I love seeing Vancouver and the region from the skies, and with a week of sunshine and unobstructed views it’s a great time to consider scenic tours from Saltspring Air. Flying in a floatplane — to me — is one of those truly “West Coast” experiences. You walk out onto the dock, hop into the aircraft on the water, take off over the waves, and soar just high enough to clear the tips of the tallest evergreens in Stanley Park.

Saltspring Air offers 7 different scenic tours that include: Alpine Lake and Glaciers (1 Hour flight time, optional 15 mins hold time); Princess Louisa Inlet (2 Hour flight time, 30 minutes hold time); My personal favourite Salt Spring Island (1 Hour flight time, up to 7 hours hold time); Whale Watching (1 hour air time); and Butchart Gardens (1 Hour flight time, up to 90 mins hold time).

The West Coast tour (1 Hour 30 mins flight time, up to 7 hours hold time) flies over to Tofino and Ucluelet with stop-overs in Tofino where you can explore the village, browse galleries, and stroll through the forest at Hotsprings Cove. Spot Pacific Rim National Park, the Clayoquot Mountain Range, and more.

For the quickest trip, check out the Local Mountain tour (30 mins airtime). Climb from sea level to 4500 feet toward Howe Sound, over the Lions mountain peaks and old growth forest and back down to the city.

Saltspring Air is now located in the new Seaplane base at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Call ahead to inquire about scenic tours and follow them on Facebook and Twitter for seasonal specials and packages.

It’s the Canadian Red Cross’ Emergency Preparedness Week (May 6th to May 12th) which is an annual awareness campaign to encourage Canadians to be better prepared to deal with disasters in their communities.

Did you know that in a large-scale emergency it could take emergency responders 72 hours to reach you? Would you and your family have enough supplies to get you through 72 hours? Most Canadians admit that they aren’t prepared, even though every province and territory experienced a disaster within the past year. The Canadian Red Cross responded to over 2,300 disasters last year, including everything from house fires to wildfires, landslides, severe flooding, power outages, and hurricanes. Do you know the risks in your area?

To get you thinking about emergency preparedness, the Canadian Red Cross and I have teamed up to offer two unique prizes, thanks to ETON:

1) ETON MicroLink FR 170 Weather Radio – Stay connected in an emergency with this AM/FM Weather Radio with USB cell phone charger that receives audio broadcasts issued by Environment Canada for weather warnings and alerts. Includes built-in LED flashlight and USB cell phone charger. Powered by solar panel and dynamo crank. (Retail value: $36.95)

2) ETON SolarLink FR 370 Weather Radio – Enhanced weather radio that receives audio broadcasts from Environment Canada filtering only broadcasts that affect your area. Also includes an alarm clock. (Retail value: $67.95)

Here’s how you can enter to win one of these two prizes:

• Leave a comment naming the known disaster risks in your home or neighbourhood and/or a step that you have taken to prepare your family in case of emergency
  (1 entry)
• Re-Pin this post on Pinterest or pin a link/image on Pinterest that pertains to emergency preparedness. Be sure to tag @Miss604 and #CanadianRedCross
  (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

I will draw two winners (one for each prize) at random from all entries on Sunday, May 12, 2013 at 12:0pm. I also have two Red Cross Canada first aid fanny packs that I will award to two other random winners at that time. These products and more are available in the Red Cross Canada’s online shop.

I am a proud member of the Canadian Red Cross Social Media Team and had the honour of being a part of their Emergency Response Unit training last fall. The Canadian Red Cross has many helpful resources to help you and your family plan for an emergency. To learn more about how to make an emergency plan, what to pack in an emergency kit, and about the risks in your area, check out their online resources.

Update The winners are Jessica (ETON MicroLink FR 170 Weather Radio) and @TanyaJoyT (ETON SolarLink FR 370 Weather Radio). First aid kits go to Zaelia & Brenda A.

The Nanaimo Bar, famous for its layers of chocolate, custard, and coconut, is the inspiration for the Nanaimo Bar Trail throughout downtown Nanaimo. This tour, envisioned by Tourism Nanaimo’s Chelsea Barr three years ago, engages local businesses to remix the famous bar into drinks, cakes, and various other concoctions. Their innovative creations are featured on a self-guided walking tour.

Original Nanaimo Bars – Photo credit: edwardkimuk on Flickr

Back in 2010, Keira-Anne and I were treated to a Nanaimo Bar Cupcake, a Nanaimo Bar Martini, and a Deep-Fried Nanaimo Bar. Just recently, I visited the trail again with Chelsea and a media group to see what new creations have been added to the tour.

Real Food Fast
Feature: Nanaimo Bar Cake
Location: #3 321 Wesley Street
Link: Facebook

Dallas Collis said the goal was to get you past those first two bites of a traditional Nanaimo Bar that usually have you putting it down because it’s too sweet. The cake was much more soft in terms of sweetness and the creamy custard filling was a great fit with the moist layers of cake. The generous serving you see in the image above is also just a half order of the dish.

Mon Petit Choux
Feature: Gluten Free Nanaimo Bar
Location: 120 Commercial Street
Link: Website

Nanaimo’s “little taste of Paris” offers up a gluten free bar made with crisped rice on the bottom layer, buttercream in the centre, and a simple chocolate ganache on top.

Pirate Chips
Feature: Deep Fried Nanaimo Bar
Location: 1 Commercial Street
Link: Website

The novelty of deep frying a Nanaimo Bar makes it one of those “must try” dishes. Battered up with cinnamon sugar and beer, the bar on the inside melts enough to become soft and chewy, staying true to the original flavours.

ACMe Food Co
Feature: Nanaimo Bar-tini
Location: 14 Commercial St Street
Link: Website

This decadent drink is milky, nutty, and rimmed with chocolate and coconut. In 2010 I enjoyed Modern Cafe’s Nanaimo Bar Martini as well, which was a bit more chocolatey and contained espresso for that extra punch.

The Nanaimo Bar creations are getting more inventive while still celebrating the delicious flavours and textures of the original treat. New this year, Chelsea will be adding a new “non-edible” category to the list that will have inspired spa treatments, soaps, and other indulgences for the senses. The Nanaimo Bar Trail list is nearing 25 locations which are all within walking distance. Learn more by following Tourism Nanaimo on Facebook and Twitter.

Playland is now open for the season on Saturday, Sundays and holidays, and on this coming Sunday they’re hosting Community Day benefitting Hastings Community Little League.

Photo credit: Stv. on Flickr

On Saturday, May 11, 2013 $10 from every Playland ticket purchased will go to support Hastings Community Little League in hosting the 2016 Little League Canadian National Tournament.

“Hastings Community Little League provides safe, fun and family orientated baseball and softball programs for children,” said PNE President and CEO Mike McDaniel. “We are pleased to be able work together with the community to support this organization and help bring the Little League Canadian National Tournament to Vancouver.” [Source: Press Release]

There are two new rides at Playland this year that you can check out on Community Day: The Teacups and Balloon Explorers. Spin the teacups or soar 42 feet above the park in a hot air balloon ride. These are just two of the over thirty rides and attractions at Playland that include the iconic 1958 wooden roller coaster.

Playland is currently open 10:00am to 6:00pm on weekends and will be open Mondays to Fridays starting June 14th (from 10:00am to 3:00pm). Extended hours (10:00am to 7:00pm) begin July 1st.

This is the third year Playland has raised funds to benefit the Hastings Community Little League and Playland is hoping to pitch in more that $20,000 thanks to Community Day. Stop by on Saturday — the weather is set to be another gorgeously sunny day — and support the team.

For more information about Playland’s season, the PNE, ride passes, etc. follow the amusement park on Facebook and Twitter.

Westwood Lake in Nanaimo is a man-made recreational oasis with 5.5km of hiking and walking trails, a playground, a dog off-leash area, and a sandy beach. It’s located just up the hill from the Harbour City, across the highway and at the base of Mount Benson. On its shores you’ll also find the Westwood Lake Tennis Club (established in 1977) and the Westwood Lake Bistro which opened in August of 2011.

Featuring West Coast cuisine, BC wines, and fresh Vancouver Island ingredients, the bistro is a local favourite with gorgeous patio views of the lake. When we first drove up to the tennis club I had no idea what to expect inside the A-frame lodge beside the courts but was delighted by the bright and colourful sun-soaked dining room.

While the sun poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows it was still a bit too chilly to enjoy the patio but I could only imagine how lovely it would be to enjoy my dish outside with good company. During our stay, groups of trail walkers made their way up the path from the lake and into the dining room behind us, rewarding themselves with lunch in the bistro. A very bright idea that I would copy if I were in the area.

The lunch menu — prepared by Chef Kenneth Casey and his team — featured mouth-watering dishes like Dungeness Crab Cakes, Walnut-Crusted Cod, Salt Spring Island Mussels, Gabriola Island Beef Panini, and an Open-Face West Coast Shrimp Sandwich. I decided to go with the Baked Tomato, Mushroom, and Okanagan Goat Cheese Tart.

The warm, crispy, buttery tart was the perfect vessel for the soft and sweet tomatoes, and the creamy goat cheese. The greens on top completed the full range of textures in each bite — and it was a lovely pairing with the white wine we ordered.

Gaetan Brousseau co-owns the Bistro at Westwood Lake with his wife Linda Allen and they also run Mon Petit Choux in downtown Nanaimo and the Wesley Street Cafe. I’m very glad that I went with something baked for lunch at the bistro, having enjoyed Mon Petit Choux (Nanaimo’s “Little Corner of Paris”) on a previous trip.

Follow the Bistro at Westwood Lake on Facebook and Twitter for more information about their menu, weekly specials and offers, and their beautiful location. They have reasonable price points along with weekly specials like “Casual Wednesdays” with small plates and a selection of wine to pair for $4 per 3oz glass. They are also open for Mother’s Day next weekend, offering up a prix-fixe menu to treat that special lady in your life.