It was hard to believe that the day had finally arrived.  My Olympic experience was going to begin. The hockey game I was scheduled to attend started at 9 p.m., but I had already decided to spend the entire day in downtown Vancouver soaking in the atmosphere.

The first challenge was transportation.  Everything I read or heard about visiting Vancouver during the 16 days of the Olympics was to take public transportation.  So, at about 10:30 a.m. my cousin dropped me off (city maps in hand) at the Braid Avenue SkyTrain station.  The SkyTrain is a brand new, easy to use, efficient, inexpensive light rail system.  In 20 minutes I disembarked at the Stadium-Chinatown station.... Read More

I hate to be redundant, but Friday was ANOTHER beautiful day in Seattle.  One of the locals I spoke to said "don't think about moving here . . . it's not usually like this in the winter."  Temps were in the mid 50s and the sun was shining brightly. It was take off to Vancouver day, but I had a couple of last minute things on my list that I hoped to enjoy before leaving Seattle. 
 
A friend recommended the Underground Tour.  I initially thought it meant it was something not mainstream or not in the open.  And essentially this was... Read More

 

It always has been a dream of mine to attend the Winter Olympics, but I’m also relatively frugal when it comes to what I spend on lodging and entertainment when I travel.  I passed on the games in Salt Lake City in 2002 because my kids were young enough to want to go along (probably another reason why I’ll never win the Mother of the Year Award).   When Vancouver was chosen in 2003 to host the 2010 Games, I knew my window of opportunity had opened.  My cousins lived in Vancouver and they would be willing to share their home with me.

When tickets went on sale in June 2009,... Read More

 
We’re now one month away from the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games (Feb. 12, to be exact). Vancouver and Whistler will be in the world spotlight, and winter sports fans are getting ready for plenty of electrifying action. For everyone out there who will be making the trek to British Columbia’s Lower Mainland in February and/or March, here are some last-minute tips.

Whether you live in the Vancouver or Whistler areas or are just visiting, you’ll be affected by major traffic congestion, detours and road and bridge closures, and driving... Read More

Question: Patricia R. asks:  We are taking a cruise from Vancouver and have some time before our departure.  Do you recomend the trolley?  We don’t have enough time to get to Butchart Gardens in Victoria but there seems to be a few gardens in Vancouver to enjoy.  We can walk to Stanley Park from our hotel.  Any neat ideas or tips?

Answer:   Candy Christman, AAA Publishing manager, says:  I’m always a fan of hop-on/hop-off trolley tours.  It’s a quick way to get a feel for a destination when you... Read More

   
     Vancouver has many summertime pleasures. Locally grown blueberries? The fresh markets are full of them. Where to spend the perfect lazy Sunday afternoon? Head to Deep Cove on the North Shore. What to do when the urge to commune with nature strikes? Hiking in Lighthouse Park will take care of that. Definitely one to add to this list is watching the sun set over English Bay. On a balmy summer evening it is the place to be downtown. Sunset watching, in fact, is a ritual here, drawing throngs of people who come to hang out and enjoy the long evening (in June and July darkness... Read More

 
     A city where approximately one-third of the residents are of Asian descent is bound to have a number of Asian restaurants, and Vancouver is no exception to this equation. It brims over with eateries of every description, but you can tell just how many reflect the local population by the number of storefronts with a series of indecipherable characters for a name and a helpful picture menu affixed to the window.

I discovered Hon’s (officially Hon’s Wun-Tun House) quite by accident. My friend and I were having breakfast at Melriches, a friendly urban coffee house and another accidental discovery... Read More

     Mavis performed her check-in duties beautifully, the epitome of style and professionalism. All the guests who left her presence had a smile on their face. But that wasn’t a surprise. Mavis has been one of the top guest service agents at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver for many years. Her reputation is well known.

So are her preferences for long walks, naps, and crunchy treats. Thus is the life of the hotel’s famed labradors.

It’s the little things, the extra touches a hotel can add to an experience... Read More

   
 
     What’s the largest international sporting event taking place in British Columbia this year? No, it’s not the 2010 Olympic Winter Games; they begin next February. But if you said “the 2009 World Police & Fire Games,” give yourself a pat on the back—and keep your wallet in your back pocket.

For 10 days this summer (July 31 – August 9), B.C. is definitely the place to be for more than 60 different sporting events—everything from badminton to bench pressing, freshwater angling to curling, darts to a decathlon, field lacrosse to... Read More

        My first visit to Stanley Park was in 2007, and a good portion of the seawall promenade that encircles the park was still closed to visitors due to damage from a severe storm the previous fall. But on the occasion of my second visit, all had been repaired—which meant it was a perfect opportunity for me to take a brisk walk around the entire park.

Stanley Park, of course, is the crown jewel in a city uncommonly blessed with scenic attributes. It’s a hiker’s paradise and a truly delightful retreat that’s all the more... Read More