Dispatches

Snow Falls on Vancouver

December 18th, 2008 by Jenn · Comments Off

Vancouver is not like the rest of Canada. The city, typically, does not get much snowfall; this is its appeal for many of the residents and visitors alike. It’s a place in Canada where you’re 30 minutes away from mountains and snow but don’t have to live in the white stuff all winter.

So when 6 inches of snow fell on Vancouver over the past 2 days the city stood still for a few moments wondering what just happened. Once the reality hit, the smiles and excitement spread.

Suddenly, snowmen popped up everywhere and scarves and mittens flew off the shelves. Being a Canadian city, Vancouverites often feel as though they miss out on the quintessential Canadian tradition of snowy winters.

This is exciting news for visitors too. It may seem like staying indoors is your best bet when the snow is falling but that doesn’t have to be the case. There are some amazing events going on at this time of year that will be extra special now that the trees and buildings are blanketed in white.

Here are just a few ideas:

Van Dusen

Bright Nights at Stanley Park - Bundle up in your warmest coat and hat and venture into Stanley Park for it’s annual Bright Nights event. Board the park train and enjoy a tour through the festive lit trees, scenes and tunnels. A truly magical sight that is fun for the whole family!

Festival of Lights at Van Dusen Gardens - ‘Bright Nights’ can be seen as a warm up to Van Dusen’s annual Festival of Lights. An already stunning bontanical garden is covered in bright holiday lights as far as the eye can see. The musical lights production over the garden’s pond is a highlight. If you’re there at the right time, enjoy sipping hot apple cider while listing to Santa share his favourite holiday stories.

Grouse Mountain - A winter favourite amongst locals, Grouse Mountain always has lots of things to do on a fresh blanket of snow. Skate on the outdoor rink taking breaks to warm your hands on the outdoor fire pit. Rest your feet on a sleighride and indulge in a fondue dinner at the restaurant overlooking the lights of Vancouver. A must if visiting Vancouver in the winter.

See Vancouver in the winter on one of our many trips that features this great city.

Comments OffTags: Rockies and Western Canada · North America · Active Adventures · General

A Night Out in Ottawa

December 12th, 2008 by Jenn · Comments Off

A girl who loves Guinness will feel right at home in a city with a passion for Irish Pubs. Ottawa is not shy about its British and Celtic heritage – grand Victorian buildings are on every corner while every other corner has an Irish Pub.

Arriving in Ottawa in the beginnings of winter is not for the faint of heart. It’s one of the coldest locales in Eastern Canada and will have you in the holiday spirit in no time. Snow falls almost every day and the best place to warm up is at one of their many Irish pubs over a pint of Guinness or an Irish coffee.

Heart & Crown is a true Irish pub in size and atmosphere. The Guinness was free pouring, the laughter was infectious, and the menu was irresistible. It was difficult not to indulge.

Most of Ottawa’s best pubs are located in the Byward Market. The Market is the centre of the city in the summer; in the winter it’s a bit quieter but still where all the locals come to wine, dine and dance the night away.

For a nightcap, a good laugh and great entertainment, stumble on into Fat Tuesdays. Every Saturday night they have dualing pianos where two pianists duke it out over old classics from “jeremiah was a Bullfrog” to “Sweet Caroline”.

Dueling Pianos

It packs up so be sure to get there no later than 10pm. You may end up standing but it’s really no bother as you’d be up dancing either way.

Staggering home can be quite cold but if you’re sure to get in that last pint before last call, you’re sure to be warm until you return to your cosy hotel room.

Check out Ottawa yourself on a great eastern Canada vacation!

Comments OffTags: Eastern Canada · North America · General

Words of Fresh Tracks

December 12th, 2008 by Jenn · No Comments

I am an avid blogger myself and thus I often get sent some really cool gadgets to post on blogs. The most recent was something called a ‘word cloud’. I decided to throw Fresh Tracks’ URL in there to see what it came up with and the result was actually really great. I think that the computer pulled out all the best words and more that describe what we’re all about!

→ No CommentsTags: General

A Homeboy’s Halifax

August 18th, 2008 by Davis · Comments Off

Our good friend Jake is our guest contributor this week. Born and raised in Halifax, he did not need a second asking to start bragging about his hometown.

We asked, “What is there to do in Halifax that the average tourist won’t know about?”

These are his tips:

Halifax Grub

Casual - Saturday Morning Farmer’s Market: also known as the Brewery Market as it makes its home in the Keith’s Brewery

Coffee - Coastal Coffee: Your one- stop for great coffee, breakfast and lunch

Fancy - fid: Halifax’s fine dining. All food is local and organic and worth every penny!

Halifax Tunes

Stayner’s: late night bar/restaurant. During the Jazz fest this is the place to hear world-class jazz every night until 3am. When all other places have closed for the night, Stayner’s is open.

The Music Room: a small venue located in the north end of the city. Home of the Scotia Festival and all of the most celebrated small performances.

The Old Triangle: this is the place to be for a taste of traditional local tunes. It’s an Irish bar with the right atmosphere for Celtic music and dancing.

Halifax Arts

Theatre Arts Guild: aka TAG - “Canada’s longest continuously-running Community Theatre”

ViewPoint Gallery: showcases the artwork of photographers in Halifax. At just 8 years old, this gallery has a contemporary style with a laid-back atmosphere.

The Little Red School House: this is located outside of town in Peggy’s Cove but cannot be missed. Come here for theatre, music, art and John Beale’s one man show, “Peggy”.

Halifax Outdoors

McNab’s Island: This provincial park is also a heritage site. Visit the fort for a unique park experience

Citadel Hill: A national park and famous site. You’ll recognize the aerial photos of the citadel but nothing compares to visiting in person.

Cape Breton Highlands: a bit of a drive north but worth the car rental on your vacation. If you get the chance, visit the Cabot Trail (mentioned in Maggi Jones’ feature article in this season’s newsletter!)

There you have it, straight from a local.

Give us your suggestions and favorite Halifax destinations!

Comments OffTags: Eastern Canada · North America · Regional Travel · Active Adventures · General

Sailing in British Columbia’s Desolation Sound

June 27th, 2008 by Genevieve · No Comments

For the past several years I have been enjoying sporadic sailing adventures around British Columbia, tagging along with some good friends who had become enamored with the sport. This year my boyfriend and I made the decision that it was time for us, too, to become sailors. We have always enjoyed our time on the ocean, and liked learning the skills and techniques involved, but have never received any formal training. We convinced some like-minded friends to learn to sail with us, and promptly signed up for a 5 day live-aboard “Cruise and Learn” program in breathtaking Desolation Sound.

Our Cruise and Learn began with a quick flight from our home in Vancouver to the town of Powell River, the gateway to Desolation Sound Marine Park. The small plane hugged the rugged coastline, and we were treated to aerial views of the Sunshine Coast, a special treat for me as this is where I was born and raised.

After the half-hour flight, we touched down in Powell River and set off to find our sailing instructor and trusty yacht “Shadowfax”, aptly named after Gandalf’s swift steed in the Lord of the Rings. We rode in an old, converted station wagon-cum-taxi to the Marina, where we immediatedly spotted our sailboat, the prettiest boat there. We were feeling pretty pleased with our luck. We unloaded all of our gear and met our instructor, Les, an old salt whose life revolved around a lifelong sailing obsession and tending his beehives. A taciturn fellow, he gave us a rundown of our sailboat and all of it’s quirks before leaving us to settle in and adjust to life aboard.

Our first night was spent aboard Shadowfax, moored in the Marina. We did some studying and some last-minute preparations before getting to bed early. We awoke at dawn the next morning after a rough sleep (I was later to discover that I would never sleep well moored to a dock. The constant noises of the boat rubbing against wood and the slapping of the dingy against the bow was hard to ignore). We made a quick and hearty breakfast before finally setting out for Day 1 of our sailing adventure.

We chose to make our sailing trip in early May, so we could pick up our basic sailing skills and have the entire Summer to practice. As May is still a bit dicey weather-wise, we made sure to pack our foul weather gear. It turns out we sure needed it on our first day! It was blustery, rainy and cold. The sea was a dark and forbidding blue, and my hands never quite warmed up until we finally anchored for the night.

The one truly amazing event, though - besides gaining our sea legs – we had the fortune to experience was on our first day at sea. We were taking turns skippering the boat, getting a feel for the wind, when all of a sudden there was a great frothing of the water in the distance. We grabbed the binoculars and were amazed to see an astoundingly large pod of Pacific Whitesided Dolphins coming right for us! There must have been 1500 Dolphins jumping and racing our way. They swiftly enveloped our boat, coming within mere feet of the 5 flabbergasted humans aboard Shadowfax. After a few minutes they were just specks in the distance behind us, but they were an amazing highlight even our instructor Les, after 30 years on the seas had never experienced before.

After a chilly wet day, the clouds finally parted in the late afternoon just in time to anchor in deserted Grace Harbour. We had only encountered a few other vessels throughout the day, and enjoyed having the beautiful harbour all to ourselves. The protected waters were calm and glassy, and we anchored easily in the muddy bottom. Desolation Sound is a popular area for boaters in the Summer months, despite the few settlements and amenities. Earlier trips I have made to the area were busy, with hundreds of pleasure craft tooling about and enjoying the beautiful islands, majestic fjords and snug coves. Early May, however, allowed the area to live up to it’s name. Desolation Sound was indeed deserted.

We spent 3 further days voyaging Desolation Sound Marine Park, learning the basics of sailing, practicing such panic-inducing things (for me, anyway) as man-overboard drills and docking the 40-foot boat. We happily soaked up the warm Spring sunshine that stuck with us for the remainder of the trip after that first blustery day. Our days were full and blessed with perfect wind, and our evenings relaxed and calm as we anchored and explored such picturesque areas as Prideaux Haven and Squirrel Cove by dinghy. Stops at the strangely-deserted settlement at Refuge Cove, and the crashing waters of Cassel Falls completed our expedition.

Finally, the time came when it was time to return to civilization and leave the unspoiled beauty of Desolation Sound behind. We charted our course back to Powell River, and arrived back at the Marina feeling like seasoned pros. After one last night aboard Shadowfax (which truly started to feel like home), with memories of our sailing adventures still fresh in our minds, we boarded our flight back to the big city and our daily lives.

→ No CommentsTags: Rockies and Western Canada · North America · Active Adventures · General

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