Tag: Shopping

With the exception of banks, pharmacies and gas stations, Qualicum Beach is fairly brand free. This does not mean that there’s no shopping. There’s a lot of knick-knack, clothing stores, independent coffee shops like Bailey’s and perhaps the last video store in existence called Catacombs Video. A partial list is here: www.qualicumbeachdowntown.ca/p/shop.html We did find an antique store that had everything. Good quality antique glassware (it may be a rustic shop, but he knows his stuff) along with old LPs, some comic books and memorabilia from the 50s and 60s. There’s enough stuff to fill a man cave / basement […]

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Cowichan Bay is a small coastal village on Vancouver Island that’s about a 55 minute drive from Victoria. The objective of our mini off season getaway was not to be in a city and not to feel hustle and bustled. We did however have Victoria obligations. But we were willing to do the drive. Speaking of timing, due to what seem to be normal traffic snarls around McKenzie Ave and the View Royal neighbourhoods, I recommend budgeting an hour to drive into downtown Victoria from Cowichan Bay. Since I’m on the tangent of driving tips, this route has the Malahat […]

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Here are our 5 Best kept Secrets in Harrison Hot Springs: Spirit Trail is a 1 km loop through an old cedar forest. Looking down from their perch high on the tree trunks are several dozen incredible hand crafted masks. It gives the walk a spiritual feel which is how it came by its name. From 4 seater “Limos” to Model-T 2 seaters Jamies Quadricycle offers wheel fun! ‘Saturday Nights under the Lights’ is found at Agassiz Speedway. 1/2 km from Harrison this is the home of stock car racing in the Fraser Valley. Take a dip in our perennial […]

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Located off of Highway 14 (Sooke Rd.) on Phillips Rd, this is one of the more interesting Visitor Centres to visit. A lot of times when you go to a visitor centre, it’s a dull looking facility with racks of brochures and booklets. This is not the case with Sooke‘s visitor centre. This place has the top of a lighthouse on it! The Triangle Island Lighthouse was moved from its original location to the Sooke Visitor Centre and Museum. Once inside the staff running the centre are very knowledgeable and within a few minutes we had set our priorities of […]

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It wasn’t until I started working on this piece that the West Ender newspaper in Vancouver renamed itself to WE. I’m not sure where I’ve been … Regardless, WE is a free newspaper that is not mainstream and concentrates on local arts and culture. It’s the kind of paper that I try to find when I’m travelling as the content and ads are more real than mainstream papers. In the February 23-29 issue, WE published its “Best of the City 15th Annual Readers’ Choice 2012” survey results. The survey covers many subjects, not of all of which is of interest […]

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When you stay in Kamloops there are numerous hotels, motels and inns to choose from and they are mainly concentrated within three different parts of the city: downtown Kamloops, Sahali and Aberdeen, and along the Highway 1 corridor. The hotels on the highway are great for a quick getaway in the morning but not recommended if you want a more peaceful retreat. Up in the Sahali and Aberdeen areas of Kamloops are some of the city’s larger hotels and the benefit of being higher up is that many rooms come with a great valley and city view. Access to the […]

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In my opinion, the Top Five things to do on Texada Island are: Walking old growth forest trailsThe Dr. Kay Garner Nature Trail along the forested shoreline of Shelter Point Regional Park offers some spectacular examples of BC coastal forest. The trail begins at the intersection of Gillies Bay Rd. and Shelter Point Rd. Hiking and camping Shelter Point Regional Campground. Ocean front and rich forested camp sites, food concession, showers and there are no land predators to eat you. This is a spectacular public spot for watching sunsets. The park entrance is at the intersection of Gillies Bay Rd. […]

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Roberts Creek is smaller than you might think, but if you are running up and down the Sunshine Coast Highway, make sure to head toward the water along Roberts Creek Road. The key reasons are: 1. The Shops are quite quaint as is the architecture.  There’s a lost Hippy feeling to it that is unique. The stores include a General Store and a children’s clothing shop. 2.  The Beach.  At the end of Roberts Creek Road is a tiny parking lot (brace yourself for disappointment at finding a spot on a sunny day) where you can park and walk down […]

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Victoria, British Columbia, is a wonderful place to visit because it boasts the mildest climate in Canada.  Therefore, visitors can enjoy many different outdoor attractions and shopping opportunities.  One of my favourites is checking out the public markets.  There are several different markets open between the months of April and October. Public markets are appealing because they offer a wide range of different items, sold directly by the artisan or grower, which makes it much more personal.  Markets may sell a variety of local produce, meat, seafood, cheese, bread, bakery items, along with artwork, handicrafts and jewellery.  Even when I […]

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Here are the Nanaimo, Duncan and Saltspring Island eateries I always go to and wouldn’t hesitate recommending: 1. Aladdin’s Caf

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