April 27, 2011 | Tips from Us >
Whistler, Spas & Wellness
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What to do when your body aches from skiing, mountain biking or exploring Whistler? Or you just want to relax in peace and quiet? How's three hours in Scandinavian baths, saunas, steam rooms and and solariums - surrounded by mountains and forest - sound?
Yeah, thought so.
I was recently in Whistler with a bunch of friends who were all off being active...but I just wanted to chill out. So I decided to check out the new and impressive Scandinave Spa, located a few minutes' drive outside the village.
I arrived at the spa through a foresty walkway (a real chipmunk munching a pinecone greeted me!), and entered into this AMAZING zone of calm. I opted to spend a day in the baths (though you can also get Swedish, Deep Tissue and Sports Massages!), and soon flip-flopped my way down to do the "circuit" of relaxation...
I started in the amazing eucalyptus steam room (so good for colds & sniffles!) then plunged into an icy pool (seals pores and strengthens the immune system). I then sat under a warm waterfall that pummelled any stress out of my shoulders, relaxed and read magazines, sat with my feet up outside by a wood fire it, gazed at the mountains, looked at the trees, then popped into the dry wood-burning Finnish sauna, followed by another round of cool pool and warm pools.
Along with my amazing cheese/nut/grapes snack box which I had afterwards in the lovely little Spa bistro, the whole experience took me about three hours - but you can stay for less or longer. I even snoozed a bit in the solarium while listening to bird noises and new age music!
The best bit? Talking isn't allowed, really, so you're there to enjoy the unwinding in complete peace...
Cannot recommend Scandinave enough. If you're up in Whistler, make sure you book in time to relax in between all the sports and rec!
April 26, 2011 | Tips from Us >
Whistler, Attractions
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I was up in Whistler this weekend for the Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival with a bunch of friends, and while they snowboarded, I took the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful sunny day by riding the amazing Peak 2 Peak Gondola. I
Even if you're not skiing/boarding, you can get a lift ticket and it's worth it for the views on a clear day. Just magical. I hopped on the Gondola at Village base and road it to the top of Whistler Mountain, enjoyed the views there (and the snowboard demo park for the WSSF), and then snuggled into a P2P gondola for an 11-minute breathtaking tour of the skies over to Blackcomb peak.
You also get a birds-eye view of the village, the local lakes and more tree tops and ski trails than you could ever imagine. Once at Blackcomb, grab some nosh at the lodge or do what I did, lay down a plastic bag in the snow, have a seat and enjoy the sunshine (put sunscreen on, it's really strong sun!), the views and ruddy faces of all the people skiing.
April 26, 2011 | Tips from Us >
Whistler, Festivals & Events
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One of the myriad great things about Whistler, besides its jaw-dropping mountains and the fact that it's kind of stunning all year round is that it is home to some amazing festivals and events.
This Easter Weekend, we headed up for the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival which ran from April 15 - 24. There were gigs and concerts in the main Village Square, DJs, ski and boarding competitions, plus fashion and art exhibits.
While everyone was hitting the snow, I road the gondola to the top of Whistler Mountain to check out the demo park (bonus! The views are there year round - get a lift ticket and you can check them out whether you're riding or not), then took the Peak 2 Peak over to Blackcomb for a bite to eat at the lodge. Sat in the sunshine, chatted with other visitors (one from BC, another from Dublin) while having a beer on the patio on top of the world.
In town (see pic), I wandered, shopped, and checked out the Whistler DogFest. At night, our gang stuffed our faces at Ric's Grill, and joined the thousands in the square for the WSSF Big Air competition - brilliant to see great athletes make huge ski jumps, and and meet other visitors. The WSSF activities provided a great vibe in the village, lots of people (though we still managed to get good hotel deals), and the best news is that it happens every year. And even better news? You don't have to be at an event to enjoy Whistler. The mountains don't move! :)
May 25, 2010 | Tips from Us >
Ucluelet, Hiking
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I absolutely love
Ucluelet - it's got the same charm but more character than Tofino and plenty of stunning hikes and beaches to explore. One of the best things to do in "Ukee" (besides having a "Ukee dog" and going to the Aquarium which is one of the best tiny tin-hut aquariums on the planet) is taking in the amazing walks along the
Wild Pacific Trail.
A great, one-hour easy hike is the Lighthouse Loop, which takes wanderers through forests and along amazing rocky coastline for about 2.4km. Perfect to watch waves crashing, birds soaring above or even deer crossing the paths. It's one of my fave things to do in BC and didn't disappoint when I was there in mid-May.
You can also pick up the Wild Pacific Trail from near the
Black Rock Ocean Front Resort. Black Rock is a new, stunning, modern hotel resort perched atop amazing cliffs and near shell- and driftwood-covered beaches. Sneak out through the side door of their excellent restaurant Fetch and you'll join up with another 3km of trails that run from Big and Brown Beaches.
Had to say I was blown away by Black Rock. The rooms face the ocean and if you're lucky enough to do some storm watching (a great way to enjoy a blustery day and we had a doozy while we were there - but then sunshine the next day!), you'll be able to see amazing waves and even a few cheeky otters. I saw four munching on clams from my balcony!
We were there during a power outage (as a result of the storm) and it was actually so much fun - the hotel gave us flashlights and we dined by candlelight. Amazing views, amazing rooms, amazing access to the Wild Pacific Trail. Such a highlight of our recent Vancouver Island roadtrip - Ukee is a real gem.
May 17, 2010 | Tips from Us >
Tofino, Whale Watching
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A day out on the water with Jamie's Whalewatching means more than whales, though they are undoubtedly the star attraction. We certainly saw a few lovely grey whales spouting and showing off from aboard our covered 65-foot cruiser (nice and warm, and there was coffee, tea and hot chocolate!). The greys were feeding near Tofino's Long Beach, which the on-board Jamie's staff explained was a good spot these days (mid-May).
But we also saw eagles, some super-speedy black harbour porpoises, a lone harbour seal and dozens of barking Steller sea lions on our three-hour trip.
And the best bit? Marine animals don't really care if it's raining (and it was for us) - so you're pretty much guaranteed some good sightings with Jamie's no matter what! A great day out on the Tofino waters...
May 15, 2010 | Tips from Us >
Parksville, Accommodation
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Been meaning to stay at Parksville's in-the-woods/on-the-beach lovely resort, Tigh-Na-Mara for a while, and finally had a chance during our recent roadtrip across Vancouver Island. Was fab - our ocean-view sat practically right on the ocean overlooking the amazing Rathtrevor Beach. When the tide is out on Rathtrevor, there's a sand beach covered in blacky-purple sand-dollars, clams and seaweed that goes on for almost literally, MILES. (I know, I walked out until I hit surf and it took about 45 minutes).
After our relaxing beach walk, we met up with friends and had a drink and pub food at TNM's bar, the Copper Room. But the best bit? Why not relax even more after a relaxing day? We did! We headed to the Grotto Spa to sit in the spa's mineral pool and jacuzzi. Great way to unwind by the ocean. (Not to mention that just past Parksville is the quaint little town of Qualicum Beach - which is also worth a visit). A great day out in Oceanside.
February 24, 2010 | Tips from Us >
Whistler, Skiing & Snowboarding
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Congratulations to ski-cross superstar Ashleigh McIvor who won gold on Feb 23 at the Olympics, representing her home town of
Whistler. Ashleigh was also a spokesperson for our awesome
Great Mountain Giveaway. Have a peek at this video with Ashleigh (chatting with the voice of a US interviewer, lol) and she talks about BC's ski resorts, what it's like to ski in BC and about her sport of ski-cross.
February 20, 2010 | 2010 Olympics >
Vancouver, Festivals & Events
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The 2010 Cultural Olympiad has brought to Vancouver and Whistler hundreds of amazing events – music, theatre, dance, puppets! – during these Winter Games. And it’s some of these ticketed events that have been really special. Last night I was at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre for the second night of Hal Willner’s Neil Young Project, a three-hour+ tribute show featuring some tremendous Canadian and US performers including members of Toronto’s Broken Social Scene, Ron Sexsmith, Metric and, spectacularly, the most venerable Lou Reed (pictured in the middle of photo) and Elvis Costello.
I’ve never been to the Queen E (located right next door to the Aboriginal Pavilion on Hamilton and W. Georgia in Vancouver) and it’s a slick, modern theatre with great sound. While the show itself was a bit slow at times (not sure about the choice of some of Neil Young’s more sleepy rareties), there were some amazing gems as well: Emily Haines’ from Metric doing “A Man Needs A Maid” Ron Sexsmith’s covers of “New Mama” and “Star of Bethlehem”, Eric Mingus (son of jazz great Charles Mingus) doing a spoken-word version of “On the Way Home” and Elvis Costello’s “Cowgirl in the Sand” and “Cinnamon Girl” (which he performed brilliantly with NYC’s Joan as Policewoman). Lou Reed did a crunchy rock version of “Helpless”, which sounded awesome.
In all, I felt proud to be among happy music fans who were in such high spirits during these Olympic Games – and it was nice to be able to show off a sunshiney and glistening Vancouver to these great out-of-town-artists!
May 18, 2009 | Tips from Us >
Richmond, Whale Watching
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I am an absolute sucker for whales and marine animals, and knowing that the ocean playground near my home in Vancouver is teeming with life makes it that much more interesting. So when I had the chance to go with a local company, Vancouver Whale Watch, on a four-hour whalewatching tour, I had to jump at the chance. Their shuttle bus collected me from downtown Vancouver, and took us to the historic fishing village of Steveston, in Richmond, BC, where we jumped on covered boat and headed out to sea.
It being late April when I made my trip, it was still a bit early in the whale season, but I learned that all the whalewatching companies who share the waterspace around Vancouver Island, San Juan Islands in the US and around the Vancouver Islands "talk" to each other over their radios, to alert others if they've spotted a pod. So the likelihood of seeing whales is actually really high between late April and October.
And even if you don't, there was no shortage of other water life! We saw dozens of eagles pearching, California sea lions, a Dall's porpoise, and literally tons (of fun) Stellar Sea Lions, who we got up close to (keeping a safe distance, of course!) and got to hear them grumble and belch at us.
But so far, the whales had eluded us. Until... success! Two enormous Grey Whales, who the naturalist said hadn't been in these waters for two years, were spotted by another boat crew. So we headed over to find these shallow-water feeders munching happily and loping around us.
Alas, we didn't see any whale tails, or the typical Orcas that one sees at the height of the season. But we did see lots of spouting off - and Orcas or not, it's pretty incredible to see these things in their natural habitat.
It was an absolutely fabulous way to spend a sunny day!
April 05, 2009 | Tips from Us >
Vancouver, Festivals & Events
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When I first moved to Vancouver one of the things that impressed me the most about the city is that there's a defining moment when you know that spring has finally arrived. Two years on, I still look forward to the time when the city literally blossoms and explodes with colour and pinkness for the first time.
Visiting Vancouver at the end of March and beginning of April is always a treat - the crocus are out, and the cherry blossoms line every street. Their arrival ushers in warmer and longer days and it somehow lifts everything. The city also holds its annual
Cherry Blossom Festival too - lots of music, events and celebrations around town.
Here's a picture taken just off of Granville and 7th in Vancouver - I think it's fair to say that spring has truly sprung!