Tag: Sightseeing

This past weekend saw my kid brother fly in from Edmonton with his girlfriend in an attempt to wine and dine Vancouver into her heart in a bid to persuade her to move ‘out west’. Arriving Thursday evening, I met them at the Yaletown Roundhouse Canada Line stop at 7:55pm, and immediately ventured (bags in tow) a block further into Yaletown for an 8:00 PM reservation at Minami , one of Vancouver’s more innovative Japanese restaurants. An extended fine dining experience ensued until the one hour time change served notice and it was time to retire, our bellies full and […]

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With the exception of banks, pharmacies and gas stations, Qualicum Beach is fairly brand free. This does not mean that there’s no shopping. There’s a lot of knick-knack, clothing stores, independent coffee shops like Bailey’s and perhaps the last video store in existence called Catacombs Video. A partial list is here: www.qualicumbeachdowntown.ca/p/shop.html We did find an antique store that had everything. Good quality antique glassware (it may be a rustic shop, but he knows his stuff) along with old LPs, some comic books and memorabilia from the 50s and 60s. There’s enough stuff to fill a man cave / basement […]

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We were visiting Qualicum Beach (staying at Buena Vista by-the-Sea) and we decided to do something educational for the kids, specifically the Deep Bay Marine Field Station. This is further down the 19A highway/Oceanside, about 25 km from our motel. It is past Bowser (can’t help but thing of a barking dog) and down a series of streets and a gravel road. Sadly, we picked a day that the place was closed for a private function. Important tip: check their website in advance. There was a sign at the highway saying it was closed, but I was determine to double […]

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Cameron Lake, which is about 22 km from Port Alberni and 20 km from Qualicum Beach is supposed to have a strange creature that’s silvery and serpentine, but no one is sure what it is. Such mysteries fall under the category of cryptozoology and in keeping with British Columbia’s tradition of nuttiness, there’s an actual organization called the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club (bcscc.ca) that takes a serious approach to various mysteries. Given the lake monster Ogopogo in Kelowna and Sasquatch having its naissance in Harrison Hot Springs, you could create quite an interesting travel itinerary. This local Vancouver newspaper […]

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It was an odd set of circumstances that found me cycling around Stanley Park’s seawall. I was keeping good company with about a dozen other cyclists on a June weekday. It was a work team building exercise and also a way to add steps to our pedometers. The GCC (Global Corporate Challenge) was on and we wanted to boost our numbers. When I was cycling around the seawall, I started thinking about this park. It’s huge. 4.05 sq. km and the seawall itself is about 10 km in circumference, depending on what you consider as the starting point. See this […]

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Cowichan Bay is a small coastal village on Vancouver Island that’s about a 55 minute drive from Victoria. The objective of our mini off season getaway was not to be in a city and not to feel hustle and bustled. We did however have Victoria obligations. But we were willing to do the drive. Speaking of timing, due to what seem to be normal traffic snarls around McKenzie Ave and the View Royal neighbourhoods, I recommend budgeting an hour to drive into downtown Victoria from Cowichan Bay. Since I’m on the tangent of driving tips, this route has the Malahat […]

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BC Ferries is a crown corporation that is charge of running the ferry system in British Columbia. Many British Columbians are not sure why. In the same way Torontonians complain about the 401, BC residents love to complain about the ferries. This may be because of continuous fare increases and schedule reductions. For example, a car and drive pays $67 one-way from Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay and in 2008 it was $56. (Source www.bcferries.com/travel_planning/fares/archive.html) Despite the cost, any of these ferry rides is a beautiful scenic trip. Most visitors to BC are likely to use either Tsawwassen or Horseshoe Bay, […]

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This North Vancouver tourist attraction is well advertised, but is deserved. Capilano Suspension bridge also provides an excellent, comprehensive and well-presented explanatory material about temperate rain forest ecology — as well as a spectacular suspension bridge above the Capilano River, a canopy walk taking you high up onto the trunks of large ancient trees, and a vertigo-inducing cliffside walk on suspended glass walkways. Great for introducing out of town guests to the forest. Plus a single admission can be upgraded to a year long membership for no additional charge. For more information www.capbridge.com

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During the summer, there are plenty of lovely sites to see along Victoria‘s downtown waterfront, The Empress Hotel, the unique Parliament Buildings, a stroll through Beacon Hill Park. However it may surprise you to know of some unusual visual feasts at a few of the local hotels. In December’s gloom The Empress Hotel, the Hotel Grand Pacific and the Inn at Laurel Point may be visited to see festive creations competing for your vote and raising money for local charities. We visited the annual Gingerbread Showcase, which has gone national, at the Inn at Laurel Point. These sculptures are created […]

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Sonja of Harrison Heritage House & Cottages has five suggestions for your trip to Harrison Hot Springs. Check out the brand new ‘life size’ Sasquatch carving at the front entrance to Harrison Hot Springs. Check out Harrisons Festival of the Arts every July. Ten nights of music on the beach, concerts, art markets, literary cafes, art exhibits and workshops. Our lake is stocked with prehistoric sturgeon. The quest for the Sasquatch happens right here in Sasquatch Country! Harrison Hot Springs is a hot bed of Sasquatch sightings! Spirit Trail is a 1 km loop through an old cedar forest. Looking […]

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