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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Review — This is not a paid post. Views are my own. Activities were compliments of Vancouver Coast and Mountains Tourism. Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
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The 100 mile diet is a popular lifestyle choice for those who like to shop and eat local. Here in Vancouver, it’s actually fairly easy to adhere to a 25 mile diet as we have so many great producers right in our own backyard as you head up the Fraser River, starting with Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. Earlier this summer I was a guest on a media tour of this region, where agriculture meets adventure, and in one day we had some good eats and good fun at the following stops:
This is truly a family operation as Golden Ears Cheesecrafters is owned and operated by Kerry and Lynn Davison, their daughter Jenna makes the cheese and their other daughter Emma works on the business and marketing side. On top of that, the milk comes from Davison Family Jersey cows on a farm about 300 meters away from the cheese shop and bistro. Their artisan cheese is available at local retailers and fine dining establishments around Vancouver, including several Fairmont properties, and at farmers markets around the region.
Our group enjoyed breakfast in the bistro and were assured by Kerry that “cheese is the epicentre of all activity” at Golden Ears. We sampled aged cheddar scones, local strawberries, and fresh-made butter – a byproduct of their cheese making – that is so pure and creamy that some patrons even put it in their coffee.
The Hopcott farms are owned and operated by the third generation of a proud farming family with 165 acres of fields and their convenient farm-gate meat and produce shop. They also manage cranberry bogs and run the very popular Meadows Maze. We got a tour behind the scenes of their meat shop where they use pretty much every part of every animal to make everything from pepperoni, bacon, and jerky to premium BC beef cut that have been dry-aged for 28 days. They serve up beef, poultry, pork, lamb, groceries, dog food, and deli counter treats. Stop by August 9th for the Meet the Ranchers event to celebrate Hopcott’s 8th anniversary.
After the tour, we took a tractor ride through the cranberry bogs and over to the Meadows Maze location (13672 Reichenbach Road, Pitt Meadows) for a cookout at lunchtime where we roasted Hopcott weiners on an open fire. The corn was barely knee-high but by the time the maze opens, August 9th to October 19th, it will be tall enough to challenge your navigational skills. Activities include the corn maze with a smaller maze just for kids, a fun farm, and private event rentals with your own tent and fire pit for groups. There’s so much to do at the Meadows Maze that I will dedicate an entire post to it closer to its opening date.
When you get a chance to really play outdoors you realize how much you miss the concept of ‘play’ as an adult. Sure, our tastes in what constitutes ‘fun’ changes as we grow but it’s so important to reconnect with your sense of play and a great place to do that is at Wild Play Element Park. I really had no idea what to expect from a series of cables, ropes, ladders, and ziplines but after clipping myself in to the Monkido Aerial Adventure circuit I knew I was in for some real (challenging) fun.
Once you have your harness and a safety demonstration, you can go through the circuit at your own pace, taking on however many legs and stages as you like. The level of difficulty increases as you go but you can always opt-out at the end of a leg and take a zipline back down to the ground.
Features of Wild Play include a barbecue zone, free parking, picnic tables, event space, walking trails, and lockers as you probably don’t want to take your phone with you on the course. My sunglasses also fell off my head but were rescued by Wendy Mein of Wild Play who was watching us as a guide the whole time for safety. As a bonus while we were at Wild Play, Cowboy from Leghorn Ranch gave us quick trail rides with two horses he brought with him. Leghorn (20254 Old Dewdney Trunk Road) offers horseback tours and trail rides for all skill levels.
Our final stop of the day was at Big Feast Bistro in Downtown Maple Ridge where we were greeted by owner Mike Mulcahy. Mike’s bistro, featuring locally sourced and sustainable food, was recently featured on Food Network’s “You Gotta Eat Here!” and he’s one of many passionate business owners in the community. Big Feast is known for their bison burger, chicken chow mein, banana split, their sandwiches, and gluten free options. During our visit they were also canning their cherry chutney to be used on next year’s pork loin. It was encouraging to hear Mike talk about picking up some of his ingredients at places we’d visited earlier that day, like Golden Ears Cheeseworks and Hopcott.
While we sipped lemonade and sampled fresh-baked cookies, Ineke Boekhurst from Downtown Maple Ridge BIA told us about some of the local shops and events that we could look forward to during a visit including the Lunchtime Concert Series, Music on the Wharf, the True North Bluegrass Festival, and more.
The tour I was on was not a Circle Farm Tour but many of the stops are included if you would like to use the Maple Ridge Circle Farm Tour as a guide for your next visit.
Scout Magazine‘s co-founder Andrew Morrison and writer Sean Orr have completed the mighty task of putting together a Vancouver Lexicon, within which you will find local inside jokes, definitions, historical tidbits, hockey player nicknames, and of course no list of Vancouverisms would be complete without Leaky Condos.
Scout released the first part of the Vancouver Lexicon in April and the final letters of the alphabet have been added this week.
A-F
Sample listing: Adbusters Usage: “Did you ever read that article in Adbusters about hipsters?”
G-L
Sample listing: Gung Haggis Fat Choy Usage | “At the Gung Haggis Fat Choy supper last night, after several drams of whiskey, I gained the courage to eat one animal’s stomach inside a different one’s stomach with my own stomach, plus a couple of wontons…”
Sample listing: Lotusland Usage: “Welcome to Lotusland, where everyone is drunk on the scenery…”
M-S
Under “M” you will indeed find Miss604 as well: Miss 604 | Person | Incredibly prolific and well intentioned blogger (aka Rebecca Bollwitt) who champions Vancouver life.
Usage | “Miss 604 is Vancouver’s least offensive blogger..."
T-Z
Sample listing: Vangroovy Usage: “Never use the word Vangroovy. Thanks!”
According to Bob from Vancouver is Awesome (listed in the Vancouver Lexicon as a “friendly person”) Scout began working on the project this past winter.
“It was inspired by a satirical 19th century work [Morrison] read in the 1990′s called A Dictionary of Received Ideas by Gustave Flaubert. This dictionary was designed to lampoon the clichés and characters of the Second French Empire using humorous cynicism and the dissent of ridicule and wit… …You’re guaranteed a few laughs along with the lessons contained in the Lexicon.”
Everyone loves Circle Craft! This is what I have learned over the years hosting event listings and contests for this anticipated local craft fair and market. Circle Craft and the Craft Council of BC are holding their second annual Summer Market this week at Jack Poole Plaza (next to the Olympic Cauldron) and it’s bound to be a popular one.
The Craft Council of British Columbia and Circle Craft Cooperative Summer Market
This FREE outdoor market will have over 80 vendors showcasing their handmade work ranging from wood, glass, jewellery, leather, fine art, and ceramics. You will also find home décor and clever functional items you will not be able to live without. It will be a great market for gifts or to treat yourself.
Market hours: Thursday, July 24, 2014 from 11:00am to 7:00pm; Friday, July 25, 2014 from 9:00am to 7:00pm; Saturday, July 26, 2014 from 9:00am to 7:00pm; Sunday, July 27, 2014 from 9:00am to 5:00pm.
To make sure you go home with some of the very best finds, I am giving away 100 Summer Craft Show Dollars to spend at the market. Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
RT to enter to win 100 @CircleCraft Summer Market dollars from @Miss604 http://ow.ly/zt18Z
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Wednesday, July 23, 2014. Follow Circle Craft on Twitter and Facebook to learn more about the co-op, their space on Granville Island, the summer and Christmas markets.
It’s no secret that we have the very best tap water around, fed from pristine sources and delivered to our homes straight from reservoirs nestled within our scenic mountains. To showcase these resources, Metro Vancouver is offering a range of watershed tours this summer. Coquitlam tours run Thursdays and Saturdays while Capilano tours run Fridays and Sundays, starting at 9:00am or 1:00pm.
Metro Vancouver manages three protected watersheds to provide 2.3 million residents with a clean, reliable and affordable supply of drinking water. Every summer, we open the Capilano and Coquitlam Watersheds to the public by hosting guided tours.
Providing safe, high-quality drinking water is a core Metro Vancouver service. Ongoing projects on the sources and distribution system will maintain the quality of the region’s drinking water and meet the needs of an increasing population.
Length: 4 hours
Register: Online in advance (go to browse programs > watershed tours)
About: Discover the Capilano Valley and how it was shaped first by the glaciers, then by the pioneers of our province. Take in the spectacular views of the Coast Mountains, Capilano River and alpine storage lakes. Tour includes multiple points of interest, 3 of which require participants to get off the bus for a short walk (~100m). Adults only (must be 15+).
Coquitlam Watershed Tour
Length: 3 hours
Register: Online in advance (go to browse programs > watershed tours)
About: This tour showcase everything from drinking water infrastructure to giant old-growth Western redcedar and Douglas-fir. Catch a glimpse of the past as you visit the 1913 water intake tower. Enjoy panoramic views of the watershed, Coquitlam Island and Coquitlam Lake. Participants should be capable of getting off the bus 4-5 times and walking for approx. 100m on rough,unsurfaced trail at one of the stops. Adults only (must be 15+).
Bonus: Lower Seymour Valley
Length: 4 hours
Register: Online in advance (go to browse programs > watershed tours)
About: Families only. Take a ride on a magic school bus to the Seymour Falls Dam. Discover the salmon hatchery, explore the old growth forest along the Seymour River. Learn about where your water comes through games and inter-activities that are fun for the whole family. This tour includes a 1 to 2 km walk on a rough, flat, unsurfaced trail. Suitable for ages 5+. No strollers please.
If you’re interested in one of these unique tours, start planning now for August. Tickets are free but registration online in advance is required, at least one month in advance. More tour details are available in this PDF or by calling 604-432-6430 and emailing toursreg[at]metrovancouver[dot]org.
The Honda Celebration of Light fireworks are always a highlight of summer in Vancouver, whether you’re watching from the shores of Kitsilano or a blanket on English Bay beach. To amp up your experience you can purchase tickets to The Keg Lounge, the YVR Observation Deck, or win your way into an exclusive viewing area.
Thanks to ClearlyContacts.ca, a friend of the world’s largest offshore fireworks competition, I have a pair of VIP tickets to The Clearly Contacts Lounge for prime viewing of the fireworks. You won’t have to jockey for a spot on the beach or worry about dinner that night, Clearly Contacts will have you covered with their signature blue bean bag chairs and BBQ.
The Clearly Contacts Lounge is located at the foot of Jervis Street near all of the Sunset Beach festivities like The Family Zone, presented by Clearly Contacts, which will have bouncy castles, facepainters, roaming mascots and more. Community and cultural programming on the SHOREFEST Stage will delight audiences of all ages throughout the day.
I will draw one winner for each fireworks night: July 26th (USA), July 30th (France), or August 2nd (Japan). Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment with which night you would want to attend (1 entry)
RT to enter to win VIP @ClearlyContacts Lounge @CelebofLight fireworks tix from @Miss604 http://ow.ly/zqomG #ClearlySummer
Contest closes at 9:00pm on Thursday, July 24, 2014 and all three winners will be drawn at that time. The Clearly Contacts Lounge is open to all ages. Follow the ClearlyContacts.ca on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more information.
Note: Contest previously incorrectly noted The Keg Lounge as the prize. The prize is for the Clearly Contacts Lounge at the foot of Jervis Street. It includes VIP seating and BBQ.
Update The winner for July 26 is Jen! The winner for July 30 is Sanaz! The winner for Aug 2nd is @leblanc_van!
