The website for the Enchanted forest says it’s a “magical setting where you can discover over 350 jolly fairy folk figurines amongst 800 year old cedars.” Visitors can climb BC’s tallest tree house and enjoy a nature walk through the lush forest.
I can’t remember how many times I have driven by that place that’s located 32km west of Revelstoke. Although I have sometimes slowed down to look at the castle entrance and read the signs and wonder at what was hiding in the very green cedar forest beside the road I have never stopped.
This past week my friend Jo asked me if I wanted to join her family on their trip to the Enchanted Forest and as lazy as I have been feeling I said yes.
I grabbed my camera and a raincoat and got in their car. This past week we’ve had lots of rain showers and the day they chose was no different.
The Enchanted Forest is filled with little statues of fairy tale folk, all sorts of colourful little buildings, (that are waiting to be climbed through) an overpoweringly green forest and picturesque giant cedars.
Jo’s children took off running. I laughed at their parents continually calling them back to pose for cellphone pictures. That place is so photo friendly and I was able to make a couple family portraits that I will print up for them.
A couple weeks ago I tripped down some stairs and banged my head. So I got a bumpy ambulance ride, a visit to a busy ER, and now a heck of a scar on my forehead. With all that I had to pass on bending down to shuffle into the small houses or up the moving stairways to the tree houses. I am fine hustling around with my camera, but I expect bending over will make me dizzy for a while yet. Be that as it may I was able to get some good pictures of the forest. As I said, that place is photo friendly and if the ground wasn’t so wet and I wasn’t so dizzy, I would have been more creative and going for all sorts of odd angles.
I’d like to go there again and pack my 70-200 for some distance shots and maybe even that 14-24mm to emphasize the large trees against the tiny dwellings.
Connected to the Enchanted Forest is a place called the Skytreck Adventure Park. That was closed because of the rain, but it seems to be a rope swinging obstacle course 40ft off the ground! The write-up says It’s an exciting activity for families test their strength, stamina, and agility. I think that would have been fun and I am sure I could have have made some excellent photos.
I think this might be a good summer for some local trips around this part of BC. And as I think about that fun experience I remember the words of the famous American photographer Ansel Adams, “If it excites me, there is a good chance it will make a good photograph.”
Stay safe and be creative. These are my thoughts for this week. Contact me at www.enmanscamera.com or emcam@telus.net.
