Gloria's Travel Blog

Be A Tourist In Your Own Town!

gloriastarr — Mon, 09 May 2011 03:05:54 +0000

I came across these great deals from tourism Vancouver and thought it was too great to not share. Right now from May 3rd to 29th all B.C. residents are invited to be tourists in their own city by taking advantage of over 30,000 free tickets to participating attractions!

Vancouver is such an amazing city that thousands of tourists come to enjoy each year. But so many of these places we as locals, have yet to experience. Why go out, spend money and travel to another city when Vancouver ranks on the top places to live each year. Best of all with all these diverse and amazing attractions they are giving locals the option to download 2 free tickets each day! This month is the chance to play tourist in your own city – enjoy all the beautiful things Vancouver has to offer

Participating attractions include:

Beaty Biodiversity Museum
Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art
Bloedel Floral Conservatory
Britannia Mine Museum
Burnaby Village Museum
Capilano Suspension Bridge
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
Fort Langley National Historic Site of Canada
Greater Vancouver Zoo
Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site
Harbour Cruises & Events
Hell’s Gate Airtram
H.R. MacMillan Space Centre

Maplewood Farm
Minter Gardens
Powerhouse at Stave Falls
Roedde House Museum
Science World at Telus World of Science
Stanley Park Horse-Drawn Tours
Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre
UBC Botanical Garden
UBC Museum of Anthropology
Vancouver Art Gallery
Vancouver Lookout
Vancouver Maritime Museum
Vancouver Police Museum

Enjoy!

Snowshoeing at Seymour

gloriastarr — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 07:02:52 +0000

   I haven’t gone snowshoeing in ages. It’s something we used to do growing up for a couple elementary school field trips.   I decided that it would be something different and fun to try something new. I’m personally more of a fan of snowboarding or something more in the downhill option but snowshoeing is a lot of fun, and a cheap activity to do in the winter.
     Seymour has many well-groomed paths which are reasonably priced or you can do into the free paths along the far side. I went with one of my groupon’s for snowshoes and the paths for $12 with my sister. We had a great time walking through the snow. It’s really just hiking in the snow. So if you like to walk, and like to see the beautiful scenery which we have so much of in BC you should try it. There’s actually many hills you will continue to go up and down, so take some water.
     What to wear? You won’t really need snow pants, comfy pants will do. Shoes are best something waterproof or you can wear running shoes and bring plastic bags to protect them from getting wet and staying wet. A light wind breaker or snow jacket is great. Layers is really key, as you can then feel comfortable in any options depending on the sun or snow in the air.   When to go? Personally I love it when there’s a bit of sun outside, but snow is also a nice time, or light rain as long as you have something waterproof.
     So if you haven’t gone snowshoeing in a while, why not do something different, not as strenuous and adventurous.

Hawaii

gloriastarr — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 09:26:43 +0000

       I went to Waikiki from December 7-15. It was my first time back to Hawaii for over 12 years. What a beautiful place to visit and go for vacation. There’s so much to do and see, but best of all there’s plenty of time for relaxation.
      We swam by the beach and pool most days and sun tanned. It’s nice to be able to swim in December, and not have to freeze We rented a car to be able to see more of the Island and so we went up to the North where there are more waves for experienced surfers. There was a huge competition going on but we didn’t have time to stay and watch and there wasn’t any parking in site. The waves are crazy there some times over 10 feet tall. My brother-in-law did some crazy waves without even realizing that they were for only kamikaze surfers. I’m glad he didn’t miss any of the waves and get hit into the coral, that would have been truly unfortunate.
     One of the days I went out surfing with my sister. We had 3 person private lesson for only $25 for a 1.5 hour lesson. It was great! They took us outside on the boards and helped push us into the wave as the hardest part is the momentum in paddling. The waves were so much calmer here and I managed to make almost each wave!!! It was sooooo much fun and I rode most of the waves til the shore until I jumped off as I didn’t want to have to paddle as much Can’t wait to go back and surf in Hawaii!!
     We went on a road trip and went to a beach with these turtles. Usually the turtles lay on the beach and people just stare at them. But they wanted to go for a swim. You were allowed to swim 2 feet away for them, so I decided why not swim with the turtles :) It was amazing swimming with 3 turtles about half my size! A great experience!
     Along the road trip we stopped for some amazing snow cones. It was ice cream with shaved ice and several flavors like pineapple, coconut, mango. All I know is there were long line and It was delicious. I’m actually craving more right now that I think about it.   We also went to a little Thai restaurant that is very famous in Honolulu and they gave us this really tasty meal all from the side of a truck
     While in Hawaii we also went to hike Diamond Head. It’s a short hike with a long line-up in the tunnel but a gorgeous view of Waikiki from the top. It’s an easy hike, very accessible I wouldn’t suggest going in the peak hours likely at 10am as the lines are crazy busy but maybe go early or later in the evening.  It’s well worth the views.
     During the trip there’s a few places to go shopping too. I went to the mall nearby which was a quick minute walk from our hotel. There’s some new variety there with lots of nice designer stores. There’s the outlets just outside the downtown core which I bought several things from. I actually enjoyed the flea market of all things. It consists of many stands around the outside of a large stadium. The prices are really reasonable as this is where most of the locals shop, so you can buy many items and gifts for reasonable prices instead of the mark-up prices they have in the city.
     We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian village in Waikiki. I really enjoyed the stay there, I highly recommend it. They have everything you’d need and more. They have a couple private pools and water slides, several stores for anything you can think of. Restaurants, bars, grocery stores, coffee shops, and a private beach. There’s also many animals like you’re in a mini zoo. You can find fish, parrots, flamingos, and penguins. I took my niece to the penguins most mornings and she loved watching them eat. She is so cute, and basically jumped into the fish pond to stare at all the fish. It’s a great place to take kids
    In Hawaii there’s so much to see & do. I’m glad I had the chance to visit again and have a break from everyday life to appreciate the world around me.

Seattle roadtrip

gloriastarr — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 03:08:35 +0000

   This remembrance day I went down for a road trip to Seattle! My friend needed to go the Seatac airport for a much awaited trip and what better way to send our friend off but to drive down together and make an outing of it. We woke up super early and were out of Vancouver by 6am, making it to the peace arch truck crossing by just after 7am. There was a huge line due to the holiday and we waited for over an hour. Then the border patrol man was quite curt, and didn’t make it easy for us to cross. Wow, something about acting suspicious to go early to make the flight. Crazy, but thankfully we made it though and had great timing along the way.
    We stopped in at my favorite Starbucks along the route. So nice seeing you again LEAHA!! Wow were you ever busy, so many people want to have a nice treat. yummy peppermint white chocolate mocha. Thanks again for being so efficient at work. Hopefully the next time I see you again won’t be just for 10min at a time. Let me know when you plan to visit.
   We continued along to the Seatac airport and thankfully were 1.5 hours in advance for the flight. Everything worked out as usual, and so the rest of us continued into Seattle for brunch.
    We went to Delilah’s which didn’t have breakfasts on weekends and so went to their sister company Lola’s. It’s a nice casual but classy restaurant. I had this delicious pumpkin/squash soup and then these delicious donuts with marscapone cheese and blueberry sauce. So fantastic. I highly recommend stopping by to have a great brunch.
    After we walked around the city to some many great shopping stores. I bought some things as usual This time my prized item was a pair of black patent coach pumps   We also went over to Pike’s Place for the much-needed tourist stop.
    Then we headed back to the outlets for some more shopping. There were so many people down for the holiday. People and lines everywhere, I guess the christmas rush is starting to happen. The christmas sales are even coming in. I bought some gifts and things for myself. It was a lot of fun just to browse and shop around and go to some new stores unlike Metrotown.
   After a great shopping trip we were starved so we ended up going to this great Mexican restaurant. It was amazing! A small, non-chain restaurant with big portions and great lime margaritas I’ll need to make this a regular event to my US travel days.
   Overall I had a long, eventful day with friends. Thanks Jessica & Dave

My first Canucks game

gloriastarr — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 05:46:10 +0000

   What is Canada’s favorite sport? Hockey! It’s what we are known for. Canadians created the official sport and continue to play it as our most popular game. Canada even beat the USA at this years Olympics
    It’s surprising to say that I have never been to the Canucks game before. I enjoy watching hockey games on tv and have watched many in my life. I even watched a practice game of the Canucks a while back, but no game in GM place/Rogers arena. It’s probably due to the time in 1994 when the Canucks lost the Stanley cup. I was a bit disappointed to say the least I did see my first hockey game this year back in February Canada versus Swizerland for the Olympics. Canada won of course and it was awesome!
      Yesterday I watched the Vancouver Canucks play against the Carolina Hurricanes. It was a good game, lots of shots of net and many goals. The Canucks played really well, and Carolina not so much. It ended up being 5-1! We had a blast and I’m glad to say that now I’ve officially seen my first Canucks game. It’s much more exciting live, as I’m sure most everyone knows already. Well, it’s better late then never. Good Game.

Outlet shopping

gloriastarr — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:51:25 +0000

Yesterday I went down to the Seattle premium outlets for some shopping. It’s been about 6 months since I’ve gone, so I was likely due. To visit the outlets from Vancouver it’s a quick trip. I find the border line-up much smaller on Mondays. I waited about 20min on the way down & 15min for the return. Then the drive to the outlets is about 1.5 hours. So it’s an easy daytrip from Vancouver.

I went to the mini outlet in Burlington, where I took a break at Starbucks. Happily I found my friend Leaha working!! I was soooo excited to see her again after about 3 months at least. So great that I selected the correct location & the shift schedule worked out perfectly. It was great seeing you again. Hopefully you’ll take more trips to visit hint hint

We continued the drive another 30min, to the larger Tualip outlets. There’s hundreds of stores to visit with basically something for everyone. There was surprisingly many people at the outlets for a Monday, but it was probably due to the summer. I bought a nice pair of shoes from Kenneth Cole & my sis found some at Nine West. I unfortunately couldn’t find my suit at Benetton; I guess I’ll have to wait to buy on til fall/winter. At least I found some nice body wash & hand cream at Crabtree & Evelyn.

Returning back to Vancouver, it’s always nice to stop at Bellisfair for a full shopping extravaganza. I went to Hollister, and some other stores that I find are nicer in the States. It was a great shopping trip. What made it even better was after the short border crossing. I explained I spent $50 & my sis $80.. and they didn’t make us pay Taxes!! I was really expecting to pay, so I’m happy I didn’t. Great trip; i’ll need to make sure to go visit more often.

Outdoor movies in the summer

gloriastarr — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 07:00:31 +0000

Outdoor movies are a fun, free way to hang out in the summer. There’s many movies showing in each municipality each weekend throughout August. I went to Coal Harbour’s outdoor movie yesterday to watch ET. Wow it’s been ages since that movie came out. I don’t believe I’ve ever even watched it til yesterday. It’s a great way to re watch old classics and spend time with friends.

I really enjoy BC in the summer, when there are tons of activities going on. It really helps when the sun’s out to enjoy them too. It’s like traveling but in your own neighbourhood! Hopefully I’ll go to some more movies before summer’s out. You can check out the link off of facebook at freshaircinema.ca This site lists the outdoor movies in BC, and throughout Canada. I’m not quite sure why I never used to go to any of these outdoor events in the past. But I’ll just make sure to change that for the future

Canoeing in the Sunshine Coast

gloriastarr — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 08:25:37 +0000

The Sunshine Coast is a 40min ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay. It’s an easy get away from Vancouver. It has a scenic coast with thousands of trees, many lakes, wildlife and adventures to be had.

Today I came back from the Sunshine Coast. It was a nice relaxing few days off for the BC day weekend. There is so much beauty in BC which should be experienced. During this trip, I managed to see a bunch of animals. There were about 6 deer in the backyard. A few different familes brought their fawn to roam & munch a bit. I was almost able to go up and pet them. I also saw a chipmunk and several birds, including the bald eagle. Nature is truly in our own backyard, we just need to escape a bit to enjoy it.

There’s a lot of things to do on the coast, such as kayaking or canoeing in the lakes or ocean. I went canoeing yesterday with my friend in Garden Lake. It didn’t take us long to go around the whole lake. We even enjoyed our picnic on the canoe. While going around the lake, we noticed leaves shaking in a bush and to our surprise, saw there was a bear eating berries. My friend got a good look at him, but I didnt. The bear quickly ran off when he noticed there was company. We continued canoeing, and later went by one of the islands and relaxed for a bit and took a swim. What an eventful day, and a great getaway. The sun was shining, there was good food, company; what more could I ask for.

Whistler Zipline

gloriastarr — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:10:04 +0000

The first step is the hardest. Take a breath. Wait, take another deep breath. Then leap!!! I’m talking about the Zipline at Whistler. Ziplining allows you to fly over spectacular views while safely attached to a harness. It appeals to the masses. One of my sisters is a daredevil, the other is afraid of heights, and my dad well he’s a bit of both and not a young as he used to be. Myself, I’ve done the Ziptrek before over Robson square in Vancouver during the 2010 Olympics and yes I know this was much higher and longer, but for some reason this seemed less frightening. If you are scared, just remember the minimum age requirement is 6.

I went on Ziptrek’s Eagle tour today for a great adventure. It has 5 ziplines ranging between 400 to 2200 feet. Whistler has the longest zipline in North America. The 4th zipline is 2200 feet; the size of 2 Eiffel towers lengthwise! The speed goes up to 80km/hour and you can feel it. There are even 4 treetop suspension bridges with spectacular views. The Zipline definitely gives the thrill of flying while your heart is pounding with adrenaline. Not only is the tour thrilling it is also educational. Ziptrek teach you about sustainability for the environment at each platform. Whistler’s goal is to minimize the environmental impact by having complete sustainability by 2020. I hope it work out.

It’s a close 2 hours drive from Vancouver, to Whistler Village just by the Carleton lodge. The full tour takes about 3 hours for $120. A bit expensive but a worthwhile experience and one that will not be easily forgotten. The Zipline has dramatic landscapes that really encompass the beauty of British Columbia. Beautiful mountains, forests, bodies of water and wildlife. If you haven’t already come to visit Vancouver; there’s so much to see & do.

I’m so happy that I was able to have the time off today to spend time with my family and go on an adventure. It was thrilling to glide down 5 different zipline’s. My favorite was the last run where we were able to go upside down and free fall more. It felt good to not hold on to anything what an experience. If you have the opportunity to come to Whistler come do this Zipline, I highly recommend it.

White Water Rafting

gloriastarr — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 08:03:02 +0000

Looking for some adventure thrills? White Water Rafting is a challenging recreational activity which has become popular around the mid-1970s. There are several places to go close by, and it’s a worth while experience. I went about a month ago but apparently couldn’t get enough, so I went back today with my family & friends to get a stronger adventure thrill with the canyon.

As I mentioned in my previous post I wanted to go on the canyon; but due to some miscommunication end up on the classic. Although the classic is a lot of fun, the canyon has class 3 to 4+ rapids which are for the more adventurous. The higher the class the stronger the rapids and the more maneuvering the needs to be done. It was well worth coming back to Chilliwack River Rafting to come do the canyon. This time for our mini excursion we did some cliff jumping. I liked rafting at the canyon more then the classic as it was more of a challenge, but I still think my favorite is White Water Kayaking.