March 11, 2008 | Tips from Us >
Victoria, Dining
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Being the youngest of eleven children, food (and mealtime in particular), has always been competitive and somewhat of a contact sport for me. I research, I sniff out, I long for a gastronomic experience not exactly like ones I‘ve had in the past. Last Friday I found a gem of a place called LURE, located just across the Johnson Street bridge from downtown Victoria in the Delta Ocean Pointe Resort. Both their lounge and dining room have, in my opinion, one of the best views in the city. Our table looked straight across the harbour to the Fairmont Empress and Parliament Buildings.
The crab-stuffed salmon roulade followed by a tender lamb shoulder prepared me well for one of the naughtiest chocolate desserts I’ve had in a long time. Had I not had that last glass of wine, I could probably tell you the name of it. Just ask the server for the dessert with the word “sin” in it. He/she’ll know what you mean.
Whether you are just stopping in for a drink or decide to sample the quality fare, LURE is definitely worth a visit. Tip: if you go at night, you’ll see the Parliament Buildings lit up!
March 05, 2008 | Tips from Us >
Victoria, Hiking
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This oasis is one of 60 or so parks in the Greater Victoria area and if you are into waterfalls and bird watching, it is a great discovery. I like to visit soon after a rainfall as Sitting Lady Falls is at its best, cascading over the dark rock face into the lagoon below. Moss and ferns cover much of the cliff so you get dramatic contrasts between greens, whitewater and black rock.
The Lagoon trail meanders through the forest and along the waterfront with various viewpoints and benches ideal for watching the variety of birds that seemingly make this their all-inclusive holiday.
If you opt to take the Beach trail and time your visit at low tide, you’ll be rewarded with sand that stretches almost ½ km (1/3 mi) wide along with amazing views of the Olympic Mountains and Juan de Fuca Strait. As well, seals love to play in the waters just off the beach and I’ve seen as many as 30 or so flip-flopping around.
March 04, 2008 | Tips from Us >
Victoria, Dining
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A group of us went for dinner on Friday night and treated ourselves to one of the best views in the city – Vista 18 Restaurant; the rooftop restaurant of the Chateau Victoria Hotel.
Arriving just before dusk, we sipped drinks and watched the sun slip behind the Sooke Hills as the 3,330 lights of the parliament buildings clicked on for the evening. This takes downtown dining in Victoria to a whole new level ;)
February 28, 2008 | Tips from Us >
Victoria, Hiking
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January has come and gone and I have to admit that, not unlike other years, most all my New Year’s resolutions have failed miserably. That is, except my determination to conquer all 55 km (34 mi) of Victoria's Galloping Goose Regional Trail with my own two legs.
Perhaps you can relate, but to get up the motivation to start running, I needed something to entice me: some good company, scenery etc...this is where the Goose comes in. So together with my two Jack Russell Terriers, we are hitting a different segment of the trail each week. The goal: shrink my love handles while taking in some spectacular surroundings.
Now, during my “getting back into shape” phase, I try to avoid other fit runners as much as possible so I start my jaunt safely outside of the downtown core near the km 15 marker, close to Hatley Park. One of the first things I noticed was the flora along the Goose: the thousands, no, millions of ferns that line this trail. If you are into ferns, welcome to your own personal grotto heaven. In Victoria, not only do we have the evergreen deer and sword ferns that line the sides of trails but also a unique seasonal fern that pops up in autumn and sprouts a much welcomed bright green foliage over the winter months. The Goose is a converted railbed so many parts of the trail cut through towering rock slabs which are now home to these delicate hanging beauties. Complementing these is the thick, green, fluffy moss, rounding off the sharp edges of the rock’s surface (kind of like how my love handles look when I stare in the mirror). It is hard to believe it is winter in Victoria when I am surrounded by such lush greenery.
I think the stupendous scenery is working….I hardly noticed the pain. Stay tuned…as soon as I can walk again, I’ll be out for more.
P.S. The Goose is a great place to take your dogs.
August 01, 2007 | Tips from Us >
Chemainus, Theatre & Performing Arts
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Within an hour of downtown Victoria, I can be strolling around the small town of Chemainus and while probably best known for being the world’s largest outdoor gallery, I discovered it has a whole lot more in the works this summer. This year marks the town’s 25th anniversary since its first mural was painted and there are several activities going on to celebrate.
Beyond meandering through town to view the 38 murals while enjoying my favourite ice cream, I can hit the Wednesday night market where a great selection of local crafts and produce can be found. Waterwheel Park is a great place to hang out at any time of day! (By the way, for those directionally challenged (that’d be me), it is comforting to know painted footprints help direct people through the self-guided mural tour plus you can pick up a map at the Visitor Centre).
The Chemainus Festival Theatre is running “Murder on the Nile” and “Anything Goes” as well as shows for kids such as Munschworx. I love this theatre because while it continually produces quality, professional performances, its small size creates an intimate atmosphere with every seat seemingly the best in the house. A bonus this year is the free outdoor performances until early September called, “The Chemainus Revue” that depict the history of the town. There is always something going on in Chemainus this summer!
July 31, 2006 | Tips from Us >
Victoria, Gardens
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Saturday nights at the
Butchart Gardens are truly amazing; in addition to viewing some spectacular display gardens at a National Historic Site, there are pockets of live
entertainment spread throughout the property. As you wander the grounds, your ears drift from one musical venue to another. Then comes the
fireworks: spinning, whirring, whistling and popping. It is more than your typical, shoot-in-the-air and pop-open-like-an-umbrella-type of fireworks. This is a light show to overload your senses. Figurines move and bursts of light shoot up, down and sideways. My favourite is the waterfall of fireworks pouring down into a pond below where the sparks seem to dance along the water’s edge. Imagine this with seating so close to the centre of it all that you feel the fireworks are raining down all over you.
Tip: go early and spend a few hours here; there is plenty to see, hear, taste and do and you’ll beat the lineups. Did you forget your blanket? They’ve got those too.
June 30, 2006 | Tips from Us >
Kamloops, Sightseeing Tours
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Did you know
Kamloops has a
Ginseng Spa? Did you know that within 10 minutes of hopping on a
scooter downtown you can be sightseeing the ranchlands along Hwy 5A? How about coming face to face with a Grizzly Bear cub at the
BC Wildlife Park? Then there is the phenomenal
Kamloops Art Gallery that is currently showing a 20th century Chinese Art exhibit in addition to their impressive permanent displays. Did you know you can step on a
heritage steam railway and take a ride in open air or sit in the 1954 dining car sipping a cold drink in one of the swivel chairs? Ever heard of the
Bike Ranch? It is a new mountain biking park created by the City of Kamloops and offers some pretty heart-pumping terrain with incredible views! Then there is the horseback riding through pine forests, again, only about 10-15 minutes from downtown. There are so many new things being offered in this city for visitors such as the new 90-minute historical walking tour of downtown by
Tour With Us. Ray was our guide and in addition to being a wealth of information, he has the most contagious laugh! Iâ??ve never had so much fun learning history. This gave me confidence to check out the
Kamloops Museum and their â??The Wonderful Writing Machineâ? exhibit where I witnessed kids playing on vintage typewriters â?? something they had never seen or used before! I think they were as surprised to find these archaic machines as I was to discover all the hidden gems this city has to offer. Kamloops really is full of surprises!
December 08, 2005 | Tips from Us >
Vernon, Cross-Country Skiing
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This weekend Vernon is going to be a happening place!
The Viessmann FIS World Cup 2005 is being held at the
Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre, approximately a 20 minute drive from Vernon. This is an exciting event as it is the last chance for the 160 cross-country ski athletes to compete for a spot in Torino at the 2006 Winter Olympics in February.
Vernon has really jumped onboard. It seems like the entire community is getting involved with several events going on in addition to the races. The races take place on Saturday, Dec 10th and Sunday, Dec 11th and the
Vernon Museum is housing a small exhibit on cross-country skiing, the
Okanagan Science Centre is offering an interpretive program called “World Cup Slippery Slopes” and Festival on the Hill is a full day of festivities including North Okanagan performers to keep spectators entertained.
By the way, did you know that
Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre is known as one of the premier cross-country ski areas in North America? They are next to Silver Star Ski Resort so between the two facilities, they have over 100km (60 miles) of ski trails.
December 01, 2005 | Tips from Us >
Victoria, Museums
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It is finally here! The long awaited showing of Linda McCartney’s exhibit, “Sixties, Portrait of an Era” opened today at the
Royal British Columbia Museum. The 51-photograph exhibit of 1960s musical icons includes Jimmy Hendrix, The Beatles, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, etc… I can’t think of a better way to escape some of the Christmas shopping mayhem and slip back in time to the days I remember so well. Since seeing the exhibit this morning, I find myself humming my old favourite tunes.
The exhibit runs from now until January 31, 2006.
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.