It’s pouring with rain, the snow is melting and the temperature is uncharacteristically warm for this time of year. But is there panic in my hometown that all these elements could undo the greatest party this city’s ever seen?
Not a chance.
As the city gets dressed for the ball, the excitement for the 2010 Games is palpable. Banners are emerging on streetscapes, colourful marquees now line the waterfront, flags are beginning to appear in windows, Christmas lights are still up (only now, many flicker red and white), and signs pepper the highways and byways, flashing messages of upcoming road closures and diversion.
Retailers still can’t keep up with the demand for wooly red mitts, emblazoned with the Canadian Maple Leaf in the palm – which is just as well because the weather folks are as optimistic for a chilly February as in-the-know sports enthusiasts are that Canada will own the podium this Olympic Games.
Although many Vancouverites are choosing to escape the scramble of hosting the world on their doorstep, I’m staying put. So what if there’s a traffic jam or two? I say, “Just chill in the cooler climes to come, and enjoy”.
And in case you are wondering? Yes, there are still rooms to be found. Check out the listings at http://www.greatestgetaways.com/
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Olympic Christmas
Now that we've had our first snow, icey sleet and salted sidewalks, everyone at Travelink Publishing is getting the festive vibe.
Olympic 'stuff' is around the corner - catch us skating the Richmond Olympic Oval - and stay tuned for what it will be like in the eye of the storm. Our offices are in the Olympic 'red zone' so there's no telling what that actually means once the torch arrives back in Vancouver and security gets hot and heavy. Meanwhile, take note of city streets that are now decorated with decal-flags from each of the participating countries, and making up a flag-walk.
The holly trees have lots of red berries and since that's indicative of a heavy winter to come, the Games should have snow. Thank goodness.
But that's 2010, and we've still to celebrate the end of 2009 ....
So happy holidays from Travelink's scribes, video-masters and photographers all of who have some pretty nifty new ideas to keep you hot-wired to some of the neatest travel experiences.
Olympic 'stuff' is around the corner - catch us skating the Richmond Olympic Oval - and stay tuned for what it will be like in the eye of the storm. Our offices are in the Olympic 'red zone' so there's no telling what that actually means once the torch arrives back in Vancouver and security gets hot and heavy. Meanwhile, take note of city streets that are now decorated with decal-flags from each of the participating countries, and making up a flag-walk.
The holly trees have lots of red berries and since that's indicative of a heavy winter to come, the Games should have snow. Thank goodness.
But that's 2010, and we've still to celebrate the end of 2009 ....
So happy holidays from Travelink's scribes, video-masters and photographers all of who have some pretty nifty new ideas to keep you hot-wired to some of the neatest travel experiences.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Olympic Anticipation
When I see my last blog was in the height of summer, and it's now a dark, pouring wet, November afternoon, it's perhaps testimony as to my 'nose-to-the-grindstone' status.
But now, at the end of contributing to the http://www.hellobc.com/ website, updating many of the communities in the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Region for all those 2010 Olympic visitors, I've come to fall in love with British Columbia all over again. Communities like Delta, White Rock, Port Moody, Hope, Abbotsford and others may seem like quiet suburbs but wow, have they got a lot happening - birding, kayaking, wilderness hikes, fishing, extraordinary dining ... the list goes on.
Be sure to take the time and discover Vancouver's outlying areas. And if you're Whistler bound, drive another 20 minutes and you'll find Pemberton which many say is what Whistler used to be 25 years ago, before urban chic gentrified the mountain resort. From Pemberton, head across to the Fraser Canyon in a circle trip back to Vancouver.
If you're islands bound, tripAdvisor rates the current Frommer's guide to Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and San Juan Islands as among the best resources to pack in your knapsack.
With the Winter Olympics fast becoming a reality; the tempo of anticipation is just now kicking in. It started with the torch relay that's currently criss-crossing the country via canoe, horseback, carriage, surf board - you name it, the flame's travelin' it!
Meanwhile, local mountains have a ton of snow already (in spite of the rain at lower levels); athletes are vying for practice time at the different venues (yes, the USA participants are getting their time alongside everyone else); security manouvers are putting air, sea and ground teams through their paces; transit rehearsals are about to hit the city streets, and everyone's beginning to wave red Olympic mittens with a white Canadian maple leaf emblem in the palm.
It's a whole new interpretation to 'catching the wave'!
But now, at the end of contributing to the http://www.hellobc.com/ website, updating many of the communities in the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Region for all those 2010 Olympic visitors, I've come to fall in love with British Columbia all over again. Communities like Delta, White Rock, Port Moody, Hope, Abbotsford and others may seem like quiet suburbs but wow, have they got a lot happening - birding, kayaking, wilderness hikes, fishing, extraordinary dining ... the list goes on.
Be sure to take the time and discover Vancouver's outlying areas. And if you're Whistler bound, drive another 20 minutes and you'll find Pemberton which many say is what Whistler used to be 25 years ago, before urban chic gentrified the mountain resort. From Pemberton, head across to the Fraser Canyon in a circle trip back to Vancouver.
If you're islands bound, tripAdvisor rates the current Frommer's guide to Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and San Juan Islands as among the best resources to pack in your knapsack.
With the Winter Olympics fast becoming a reality; the tempo of anticipation is just now kicking in. It started with the torch relay that's currently criss-crossing the country via canoe, horseback, carriage, surf board - you name it, the flame's travelin' it!
Meanwhile, local mountains have a ton of snow already (in spite of the rain at lower levels); athletes are vying for practice time at the different venues (yes, the USA participants are getting their time alongside everyone else); security manouvers are putting air, sea and ground teams through their paces; transit rehearsals are about to hit the city streets, and everyone's beginning to wave red Olympic mittens with a white Canadian maple leaf emblem in the palm.
It's a whole new interpretation to 'catching the wave'!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
HITTING THE YOU-TUBE WAVES
It's been a busy time over the summer, gathering video materials to create travel moments. Check out our (fishyracer) videos on Wolf Creek, Utah; Van Dop Gallery with Chris McBeath; Grouse Mountain with Chris McBeath and others that producer/director Bill Vanderford is whizzing together.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Las Vegas - Gateway to Desert Escapes
My number one ‘back-country’ choice has always been the Valley of Fire – amazing desert canyons with petroglyphs and colors that epitomize the rocky beauty of the desert. See my article on greatestgetaways. And Red Rock Canyon offers panoramic 13-mile scenic drive as well as trails for bikes and hikes.
In my most recent trip to Nevada, however, I’ve a discovered a couple of back-country rivals where you can dump the car and tune-in with a totally different pace.
The first is white-water rafting down the Colorado River, below the Hoover Dam to Willow Beach near Boulder City (the only township in Nevada where gambling is illegal). Black Canyon River Adventures hold the license to manage the limited number of craft allowed to launch at the Dam, and do a crack-up job in maneuvering you through the adventure of riding the gentle rapids. Canyon walls that rise 2,000 feet from the water’s edge. Piping hot mineral spring water. Pretty darn cold river waters – actually a refreshing spray in the high-noon heat. And finding big horn sheep clinging with ease to the vertical rock face.
While most folks often gravitate to Lake Mead for the terrific fishing, I suggest you chill out on a Forever Resorts houseboat on Lake Mohave. Although based at Cottonwood Cove Resort & Marina, your floating home-away-from-home can be towed to any secluded spot with a sandy beach and hiking trails into the desert. The craft are geared to comfort – you gotta love the water slide off the top deck, and if you include add-on options such as a water ski boat, you have a zippy run-about to explore the fissured backwaters and coves, not to mention zipping along on a ski run, or being towed in a skimming donut.
Along the shore, you can expect to see Mountain Sheep and wild burros, evidence of desert creatures that awake in the cool of night – cougar, coyote, lizards and snakes, as well as crystal clear waters full of catfish, gar and even soft-shell turtles.
Cottonwood is only a half-hour boat ride from Willow Beach, so transfers from river raft to houseboat are seamless – and that includes any luggage that travels separately aboard by van. And because Cottonwood will also provide a ride back to the airport, the entire backcountry experience is worry-free of nitty-gritty details.
Win or lose in Las Vegas, combining the neon-city with desert waters delivers one of the most textured, sensory, and refreshing Nevada experiences around.
In my most recent trip to Nevada, however, I’ve a discovered a couple of back-country rivals where you can dump the car and tune-in with a totally different pace.
The first is white-water rafting down the Colorado River, below the Hoover Dam to Willow Beach near Boulder City (the only township in Nevada where gambling is illegal). Black Canyon River Adventures hold the license to manage the limited number of craft allowed to launch at the Dam, and do a crack-up job in maneuvering you through the adventure of riding the gentle rapids. Canyon walls that rise 2,000 feet from the water’s edge. Piping hot mineral spring water. Pretty darn cold river waters – actually a refreshing spray in the high-noon heat. And finding big horn sheep clinging with ease to the vertical rock face.
While most folks often gravitate to Lake Mead for the terrific fishing, I suggest you chill out on a Forever Resorts houseboat on Lake Mohave. Although based at Cottonwood Cove Resort & Marina, your floating home-away-from-home can be towed to any secluded spot with a sandy beach and hiking trails into the desert. The craft are geared to comfort – you gotta love the water slide off the top deck, and if you include add-on options such as a water ski boat, you have a zippy run-about to explore the fissured backwaters and coves, not to mention zipping along on a ski run, or being towed in a skimming donut.
Along the shore, you can expect to see Mountain Sheep and wild burros, evidence of desert creatures that awake in the cool of night – cougar, coyote, lizards and snakes, as well as crystal clear waters full of catfish, gar and even soft-shell turtles.
Cottonwood is only a half-hour boat ride from Willow Beach, so transfers from river raft to houseboat are seamless – and that includes any luggage that travels separately aboard by van. And because Cottonwood will also provide a ride back to the airport, the entire backcountry experience is worry-free of nitty-gritty details.
Win or lose in Las Vegas, combining the neon-city with desert waters delivers one of the most textured, sensory, and refreshing Nevada experiences around.
Monday, June 8, 2009
LAS VEGAS - Always In Motion
I’m always intrigued with Las Vegas and while we all know it’s gambling central of North America, I always look for the unexpected -- something to restore balance after the neon-lit, show-time, slot-machine sensory overload. But since it’s the shows, shops and slots that make this over-the-top city tick, here are some must-dos to create that thirst for ‘balance’:
· Catch a Cirque du Soleil show – there are four to choose from including Mystere to the company’s most sophisticated production O. The first exits just in time for Treasure Island’s swash-buckling, street-side Pirate Show; the latter coincides with the night-time spectacular of Bellagio’s musical fountains.
· The Crazy Horse (MGM-Grand) incorporates clever choreography and light combinations for a titillating show of tame eroticism -- a fun tease without any obscenity.
· Make time for comedic magician Nathan Burton (Flamingo). He has a reputation for pulling Houdini-style publicity stunts and the late afternoon show is a terrific transition from day to evening entertainment.
· Ride the monorail to one end of the strip and start the long trail back via all the landmark hotels which are theatre spectacles unto themselves. The Pyramid and Pharoahs at Luxor, Ellis Island rides, the Eiffel Tower at Paris, The Venetian’s Gondolas. And so it goes … with names such as Barry Manilow, Bette Midler, Tom Jones, Donny and Marie, Cher (didn’t she retire?) Come to think of it, aren’t they all getting near the big R? They’re still packing them in, though.
· If you’re a shopper, The Fashion Show is a must-mall (a recent shopping survey noted Las Vegas was the 3rd most popular US city for shopping); if you need a restorative hand, spa out at the Bellagio, Caesars, the Mandalay, or the Venetian as top choices. Wynn has a quality spa, as does Donald Trump’s gleaming gold tower. The Trump, incidentally, doesn’t have a gaming unit anywhere on site which in this town has rather a rogue panache – much like its celebrity owner.
Suffice to say that Las Vegas continues to evolve, grow, and sprawl. Even though current economies have put some expansions on hold, cranes still litter the skyline, traffic is standstill ghastly, and people populate the tables 24x7. Perhaps they’re General Motors executives in disguise – after all, wasn’t it a black jack do-or-die bet that got Fedex airborne? Hmm, it seems more likely that those die-hard players are from government!
Before politics starts to intrude, this blog is done. Catch my next Las Vegas entry for back country options which really are the antithesis of this desert metropolis.
· Catch a Cirque du Soleil show – there are four to choose from including Mystere to the company’s most sophisticated production O. The first exits just in time for Treasure Island’s swash-buckling, street-side Pirate Show; the latter coincides with the night-time spectacular of Bellagio’s musical fountains.
· The Crazy Horse (MGM-Grand) incorporates clever choreography and light combinations for a titillating show of tame eroticism -- a fun tease without any obscenity.
· Make time for comedic magician Nathan Burton (Flamingo). He has a reputation for pulling Houdini-style publicity stunts and the late afternoon show is a terrific transition from day to evening entertainment.
· Ride the monorail to one end of the strip and start the long trail back via all the landmark hotels which are theatre spectacles unto themselves. The Pyramid and Pharoahs at Luxor, Ellis Island rides, the Eiffel Tower at Paris, The Venetian’s Gondolas. And so it goes … with names such as Barry Manilow, Bette Midler, Tom Jones, Donny and Marie, Cher (didn’t she retire?) Come to think of it, aren’t they all getting near the big R? They’re still packing them in, though.
· If you’re a shopper, The Fashion Show is a must-mall (a recent shopping survey noted Las Vegas was the 3rd most popular US city for shopping); if you need a restorative hand, spa out at the Bellagio, Caesars, the Mandalay, or the Venetian as top choices. Wynn has a quality spa, as does Donald Trump’s gleaming gold tower. The Trump, incidentally, doesn’t have a gaming unit anywhere on site which in this town has rather a rogue panache – much like its celebrity owner.
Suffice to say that Las Vegas continues to evolve, grow, and sprawl. Even though current economies have put some expansions on hold, cranes still litter the skyline, traffic is standstill ghastly, and people populate the tables 24x7. Perhaps they’re General Motors executives in disguise – after all, wasn’t it a black jack do-or-die bet that got Fedex airborne? Hmm, it seems more likely that those die-hard players are from government!
Before politics starts to intrude, this blog is done. Catch my next Las Vegas entry for back country options which really are the antithesis of this desert metropolis.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
HOTEL HAPPENINGS IN YVR
The Wedgewood Hotel, one of my city getaway favorites, celebrates its 25th anniversary with 25% discounts off various guest stuff: off website guestroom rates, off Bacchus restaurant and lounge items (this is the BEST place for afternoon tea and a late night tete-a-tete), off spa treatments (it’s one of the smallest, most gracious spas in existence) and even meeting room rentals if gatherings are on your agenda. Offer is good through September 25th, 2009.
Meanwhile, the Four Seasons has just unveiled its $20 million renovation which revamped the restaurant – the new YEW is very contemporary and very chicly urban, its 372 guestrooms and the meeting areas.
And thirdly, the St. Regis Hotel, has added an artsy touch. The Hotel re-opened early this year after a ginormous renovation that turned the heritage Edwardian hotel into a hip and happening place. The collection comprises 22 pieces from five different artists that blend Native, Hispanic, Asian, Irish and American influences. Eclectic? Yes. Does it work? You be the judge!
The Wedgewood Hotel, one of my city getaway favorites, celebrates its 25th anniversary with 25% discounts off various guest stuff: off website guestroom rates, off Bacchus restaurant and lounge items (this is the BEST place for afternoon tea and a late night tete-a-tete), off spa treatments (it’s one of the smallest, most gracious spas in existence) and even meeting room rentals if gatherings are on your agenda. Offer is good through September 25th, 2009.
Meanwhile, the Four Seasons has just unveiled its $20 million renovation which revamped the restaurant – the new YEW is very contemporary and very chicly urban, its 372 guestrooms and the meeting areas.
And thirdly, the St. Regis Hotel, has added an artsy touch. The Hotel re-opened early this year after a ginormous renovation that turned the heritage Edwardian hotel into a hip and happening place. The collection comprises 22 pieces from five different artists that blend Native, Hispanic, Asian, Irish and American influences. Eclectic? Yes. Does it work? You be the judge!
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