April 30, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Vancouver, Festivals & Events
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Unsure where to vacation this year? Somewhere in Europe, Asia or North America? I'd say make it British Columbia. One of the great things about this corner of the world is the abundance of cultures among its residents. Like today: I was strolling through downtown looking for lunch and turned the corner to find a free performance by the Vancouver Police Pipe Band. They were joined by step dancers and surrounded by a crowd of pedestrians enjoying the seemingly spontaneous cultural fun. Next week it could be a group of Indian performers or races with Chinese dragon boats. These kinds of cultural treats regularly pop up here, especially in spring and summer. It's nice to get a taste of so many continents in one place.
February 24, 2010 | 2010 Olympics >
Richmond, Festivals & Events
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Aside from hosting the speed skating competition, Richmond has a variety of events and attractions throughout town to celebrate the Olympic Winter Games, including a demonstration of water bombing by the Martin Mars planes based at Sproat Lake on Vancouver Island.
On Feb. 22 and 23, the Hawaii Mars demonstrated its water scooping and dumping ability off the shore of Garry Point Park. Usually reserved for fighting forest fires, these planes are a real spectacle to see in person as part of a fun demonstration.
The massive flying tankers have four propeller engines that can carry the plane fully loaded with 7200 gallons of water. It's no wonder you can feel your rib cage rattle when they fly low and close. Be advised: if you get a chance to see a demonstration, be careful where you stand. The 7200 gallons tend to drift once they have been released from the plane.
Getting to Richmond is a simple 20-minute train ride on the Canada Line from downtown Vancouver to Richmond's city center. If you exit the train at the last stop (Brighouse), you can cross the street and catch the 410 bus to Garry Point Park. The park is on the waterfront near where the Fraser River meets the Pacific.
February 12, 2010 | 2010 Olympics >
Vancouver, Parks
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The Olympic Flame was carried through Stanley Park in the morning and then exited the park following a route that crossed throughout downtown Vancouver on its last day on the road.
The torchbearers on this part of the route, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sebastian Coe, had great views of the downtown skyline and north shore mountains, and passed attractions like the Vancouver Aquarium, the 9 o'clock gun, Lumberman's Arch, and the replica figurehead from the SS Empress of Japan.
But most striking to see was the flame's glow cutting through the rainforest in the pre-dawn darkness. When the flame came by, it was moving fast. Not the greatest photo-taking conditions, but a great memory.
February 10, 2010 | 2010 Olympics >
Vancouver, Boating & Sailing
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On February 12, the 124-year-old Vancouver Rowing Club will become Saxony House, one of the pavilions representing Germany at the Olympics. The public is welcome to watch competitions on plasma screens, meet athletes and enjoy live music. Art and innovation from the Saxon state in Germany are also on display. And you could meet Saxel, Saxony's moose mascot during the Games. If you don't meet Saxel, you can be
friends on Facebook. Saxony House is open noon to 2 a.m. daily with free admission.
When the Winter Games are over, the Vancouver Rowing Club will still be there. It is on the edge of Stanley Park, a short walk from the Vancouver Aquarium, and a bit longer walk from English Bay where you can watch the Vectorial Elevation light show in the evenings during the games.
February 10, 2010 | 2010 Olympics >
North Vancouver, Boating & Sailing
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Russia's Kruzenshtern, a four-masted tall ship built in 1926, sailed under Lion's Gate Bridge and into Vancouver harbour this morning. The ship and its 120 sailors are visiting Vancouver during the Olympics, as ambassadors from the host country of the 2014 Winter Games.
It will be docked in North Vancouver east of Lonsdale Quay. Anyone taking the SeaBus across the harbour or strolling around Lonsdale Quay should get a good view. It will likely be open for public tours, too.
February 08, 2010 | 2010 Olympics >
Vancouver, Attractions
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The Olympics haven't started yet, but the Olympic celebrities are already arriving. Katarina Witt and Elizabeth Manley had what looked like a highly improvised reunion on the ice at Robson Square on Feb. 7. The gold medalist and the silver medalist from the 1988 Olympics in Calgary waved, twirled, laughed and even shared a brief ice dancing moment together at Robson Square in front of an impressively large crowd. If this many people turn out to see Olympians 22 years later, imagine the melee of seeing the actual competitions starting in a few days. Can we say excitement?
Oh, if you're in town, the skating at Robson Square is a good diversion. The rink isn't huge, but it's free. And if you aren't accustomed to balancing on blades, they have special "ice walkers" for all ages to keep you on your feet.
Ice skating - falling = good fun.
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)
August 24, 2008 | Tips from Us >
Vancouver, Cruises & Boat Tours
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You get a refreshingly different view of Vancouver from the water. Here are some of the highlights from the tour I took on a recent Sunday afternoon.
March 21, 2008 | Tips from Us >
Princeton, Snowshoeing
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The best thing about snowshoeing in Manning Provincial Park is the diversity of terrain. There are pretty rigorous vertical ascents to Windy Joe Mountain or Blackwall Peak, and flat forest trails around the lakes.
My ascent to the Blackwall Peak lookout took 2.5 hours of nearly non-stop snowshoeing plus a 20-minute stop for lunch. This is snowshoeing for the sake of snowshoeing -- and to admire the view. The "trail" is actually an unplowed park road. So there's no challenge in finding your way. But the snow is plenty deep for snowshoeing. I saw a lot of animal tracks, including lynx, and caught sight of many birds and squirrels.
The trail around Lightning Lake has no major changes in elevation, but much of it crosses the slope running down to the lake, so you're snowshoeing at an angle and stepping near some edges that could be tricky if you don't watch where you're going. If you hike around all of Lightning Lake, you'll need about 7 hours. If you take the shortcut across the bridge halfway down the lake, you'll need 2.5 hours -- assuming you never pause to take a picture or watch the wildlife. If you follow the trail to the left from the parking lot, the last leg of the hike is a bit deceiving. Just when it seems that you've nearly reached the end, the trail winds wildly around a sharp peninsula and adds another 30-45 minutes to the trip. The only other way off the trail is to sneak onto the cross-country skiing track, which has signs warning off snowshoers. Or to venture onto the frozen lake...if the ice is thick enough (
be sure to check).
I stayed at the Manning Park Lodge. The place is modest but immaculate, and you just can't beat the location. The nearest snowshoe trail is literally a few steps out the door of the lodge.
August 02, 2007 | Tips from Us >
Vancouver, Festivals & Events
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The Vancouver skyline shrinks next to the fireworks of the Celebration of Light, an international competition where each night the display gets brighter and bolder.