March 26, 2009 | Tips from Us > Victoria, Walking
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Feel like sitting down with a warm bowl of veggie chili and a hot cup of coffee (or a cold beer) after a long walk in the fresh air? This is the place for you! I recently moved to Victoria but I have already discovered one of my new favourite hang-outs. Odgen Point Cafe & Dive Centre. It's off Dallas Road and next to the cruise ship terminal.
The cafe is a cozy, neighbourhood kind of place with warm smiles and local papers being passed around, as well as the pastries and quiche. I could sit here for hours, and every second I would get a different view.
The cafe is located at the start of the Ogden Point breakwater, and sits on top of the dive shop. There is a rocky beach close by, a seawall walkway leading to Clover Point, and a small marina within view. Between the divers hitting the water (one of the best dive sites in Victoria), the joggers jogging, the kids skipping rocks, the dogs walking their owners, and the tugboats and cruise ships going to and fro, the view is ever changing. (You can often see the dog from the owner of the dive shop hitting the water too!) People watching at its best - especially if you get a coveted seat on the patio.
I recommend wearing a jacket on the breakwater as the wind can get a bit intimate - especially if you make it to marker #5. But then, what a good excuse to head into the cafe to warm up!
October 19, 2005 | Tips from Us > Whistler, Walking
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“How do I get to the village?” I asked the hotel Concierge.
“Just walk along the courtyard onto the Meadow Path, turn right at Fitzsimmons Trail, cross over the covered bridge, enter Rebagliati Park, around the BMX Track, through the Skate Park, and cross the street into the Town Centre.”
Cool!
Whistler really is a walkers, hikers, riders, bike haven! I paused at a
Whistler Trail map, which are all over the place, to check that I was heading in the right direction. I counted seven types of trails throughout the valley: Wide XC Trail, Crush Gravel Trail, Single Track Mountain Bike Trail, Nature/Walking Trail, Valley Trail, Paved Road and Golf Cart Trail.
It was just me and my shoes so I mainly stayed on the Walking Trail. The air hung somewhere between post-summer and pre-ski season and I was glad I brought a toque (wool hat).
At the Skate Park and BMX Track I got a chance to watch a few of the local Extreme athletes do their tricks. Needless to say, I was happy to just be watching.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to rent a bike to explore a bit more, but I highly recommend checking out the valley trails when you head to Whistler.