In the last four weeks I have flown to Salt Spring, enjoyed the BC Shellfish Festival in Comox, walked around Stanley Park with Talaysay Tours, attended the Jessie Awards, participated in a farm tour in Pitt Meadows, attended a wedding and hiked in Montana. It’s been almost a month since my pedicure at A Touch Above in Vancouver and my toes still look as shimmery and shiny as the first day I walked out of the spa and into Cambie Village.
A Touch Above Vancouver Spa
A Touch Above is an unassuming day spa on Heather St near 17th in Vancouver, specializing in waxing, facials, pedicures, eyebrow shaping, body care, treatments for men, and more.
My pedicure was in a private room and it included a foot soak, callous work, nail clipping and shaping, cuticle care, buffing, massage and polish. I even had the Dremel Power Buffer go to work on my cracked, dry feet and perfectly smooth them out which was far less intense or stressful than having someone slice your skin off with a blade.
The location calms you even before you walk through the door as it’s just a few blocks west of Cambie Village in a quiet residential area. The spa was loaded with quality products and featured treatment rooms, cozy nooks, and open areas. It felt like ‘your friendly neighbourhood spa’ which offered more than a quick in-and-out express pedicure. I only spent about an hour at A Touch Above and while the time was short, the quality was top notch.
If you do wish to make an event of a pedicure with friends there is a group area but I enjoyed my private room and chatting with Kim Yuen who did my pedi. Their motto of “providing all the best of the downtown spas without the high prices and parking hassles” rings true (I even just took the Canada Line to my appointment and back).
With my pink toes still shining bright and heels still ‘sandal worthy’ I am very pleased with my pedicure ($53 + $5 for Dremmel buffing). As you can see from the Yelp reviews, I am not alone in my praise of this local spa. Follow A Touch Above on Facebook and Pinterest to learn more and find them at 3284 Heather St at 17th or (604) 875-9228.
The Vancouver Swing Society has once again partnered up with Viva Vancouver and the Downtown Vancouver BIA again to bring free swing music and dancing lessons to the streets of downtown Vancouver.
Free Swing Dancing on Granville
Sunday, July 13, 2014: Van Django (live gypsy jazz music)
Sunday, July 27, 2014: The New Orleans Ale Stars (Louisanna hot jazz)
Sunday, August 10, 2014: Air Mail Special (small group swing music)
On each of these Sundays, the free drop-in beginning swing dance lessons run from 1:00pm to 1:30pm, followed by music and dancing from 1:30pm to 2:30pm. Then lessons pick up again at 2:30 to 3:00pm, following by music and dancing from 3:00pm to 4:00pm.
You don’t need to bring a partner, just show up ready to learn and/or dance. The live music will echo through the street as you move to the rhythm and enjoy this free outdoor experience. Follow the Vancouver Swing Society on Facebook and Twitter for more information.
Looking for more free dancing this summer? There’s also Dance at Dusk in Stanley Park and Free Sunday Salsa at Robson Square put on by other organizations.
The Honda Celebration of Light and YVR Airport present the YVR Observation Deck (bleacher seats) and new this year, the viewing area will be fully licensed so spectators can enjoy beer or wine during the July 26th (USA), July 30th (France), or August 2nd (Japan) fireworks nights.
Photo courtesy of the Honda Celebration of Light Fireworks
YVR Observation Deck at the Honda Celebration of Light Fireworks
Tickets for the YVR Observation Deck can be purchased online in advance and include licensed as well as all-ages sections.
Right now you can enter to win prizes by uploading and tagging your Vancouver photos with #VanShinesBright. Share images that showcase our beautiful city and a winner will be awarded each Friday leading up to the events. Entries will be judged on their creativity, originality and pure awesomeness. Enter via Instagram by posting a photo and comment, enter via Facebook with a story about why Vancouver is the best place to be, or enter on Twitter by explaining in 140 characters why Vancouver is the best place to be. Be sure to tag each with #VanShinesBright.
Photo courtesy of the Honda Celebration of Light Fireworks
Win Tickets
I also have two tickets for the YVR Observation Deck to give away to one lucky Miss604. The winner will be able to select their date and enjoy the world’s largest offshore fireworks competition from the comfort of the stands in English Bay. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
Must be 19+ to enter. My winner will be drawn at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, July 15, 2014. Follow YVR Airport on Twitter and Facebook along with the Honda Celebration of Light on Twitter and Facebook for more information.
Update The winner is @EricaMKRizzo on Twitter!
CLICK HERE FOR 2015 LISTINGS
There is no shortage of free outdoor movies this summer in Vancouver, Surrey, Delta, Tsawwassen, and other communities however on top of Stanley Park’s series at Ceperley Meadow, there is now another downtown option as Scotiabank SCENE presents “Waterfront Cinema” at Canada Place.
Free Outdoor Movies at Canada Place
On Thursdays in July and August, residents of Vancouver can watch a family favourite film at Canada Place. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and sit back and relax under the stars. The first 300 people will receive free popcorn and the first 50 Scotiabank SCENE Debit and VISA cardholders to show their cards will receive a VIP seat. Movies begin at sunset, so be sure to arrive early to secure a great spot! This is a family friendly event, no alcohol or smoking please.
The films for this series include:
July 10, 2014 Back To The Future @ 9:15pm
July 17, 2014 Liar Liar @ 9:10pm
July 24, 2014 Austin Powers: Int’l Man of Mystery @ 9:00pm
July 31, 2014 Uncle Buck @ 8:55pm
August 7, 2014 The Notebook @ 8:40pm
August 14, 2014 Ghostbusters @ 8:30pm
August 21, 2014 The Hunger Games @ 8:15pm
August 28, 2014 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan @ 8:00pm
All movie options will be a maximum rating of PG and will be shown on a 40-foot inflatable outdoor screen. You are welcome to bring anything that helps you get cozy and enjoy the show under the stars. More details are available via Scotiabank SCENE.
#WhatsTheLink is a series about all that TransLink, Metro Vancouver’s transportation authority, is responsible for in the region. Learn more at Translink.ca/WTL and join the #WhatsTheLink conversation on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, The Buzzer Blog, and here of course!
TransLink Helps to Make our Regional Economy a Thriving One
Have you ever wondered about the journey the coffee you drink, the medication you take or the new speakers you bought have taken to get to you? If you’re like many in Metro Vancouver, you haven’t. That’s because the goods we use each day are usually readily available on the shelves, and we take it for granted. One of the reasons we don’t have to worry about finding fresh milk, fuel for our vehicles or materials to build our homes is because of the efficient movement of goods and people in our region.
One of the key reasons our region is efficient when it comes to goods and people is that TransLink helps to make this happen.
Vancouver, being a port city, ships goods from central Canada and the prairies to Asia and elsewhere as well as receives goods from Asia and beyond, which make their way to our region’s shelves and into the greater Canadian economy. What happens when these goods arrive in our region? Most goods are loaded onto trucks to be delivered to hospitals, shopping malls, construction sites, distribution centres, gas stations and pretty much anywhere goods and services are consumed.
Photo credit: Translink
As Sany Zein, Director of Infrastructure and Network Management for TransLink puts it, “While gateway-oriented goods movement is a very large part of our economy, most of the trucks we see on the roads are serving the local economy.” And in order to service the local economy, most trucks need to use TransLink’s Major Roads Network (MRN). In 2014, TransLink will provide $42 million dollars towards the MRN as part of the organization’s mandate to help facilitate the movement of goods in the region.
“The Major Roads Network is the distribution network for longer trips in the region. Almost everything we have in our homes and businesses is delivered by truck. Without an efficient Major Roads Network, we wouldn’t have a thriving economy,” says Zein.
TransLink also funds infrastructure projects, which help to move goods and people and avoid congestion. Examples of this are the Golden Ears Bridge and the Roberts Bank Rail Corridor, which is intended to alleviate congestion and bottlenecks on the roads network.
The third way TransLink helps to get us the things we need and take us to the places we want to go is by proving an efficient transit system. As Zein puts it, Transit removes trips away from the road network to rail and bus, freeing up congestion on the roads. If our service was inefficient, and we had more vehicles on the road, we would have huge congestion problems.”
So, the next time you’re craving that particular type of ice cream, think about how TransLink helps provide effective roads, major infrastructure management, and public transportation to make that happen.
