to accommodate up to 30,000 fans.

The weekend of music will feature some top names in the industry closing out the Saturday and Sunday night dates.

A host of other talented musicians will perform, including former Canadian Idol and Abbotsford local Karen-Lee Batten, and Julian Austin.

For more information read The Mission Record as the event draws closer, or visit www.rockinriverproductions.com. Tickets will be available through Ticketmaster by calling 604-280-4444 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.ca;

The thriving gaming business is home to 16 charitable groups, supported through revenues which totaled $572,000 in 2008. In August 2007, Chances successfully installed 50 slot machines to become the lower Fraser Valley’s first community gaming centre. Since then and with the community’s support, Chances has doubled capacity to 100 machines. The biggest prize awarded to date is $103,211.

Chances offers patrons a warm, safe and enjoyable atmosphere for their gaming experience. Take in bingo nightly, alongside a full menu of lottery products. If you are a little hungry, the pleasant staff can cook you up a great hot meal.

Chances Boardwalk Mission is located at 7178 Horne St., and can be contacted by phone at 604-820-4046;