Posts by: WantsToTravelMore

The annual Stanley Park Hallowe’en Ghost Train and Attractions in is one of my favourite places because I like the spooky feel of Stanley Park in the Fall, especially when the Park does its spooky presentations. For me I’m not into the freaky scary stuff with chainsaws and gory zombies jumping out at you. The Stanley Park presentation is family friendly. It’s just eerie enough to thrill the elementary school aged children without parents dealing with sobbing wrecks. This year was a Mexican Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) theme, which is much more cheerful, believe it or not, […]

Read more

Dim Sum is not something I have a chance to enjoy very often, but I recently had a chance to organize a lunch for 12 at Victoria Chinese Restaurant. It’s located in the Royal Centre on the Melville Street side near West Georgia and Burrard in downtown Vancouver. It’s been in that location for a number of years but there was a fire a while back and it was out of commission for over a year. But it’s back and in my opinion a great place for Dim Sum. However, if you were expecting delivery via trolleys, they don’t do […]

Read more

On September 24, 2016 the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (a.k.a. Will and Kate) visited the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station in Vancouver. This small station can be found at the end of Whyte Ave. The road passes the Vancouver Museum, the Vancouver Academy of Music, the Vancouver Archives and (because it was still running) Bard on the Beach. Our family decided, because it’s insanely close to where we live, to try to see what the hullaballo about the Prince and Princess was. Our expectations of seeing much of them were low and our lower expectations were met. Below is a […]

Read more

I had to check, but the change over from summer to autumn is September 22, 2016 at 10:21 A.M. EDT. Today I rode around Stanley Park. I did this same ride back in August. (See Stanley Park to Kits Beach.) However this time there was a sense of urgency. Who knew when I’d next have my schedule and the weather cooperate in this way? There was no mistaking that crisp taste of Fall in the air. Despite worrying about potentially not being able to enjoy the ride like this for months, Autumn was somehow inviting me to slow it down […]

Read more

It’s not often that I’m on the North Shore at brunch time, especially on my own. But an odd set of circumstances allowed me a solo brunch and I was not willing to put up with Tim Hortons (found in the same plaza.) On the stretch of Main Street North Vancouver that heads to the Second Narrows Bridge on the north side is a mall with Canadian Tire and other shops, but Toby’s was the only restaurant/pub in the plaza. It was quiet on a Saturday at 11:30. It’s a family oriented (a child’s birthday party with adults was on) […]

Read more

Just because it’s September, don’t give up on Kits Beach in Vancouver. I took the photos below two nights ago. Yes, it’s cooler but the views are to die for. Plus all the restaurants on Yew Street are open for business. Including the gelato shop! When the sun goes down, make sure to have a sweater!

Read more

An annual treat for visitors and Vancouverites alike is Bard on the Beach, which for 27 seasons has brought Shakespeare’s works to life. This year included The Merry Wives of Windsor, Romeo and Juliet, Pericles and Othello. “Bard,” as it’s known locally, is set up in Vanocuver‘s Vanier Park with some very large tents that, according to the program, takes 10,000 hours of labour to set up. You are well protected from the elements in the tents but you still have that outdoors feeling with sounds from the ocean. But, what about the show? We enjoyed the Merry Wives of […]

Read more

Coombs BC is an interesting place. It’s 10 km from Parksville and is noted for its eclectic shopping, specifically Goats on the Roof AKA The Old Country Market. See www.oldcountrymarket.com This was not our first time at the market, but changes had been made as they are refurbishing the non wooden buildings across the street from the main market. Because this market prides itself in being fairly brand-free, the opportunities for unique shopping are good. For example, I was not expecting to find a clothing store called Wabi Sabi, which is a surfer clothing store. Considering the nearest surfing in […]

Read more

The Parksville Museum, which is also called the heritage park, is located right next to the BC tourism info centre off of highway 19A as you enter Parksville via Nanaimo. This small museum works to preserve Parksville’s history. It comprises of a collection of old buildings that have been moved to the site and filled with artifacts dating back to the late 1890s. What’s compelling is the rustic harshness that people who lived in the area had to deal with. They were all trying to keep a connection to the larger world while dealing with the limitations in transport and […]

Read more

BC Ferries. When you say this name to BC residents, you might not receive entirely enthusiastic responses. Most people place BC Ferries somewhere in the annoying category. Because many Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands communities are cut off without the service, people see it as an extension of the highways and wonder why the cost is so high when most other roads in BC have no tolls. (E.g. a Nanaimo to Vancouver ferry cost $129.15 for one child and three over-12-year-olds and that included the $15 advance reservation fee. The question of why we are charged extra to let BC […]

Read more