The LA Galaxy are in town Saturday to take on our Whitecaps FC at Empire Field. While they’ll be without Beckham, the Galaxy’s stacked line-up should make for a great game against our hometown team.

Although our record isn’t as favourable as we’d like to see it at this point in the season, Whitecaps games are incredibly fun to attend. The chants, the crowds, the North Shore mountains in the background, and a ton of energy can be found at every match.

To top it off, one of our own was recently named to the MLS inactive all-star roster this year.

Vancouver’s Eric Hassli was named to Major League Soccer’s inactive All-Star roster on Monday, and at training on Tuesday, his Whitecaps FC teammates couldn’t say enough good things about the striker. “Everyone has seen what Eric Hassli can do,” defender Wes Knight told MLSsoccer.com. “Unfortunately, they don’t get to see it on a day-to-day basis like we do. He’s just an incredible player and one of the best strikers in this league and it’s great for him to get that [honour].” [source]

Budweiser, as a proud new sponsor of Vancouver Whitecaps FC, is offering up three pairs of tickets so that my readers can take in the Galaxy game on Saturday at 4:30pm.

Here’s how you can enter to win.

This will be a quick contest as we’ll need to get winners’ names to the box office as soon as possible for this weekend’s game. I’ll draw three winners (who can each bring a guest) tomorrow afternoon at 3:00pm. Must be 19 years of age or older to enter and win. No purchase necessary. Please enjoy responsibly.

Update Winners are: @JoRicafrente, Colin, and Allyson!

The Celebration of Light fireworks nights are fast-approaching and as the weather dries up (even if the sun isn’t shining) locals are already thinking about which spot they’ll stake out on the beach. For those wanting a different experience this year, you can purchase reserved bleacher seats in English Bay. You’ll have an unobstructed view of the fireworks barge in English Bay and even be able to enjoy artists on the ShoreFest concert stage.

Photo credit: Tyler Ingram on Flickr

I’ve hosted two contests already, one for bleacher seats on July 30th with China, and another for Spain on August 3rd. The final pair of reserved bleacher seats for Canada next Wednesday, August 6th are now up for grabs. Here’s how you can enter to win:

I will draw the winner at random from all entries on Monday, August 1st at 9:00am.

For the best viewing locations, road closures and more, check out my
Guide to the Fireworks published in 2010.

Follow the Celebration of Light on Twitter or Facebook for updates leading up to this summer’s events and add your photos to their group on Flickr.

Update The contest winner is James (@jstewart007)!

In just under two hours the drive to Harrison Mills from Vancouver runs through the bustling city, across bridges, past big-box stores and commuter coffee pit stops before it winds down along the Fraser River and eventually coasts into an open valley. Before crossing the bridge to Kilby and heading into Harrison and Agassiz, you’ll find the turn off for the award-winning Sandpiper Golf Club and a historic bed & breakfast called Rowena’s Inn.

The inn is a beautiful summer home that, over the last few decades, has been built up to offer quaint and comfortable accommodation paired with delicious meals and unparalleled river views. There are four suites in the inn itself (each named after one of the children of the family that owned the property) and four cottages (which I supposed we would be more inclined to call cabins). Since there is so much history and so much ground to cover, between the golf course, the restaurant (open to everyone, not just guests), and the accommodations, I’ll start by featuring the inn suites.

John and I were led on a tour of the inn by Betty Anne Faulkner whose father, Charles Pretty, built the English manor house for the family in the 1920s. The inn is named after Betty Anne’s mother so it was a real treat to hear stories not only about the inn, but of the home, the antiques her parents collected (which decorate every room), and about the family. History poured out of every sheet of wallpaper, and newspaper clippings about Charles are on display in the reading room upstairs. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩

Though I usually write about films and plays —things that happen in theatres— for this post, I will be writing about homes. A few weeks ago, the West Vancouver Museum held its six annual home tour, featuring five West Coast modern homes, which I attended and which I knew I had to write about. But such a topic isn’t completely incongruent with what I usually write about. Because after all, homes are the theatres of our everyday lives.

Photos from the West Vancouver Museum Facebook page used with permission.

The event started just before noon with hundreds of participants gathering at the West Vancouver Museum as a starting point and piling on buses with prominent Vancouver architects serving as tour guides (lucky participants). There were also people who decided to do the tour on their own, collecting maps disclosing the locations of the houses, and jetting off in their cars.

The first home I visited was the Hancock Family Home, designed by Mel Lauder (who built approximately 400 houses in the Greater Vancouver area) in 1959. When the Hancocks first moved into the house in 1991, it was in a state of disrepair. There were rats in the ceiling, casement windows hanging by one hinge, and all the woodwork had been painted pink. It took current homeowner architect James Hancock and contractor Francis Jacquet over 25 years to turn into the ideal West Coast modern family home.

When I arrived at the next home I had every intention on taking notes, but I was so distracted by how dramatic the house was that I didn’t write a single word.

The Taylor Residence was built in 1983 and designed by famed architect Dan White. Geographically, you would think the site would be impossible to build a house on because not only does the site consist of a steep river gully, but the gully leads over a cliff to the ocean. The house was built for bridge-engineer Peter Taylor and his wife, and with the home built to the very point where the gully plunges over a cliff, it actually looks like a bridge—only a very habitable one.

The Water Lane Residence was built only last year by Mason Kent. The challenge of the site was a massive rock and both the owners and the architect did not want to blast it but wanted to work around the environment, one of the key characteristics of West Coast Modernism. The house tightly wraps itself around a massive rock outcropping, there are tons of skylights allowing natural light to filter throughout, and large windows and eclipse doors, which help being in the continuous flow between inside and outside. I really loved this house and I related to it the most for some reason.

Taylor Residence / Water Lane Residence. Photos from the West Vancouver Museum Facebook page

The Vaughan Residence, whose builder is unknown, was next but whose owner and renovator is very well known. Don Vaughan is one of Vancouver’s most prominent landscape architects, primarily known for his collaboration with Arthur Erickson on various projects including the Museum of Anthrolopology, Simon Fraser University and the Law Courts. Needless to say, the surrounding grounds were beautiful with bamboo, ponds, and gorgeous gardens.The house itself is truly a product of a family changing throughout the years and that change is reflected in the expansions and nooks (both he and he wife are now retired and now artists and have studios in separate parts in the house). It was a incredibly warm home, inside and out, and the fact that Don Vaughan offered me cookies in the kitchen, added to the warmth.

Last but not least was the Plummer Residence–a true jewel and prime example of West coast mid-century modernism. Designed by famed architect Fred Hollingsworth, the house was built in 1953 for his longtime friend and lawyer Robert Plommer. Stepping into this home is like stepping into a museum—a very livable museum. The owners, Francesca Patterson and Peter Rozee, have almost been religious in preserving the home, even going as so far as to wait over four months a mid-century fawn beige toilet ordered from a supplier in Kentucky.

I loved this tour and I’m absolutely going back next year. And though it may seem pricey ($100), I would have to say it’s really worth it and obviously I’m not the only one—considering that the event was sold out. I urge all Vancouverites to go next year (get your tickets early) because not only is the tour incredibly organized (stocked with an army of volunteers—special shout out to volunteer Katherine Tong for driving me that day) and a pleasant way to spend your afternoon, but it was also incredibly educational on the history of West Coast living.

This feature was written exclusively for Miss604 by actor, writer, and producer, Michelle Kim. Read all posts contributed by Michelle for Miss604.com and follow her on Twitter @miju.

This week I’ll be participating in the Nokia Xplore Challenge that will see me trade places with a suburban blogger for a day while she comes downtown and we both complete tasks that we planned for each other. Using a Nokia X7 handset, we’ll navigate and document our separate adventures. You’ll see me tweeting throughout the day on Wednesday from Abbotsford and Jodi from Rants and Rascals will be doing the same from Vancouver.

While I was waiting for my Nokia X7 to arrive (disclosure: courtesy of Nokia) I was approached to run a giveaway for a different handset, the Nokia C7. Given that I’ll be doing the Xplore Challenge this week, I signed on to spread the smartphone wealth and give away a bundle of Nokia C7s to my readers.

This week you can enter to win 1 of 10 Nokia C7 handsets + 1 month of free service from WIND Mobile ($45 Genius Plan + $10/Data Add-On); approximate value, $405.

More about the Nokia C7: Full-touch glass display, integrated social networks, thousands of apps at Ovi Store, three customizable home screens, 8megapixel camera and HD video.

If you would like to win a Nokia C7 handset with a month of free service from WIND Mobile, here’s how you can enter the contest:

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

I will draw all ten winners at 9:00am this Friday, July 29, 2011. You can find out how Jodi and I do when we swap cities on Wednesday by following the #NokiaXplore tag on Twitter.

Update My winners are Cheryl L, Toby, Eran, Garrett, @neilfisher, @schmidtec, @vancitygirl83, @small_trio, Amrit Grewal – congratulations!