|
LADYSMITH 's claim to fame is based solely on an accident of geography, as it straddles the 49th Parallel, the latitude that divides mainland Canada and the US. Canada held onto Vancouver Island only after some hard bargaining, even though the boundary's logic ought to put much of it in the States. It was originally named Oyster Bay, but was renamed by Robert Dunsmuir at the time of the Boer War battle for Ladysmith (many streets bear the name of Boer War generals). There's little to the place other than the usual motels and garages, though a recent attempt to spruce up the older buildings won it a Western Canada Award of Excellence. Ladysmith's scenic profile, it has to be said, would be considerably higher were it not for a huge sawmill and a waterfront hopelessly jammed with lumber. The infocentre is a kiosk on the main road at 12615 Trans-Canada Hwy (July-Aug daily 9am-6pm; no phone) and has walking maps of the village's "heritage centre". The Black Nugget Museum , 12 Gatacre St (daily noon-4pm; $2), is a restored 1881 hotel stuffed with predictable memorabilia of coal mining and pioneers. If you stop off, check out Transfer Beach Park on the harbour, where the water's said to be the warmest in the Pacific north of San Francisco. For accommodation , make for the fourteen-unit Holiday House Motel , 540 Esplanade St (tel 245-2231, hhmotel@island.net ; $40-60), overlooking Ladysmith's waterfront; the Seaview Marine Resort , 1111 Chemainus Rd (tel 245-3768 or 1-800/891-8832, www.chemainus.com ; $60-80), just off the highway 6km south of town (and 8km north of Chemainus) with fully equipped self-catering one- and two-bedroom cottages on the ocean (two-night minimum stay); or the Inn of the Sea , 3600 Yellow Point Rd (tel 245-2211; $125-175), 13km northeast on the seafront and a popular bolt hole for weekending Victorians. The best food option is the oldest "English-style pub" in BC, the Crow and Gate off the main road 19km north of the town on Yellow Point Road. For campers, the most central site is the Sea-RRA RV Park and Campground in Transfer Beach Park overlooking the port (tel 245-5344; $14).
Your Tip for Ladysmith
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Ladysmith - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Ladysmith - visit the main Ladysmith forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the Ladysmith webguide section below! Thanks.
|
