Welcome sign in 2009 |
Welcome sign in 2015 |
|
|
According to the sign below,
The Prince George Visitor Center lets visitors borrow rod and tackle
for free. |
|
|
The two RV Gypsies went to Fort George Park which had a big celebration going on. There was free hot dogs, chips and a soda for everyone (of course the line was very long). Lots of stuff for kids and adults alike. |
|
|
|
|
Below: Mr. PG was first constructed in
1960 as a symbol of the importance of the forest industry to Prince
George. That year he took part in the Prince George May Day parade and
could speak and bow. In 1961 he was entered in the Kelowna Regatta and
the Vancouver PNE Parade and also traveled to Smithers. Two years later,
he entered the 1963 Grey Cup parade.
On this date, Mr. PG stood happily at the junction of Highway 97 and
Highway 16, and still welcomes all visitors to a Prince George that
owes much to the forest industry.
Mr. PG is 8.138 meters high, his head is 1.5 metres in diameter. |
|
|
Below: Mr. PG in 2009 |
 |
Below: Mr. PG in 2015 with a different
flag in his hand |
|
|
The next day when the two RV Gypsies drove
by Mr. PG, they saw that he no longer had a flag in his hand as shown
above, but instead he had some kind of a whiffle-ball racquet. |
|
|
Leaving Prince George, the two RV Gypsies
drove their RV through several towns, but were unable to find a place
big enough to park their RV, so Karen Duquette took a few photos through
the window of the moving RV, as they made their way to the town of Smithers. |
|
|
 |
|
|
Below: Houston is a forestry,
mining and tourism town in the Bulkley Valley of the Northern Interior
of British Columbia, Canada. It is known as the "steelhead capital"
and it has the world's largest fly fishing rod. (Although several other
places claim the same fame). Houston's tourism industry is largely based
on eco-tourism and Steelhead Park, situated along Highway 16. |
|
|
Below: The largest fly rod
in the world is situated in Houston's Steelhead Park. It was the brainchild
of fisherman Warner Jarvis and was installed May 5, 1990. (Again, the
photos were taken through the window of a moving RV).
The rod is constructed entirely of aluminum and anodized bronze to
simulate graphite. It is 60 feet long and weighs about 800 pounds. The
reel has a diameter of 36 inches.
The fly is a fluorescent orange "Skykomish Sunrise" and is 21 inches long, tied on a bright 5/8" floating line of hollow plastic with a tapered leader (weed-eater cord and 300 test tip). A nail knot and a blood knot are used on the rod.
The rod can be seen in a natural setting in the park. It is illuminated at night. Dedicated to the people of Houston, the Largest Fly Rod in the World has, over the years, been photographed by countless tourists, and continues to draw attention to one of the best fishing spots in B.C. |
|
|
Visit sites in the order they happened and continue on to 