This coming weekend you won’t have to go anywhere to be a tourist – not if the Town of Ladysmith and the Ladysmith Visitor Information Centre have their way. June 20 and 21 have been proclaimed Home Town Tourist Weekend, so they want you to stick around.
But don’t put your feet up! Get on your sandals, lather up with sunscreen (assuming the heat wave we’ve been experiencing continues), grab a hat and head on out into your own community.
A great place to start is the Visitor Centre at 33 Roberts Street, or the centre’s web site at tourismladysmith.ca. Right on the home page you will find a link to the ‘Top 10 Things To Do.’
Of course anyone who’s been in Ladysmith for even a single weekend knows about Transfer Beach, the ‘jewel’ in the town’s tourism crown; and the Vibrant Downtown is synonymous with the name Ladysmith.
But what about a Heritage Experience? A visit to the Ladysmith Museum is like taking a trip through time, compliments of the Ladysmith & District Historical Society. Or, you can learn about the town’s maritime roots at the floating Maritime Museum, operated by the Ladysmith Maritime Society (LMS).
Or get on the water and have some Ocean Fun. Ladysmith offers great kayaking experiences. Or if you’d rather go with a group and not have to paddle you can take a boat tour from the LMS Community Marina from June through September and ‘discover our beautiful five-mile harbour.’
Want to absorb a little A&C, then take an Art Tour. You can pick up the tour brochure at the Visitor Centre.
Take a Hike, why don’t you? There’s a map of trails in and around Ladysmith in the Walk, Bike, Play, Hike brochure, which is subtitled: “A view to sea on the 49th Parallel.” (You can download it from the Visitor Info Centre web site.)
Community Spirit’s always worn on the sleeve in Ladysmith. If you want to see it on a grand scale, you’ll have to play the Home Town Tourist during Ladysmith Celebration Days in August, or the famous Festival of Lights, which switches on in November.
Like to Play Golf? You can get in a quick game at Ladysmith’s nine-hole course, and still have plenty of time for Bird Watching - you won’t want to miss the purple martins, an endangered species that is thriving in nesting boxes on dock pilings at the LMS Community Marina. Be sure to keep an eye open for eagles and osprey while your there.
After you absorbed some of the pleasures Ladysmith proper has to offer, you might want to head on out into Wine Country. The Cowichan Valley has an ideal climate for growing grapes and cider apples…
Of you might just be content lounging on the beach after a fun day exploring your own Home Town destinations.