Posts by: Shoelady

Cottonwood House was an old roadhouse for weary travellers on their way to Barkerville to strike it rich.  It’s a 20-minute drive east from Quesnel, on Highway 26. Roadhouses were possibly the forerunner to the modern day motel and operated in the 1800s. They were an integral part of the Gold Rush Trail, which carried miners from Vancouver to Barkerville.  Roadhouses offered food and shelter to travelers every 12 to 15 miles along the entire length of the Cariboo Road.  After a long day’s journey, either on foot, horse, or in a bumpy stagecoach, the roadhouse provided a hot meal, […]

Read more

Barkerville is a gold rush town full of history and fun things to do. It is set in the interior Cariboo region, 88 km (54.7 mi) east of the city of Quesnel, at the end of Highway 26. Barkerville was founded in 1862 and is the largest historical site in British Columbia. Unlike many gold rush towns from this era – which have long disappeared – Barkerville remains a thriving place, rich in history and full of life. You can tour the town with one of the colourful characters from Barkerville’s past, watch the notorious Judge Begbie strike fear into […]

Read more

I had house guests this past weekend. They arrived late Friday afternoon, and flew out Monday morning. One is my cousin, whom I don’t see very often, but grew up with and have always been close to. The other is one of her girlfriends. They live in a small city in Alberta and had both been to Vancouver once, as children, and didn’t really remember any details. They came for a “Girl’s Weekend Get-away”, leaving their partners and children behind. It was my birthday last week and I had planned a night out on Friday, to celebrate with several of […]

Read more

The Children’s Festival is coming!  Located at Vanier Park, on the shores of English Bay in Kitsilano, it runs for a week starting the Monday prior to the May long weekend, and ending on the Victoria Day holiday Monday.  This year (2010) it’s May 17 – 24.  The website is www.childrensfestival.ca  I’ve been taking my daughter to the festival since she was two years old, and she just turned eight.  We usually buy tickets to a show, which is the best deal because the admission price to the site is included.  We’ve paid just the gate admission a couple of […]

Read more

If you have only one day, or even one afternoon to spend in Vancouver, go to Stanley Park.  It is one of the largest urban parks in North America, with 1,000 acres of woodlands, gardens, trails, flowers, lakes, beaches and wildlife. I’ve lived one block off of Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park for the past seven years.  “The park is like our backyard” is a common saying among apartment-dwellers in Vancouver.  In our case, we live by this statement.  Even in the winter months, we regularly walk around Lost Lagoon to see the different animals and birds.  We also go […]

Read more

Living in the West End means you can easily live without a vehicle.  I should know, my family has existed without one for more than ten years.  We brought a car with us when we first moved to Vancouver, and for our first couple of years living in Kitsilano.  We gradually realized that we were not using our car nearly enough to warrant the expense, and that we could easily live without one. One of the most challenging aspects of life without a car can be getting to the big box stores when you need to.  I am not a […]

Read more

I’ve lived in Vancouver for almost fourteen years.  Growing up in Saskatchewan, my family travelled to BC almost every summer to visit relatives in the central Prince George area and then made our way south through the Okanagan to pick fruit and just enjoy the spectacular scenery and weather. One of the areas I have never explored is the south east corner of the province, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.  I’ve been through Golden and Revelstoke along Highway 1, many times, and also along Highway 3 through Fernie, Creston and Trail, but never the area in between.  I […]

Read more

I actually took my daughter and two other children (a friend of my daughter’s and her toddler brother) to the Vancouver Aquarium about a week ago, during spring break.  I know, I know, friends and strangers alike were questioning my sanity, but it actually turned out well, and fun was had by all.  The key that made this venture bearable was the fact that we are all members of the Aquarium.  When we first arrived (which was within an hour of the opening), the line up was huge.  I initially thought we would have to find something else to do, […]

Read more

Fun and Colourful Davie Village One of the most interesting areas of the West End of Vancouver is Davie Street. It’s known as the gay village and has shops and restaurants of all types. There is a high concentration of LGBT people and businesses catering to this group, but the neighborhood is also very family-friendly. Shopping-Strolling The stretch of Davie Street between Burrard Street, all the way down to Denman Street at English Bay, is a great place to stroll, stop in some unique shops, people watch (some very colourful people in this ‘hood!) and take in the amazing scenery. […]

Read more

One of the best parts about Vancouver in the summer is the number of places to go and things to do that are free, or very inexpensive. On a hot day, nothing beats a water park.  These are my favourites in or near downtown Vancouver: Variety Kids Water Park at Lumberman’s Arch in Stanley ParkThis water park is located just off the seawall along the north side of Stanley Park, across from an attraction known as Lumbermans’s Arch.  There are plenty of things to climb on and kids can run through water geysers and canons. The waterfall is lots of […]

Read more