August 31, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Vancouver, Accommodation
I want to first start off by saying this "Hello my name is Helen.. and I LOVE Vancouver."
My best friend and I decided to take a trip to this beautiful place for the first time back in September of 2007. I was excited because I have heard how beautiful Vancouver was so I was excited to see it for myself. Part of the reason we were going down was to try and see if we could find the boys of the hit show Supernatural.
We left Toronto at 1:30 pm and we flew with West Jet. Who BTW are fantastic!! We arrived in Vancouver at about 3:30 Vancouver time. We picked up our rental car and of course a GPS and proceeded to drive to the Sutton Place Hotel.
Driving to the hotel you really can start to see the beauty of the city of Vancouver. The closer we got to downtown the more excited I got. The streets can be confusing but it was so helpful having the navigation system. When we arrived at the Sutton we were greeted by their friendly staff. These guys are AWESOME they took our luggage out and we opted for valet parking which was super expensive but not much more then parking on your own.
Now the Sutton Place hotel. WOW this hotel is beautiful and the people there are sooo friendly they make you feel like a somebody :) We had a grande suite booked, check in was a breeze and our room was beautiful. It had a separate living room and bedroom the bathroom was huge as well. The room was clean as well. Another thing I love about the Sutton Place was the room service!!!! We had breakfast almost everyday and dinner a few times and it was so yummy and the portions are well worth the money.
If you stay in the Sutton you MUST check out the chocolate Buffet! So much chocolate delights! Too many to even list. It is a little pricey but hey if you are on vacation go for it! Another thing to check out is Gerard's bar. This place is warm and cozy. The food is amazing and the drinks are a good price AND you can just charge everything to the room :) You might even be lucky enough to spot some celebrities there as well.
August 29, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Attractions
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Fall is such a wonderful time of the year here in the Peace River Country. The nights are getting longer and cooler and there is a smell in the forest that is hard to describe and signals the change in season.
Family from the Kootenays came up with their 5th wheel for a visit so most evenings were spent outside around a firepit, kids roasting marshmallows and adults talking late into the dark.
What a sky we have! It's like an amphitheater above stretching from horizon to horizon.
Each night the sunsets have been spectacular! The sunsets have been followed by the most amazing night sky full of countless stars and a waning moon. Being serenaded by coyotes completes the scene.
There is something timeless and mesmerizing about being outside late into the night, telling stories of childhood adventures and sharing hopes for the future.
This is a great time of the year!
August 28, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Victoria, Accommodation
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We arrived late on a Friday night August 2010. Transport plans ran into a glitch but no mind for our friendly concierge who happily checked us in and got us sorted.
Instead of a hotel we decided on a vacation condo this time for our family trip and we were not disappointed.
As presented online, this gorgeous penthouse offered an ocean view from every room.
Appointments were elegant, clean and comfortable and we enjoyed the wrap-around balcony where we could dine al fresco and sip wine well into the sunset.
Many fond memories were made here and we would whole heartedly recommend future guests this home-away from home (downtown furnished rentals)
Editor's note: learn more about accommodations in Victoria
here.
August 27, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Ucluelet, Surfing & Watersports
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Imagine sitting on the horizon. You’re floating in the water with the sounds of breaking waves behind you. You’re looking out to the open ocean, forever. The clouds have split to showcase the pinks, oranges, and reds of a setting sun. Your legs dangle in the cold salt water, your perch is 9 feet of epoxy glass, and you see it coming in on the outside.
It’s a set.
The first wave rolls under you. You bob over it and catch the smile from the surfer beside you. The second wave is approaching and he gives you a nod. This one is for you.
You spin your board around and start paddling into position. You’re going to catch this wave on the shoulder, turn left, and carve it until is breaks into white wash. With the daylight expiring this will be your last ride.
With a quick glance behind you, you know it’s time to start paddling, and hard. Paddle, paddle, paddle…the power of the wave catches the back of your board. You grip your rails, push down to set the fins and pop up, dropping in down a green wall of water you carve immediately to your left. Turns: one, two, three, and you ride it out.
Once on shore you pull off your leash and look back out into the surf. A few stranglers are catching their last waves in. The water is cold dripping down your face; it’s salty on your lips. The neoprene of your wet suit squeaks against your board as you walk it back to the parking lot.
A sunset surf at Wickanninish Beach. You can’t think of anything better than that.
August 27, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Langley, Biking
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A few weeks ago, on one of those hot summer nights in the Lower Mainland, a friend and I decided to take out the 'ole bikes and go for a ride in the somewhat cooler evening temperature. We decided upon the Fort to Fort trail in Langley. The trail stretches along the southern side of the Fraser River from Derby Reach regional park (which has some fantastic riverside campsites by the way) all the way to the community of Fort Langley itself.
We brought along a backpack of picnic supplies to chow down somewhere along the trail when we got hungry. The trail is fantastic, as it passes through Derby Reach regional park which sports fantastic riverfront park-space, a dog off-leash enclosure, and the campsites. Also along the trail are remnants of the original location of Fort Langley, before it was moved further east along the river. We enjoyed ourselves tremendously as we made our way to Fort Langley. Once there we found a picnic table along the river which hosted our break and dinner spot.
By the time we decided to head back, the sun was setting and the cool wind in our hair added to the experience. This trail, whether you walk it or bike it, is definitively a to-do whether you live in the Langley area, or are just passing through.
Editor's note: learn more about the Fort-to-Fort trail and other Langley parks here.
August 27, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Langley, Festivals & Events
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On Saturday August 7th, Langley Eats Local, a locally focused food fair was held at the Fort Wine Co. This event was focused on local farmers and producers and was designed to encourage Langley locals to eat local and support local businesses.
I attended as a representative for Tourism Langley, and despite the onslaught of rain, the turnout was fabulous! There was music, a delicious BBQ, local vendors providing samples of their local cuisine, and agricultural movies shown inside the fantastic facilities at Fort Wine Co.
All in all it was a wonderful event, and I send praise to the Langley Environmental Partners Society and Langley Agricultural Advisory Committee for putting on a smashing event!
August 27, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Langley, Farms & Markets
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Krause Berry Farms, located on 248th St., Langley BC has become well known as
the spot to pick up some fresh locally grown berries in the region.
At Krause Berry Farm you can either pick up flats of your berry choice inside their well stocked farm store or you may choose to go out and hand pick them from their fields. Either way, the deliciousness of these strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries cannot be denied.
Krause also offers many additional delectables inside their store as well as at "The Porch",
the place to stop for some hand-made berry ice cream, smoothies, and even corn pizza! If baking is more your thing, superb breads, pies, perogies, and fudge can also be found on-site.
If you're on the hunt for the perfect locally grown berries for your own delicious creations, or need a dessert to accompany tonight's dinner - Krause Berry Farm has it all.
I personally head down to Krause for all my berry needs and recently tried their perogies for the first time, and let me tell you - they rival the one's my mother used to make for me when I was younger!
Editor's note: learn more about Krause Berry Farms and other farms on the Langley Circle Farm Tour.
August 25, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Courtenay, Accommodation
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In July 2010 my wife and I and two friends from Jasper, Alberta spent a week touring the Sunshine Coast and the east coast of Vancouver Island. The weather and scenery were perfect, but we expected that.
What we did not expect was to find a gem of a B&B in Union Bay on the east coast of Vancouver Island south of Courtenay. The
Two Eagles Lodge, operated by Carolyn and Steve Touhey is a diamond in the rough. These two ex-pat Yanks from Maryland, USA have fallen in love with Vancouver Island and are not afraid to tell you so. Their enthusiasm and genuine hospitality makes a visit to Two Eagles Lodge like a visit with friends.
The highlights of our two night stay were the Maryland style crab bake put on by our hosts and then the tie dye party that followed. We were able to relax, swap stories and genuinely feel like we were at home. I would highly recommend a stay at the Two Eagles Lodge.
When we got home we put on our new tie dyed shirts and thought back to the great time we had.
August 25, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, River Rafting
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They say once you drink from the Peace River, you'll always come back.
Friends of ours invited us on a day trip of floating down the Peace River in inflatable rafts. Even the floors of the rafts were filled with air... I felt like we were inside big green marshmallows. We were very comfortable.
We had picnic lunches, cameras and binoculars.
We took our rafts to the junction of the Peace and Beatton Rivers to put in and we floated down to the Clayhurst Bridge where we had vehicles waiting for us.
The Peace River is immense and strong, yet smooth and quiet. The water has been through the W.A.C. Bennett Dam in Hudson Hope with the addition of the Kiskatenaw and Beatton rivers flowing in.
We didn't see any rapids at all in our 5 hours of floating.
We did see eagles, several black bears, deer and a couple of moose. One of the black bears was swimming to a small island near the edge of the river. It's always humbling to see how animals behave in their natural environment without human interference.
We weren't the only people on the river that day. We met a group of river boaters with company from Wisconsin. It was fun to pull off to shore with them and have a visit and a snack and a stretch and the famous symbolic sip of water.
The Peace River leaves a strong impression. Everyone said they would be back.
August 23, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Quadra Island, Sightseeing Tours
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If I wasn’t smiling so wide I would not have caught that bug in my mouth. I flew down the hills on my bright blue scooter, exploring Quadra Island, the heart of the Discovery Islands off the coast of North Central Vancouver Island. I imagined myself with large retro sunglasses, a colourful satchel and a hand woven scarf flowing in the wind behind me. Then I would have blended in with the earthy, laid back residents of this natural island community.
My journey began the afternoon before on the dock at Painters Lodge in Campbell River. I had reserved a room at April Point Lodge and Spa, Painters sister resort, on Quadra. There is a Discovery crossing from dock to dock every 20 minutes for their guests.
April Point Lodge sits, obviously, on April Point on the south western side of Quadra Island. The resort combines the best of luxury with water front cottage-like comforts. Each room looks over the ocean. There is a full spa, a restaurant and sushi bar, fishing charters, wild life cruises and lots of toys for rent. Toys like kayaks, bicycles and... scooters.
I woke up at dawn and threw open my curtains welcoming the seascape into my room. I drank my coffee pouring over, and spilling on, a map of Quadra Island trying to plan my day.
“Turn the key to on and press the red start button,” said the April Point crew member. I took my scooter up the hill in a few wobbly blasts of the throttle before getting the hang of it. It was just me, a bulbous black helmet and an island of discovery!
My first stop was the lighthouse. I went by an earthy and organic shopping centre, was tempted by a unique vegetarian restaurant, before carrying on down the quiet wooded and scarcely populated roads to Cape Mudge and to the point to find the white and red lighthouse. I walked over drift logs on the rocky beach to take photos.
I zipped to the eastern coast of the island and up towards the Rebecca Spit Provincial Park. I watch a summer camp school bus unload and children racing to find treasures on the beach. Half a dozen sail boats were anchored in the calm and enclosed Drew Harbour. I walked out to the spit, did some beach combing of my own, and watch kayakers paddle near the shore.
From there I headed north up the coastline to the most populous area on the island, and the commercial hub of Heriot Bay. I picnicked on the beach outside the Heriot Bay Inn and Marina. Fishing boats and yachts were coming in and out of the marina as the ferry to Cortez Island departed with a load of passengers.
The residents of Quadra Island live a laid back and rural lifestyle surrounded by stunning coastal scenery, wildlife, and an unspoilt environment. Their community is rich in culture, history and artisans. I could have explored for days, but it was time to return my scooter rental.
“How was it?” asked the staff girl at the desk back at April Point Lodge.
“Amazing,” I said with my face wind-blown, fixing my helmet hair, “Except I swallowed a bug!”
“You’re not the first,” she smiled.
My visit to Quadra Island was less than 24 hours but it was more than long enough to make me want to go back, and soon.
Next time I will ride my scooter with large retro sunglasses, a colourful satchel and a flowing hand woven scarf.
Next time, I’ll smile with my mouth shut.