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October 21, 2009 | Tips from Us > Richmond, Skating Rink
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Visit the
2010 Winter Games long track
speed skating venue before the Games! We visited on a rainy Saturday for a ride on the
Canada Line and to see this magnificent building. We were able to stand right beside the starter, a body length from the best skaters Canada has on offer.
I kept starting up at the ceiling. It's intriguing. The wooden convex roof is made of small convex layers. Yeah - you'll just have to see it for yourself!
There are
public skating sessions available, an opportunity to shot hoops, and a gym. It's well and truely open for use. Even good for plane spotters. It's North Shore mountain view behind the airport and Fraser River is worth the $2.50 Canada Line fare alone.
July 2, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > Richmond, Markets
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The lower mainland is infamous for the variety of cultures that reside here. It is one thing I love about Metro Vancouver. I heard of of the Richmond Night Market years ago and had never gone, until last week when a friend invited me. I jumped at the opportunity.
Now in its seventh summer, the market is every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening from the end of May to the beginning of September.
The official website states, "It's a festival, a carnival, a celebration of food, culture and adventure. The Richmond Night Market is a dazzling summer event that captures the hearts and imaginations of millions of visitors of all ages. The sheer splendour of the site has a magnetic quality, a vast space teeming with visitors, 400 vendors selling extraordinary fabrics, decorations, trinkets, toys and richly aromatic foods, and entertainers romancing audiences with cultural performances from Asian and Western traditions."
Not sure I would describe my experience of the night market as a carnival, but if you love Asian food like I do then it is well worth the visit. It is tempting to fill up on food from the first few vendors (as you are greeted with delightful smells and interesting foods) but take your time to explore as there are many different food vendors to choose from.
The non food vendors tend to lean more towards being a little 'tacky' but we bought some fun sunglasses from one of the many sunglasses vendors.
One of the main attractions is the main stage where many young Asian dance groups entertained the screaming adoring audience. These were amateur dance groups but we were rather impressed with their
choreographed performances and their hard work they had obviously put into their practicing.
We left that evening with a full stomach of delicious food, some fun sunglasses and a great evening doing something completely different.
May 18, 2009 | Tips from Us > Richmond, Whale Watching
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!
March 1, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > Richmond, Sightseeing Tours
What to do on a lovely sunny day? Pay a visit to the fishing village of Steveston, in Richmond, BC! It's about a half-hour drive from Vancouver. Buy fresh fish and prawns right off the boats near the pier, have fish n' chips overlooking the marina or wander around town and check out the Historic Gulf of Georgia Cannery or Steveston Museum. Steveston's also got some lovely specialty food stores, including a fabulous Italian one called Papi's Market. ps, this video was shot in the end of February - check out the crocuses coming up!
January 29, 2007 | Tips from Us > Richmond, Dining
What to do for Valentine’s Day has always been a quandary for me? When I am single, it’s easy! Girls Night – an evening of good food, good wine and good friends at home! However, when I am part of a couple, I am faced with thousands of questions of what to do for Valentine’s Day! I start off with one simple question - do we want to go out or stay in? Which leads to many more questions, like where should we go if we go out, do we want to go to dinner only or dinner and dancing, do we exchange gifts and finally who is going to do the planning and make the reservations?
In the quest to help the Valentine’s planner here are some lovely options in Richmond, BC for an evening of romance.
Take a lovely stroll in Steveston Village and stop by Bare Basics to pick up a little something for your sweetie. Or enjoy London Farms "Chocolate Valentine Tea" service then head off to Garry Point to check out the beautiful sunset.
Enjoy a romantic dinner by the water, several of restaurants in Steveston Village are offering special Valentine's Day dinner menus - Reflections Gastronomie, Shady Island Seafood Bar & Grill, Steveston Seafood House, Tapenade Mediteranean Bistro and Sockeye City Grill are just a few places to dine in Steveston.
http://www.reflectionsgastronomie.com/ http://www.shadyislandseafoodbarandgrill.com/ http://www.stevestonseafoodhouse.com/ http://www.tapenade.ca/index.html/ http://sockeyecity.com/ In the heart of Richmond, you can enjoy a lovely Valentine's dinner at the Wayfaring Tree then sneak off for you night's stay at the Best Western Richmond Hotel.
http://www.richmondinn.com/dining.html Tee off at Mayfair Lakes Golf and Country Club in the afternoon then enjoy a romantic event at the Lakeside Grill Restaurant.
January 29, 2007 | Tips from Us > Richmond, Festivals & Events
As a Chinese Canadian, I am always searching for events where I can experience my Asian heritage and enjoy the day with my family! Mom's are hard to please and Chinese New Year can be a delicate balancing act of finding a Grand Dragon and Lion Dance ceremony and an excellent place to eat in close proximity without causing me to go crazy! Well, I have to say since discovering all the Chinese New Year events and restaurants in Richmond, my life is much easier. This year I have an action plan in place, and all I have to do is coordinate my family and friends. This is no easy task since there are aunties, cousins, cousins-in-law, children and friends involved -12 - 16 people in total. The numbers fluctuate from year to year depending on who is in town and schedules. On Chinese New Year's Eve, February 17th, we will meet for dim sum at Fisherman's Terrace in Aberdeen Centre. After gorging ourselves on little dumplings and other delicacies, we will stroll the flower market in Aberdeen then head over to Yaohan Centre to see their flower market - mom likes to compare before buying. Only the freshest will do! My mom loves flowers.
January 2, 2007 | Tips from Us > Richmond, Shopping Richmond, Shopping
Who would have thought that there would be so many shopping choices in Richmond? With several large malls to shop at with all the brand names - The Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Mexx, Tommy, Coast Mountain, Sears, The Bay, Winners, Future Shop, Best Buy, HomeSense and many other unique retailers. So much many shops to explore for clothes, acessories, electronics, home decor and anything else that you might be searching for. My procrastination over Christmas shopping finally caught up to me, I was leaving for mom's in Victoria for the holidays on Saturday, December 23rd, only 2 days away! So, I had no choice but to go forth and shop! I, who love to shop, found the thought of Christmas shopping this year too overwhelming. I just didn't want to deal with the task of finding parking and paying an arm and a leg to park. Then dealing with the crowds. But Christmas shop, I must! I took Thursday off work to shop. Instead of heading downtown or out to Burnaby and the megaplex, I went south into Richmond. First stop, Lansdowne Mall. Shopping list in hand, off I went to Future Shop and Best Buy. I was in the hunt for a few cds, web camera, memory stick and a dvd player. An hour later, I had what I needed and even had time to check out Winners and HomeSense for some new Christmas decorations. Second stop, was Richmond Centre, needed to find something nice for mom and the cousins! Parking was a bit more challenging but I was parked within 10 minutes. After hitting Coast Mountain Sports, the Gap and the Bay, I had the boy cousins' gifts done and 3 new pairs of work dress pants for me. Got a couple of great deals on items - 50% off! However, I was still in the hunt for mom's gift when I spotted out of the corner or my eye a lovely lavender cashmere cardigan - perfect! 80% off! Wow! Now would they have my mom's size? Fingers crossed - success! Next stop, Chapters and Starbucks! The Blue List 2007 by Lonely Planet and a vanilla latte break for me - decaf! After checking my
December 12, 2006 | Tips from Us > Richmond, Festivals & Events
Last Friday evening, I was in Steveston, BC for their Spectacle of Lights event. My friends, Bren and Tim came along with their 2 children, Emma and Helen to enjoy the caroling procession and the lighting of the 40 foot Xmas tree. I was not sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. After meeting up at the Steveston Museum, we meandered through the village, checking out the shop lights and decorations. A few of the shops really pulled out all the stops and had some impressive displays. We were one of the first groups to arrive at the starting point. The evening was cool and crisp, no rain! We had a chance to see the crowd gather. Lots of families, kids bundled up and dogs on leashes. Volunteers were giving away glow sticks, which were a HUGE hit with the kids. Emma loved her orange one and Helen was happy with her "yellad" one. I must say that I liked my green one too! Kids playing with each other and adults chatting - "Community Spirit." The caroling procession started with the arrival of Santa in the motorized Steveston Community hayride at No. 1 Rd and Moncton, in behind went the ROC Chorus. Once the kids saw Santa that was it! Off everyone went after the hayride. We all began caroling down Moncton to the Gulf of Georgia Cannery, where the tree lighting ceremony was going to happen. Tim, Bren and the girls got to greet Santa as the hayride was stopped close by. Emma was very excited about meeting Santa! However, Helen being only 2 was a bit shy but she didn't cry. After a few songs by the chorus to allow the crowd to gather. There were welcoming speeches and then Mayor Malcolm Brodie pulled the candy cane switch and the tree light up! "Wow! Pretty!" said Emma. The McMath band played a few tunes after and the crowd went on their way. Some went home, while others stayed to shop or eat. We choose to eat. We had done some research prior to deciding where to have dinner since Emma has quite a few food allergies which makes it a bit more challenging. No
November 30, 2006 | Tips from Us > Richmond, Dining
Having lived in the Greater Vancouver Regional District for the last 20 years, I’ve had plenty of time to explore my surroundings but somehow I have managed to stay away from Richmond, BC. You could almost say “avoid!” Although, I’ve been told by friends and family, that Richmond has great Asian food. How did a foody like myself not seek out the unique Asian restaurants in Richmond?
It always seemed too far for me to go, really its only 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver. So, really not far at all! However, I would drive by Richmond to White Rock for dinner or to Whistler for a day of skiing – so my “too far” excuse didn’t really hold up under closer examination!
Recently, I started a new job in Richmond and decided that I have no more excuses! My co-workers opened my eyes, and now I finally understand what my friends and family have been telling me for years! The food really is amazing!
Dim sum like I have never tasted before and so many choices! Fisherman’s Terrace in Aberdeen Centre and the Gingeri in Landowne Centre are two of my favourites! I love the hustle and bustle of dim sum! You are surrounded by the sounds of clinking of chopsticks, slurping of tea, shouts of greetings and the crashing sounds of tables be cleared and set. So many people gathered together to enjoy a meal and bit of gossip! It’s always a mixed crowd of family or friends or business groups gathered together, all ages.
It’s been a wonderful to share the dim sum experience with my friends. A few are seasoned dim sum connoisseurs (because I dragged them kicking and screaming to go to dim sum with me many years ago) and others have never been. Among the many bamboo steamers and plates with metal lids are exotic smelling dumplings, noodles, pork spareribs, sticky rice and much more. Hidden within a rice wrapper dumpling is a tasty mixture of seafood or meat and spices. Haw Gow (shrimp dumplings), Sui Mai (pork dumplings), Haw Chung Fung (shrimp rice rolls), deep fried tofu with spicy sau
November 20, 2006 | Tips from Us > Richmond, Sightseeing Tours
Ever since
The Fairmont opened at the
Vancouver International Airport I have wanted to spend a night there, thinking that it would be fun to order room service and watch planes comes and go. Last week I got my chance and my expectations were blown away. My 5-year-old son loved the coupon he was given for free milk and cookie delivery. The two-feet-deep kiddie-pool is right beside the hot tub, so I could soak and keep on eye on the kids at the same time. Our room had a luxurious tub and a scrumptious bed. A comfy chair was set up for sitting by the floor-to-ceiling soundproof windows and watching the action. Binoculars provided. The room looked north into the International arrivals and departures areas. Ground crew moved about below like a real-life Little People Airport. Due to the stormy weather, the view of the North Shore Mountains was replaced by close-ups of airplane tails tattooed with markings from WestJet, Air Canada, Fiji, Alaska, and KLM. We turned off all the lights and spent hours in the dark staring into the microcosm. Overall, a perfect mini-vacation 20 minutes from home. p.s. While wading in your bathing suit at the pool, walk to the windows and wave to the passengers checking in for International flights below!
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