June 21, 2009 | Tips from Us >
Sechelt, Dining
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Combine spectacular coastal scenery, first class accommodations and unforgettable cuisine and you get the
Painted Boat Resort & Marina which I was lucky enough to spend a short time at recently. While the villas are comfortable and elegant, the infinity pool relaxing at any hour and the spa (which I did not enjoy on this trip) inviting, I was particularly impressed with the food at the Resort's cove-view restaurant. As it turns out, the Painted Boat Restaurant (open year round) has the ambitious but achievable goal of creating a "culinary trail" for the Sunshine Coast along with a number of other fine eating establishments that string the Coast from Gibsons to Lund. These restaurants focus on creative regional cuisine and they purchase most of their fish, fruits, vegetables, seafood, coffee and honey from local farms either on the Coast or off the nearby Gulf Islands. The Queen Charlotte Islands halibut we enjoyed for dinner was of the melt-in-your mouth variety and, when paired with the organic greens salad and white wine from BC, I was in heaven. If you plan on heading up to Madeira Park and the Painted Boat Resort, make sure you meander off the main highway from time to time to enjoy the communities (and the food) along the way - Gibsons, Roberts Creek, Sechelt, Halfmoon Bay & Secret Cove, to name a few. I can't wait for my next trip and my next splendid meal.
June 19, 2009 | Tips from Us >
Whistler, Dining
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If you're looking for a unique breakfast experience you need look no farther than Elements Restaurant hidden away in the Summit Lodge Hotel! You've never had French Toast like this! The bread is soaked in a sumptuous egg mixture and baked to crispy perfection - I think it's about 4 inches thick! It's also stuffed with banana and pecans with syrup on the side - a truly mouthwatering experience that I would highly recommend and well worth the calories! If that's not your style, the Eggs Benedict is equally delicious. While the place is small and may require a short wait, hang in there, as I guarantee you won't be disappointed! For evening fare they switch to Tapas which looked tempting when we checked out the menu and we plan to try it on our next weekend escape to Whistler!
June 18, 2009 | Tips from Us >
Port Hardy, Ferry
Just a few short weeks ago BC Ferries introduced one of it's newest vessels into service, the
Northern Expedition, sailing from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert. I recently jumped onboard this 15-hour scenic extravaganza through BC's Inside Passage - check out the video to see what I found.
June 17, 2009 | Tips from Us >
Queen Charlotte City, Boating & Sailing
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With the long and inlet-laden coastline BC has, touring by sea makes perfect sense. One might expect to have novel adventure, easy
wildlife viewing and a peaceful pace from a sea-bound tourism experience. Recently
Bluewater Adventures showed me I could
concurrently have a luxurious and gourmet experience.
Aboard their 70' Island Odyssey yacht, guests are served freshly prepared, mouth-watering meals and tapas prepared by the onboard chef. After about ten minutes aboard, I better understood why the wealthy seem to be so fond of owning great big showy boats. With tourism companies like
Bluewater around, living the high-life at sea is temporarily brought within grasp of anyone wishing to treat themselves.
Despite only being onboard for 3 hours, I ventured below the decks to get a peek at the 'living quarters'. There were many inviting, cheerful, wood-polished sleeping rooms with porthole windows. Not spacious, but certainly full of childlike 'playing fort' styled fun.
This manner of small ship tourism elegantly fills the gap for those who run from the bloat of a
cruise ship AND the labours of a
self-guided trip. If this is you, BC's small ship adventures will be a true wilderness experience and education.
June 15, 2009 | Tips from Us >
Whistler, Theatre & Performing Arts
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Last week we saw Bachelorette Jillian sizing up the Bachelors in
Vancouver, British Columbia. This week, the group is in
Whistler, BC -- a great mountain village and a key venue for the
2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
If you'd like to follow in the footsteps of the wanna-be wedded ones, here's the insider scoop for what's in this week's episode:
If you don't know what this post is all about, time to join the fun. It's a show on the ABC network called "
The Bachelorette".
(Photo: ABC Television Network)
June 06, 2009 | Tips from Us >
Victoria, Culinary Tours & Schools
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If you're into good food and in Victoria BC, I recommend checking out
Abigail's Hotel - not only for the great breakfasts they serve their hotel guests but also for the periodic cooking classes they offer - check out the video of our recent visit.
June 05, 2009 | Tips from Us >
Vancouver, Festivals & Events
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How lucky was I to get to see opening night of the
Bard on the Beach presentation of Othello at Vanier Park. It had been years since I enjoyed one of the company's first class theatrical presentations in the big red and white tents which command such a spectacular presence in behind the Museum of Vancouver and the HR MacMillan Space Centre. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy the Othello story line, the fantastic costumes and the unforgettable setting, but I was very taken with the whole tent set up - the boardwalks that lead from the mainstage tent to the snack counter, gift shop and to the wine bar...I loved to that birds flew through the mainstage tent while we were watching the play and that the lighting changed so dramatically as the sun sank into the Georgia Straight. We are so lucky to have Bard on the Beach....and they are celebrating their 20th anniversary. I may just join the many number of regulars that I met last night and come see the company's other summer 2009 performance, A Comedy of Errors. Their season runs until September 26, 2009.
May 29, 2009 | Tips from Us >
Galiano Island, Beaches & Swimming
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The Southern Gulf Islands have always been a special place for me: my family has had a cabin on Galiano Island for many decades. For me, the island is a place to relax and unwind, for lazy walks down sandstone beaches, exploring tidepools on the shore, kayak excursions and bike rides.
This photo is at Bellhouse Park on Galiano, which overlooks Active Pass and the ferry traffic that travels through it. At low tide, with a little bit of scrambling over seaweed and rocks, it's easy to walk along the waterfront from Sturdies Bay to the point where the park is located, and around the corner to the next little bay with a sandy beach (both bays as well as the park have public access from the roadway). Along the shore the soft sandstone rock takes on weird and wonderful shapes from the force of the water.
May 29, 2009 | Tips from Us >
Sooke, Culinary Tours & Schools
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How pleased we were that the Little Vienna Bakery chose to advertise 'Cheese' on it's main road facing sign! We'd left Vancouver on a 8am ferry to Swartz Bay. By 11:30am we were at our destination of Sooke and it felt a world away. Never to miss a fine European cheese selection, and ready for a healthy lunch, we hopefully entered the Little Vienna Bakery. Travelling with a gluten allergy is challenging to say the least. Trying to get lunch at a bakery usually ends in disappointment. This bakery was a marvellous exception.
When we sheepishly inquired of a gluten-free possibility, Michele, the proprietor, enthusiastically came out from behind her counter and regaled us with CHOICES of bakery treats and promises of a freshly baked loaf. This was enough to make our hearts sing. The most divine mushroom soup alongside my turkey and havarti sandwich on mmmmm....bakery fresh bread was enough to start looking into Sooke real estate. We couldn't resist taking away flourless chocolate cake for later. It was devoured within the half hour.
If not tuned into 'cheese' signage, The Little Vienna Bakery would be regretably easy to miss - blending in with other less interesting looking small businesses on the right side of the main road coming into Sooke-central. However, inside is a cerebrally-skewed microcosim of the town. Yes, it's a relaxing locals hangout and they probably want to keep it that way. Their secret outstanding lunch spot and repreive - all to themselves. Don't let them. Two weeks later, and my mouth's still watering at the memory.
May 26, 2009 | Tips from Us >
Burnaby, Historic & Heritage Sites
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My 9 year old daughter and I look forward to the re-opening each year of the Burnaby Village Museum and even though we have been through the outdoor museum countless times, we still find new discoveries on each visit. For me, it is browsing at all the implements, food stuffs, tools and toys in the General Store, or imagining what it must have been like to live in the Love Farmhouse where life wasn't quite as simple as it is today. For my daughter, the fun comes through the independence of being able to run and explore this little town moreless on her own. She delights in learning about what school was like in the early 1900s from the period school teacher/interpetter. He explains the school lessons for her age group and mentions too what happened when homework wasn't complete or when children talked back. We also enjoy the beautifully preserved Interurban car in the large barn and interpretive centre - again enjoying the stories as told by the costumed train conductor. As always, our 2 hour visit flies by and we conclude that, yet again, we didn't give ourselves enough time.