December 23, 2005 | Tips from Us >
Victoria, Dining
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I have to admit, I haven't been in the Christmas spirit. The shopping mall parking lot tends not to bring out the best in me and work has been busy, and its so hard to find the right present, and, and, and. Today however, I got that lovely tingly feeling after a visit to the
Fairmont Empress Hotel. Heading out on my lunch hour to battle the crowds, I was on a mission to purchase a gift certificate at the incredible
Willow Stream Spa. From the moment I walked into the lobby of the Empress, my spirits started to lift. The bellman opened the door with fanfare and wished me a Merry Christmas and the staff at the spa were delightful, professional and my modest purchase was treated with the same dignity and respect as the lady beside me purchasing the "Pure Pampering Full Day Special". Once my beautifully packaged gift was purchased, I made my way back to the lobby where I stopped to admire the works of local business who have participated in the Festival of Trees. Trees are decorated in a wide range of themes from the traditional balls and garlands to themed trees featuring dumptrucks and flashing lights and proceeds from the event go to the BC Childrens Hospital. One of my personal favourites was the Wedding Tree complete with tin cans and a Barbie bride as a tree top. I wandered further and ended up in the Tea Lobby where guests dressed up in Christmas finery (the little girl in the red velvet dress stole my heart) were enjoying the world famous Afternoon Tea and entertained by a choir decked in period costume. Reluctantly, it was time to return to work, but as I passed back through the lobby, I watched excited guests arriving for their stay at the Empress, the anticipation in their eyes just knowing they were going to have a very special Christmas was evident. I walked out with a smile on my face and looked forward to getting home to my family and starting our Christmas f
December 02, 2005 | Tips from Us >
Victoria, Attractions
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I'm really looking forward to this weekend. Not only has Victoria experienced our first snow fall of the season (and possibly only), the beginning of December marks the start of Christmas seasonal celebrations at
Butchart Gardens. I want to get out to Butchart early this year (we try and go every year as a family tradition) and view the wonderful display of lights enhanced with a snow frosting. I'm especially looking forward to trying out Butchart's newest addition, an outdoor skating rink! Carollers, twinkling lights, skating, hot chocolate, poinsettias and the search for the twelve days of Christmas! I'm definitely going to be in the Christmas spirit after this weekend!
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