On a sunny Vancouver morning I set out on a walk with a dear friend around the Stanley Park sea wall. We ducked into the park around Second Beach and decided to take a detour through the gardens around the pitch and putt course. Armed with our pocket cameras, we spent close to an hour strolling through the bark-mulch paths.
We started at the camellia walk (near Ceperley Meadow), headed over to the azalea walk (near Lost Lagoon), then looped around to the magnolia walk (off Lagoon Drive). Along the way there were other photographers and several artists setting up tripods and canvases to capture the scene with watercolour.
The entire area is a part of the Ted & Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden, which is a beautiful punch of colour in the park, filled with floral scents and buzzing honeybees. If you’re not an allergy sufferer, take some time to literally stop to smell the roses (or lilacs in this case).
There’s nothing like a summer road trip in Canada and for those who have the time, getting across the country is a goal many would like to accomplish. Over the Rockies, through the prairies, around the Great Lakes, and reaching for the Atlantic coast. One family made the journey last year and they even had a theme: visit the hometowns of every Canadian player who ever played for the Vancouver Canucks.
Being big hockey fans, Kurc, his wife, and his son Carson, researched that there had been 379 Canadian players that have appeared on the Canucks roster in the club’s 40-year history. This became their road trip theme.
Blogging about their journey on 379canucks.ca, Carson — who is interested in a career in photography — documented their journey to 178 different hometowns (they didn’t reach number 179 in the Northwest Territories). After 37 days, 16,000 km, and 1,634 digital shots, Carson’s photos were posted on his website, myrighteye.ca.
“So we worked our way onwards, north to destinations on the east coast, with one very special spot off in mind – Shippagan. That’s the home town of Luc Bourdon. Since the first stages of planning this adventure, we knew that we absolutely had to make a trip to Luc’s home town, and maybe connect with someone there – his mom if it worked out, or friends. But all along on this journey we’ve wanted to let things happen naturally, and see what that inspired in us and the people we would eventually meet, and Shippagan had a few surprises in store for us….
…Last night the weather in Moncton was pretty iffy, but we awoke this morning to warm, welcoming skies. The trip was north was super, great temperature and sunny all along the way. When we did find the cemetery, it was quite serene, full of flowers on many of the memorial stones. We took some time at Luc’s grave site, reflecting on what a promising young player he was and what a tragic loss this was for everyone – fans, team mates and – of course – family.” [379Canucks Journal, New Brunswick]
“The deal was, we’d use the trip to get to the places where [Carson’s] idols originated, then see what there speaks to him, inspires him to take the photo,” Kurc told me. “He’s always had a keen eye for photography.”
Carson was born with Down Syndrome. “This has never stopped him from expressing himself in some very meaningful ways. We as parents have just opened the doors over the last 23 years. The rest, we’ve told him, has been up to him.”
Kurc had sent me a note about all of this and I came across it last night as I parsed through the emails received through my site. It was far more than an event listing and within a minute of reading it through, I felt inspired in so many different ways. His family’s fantastic journey across Canada, completing an ultimate hockey pilgrimage, was about more than hockey.
“This is also a venture for a bit of insight into what the human spirit is truly capable of creating, that everyone has a gift to share with the world,” Kurc wrote. “And that as parents, we feel we need to draw attention to this fact and provide a greater vision — that intellectually challenged individuals can contribute in unique and meaningful ways.”
Carson’s photos are currently on display at the Corner Cup coffee shop on West 4th and Blenheim in Kitsilano. There will be a reception on Friday, May 25, 2012 at 7:00pm if you would like to stop by. He’ll have another photography exhibit in June at the Good Day Sunshine Cafe in White Rock.
With 4 teams left in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, according to Kurc there are still a lot of Canadians to cheer for. He’s calculated that 14 of 26 players on the Kings are Canadian, the Coyotes have 19 Canadians out of 27, the Rangers have 10 of 27 and the Devils 8 of 26. “Still, it means 51 of 106 — and that’s still more than an other country — so I guess hockey IS a Canadian game!”
So what’s next for the family? They are wrestling with the idea of finishing the trip this summer as they didn’t get to Newfoundland. Kurc says that even after traveling such a distance, by the second day they were home they already missed the experience.
“I think everyone that calls Canada home really needs to set out on just such a trek – see the far, small corners of this country – meet the people, experience the nature of what makes us Canadian. And, yes, hockey is a big part of that package.”
Links: Carson’s website, 379Canucks.ca, Road Trip Blog on 379 Canucks.
Summertime when I was growing up meant family camping trips. We’d pack up our van, head across BC, pitch our tents, and swim in lakes. It seems harder and harder to “get away from it all” as we grow older and have kids of our own. Quick trips aren’t usually that quick and take a lot of time to coordinate and execute. However, camping can still be last-minute Friday afternoon decision in some cases. I’ve researched a few local campgrounds within easy driving distance of Vancouver that might just fit the bill.
There are more options than just these parks listed below but I thought I would keep my search results to under 2.5 hours driving distance.
Camping Around Metro Vancouver
Park Name: Golden Ears Provincial Park
Canoeing, climbing, hiking, fishing, pets on leash, windsurfing, waterskiing, swimming.
Distance from Vancouver: 90 minutes [Google Map]
Alouette Lake, Golden Ears. Photo credit:
Jody Taylor on Flickr – Submitted to the Miss604 Flickr Pool.
Fraser Valley
Park Name: Rolley Lake Provincial Park
Canoeing, cycling, hiking, fishing, pets on leash, waterskiing, swimming.
Distance from Vancouver: 75 minutes [Google Map]
Park Name: Cultus Lake Provincial Park
Canoeing, cycling, fishing, hiking, waterskiing, pets on leash, swimming.
Distance from Vancouver: 1 hour 41 minutes [Google Map]
Park Name: Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park
Canoeing, climbing, hiking, fishing, pets on leash, waterskiing, swimming.
Distance from Vancouver: 2 hours 30 minutes [Google Map]
Park Name: Silver Lake Provincial Park
Cycling, hiking, fishing, pets on leash, swimming.
Distance from Vancouver: 2 hours 8 minutes [Google Map]
Park Name: Kilby Provincial Park
Cycling, fishing, pets on leash, swimming.
Distance from Vancouver: 1 hour 48 minutes [Google Map]
Park Name: Sasquatch Provincial Park
Canoeing, cycling, fishing, hiking, windsurfing, waterskiing, pets on leash, swimming.
Distance from Vancouver: 2 hours 20 minutes [Google Map]
Sea to Sky Corridor
Park Name: Porteau Cove Provincial Park
Canoeing, cycling, fishing, pets on leash, swimming, windsurfing, scuba.
Distance from Vancouver: 51 minutes [Google Map]
Park Name: Alice Lake Provincial Park
Canoeing, cycling, fishing, hiking, pets on leash, swimming.
Distance from Vancouver: 75 minutes [Google Map]
Porteau Cove. Photo credit:
waynesonc on Flickr – Submitted to the Miss604 Flickr Pool.
Sunshine Coast
Park Name: Mount Richardson Provincial Park
Canoeing, hiking, fishing, pets on leash, swimming, scuba.
Distance from Vancouver: 2 hours 30 minutes (with Langdale Ferry) [Google Map]
Park Name: Roberts Creek Provincial Park
Cycling, fishing, hiking, pets on leash, swimming.
Distance from Vancouver: 2 hours 5 minutes (with Langdale Ferry) [Google Map]
Park Name: Porpoise Bay Provincial Park
Canoeing, cycling, hiking, fishing, pets on leash, swimming.
Distance from Vancouver: 2 hours 22 minutes (with Langdale Ferry) [Google Map]
Each park has its own advisories and amenities so be sure to read up on the campground before you head out. Many of the BC Parks camping spots have been booked up through the reservation system but there are still a small number of openings and room left for first-come, first-served campground bookings. Call ahead to 1-800-689-9025 for more information.
Related: 10 BC Parks to Visit For Camping Season // Camping in North West Washington State
Grouse Mountain is as much a summer playground as it is a snowy winter destination. The Grouse Grind tests endurance, performances at the peak entertain, ziplines thrill, the resident grizzly bears awake from their cold season slumber, and the views of the South Coast mesmerize. For today’s roundup of photos from the Vancouver Archives, I have focused on photos of snow-free activities on Grouse Mountain from days gone by.
The weather is always a hot topic in Vancouver, from rainbows and flash hail storms to general comments on the sunshine or the rain. It’s been a gorgeous week of sunshine in Vancouver and leading up to the long weekend, I think that’s something that locals can definitely get used to.
Oakley Canada would like to help out by providing eyewear for one Miss604 reader who will win one of the four pairs of sunglasses listed below.
Overtime (Women)
1. Strong, graceful and resilient, Overtim(TM) was inspired by those who kick butt with style. The bold square frames with sculpted stems bring out the stylish side of any athlete and with expanded peripheral vision you can enjoy a broader view. Overtime(TM) is available with Oakley authentic prescription lenses. Value: $150
Radar Edge (Women)
2. Oakley Radar Edge gives athletes an extra edge over the competition. The latest addition to the popular toric shield series has a more rounded frame for even better coverage. With a simple silhouette and vibrant color palette (think Shortcake and Mellow Yellow), Oakley Radar Edge is as beautiful as it is hard working. Value: $200
Racing Jacket (Men)
3. With Oakley Switchlock(TM) Technology, Racing Jacket(R) takes all the clarity, convenience and comfort of Oakley Jawbone(TM) and cranks up style with icons you can change whenever the mood strikes you. Includes retaining strap, two sets of lenses (one for bright light and one for low light), and High Definition Optics (HDO). Value: $270
Radarlock (Men)
4. This eyewear lets athletes take full advantage of Oakley’s wide array of performance lenses, thanks to an ingenious invention called Switchlock(TM) Technology that makes lens changing fast and hassle-free. All lenses are optimized with the unrivaled clarity and impact resistance of High Definition Optics (HDO). Value: $270
Here’s how you can enter to win your choice of one of these styles:
- Leave a comment naming your favourite place to soak up the sun in Vancouver (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 10:00am on Monday, May 21, 2012. The winner will receive one set of sunglasses from the selections listed above. Remember to be sun smart! Wear sunscreen and eyewear when you get outside this weekend.
Update The winner is Rod!
