If you are visiting Vancouver, you should not miss Granville Island. Food, shopping, boats, artisans, entertainment and more. Food and shopping is what you’ve likely heard, but when I last walked onto the island, I noticed the first thing you see looking forward is the Theatresports venue, where you can enjoy improv. If you look behind you, you will see the Kids Market, which is a collection of toy stores and other fun things. Adults do not need children to enjoy that section. On the road heading to Granville Island Market, you will find unusual (i.e. not so branded) shops […]

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It’s nutty that I never went on a Harbour Cruise in Vancouver. Luckily someone at work decided this would be a good way to celebrate for our department. The cruise company provided food and a bar and even though it was a social event I had time to ponder how highly changeable the harbour becomes. It’s pretty industrial at first and is particularly eerie to see the structures for the Burnaby Terminal for the Trans Mountain Pipeline System. There’s so much debate about the expansion and to see the oil infrastructure with the creepy exhaust pipes that you think you […]

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It has been over two years since I last went to Nero Belgian Waffle Bar in Vancouver. Too long in my view, but other obligations put my wife and I right beside the Seymour Street location. We were able to get a seat for two and could enjoy the light waffles. I had the opportunity to try a savoury salmon eggs benny from the brunch section and my wife had a fruit laden waffle from the breakfast menu. Perhaps the best part was the waffle itself, which was light. A lot of waffles leave you feeling heavy. Enjoy the unedited […]

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Kits Beach Park Pool opens every Victoria Day weekend and for the first time in years, I managed to catch it when it was the long weekend and it was warm enough. The trick with opening weekend is to stay in the water once you are in the water and, when out of the water, return yourself to the sun to heat up. Shade is not a thermally suitable place. Kits Pool has this wonderful combination of very long lane lengths so that the people wanting a workout can get one, but also with nice shallow areas for kids to […]

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About three years ago I compiled a list of breakfast spots in Victoria that I wanted to try. (See www.travelinbc.com/blog/victoria/possible-victoria-breakfast-spots-willys-winner) This year I lucked out and we got a seat at the popular John’s Place at 723 Pandora Ave in downtown Victoria. It’s a funky place that opening in 1984. The walls are covered with memorabilia of all sorts with a focus on sports. You could look at the walls all day. Our server was a feisty lady who quite wisely recommended a lavender latte to my wife and daughter, which they thoroughly enjoyed. My son is a smoothie snob […]

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We brought visiting family to the Vancouver Aquarium. I’ve been a member for years and don’t always take advantage of it. The best part is skipping the line for the membership line. I also had a couple of guest passes that I was able to use. It was between Christmas and New Year’s when we went and we started at 2 PM with a 5 PM closing time. We truly hit it lucky because we managed to hit three feeding times for the Sea Otters, the Walrus and one of the Sloths. The Sea Otters are endlessly cute and are […]

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Bright Nights in Stanley Park is often referred to as the Christmas Train. If in Vancouver at Christmastime, come down to the Stanley Park and take in the massive Christmas light display. I did some Internet research and, apparently, there are 250,000 plus visitors each year. The charity that benefits from all this is the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund. About 800 fire fighters put in 8,000 hours over 3 months to set up and tear down 3 million lights and associated decorations. We visited on Boxing Day and, by 5 PM, the woods and light are wonderfully magical. […]

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Although chilly (5 degrees C) it was not raining and we decided to walk the two streets and look to see what restaurants took our fancy. A place called MeeT on Mainland was near to where we started and it was a burgers and beer kind of place but – it took a moment looking at the menu – it was entirely vegan. We continued to walk the two blocks. There were pubs, Italian, Greek, and a couple of chains like The Keg and Cactus Club. In the end I wanted to try MeeT because my wife, who is a […]

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This year in Vancouver‘s Stanley Park, the Ghost Train is entitled Jack O’Lantern’s Journey Through the Dark Forest. It is a more whimsical take on a Halloween theme and is based on the story of Jack, an Irish trickster who was cursed to live in-between heaven and hell, but managed to get an ember of coal so he could make a lantern from a turnip. The event is very family focused, but there’s just nothing to beat that miniature train ride through the dark woods. Note that you can drive, park for free. Buy tickets online mind you and you’ll […]

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You know those classy Italian restaurants that have great food and it’s tough to secure a reservation? I do, but honestly what is one doing in Coombs, BC? This tiny town is 10 minutes west of Parksville along highway 4A, also known as the Alberni Highway. This is not the big city! The Cuckoo Trattoria and Pizzeria is a large space with a lot of outdoor seating that looks over the woods that are behind the Goats on the Roof shopping destination. We were connecting with family and friends and others negotiated the reservation and we sat at the Mexican […]

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