Sure, you know about the great skiing at Whistler and the fabulous scenery in Vancouver, but did you know you can get half price tickets to Vancouver's top shows, travel by steam train and sternwheeler in the North Okanagan, or see dinosaur footprints near Tumbler Ridge? What about bear watching on Vancouver Island, stargazing in Canada's only desert, or cycling the back roads of Haida Gwaii?

There are two sides to every place: the famous landmarks, and the lesser-known treasures, insider tips, and off-beat activities. Two new guides, available free from Tourism BC, offer both.

British Columbia Escapes^®: Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler has the inside scoop on the province's three best-known destinations. British Columbia Escapes^®: Adventures and Experiences Beyond offers a local perspective on the rest of the province.

It gets better: both guides list great accommodation deals at dozens of properties, from charming B&Bs to luxury resorts, throughout their respective regions.

Also hot off the press from Tourism BC are the 2006 editions of the British Columbia Vacation Planner and the British Columbia Outdoor Adventure Guide. The Vacation Planner is an up-to-date primer on what to see and do, and where to see and do it, from golf to wine tasting, shopping to wildlife viewing, in all regions of the province. The Outdoor Adventure Guide is your key to BC's great outdoors, with coordinates for hiking, kayaking, skiing, rock climbing, scuba diving and more.

An essential companion to any of these guides is the 2006 British Columbia Approved Accommodation Guide. Celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, this trusted guide details almost 3,000 places to stay in BC, from campgrounds to luxury resorts, all personally inspected and approved by a Tourism BC representative.

Free, up-to-date specialized guides on golf, sport fishing, guest ranches, and First Nations tourism in BC, as well as detailed guides to each of the province's six tourism regions, are also available.

For free copies of any of these guides, call 1-800 HELLO BC^® (435-5622) or click on www.HelloBC.com.