I love road trips of all kinds, whether it’s taking off to the Sunshine Coast for a night on a weekend or packing up and heading east to chase sunrises over the Rockies. Great tunes on the radio, snacks in the console, windows down, photo ops in the review mirror, spotting wildlife, playing eye-spy with road signs, and most of all getting to a place that’s anywhere but home.

Canadian Tire is helping Canadians get out on the open road with their Road Trip Research Centre, which is packed with online resources, information about auto services, entertainment and navigation tools, and tips on everything from pet travel to fuel economy.

To get you prepped for summer adventures on the road, Canadian Tire is offering up a prize pack of road trip essentials including the latest cleaning, organization, and road trip supplies.

One reader of mine will receive a Coleman 50 Can Cube Collapsible Cooler, the Bissell AutoCare Hand Vacuum, a Rubbermaid Auto Triple Bin Organizer, a Rubbermaid Auto Double Bin Organizer, a Rubbermaid Back Seat Tray Storage Unit, a Rubbermaid Auto Trash Bin, and a selection of auto cleaning sprays, wipes, and towels ensuring your vehicle stays nice and organized between rest stops.

Here’s how you can enter to win this prize pack, which would also be great for Father’s Day:

• Leave a comment naming your favourite Canadian road trip destination (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, June 11, 2013. Follow Canadian Tire on Twitter and Facebook for more information about summer cleaning, car care, outdoor and recreational supplies.

Update The winner is PennyR!

Getting over to the Sunshine Coast is so easy, it’s a wonder why we don’t cross over to the other side of the “604” more often. From downtown Vancouver it’s a quick drive up to the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal (where you only pay one-way), about 40 minutes for the crossing of Howe Sound, and an hour from the Langdale ferry terminal up to Madeira Park where you’ll find Painted Boat Resort.

We first stayed at Painted Boat in 2010 when John and I did a Sunshine Coast trip. We love winding up and down Highway 101’s seaside route, stopping in to visit with local artisans, having “second breakfast” in Roberts Creek, stopping for groceries and supplies in Sechelt, and heading up to various corners of the coast. We recently received an invitation to dine at The Restaurant at Painted Boat and planned a trip over to revisit this marina-side eatery which re-opened in May with new Head Chef Marcus Bugoy.

Arriving at Painted Boat we drove down the gravel driveway with arbutus trees twisting overhead and checked into our villa. The kitchen was stocked with amenities (including a fresh carton of coffee cream for the morning) and a welcome basket with treats for tired travellers. We turned on the surround-sound radio and enjoyed the panoramic views.

After settling in, a quick swim and soak in the hot tub, and popping a bottle of Township 7 wine that we brought along, we made our way down to The Restaurant at Painted Boat for our dinner reservation.

The wine list was nicely appointed with global options by the bottle and a decent selection of BC wines by the glass, which we each selected. To celebrate five years of The Restaurant there was a special menu with items available for five dollars a piece. We didn’t order anything from there as looking at the full menu, we were ready to take on a bit more. However, for great views, shared bites, and a glass of wine, this menu would be just the ticket.

For us, a refreshing amuse bouche arrived after we had our wine in hand and set the pace for the meal:

John’s been on a beet kick lately so he ordered the Local Organic Greens ($11) with beets, goat cheese, spiced almonds, pear, and vanilla vinaigrette. I opted for the Crab & Avocado Roulade ($16) with cucumber, hearts of palm, and lemon mustard emulsion. Both were bright and colourful dishes and my crab with avocado was silky smooth, complimented by the sweet crunch of the accompanying greens.

I’ve said it in interviews before but my favourite dish — the one I’ll order most frequently when dining out if it’s offered — is halibut. So, when I saw Haida Gwaii Halibut ($32) with ricotta gnocchi on the menu, I had my order ready. The dish was once again bright and beautiful with organic greens and bright pink beets, and the halibut was perfectly cooked. The beet emulsion was an interesting pairing on top of the delicate fish, adding an earthy tone to the otherwise sweet and buttery notes.

John’s main course was the Roasted Lamb Loin ($32) with celeriac puree, pea ravioli, and cherry reduction. The ravioli was a bit more al dente than expected but the sweet peas played with the succulence of the rich roasted lamb.

We followed the meal with a cup of decaf coffee and some treats from the dessert menu, which I failed to record in my notes. I do recall that mine was a lime mousse encased in a supple white chocolate bowl and John’s was peanut butter gelato with chocolate ganache. The tart lime was the perfect way to top off my meal of crab and halibut.

Returning to our villa was a simple as walking up the steps by the pool, looking out over the harbour at Madeira Park. The floor-to-ceiling windows in our room acted like a picture frame for the perfect Sunshine Coast sunset.

The Restaurant at Painted Boat is now open nightly from 5:00pm and on weekends from 11:00am. From July 1st to September 2nd it will be open daily from 11:00am. The price points were comparable to fine dining in Vancouver, with fresh and local ingredients, bright presentations, and a view that you could gawk at for days. Follow @PaintedBoat on Twitter for their latest updates.

Big thanks to Honda Canada for the use of an Accord Sport for the week. It was such a sweet ride for those oceanside curves on Highway 101.

Theatre Under the Stars (“TUTS”) is ramping up for another season of entertainment at Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park. Tickets are now on sale for this summer’s shows: Legally Blonde: The Musical and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying which will play on alternating nights from July 8th to August 17th, 2013.

Legally Blonde: The Musical
Written by Heather Hach, Laurence O’Keefe and Neil Benjamin, is an exhilarating re-imagining of the hit film about sorority girl Elle Woods, her little dog Bruiser and other favourite characters who take Harvard Law School by storm, learning a few things about love and life along the way. Legally Blonde will mark the TUTS directorial debut of the very talented Valerie Easton, who will be joined by music director Danny Balkwill at the helm of this sensational Broadway hit.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Written by the talented Frank Loesser, filters the era of “Mad Men” through a wonderfully comic lens, and features some of the best songs ever written for the musical theatre. Recent revivals on Broadway have featured Matthew Broderick, Daniel Radcliffe and Nick Jonas. The creative team for How to Succeed will include TUTS alumni Sarah Rodgers (director of previous TUTS hits such as Anything Goes and The Music Man), choreographer Shelley Stewart Hunt (Bye Bye Birdie, Singin’ in the Rain) and music director Chris King (Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Music Man).

Season passes are already sold out but show tickets are still available online and by calling (604) 696-4295. Book by June 15, 2013 and receive an early bird discount of $5 off all tickets. Come hungry and enjoy offerings from the TUTS Cafe like salmon BBQ and hamburger combos.

Theatre Under the Stars has been a mainstay of Vancouver summertime entertainment since 1940 when it was the premiere event at the Malkin Bowl when it first opened up. In the early 1960s production shut down but the TUTS company was revived by enthusiasts in 1969. Things came to a halt once again in 1982 when the Malkin Bowl was ravaged by fire but TUTS soldiered on.

Contest Update June 25, 2013

If you would like to attend one of this season’s exciting shows at Theatre Under the Stars, I have a pair of tickets for each to give away. Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment here naming which show you would like to see: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying or Legally Blonde: The Musical (1 entry)
• Post one of the following on Twitter (1 entry)

OR

I will draw two winners (one winner for each show) who will be able to select their performance date of choice. Contest closes at 12:00pm on Thursday, July 4, 2013. Tickets can be redeemed for shows up to August 17, 2013.

Connect with TUTS Vancouver on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news, ticket offers, and special event information.

Update The winners are Rachael (LB) & Karen (Biz)

The Rio Theatre Rio Theatre has released its schedule of late night movie events for Fridays this month which all have bar service and affordable ticket prices.

Friday, June 7, 2013:
Old Boy
Hosted by Jacques Lalonde

Friday, June 14, 2013:
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Hosted by Sara Bynoe

Friday, June 21, 2013:
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Hosted by Paul Anthony

Friday, June 28, 2013:
The Graduate
Hosted by Michael Unger

The Rio Theatre is an independent art and movie house located at 1660 West Broadway, at Commercial Drive, and is easily accessible by transit. They now have their full service bar up and running so you must be 19+ to attend this series. All screenings are at 11:00pm. Tickets are available online in advance or at the door for $8 or $6 if you come in costume.

Follow the Rio Theatre on Facebook and Twitter for more film screenings, comedy showcases, and special event information. Miss604 is a media partner of the Rio’s Late Night Movie series.

BC’s only mini golf tournament returns to Cultus Lake this summer, raising funds for Love Global‘s international school development projects. This family event will bring together 200 participants (in teams) who will compete to become mini golf champions. Enjoy a full day of mini golf, raffle prize giveaways, lunch, and games and a visit from Hawkey from the Abbotsford Heat.

What: Love Global Mini Golf Tournament
Where: Giggle Ridge Adventure Golf (80 Sunnyside Blvd at Cultus Lake)
When: Saturday, July 6, 2013 from 9:30am to 12:30pm
Tickets: Available online. Register as a team of 6 (for $100) or as an individual (for $20).

If you would like to participate, I have a family pack of 4 tickets to give away. Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Monday, June 10, 2013. Follow Love Global’s Mini Golf Tournament on Facebook and Twitter for more information. Love Global is a foundation dedicated to helping missionaries become fully-funded. They offer charitable status and an online platform to help missionaries (and their supporters) share their story through text, photos and videos. They also provide ongoing support for their missionaries through weekly e-letters and fundraising assistance.

Update The winner is Varley!