September 25, 2006 | Tips from Us >
100 Mile House, Guest Ranches & Horseback Riding
Find more information about 100 Mile House - Guest Ranches & Horseback Riding
I have never been so thankful to have been bumped off a ride. I was at the
Hills Health & Guest Ranch with my family last weekend, and the late-night hay ride was full, so the six of us got bumped to the second run. The 30 minute wait gave us time to snoop in the barn, slow dance in the horse stall, and mosey around the grazing meadow. We heard horses neigh in the distance, but couldn’t make them out in the din of the night.
When it was our turn to catch the ride to the campfire, we were able to pick whatever spot we wanted on the large wagon. My five-year-old son and I just fell back into the hay and looked straight up into the stars - all 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 of them. OK – not quite that many, but it was a lot! My husband and dad hung up front with Carl, who drove the two blonde Belgians (horses, not cowgirls). My son flipped his legs over the back and happily bounced his way down the road while my mom just tried to stay warm, scenery aside.
The campfire, blazing inside a wigwam, was good, the hot chocolate was better, and the singing cowboy would have been great if he remembered more than the first verse of each song. Definitely the best part of the night was the slow bumpedy-bump of the wagon and the twinkle of the
Car
September 20, 2006 | Tips from Us >
Armstrong, Festivals & Events
A Pumpkin of course! Didn't know Pumpkins can fly? Here's a chance to see for yourself. October 28th is when pumpkins fly high over Armstrong/Spallumcheen. Teams bring their people-powered catapults to the fairgrounds and compete for the longest distance and closest to the bulls eye - which you win if you put a pumpkin right through the bull's eye like last year. Whether you bring a team to compete or just come and watch - this is an event like no other. Just one of the fun events at the 6th Annual Harvest Pumpkin Festival - check out
http://www.aschamber.com for information on accomodations and a list of other events or email us
armstrong_chamber@telus.net
September 19, 2006 | Tips from Us >
Surrey, Attractions
Find more information about Surrey - Attractions
On a quiet weekday evening after work, I decided to take a trip to the local
Bose's Corn Maze with a friend. The maze is split into two and each one supposedly takes about half an hour to do. Inside each maze is 5 numbered posts. We were both given a set of questions with multiple choice answers so when we reached these posts, we would know to turn left or right. The correct answers to these trivia questions were supposed to help us find our way around the maze. The two corn mazes took us over an hour to go through. In the end, the corn cop came to give us a few hints on getting out. Overall, the trip was really fun, definitely something interesting to do on a boring evening. There are a few interesting tricks in the corn maze setup to confuse you, but you'll have to find out for yourself.
Tip: Never walk and look at your trivia sheet at the same time, you'll forget which direction you came from after a few turns.
September 12, 2006 | Tips from Us >
Armstrong, Festivals & Events
September 30th 2006, the tradition CONTINUES! Bring the family to Spallumcheen for the 30th Annual Plow Match competition and see the HUGE tractor display on Rashdale Road! See the traditional way of plowing - no motorized vehicles - just men and their horses! Check out equipment from days gone by. To get there, follow Hwy 97A past the lights at Armstrong and then turn left on Rashdale - across from the Log Barn Fruit stand - then follow the signs. For details, call Nick at 546-2449! Stay and play this fall...in Armstrong/Spallumcheen!
September 09, 2006 | Tips from Us >
Sechelt, Sightseeing Tours
Find more information about Sechelt - Sightseeing Tours
While at the onboard visitor information centre on the ferry to Langdale this last weekend, I came across an incredibly detailed, but easy-to-read map of the
Sunshine Coast. The
Sunshine Coast Super Map it is called. Well, I thought I knew the area pretty well, but this map revealed many new-to-me parks, beaches, hiking trails, beach access points, dive sites, and camping spots I didn’t know about before. Tip of the day: check with the local
Visitor Centre, as sometimes their maps lead to more treasures than the maps available elsewhere.
September 09, 2006 | Tips from Us >
Whistler, Festivals & Events
I know the celebration is still two months away, but now would be the time to book your wine tasting at
Cornucopia in
Whistler as tickets typically sell out prior to the four-day event starting November 9th. I love Whistler in the pre-ski season, so I just might see you there! The festival is jam-packed with B.C. wine and food, but it's the Pre-parties, Parties and After Parties that go from 5 pm and end at 4 am that I want to go for - unlike a good B.C. Pinot Gris, I just can't seem to find these extreme parties at other fine dining establishments.
Here’s a direct quote from the event schedule describing the After Party at Bearfoot Bistro: “Part urban myth and part reality, the After Party has taken on a life of its own over the years with live entertainment, painted human artwork, wine, bubbly, caviar, chocolate and other mouth-watering delights from some of Canada's best restaurants including Lumiere, Vij's, Chippino's, Bin 941 and Tojo's.”
If you are interested in some visuals,
British Columbia Magazine currently has an article on Cornucopia, complete with pictures of painted bodies, fresh-shucked oysters, and bottles of bubbly. As writer Daniel Wood puts it, it’s a delicious and quick descent to the decadent. I'm in!
September 01, 2006 | Tips from Us >
Duncan, Festivals & Events
The Cowichan Wine and Culinary Festival committee members have big dreams as they aim to bring food & wine lovers everywhere to the Cowichan Region September 29th to October 1st. This is the second year for the festival and is building on the tremendous success of last years event. Visitors are encouraged to pick up a map from one of the regions Visitor Centres or participating venues and then sip and taste their way through the Cowichan Region.
There is an exciting new list of events at this year's festival and many of the activities are free to the public, others have fees ranging from $10.00 to $100.00 per person including several winemaker’s dinners, BBQs and dances.
This years festival features an event presented by the Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce. The 'Gala at the Grand' a Cowichan culinary extravaganza will be held on Saturday, September 30th at the Oceanfront Grand Resort in Cowichan Bay. It will feature demonstrations by Cowichan culinary celebrities and chefs as well as local food producers and gatherers. Tickets will include a souvenir wine glass, 'tapa’ style tastings and local wine pairing, appetizer buffet, wild food identification, locally made ice cream and chocolate sampling, and interactive displays. There will be live entertainment, dancing, a silent auction and grand door prize “Decorative Dining Cowichan Style”, a table setting for four created by Cowichan artisans for the ultimate dining experience.
This year the wine shuttle will be expanding service to include pick-up points from Sidney to Qualicum and doubling the number of buses running throughout the 2 days.
“This is a celebration of food, wine and the tremendous sense of community that exists in the Cowichan Region,” says Tanya Smith, Festival Director.
For a complete schedule of Cowichan Wine & Culinary Festival events visit www.wines.cowichan.net