A BUMPER CROP OF TRAVEL ARTICLES

Rowena's Inn at
Pretty Estates Resort

June 2013 brought me a bumper crop of articles published in print and online. Most flowed from travel in 2012, so long is the lead time with magazines these days. Today I'm finding that the time from pitch to publication is often 12-14 months.

I don't mind this, but my clients (hotels, tour companies and tourist boards) sometimes get impatient. All I can do is try to encourage the market to publish at a time that tourists are planning their vacations, rather than arriving at destinations.

Here are some of that harvest from 2012 :

A Convocation of Eagles: Bald Eagles Gather for a Salmon Feast on the West Coast of  British Columbia, online at Travel with a Challenge.

Extraordinary Encounters: Why I Travel, online at Europe Up Close and Business Travel Commentary, Reuters UK.

History Lives Here: Kilby Historic Site, print only in British Columbia History, Summer issue, available at http://bchistory.ca/publications/journal/index.html. (View the video here)

The Best Kept Secret in the Fraser Valley (Pretty Estates Resort— Rowena's Inn and Sandpiper Golf Course, etc), in print and online in Senior Living. (The video is below the article)

Exploring a Vancouver 'Hood, online at Day Trips Travel Guide.

Harrison River: Unknown and Unspoiled online at Travel Writers’ Tales, an independent travel writers syndicate, and in print and online in BC newspapers. (View the video here)

All images:  Photos by Pharos 2012-13

GET INTO NEIGHBOURHOODS FOR AUTHENTIC CITY EXPERIENCES

by Julie H. Ferguson

Vancouver's Denman Street is sandwiched by the sea at either end, and Stanley Park and downtown Vancouver lie along its western and eastern sides. Funky, friendly, and residential, it's a great place to spend a day as if you're a local. Eat here too in one of over fifty cafés.... Visit http://daytripstravelguide.com/exploring-a-vancouver-hood.html to read more.

Here are some pix to entice you!

Coal Harbour at the north end

English Bay at the south end
(© Doug Matthews, with permission)

Robson and Denman Streets 

Denman's cafés represent cuisines
from around the world 

Ten minutes from Denman by bike
is the Vancouver Aquarium

Images: © Photos by Pharos 2013, except where noted.

Related blog posts:

• Denman Street: Day one  http://stampsinmypassport.blogspot.ca/2013/03/hometown-tourist-day-one.html
• Denman Street: Day two  http://stampsinmypassport.blogspot.ca/2013/03/hometown-tourist-day-two.html
• Vancouver Aquarium:  http://stampsinmypassport.blogspot.ca/2013/03/vancouvers-aquarium-is-must-see.html

VANCOUVER'S AQUARIUM IS A MUST-SEE

Clown fish in the Tropic Zone

I've been to several world-class aquariums in my life. Monterey (MBARI) and San Diego (Sea World) spring to my mind—the first is primarily into research and education, the second is more performance oriented but has a strong subtext of education too.

With only two days in Vancouver, I had to make tough decisions about where I should spend my time. It was early March and the weather, though dry, was grey and chilly. So the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park was an ideal choice, especially as I wanted to try out some activities of interest to families visiting from overseas.

Dolphin pool 

Since last taking my daughter there when she was in elementary school, and she is now nearly thirty (!), I was impressed by the improvements, which are on-going. The exhibits inside are stunning and the marine mammals in the huge pools can be seen up close outside and in underwater viewing galleries.

Belugas from Canada's Arctic and Pacific White-sided Dolphins from our wild coast put on shows for the public throughout the day and are worth watching, though not as spectacular as the performing Orcas, etc., at Sea World. Kids cannot be dragged away from the sea otters on the surface and underwater, and adults are not immune from their heart-stopping cuteness either. The African Penguins are the next cutest at Penguin Point....

A male Gramma fish

The tanks inside in the various galleries are fascinating—from Frogs Forever to the Tropic Zone; from the Treasures of the BC Coast to the Amazon Rain Forest; from the Strait of Georgia to the North Coast of BC; from jellyfish to sharks and giant turtles. They're all there in huge tanks, up close and personal. There's even a 4D theatre to enjoy with thrilling sensory effects, including smells.



The Vancouver Aquarium is a wonderful choice for something to see and do in any weather with kids or without.

And, if you want to make a day of it in the summer months, the seawall around Stanley Park offers plenty of views, beaches, and cafes. There's even carriage rides, a miniature railway, and a splash park that enchant children as well.

IMAGES: © Photos by Pharos 2013. All rights reserved.

HOMETOWN TOURIST: Day two

Walking in Vancouver early in the morning my nose was filled with the aroma of roasting coffee. Its flavour changed each time I walked another block and passed another coffee shop. Tantalizing, but I wasn't looking for my fix just then, I was headed west down the last two blocks of Robson.

Times Square Suites are on the edge of the residential part of the West End of Vancouver that butts up against Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park. Quiet, treelined streets with older apartment blocks. Residents were out walking their pint-sized dogs and jogging before work; several dads were walking their toddlers. A man was sweeping a walkway and another was hoeing around miniature daffodils in bloom. Everyone said good morning to me with a smile. I felt as if I was a local, not a guest in a lovely hotel.

I was on a quest to find the Nature House run by the Stanley Park Ecology Society because in the summer months they run programs for kids and families. They take them on walks in the west coast rainforest to see the wildlife. Sadly the House was closed, but it may be open on weekends according to the sign on the door.

Above the Nature House, I met a grey-haired lady with the fattest pug I'd ever seen riding in a basket on her walker. She loves the neighbourhood she's lived in for over fifteen years and walks to Lost Lagoon every day it's not raining. We talked for a long while—Vancouverites are SO friendly.

Visitors can rent bikes to cycle round the park at a number of locations in this neighbourhood. I visited Ezee Bike and Snowboard Rentals, a shop tucked below Times Square Suites. It's owned by Andy Kuo, who also operates another by the Vancouver Convention Centre. His claim to fame are his power-assisted, electric bikes for $40 a day. No other bike rental has them and Andy told me they are his most popular model. He rents all kinds of bikes for adults and kids, from road racing bikes to mountain bikes and old-fashioned bikes with baskets. Helmets are provided. It's the cheapest bike rental in the city and cyclists can rent by the hour too. Andy also rents snowboards and boots for winter tourists who want to try out the city ski areas of Cypress, Grouse, and Seymour.

I was offered a bike for the day, but it wasn't the right time as I had to make a beeline for the acclaimed Vancouver Aquarium, which I had not visited in much too long. I'll save that adventure for the next post.

IMAGES: © Photos by Pharos 2013. All rights reserved

HOMETOWN TOURIST: Day One

On a cold, grey March day I drove for forty minutes until I arrived in Vancouver. I've lived in or close to this Pacific coast city for 42 years and never fail to be smitten. I'm the guest of Times Square Suites, a hotel that caters to families and business travelers. It's at the corner of Robson and Denman, a couple of blocks from Vancouver's jewel, Stanley Park.

My suite is light and airy, large and clean, and overlooks Denman from the fourth and top floor. I expected traffic noise from this busy street but, no, it's quiet. Decor is soft earth tones. I have a full kitchen, albeit small, and a fireplace. The bed looks very comfy and the bathroom is average size.

I went up to the roof garden, which is lovely with a barbecue for guests to use. I can imagine how refreshing it would be on a hot summer night to have steak and some wine up here away from the crowds that flock to this 'hood in July and August.

After settling in, I went for a walk south on Denman all the way to English Bay and its beach, and then walked back seeking out a place for lunch. The showers had stopped by the time I ventured out. Denman has a huge choice of eateries from the award-winning Raincity Grill at the south end to myriad hole-in-the-wall cafes on every block. It seems that every country's cuisine is represented. In the end I chose a run-down looking Ukrainian resto and enjoyed delicious homemade perogies. Earlier I had found The House of Empanadas where I couldn't resist buying a couple of empanadas for a picnic lunch tomorrow.

There are very few tourists about in Vancouver's West End in early March. Instead Denman was full of locals walking their pint-sized Yorkies and poodles, and many elderly residents greeting their friends outside the busy community centre and gossiping in coffee shops. People-watching is at its finest here in summer.

 Third Beach in Stanley Park
Photo: Wikipedia

The location of Times Square Suites is ideal. Visitors can walk to Stanley Park
and its beaches, to English Bay, and to the heart of Vancouver along the famed Robson Street with its stores like Hermés and Tiffany's. A short taxi ride will deposit you at the False Creek ferry dock where you can catch a cute boat to Granville Island and the famous market, which can take a day to explore. This hotel is also well served by transit, which can whisk you to the North Shore across Lions Gate Bridge to its mountains.

Dinner at Nook, a small Italian resto next door to hotel. Small menu too, but the lamb ragout pasta dish was superb. Good Italian wine list. Filled up fast with a line-up out the door. Noisy, but fun. Would definitely eat there again.

IMAGES: © Photos by Pharos 2013, except where indicated.

VISITING VANCOUVER? THERE'S AN APP ...

English Bay, Vancouver

IMAGE: © Photos by Pharos (Julie H. Ferguson) 2009

Tourism Vancouver's new Visit Vancouver iPad app is a sleek trip planning tool bringing maps, video, photo galleries and travel tips to your fingertips. Released in summer 2012, the app was designed for maximized use both on and offline -- meaning, no expensive data roaming while you're exploring Vancouver. And the best part? It's free. Download it from Apple's iTunes store. 
Also visit www.tourismvancouver.com. 

HOME AWAY FROM HOME AT CHRISTMAS

With our children away with their "other families" this year, we're staying in downtown Vancouver because we hate an empty house at Christmas. Today as I gaze over the harbour, the rain slants down on our windows in the Westin Bayshore. The clouds are dark, low, and laden with rain pushed by a strong wind from the southeast. Streets glisten, empty of locals and visitors. A big ship, with two tugs cuddled up to her side, berths at the bulk terminal, ghostly in the misty rain. Sea planes land and take off constantly. I watch it all, enjoying the maritime busyness as I drink a cup of tea in my terry bathrobe.

Why, then, if we choose to go away, do we not head south in search of warm sun and golden sand? Road and air travel does not appeal to us at Christmas, especially as my hubbie travels worldwide 50% of the time. Traffic jams and winter road conditions add stress and so do packed airports and bagfuls of unwrapped presents, to say nothing of delayed planes caught in blizzards half a world away .

© Julie H. Ferguson 2011

So we load up our vehicle and drive just eight miles to a good hotel in Vancouver. The restaurants and pubs around us are excellent; we can use room service if we don't want to brave the rain and wind; and we bring some good wine and charcuterie with us to enjoy en chambre. We always pack our "traveling" Christmas tree - it is eight inches high and amused Starwood Hotels (@StarwoodBuzz) so much they wanted a photo to retweet. It stands proudly this year on the table in our Westin Bayshore suite, which is large and comfortable.

Our Christmas presents are wrapped and displayed on a coffee table, along with our bulging stockings ready for Christmas Day. We will get up late have a light breakfast and will take advantage of the excellent Christmas turkey the Bayshore serves at lunch (also at dinner, but we prefer to eat this festive meal at 1:30pm). We'd like to take our own bottle of wine to be opened for us - but this Westin says they can't do it. If they could, we'd get to enjoy one of our favourites rather than have to choose from a very limited wine list. Hotels bend over backwards for their guests at Christmas time and provide as much hospitality and cheer as they can.

For me, a wife, mother and grandmother, this away-from-home, four-day break is relaxing and not tiring. At home, I'd be cooking like a fiend for more than two days and entertaining like crazy. While I love to do this for a houseful of family, it is fatiguing. I also like this break alone with my husband. We've learned how to make it work for us - it took a couple of tries before we got it right! We take books, movies, crosswords, chess, and Scrabble, as well as our iPads and phones to keep in touch with family. A willingness to nap is essential too! In case the weather improves, I lug along all my camera gear.

So, I must stop writing to take in a gourmet lunch at a good Vancouver resto. A treat that requires no effort on my part!

So all I have left to do now is wish my travelog readers a Very Merry Christmas!

QUESTION: where do you go for Christmas when family is elsewhere?

Related articles

• Our Weekender in Vancouver (stampsinmypassport.blogspot.com)

OUR WEEKENDER IN VANCOUVER

One of many images taken from our room at the Westin Bayshore in Vancouver last weekend (October 15, 2011.) Here I'm looking east up Burrard Inlet just after sunrise at a bank of fog rolling towards me.

We were blessed with perfect fall weather and colours. Vancouver can be spectacular to visit if you time it right.

The Westin Bayshore provided superior service, great food, and unbelievable views both night and day from our room. We enjoyed it so much we booked a suite over Christmas as our kids are away and home will feel horribly empty without them.

STAMP: WEEKEND IN VANCOUVER

Image: Julie H. Ferguson (Photos by Pharos)

Husband and I are heading down to Vancouver next weekend for a break and some foodie enjoyment. Staying at the Westin Bayshore hotel that overlooks Stanley Park and the mountains. Weather forecast is for clouds and showers, but who cares?

We've made a reservation for lunch at Cardero's on Saturday, will visit a photography exhibition, enjoy a leisurely brunch on Sunday, take a walk, and spend money at the Gourmet Warehouse, the best place to shop if you are a keen cook.

QUESTIONS:

• Where do you go for a weekender? 
• What do you like to do?

STAMP: A WORLD AWAY ON BOWEN ISLAND

BOWEN ISLAND is less than an hour from Vancouver. It's the short ferry ride that cuts you loose from  urban attitude and fast living, and the laid back locals who foster a slow lifestyle that has you falling in love with the place.

(c) Julie H. Ferguson 2011

This island at the entrance to Howe Sound offers peace and country living in a mountain and ocean setting. It's so close to Vancouver that visitors can see spectacular views of downtown and Point Grey. Natives are friendly too and the community is arty. You'll find galleries, boutiques, a lovely nine-hole golf course, and B&Bs tucked into tranquil corners of the island. Be prepared to hike down to secluded beaches or paddle a kayak along Bowen's steep coastline. Better yet, sail there. Some good eateries for foodies can be enjoyed in Snug Cove where the ferry docks and at Artisan Square just up the hill.

Bowen Island is a world away next door; a place where I didn't need a stamp in my passport! Go for the day and find yourself staying for three ....

http://www.bowenchamber.com/

http://www.hellobc.com/en-CA/RegionsCities/BowenIsland.htm

http://www.bowenislandlodging.worldweb.com/BedBreakfasts/