November 23, 2005 | Tips from Us >
Kelowna, Dining
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Recently, I took a trip to the Okanagan with plans to stop at a few wineries during my stay. What I didn’t count on is finding a gem of a place called
Carmelis Goat Cheese Boutique. This is not just a place to shop for cheese; I learned all about the traditional cheese making process and discovered you can make more from goat’s milk than just feta!
Carmelis is a small, family owned, low quantity/high quality dairy producing 20 varieties of goat cheese. I didn’t realize that it is quite rare to find hard cheese made from goat’s milk. In fact, this is one of the few places in the world that makes it!
I was encouraged to sample any of the varieties before purchasing and I sampled a lot. The Yogurt Cheese (a soft, spread cheese) topped with olive oil and a blend of spices was out of this world. Want something unusual? Try the Goatgonzola.
This is actually a great place for the whole family. The operation is small so the goats are pretty much right there in full view. There were 110 female goats, 3 Billy goats and tons of baby goats (kids) running around. Lucky Billy goats!
The tour I took included a look into the dairy plant where the cheese is produced, a visit in the aging cellar, a stop at the milking station and a look at the goats with more chances to sample their varieties.
For 2006, they are planning wine and cheese pairing lessons. I think I just found another good reason to go back to the Okanagan.
The farm is located about 12 km south of downtown Kelowna.
November 21, 2005 | Tips from Us >
Vancouver, Museums
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Although it is a bit hard to find, the
Vancouver Maritime Museum is a great way to get to know
Vancouver's shoreline history. I went there with my family recently and was surprised at how much they manage to fit in what looks like a small A-frame building. First, we toured the restored RCMP Schooner St Roch, which was the first schooner to circumnavigate North America. Then, into the replica of the Tugboat wheelhouse and through Pirates Cove. We spent an hour opening and closing drawers in the kids gallery and I found a great book on women explorers in British Columbia.
November 18, 2005 | Tips from Us >
Kelowna, Skiing & Snowboarding
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What a beautiful sight to see giant white flakes falling from the sky! We had our first snowfall here in Kelowna and while it melted as soon as it hit the ground, it was a beautiful sight to see. I love to see the hillsides dusted with snow and both
Crystal Mountain and
Big White Ski Resort are opening up this weekend for alpine skiing. It is shaping up to be a great winter here in Kelowna.
November 14, 2005 | Tips from Us >
Vancouver, Skiing & Snowboarding
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Have you seen the mountains? "Excuse me?" "Have you seen the mountains?" I usually don't talk to people during my morning commute. It's my chance to Zen-out for a few minutes before I start the day, besides I usually end up talking to the most eccentric person on the train. "Yeah buddy, I live here. I see them everyday." "Well take a look." Holy Moly! They're... covered... with... SNOW! A solid of week of cold, heavy rainfall has paid off in spades!
Vancouver is lucky to have three ski hills all within a one hour drive of downtown. And while the opening of
Whistler/Blackcomb always creates a buzz amongst the snow-obsessed in this city, the buzz doesn't really kick into high gear until the local mountains get dusted. Each mountain has its own personality.
Mount Seymour boasts the most snow of the three mountains, three terrain parks, snowshoeing, snowtubing and is the only mountain with a tobogganing area.
Cypress Mountain is actually two mountains, Black Mountain and Mount Strachan, and offers the greatest variety of downhill terrain, extensive Nordic and snowshoe trails and a snowtube area. It's also the future home for some of the 2010 Olympic events.
Grouse Mountain has unquestionably the best views and offers something for everyone; even a non-skier can find plenty to do atop Grouse during the winter. In addition to the downhill and Nordic trails, there's ice skating, snowshoeing, sleigh rides and award-winning dining. Most locals make a day of it, spending the day on the hills before then hitting the town at night. Or they switch it up, spending the day in the city before heading up for a evening of alpine fu
November 07, 2005 | Tips from Us >
Kelowna, Arts, Culture & History Tours
I am so excited that
Discover the District with Dickens is back this year in Kelowna. Everyone knows the story of Mr. Scooge and Tiny Tim, but to watch it live under the winter sky while bundled up and sipping hot apple cider - it just doesn't get any more festive. The play moves throughout Kelowna's Cultural District which is transformed into Victorian England, complete with traditional carolers and lampposts.
http://www.kelownasculturaldistrict.com/ Last year my husband and I took my Mother-in-law to see the play. It was a clear starry night and we bundled up and followed the actors around to the five venues throughout the District. The cast had us really engaged in the story, laughing and joking along with them. We enjoyed it so much that this year we are planning to take my parents to see the December 16th show and experience this Kelowna holiday favorite. If you happen to be in Kelowna over the holidays, I definitely recommend that you Discover the District the Dickens!
November 03, 2005 | Tips from Us >
Vancouver, Dining
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As proud, albeit sleep deprived, new parents, we recognize the fact our priorities need to shift; but it doesn't mean we're dead! We still have the urge to travel. Now though we have to consider our little guy as well. So while a backpacking trip through Belize would be great, I just don't think it's the right trip for our newborn; we definitely need to visit baby-friendly destinations. Which got me thinking about how baby-friendly Vancouver is. We drag the boy everywhere we go, and rarely has that been a problem. Even some of the swankiest Vancouver establishments are gracious and accommodating. And while you might not get the best table in the house, you can still count on having a great experience. A few favourites haunts are
Wazubee's on Commercial Drive;
Subeez on Homer St;
Solly's Bagels on Yukon St;
Stella's on Commercial;
Locus on Main St. and
The Whip on E 6th Ave. The common thread with all of them? Great food, a casual, hip vibe and lots of room for strollers and car seats. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. I honestly can only think if a handful of spots where a baby would be a challenge. And don't forget there are tons of baby-friendly
attractions and activities here too. So if you're thinking about taking a BC vacation, and you've got a cherub in tow, don't sweat it - you'll find us most accommodating.
November 03, 2005 | Tips from Us >
Vancouver, Skiing & Snowboarding
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The snow that's begun falling in great big flakes across the province has got me thinking about plans for this year's ski season, and remembering great ski trips in BC from past years.
Whistler Blackcomb is a regular and popular feature in my ski plans every year. It's only two hours drive from Vancouver, so an easy trip out of town to one of the most giant mountain playgrounds ever. And there's so much terrain that we rarely find ourselves repeating the same runs (except for favourites), or having to wait in a lift line. If we have more than a couple of days, we like to venture a bit further afield. I'm always keen to go to
Sun Peaks Resort, about 4.5 hours drive from Vancouver, located a bit north of Kamloops. This resort has nice wide cruiser runs, some fun tree runs, and a great village with a real community feel. My husband loves the mountain too; as a telemarker he finds lots of company on the slopes. Not far away is
Silver Star Resort, about the same distance from Vancouver. We'll often rent a large house on the mountain with a group of friends, and stock the kitchen with bread from the on-hill bakery and other hearty goodies. After the lifts close and night falls, we'll head out for a turn at the tube park, or wander to the village for a drink or two. It's become a tradition for us to head to
Mount Washington on Vancouver Island on the days after Christmas. The views from the snowy slopes down to the green valley and blue ocean are fantastic. As the first mountains off the Pacific Ocean, Mount Washington often gets loads of snow as the weather systems pass through. Skiing in the Canadian Rockies is another experience e
October 31, 2005 | Tips from Us >
Vancouver, Art Galleries & Artists
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One of my favourite annual events in Vancouver is coming up. The
Eastside Culture Crawl is a weekend in November (this year, the 18 - 20th) when local artists open up their studios that dot the semi-industrial eastside of Vancouver. You can visit the studios of everyone from furniture makers to sculptors to painters to potters; some very mainstream, and others very eclectic. It's a great way to get to know the style and spirit of many Vancouver artists, and explore an oft-forgotten neighbourhood. My favourite stop is
Joe Blow Glassworks, to watch the glassblowers at work. A must to cap off your studio-crawl is a gelato from the pink-coloured
La Casa Gelato; an amazing shop with hundreds of flavours of the italian frozen treat.
October 30, 2005 | Tips from Us >
Victoria, Sightseeing Tours
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Travelling from Vancouver to Victoria this week, I had my first ride on
Helijet's new 23 passenger Sikorsky S61 and it was a treat! Launched on September 19th, a joint initiative with Helijet Airways and Executive Transport Airways, this bird takes flying to a whole new level. I must admit confusion as I knew I was riding on a helicopter but upon entering the long and lean machine I was greeted by a flight attendant who launched into a safety briefing so similar to those you hear on airplane flights. My seat was incredibly comfy and I had a perfect view of Georgia Strait in my individual window seat. The view is indeed spectacular however, the gentle motion of the helicopter (ear plugs still a must) put me into a pretty good nap and awoke only to hear the attendants landing announcement. If you're travelling between Victoria and Vancouver in the next while, you may want to check out their schedule and give it a try!
October 27, 2005 | Tips from Us >
Penticton, Sightseeing Tours
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A very quick business trip to the South Okanagan this week left me thinking about what an incredible part of the province the Okanagan is and how I must bring my family back to enjoy more of it. I took the night flight into
Penticton on a tiny Central Mountain Air Beech 1900D (operating on behalf of Air Canada) in which every seat is both a window and an aisle. The airport looked dark and quiet but the Budget Rent a Car guy was waiting patiently for me and handed me the keys to my shiny Toyota Corolla. Having driven a standard for the last few years, I initially had some trouble remembering not to put my foot through the floorboards in effort to locate the clutch! My accommodation for the evening was the
Penticton Lakeside Resort. A friendly desk clerk offered me an upgrade to a lakeside view which I happily accepted and gratefully enjoyed the next morning as I watched the sun come up on beautiful Okanagan Lake. I made a mental note to add this property to the list of ones I want to come back to with my family. A casino for my husband, jet-skis for our teenager and a gym and long beach walks for me! The next morning I struck out for
Osoyoos, a very pleasant half hour drive s