The following photo essay was experienced and contributed by John Biehler exclusively for Miss604.com
After driving for a number of hours from Courtenay, our tour pulled up to the beautiful Black Rock Oceanfront Resort in Ucluelet. I didn’t quite know what to expect before arriving but when we did, we were all awestruck by the natural waterfront setting the resort was built around.
Immediately upon checking into my room, the stunning views overwhelmed me with every well appointed room having floor to ceiling windows. Even the bathroom had glass doors that could be opened allowing you to see the ocean from the enormous bathtub and shower:
One very unique feature of an oceanfront resort like this is that you can’t help but leave your windows and balcony doors open at night…nothing is more soothing than hearing the waves crash below your window. The only downside to a room like this is that you may not get much sleep as you’ll want to watch the sun come up in the morning everyday, no matter what time that may be.
Sunrise from my balcony
After getting settled, we headed down to the wine cellar, located in the lower portion of the resort where Executive Chef Andrew Springett had created a special menu to allow us to sample everything the restaurant had to offer:
Dinner featured a selection of Vancouver Island and BC wines including Averill Creek Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, Alderlea Hearth and Quail’s Gate Chenin Blanc:
We then began with plate after plate of unique food combinations and wine pairings:
Birch Syrup Cured Coho Salmon, Poached Spot Prawn, Micro Celery
Fraser Valley Rabbit, Celeriac & Green Apple Remoulade, Red Leaf Greens
Warm squab breast, parmesan truffle ravioli, onion & leek fondue
Apple Glazed Black Cod, Crisp Gnocchi, Scallions with Japanese Mushrooms,
Lemon Dressed Apple and Frisee Salad
Sauterne poached pear, almond glass, sweet Genoise
It’s worth noting that the Black Rock had the fastest wireless internet connection speed I’ve ever experienced, let alone in a hotel. It certainly made it easier to quickly upload all the photos you see in this post while I was staying there, giving me more time to enjoy the amazing views from my room.
Suffice to say, I didn’t want to leave.
Related posts from the rest of the tour of Vancouver Island include caving in the Horne Lake Caves, surfing in Ucluelet and a zodiac tour of the Broken Group Islands.
John is an avid photographer, gadget geek and traveller. You can find him on Twitter and at johnbiehler.com where he discusses photography and all sorts of technology. All photos in this post were taken by John.
Disclosure: Activities, services and dining experiences during the trip were compliments of Tourism Vancouver Island or the operators and businesses mentioned.
The Big Book Drive will take place this Saturday at Lansdowne Mall in Richmond. Spearheaded by an SFU Project Management team, they will be collecting book donations that will go to the Salvation Army’s Family Support Services and other literacy-related programs.
Organizer Joseph Choi told me by email: “All books collected will go towards the Salvation Army’s Family Support Services and their other literacy-related programs so that we can provide books to help low-income families and children.”
Items they would like to collect include textbooks, comic books, magazines (no adult material), novels, journals, and catalogues. The goal is 2,000 books of all genres that will go towards literacy programs in BC for all ages.
The Big Book Drive will be at Lansdowne (No 3 Road at Alderbridge Way, outside of Toys R Us) from 9:30am until 4:00pm on Saturday, February 26, 2011. They will host another book drive event March 19th and 20th.
The following photo essay was experienced and contributed by John Biehler exclusively for Miss604.com
After a day of travelling around the Comox Valley, we headed to the Old House Restaurant, which is the namesake of the hotel & spa we were staying at. Built in 1938 by the Kirk Family, who lived in the house until about 1973 when it was renovated to become a restaurant fixture in the Comox Valley.
We began the evening with a visit to the Artisan Bread Bar which had a number of types of fresh baked bread and a huge assortment of butters and sauces:
Along with the bread, we started things off with jumbo prawns in chipotle lime wrapped in bacon with a pea green salad:
For the main course, I opted for the 8 oz New York steak, wild mushroom demi-glace, with garlic mashed potatoes & seasonal vegetables:
One of my dinner companions chose the Pan Seared Ling Cod – locally caught with spiced mustard glaze, seasonal vegetables, & citrus scented wild rice blend:
For dessert, we shared the Cappuccino Cheesecake and the Old House Brownie with Hazelnut Gelato. They were a delicious and decadent end to the meal.
Related posts from the rest of the tour of Vancouver Island include caving in the Horne Lake Caves, surfing in Ucluelet and a zodiac tour of the Broken Group Islands.
John is an avid photographer, gadget geek and traveller. You can find him on Twitter and at johnbiehler.com where he discusses photography and all sorts of technology. All photos in this post were taken by John.
Disclosure: Activities, services and dining experiences during the trip were compliments of Tourism Vancouver Island or the operators and businesses mentioned.
The following photo essay was experienced and contributed by John Biehler exclusively for Miss604.com
This is something I was really looking forward to doing. Fortunately, the weather couldn’t have been more perfect in Ucluelet the day we met with our surf instructor, Sean who runs the Ukee Surf School.
After meeting up with Sean, he took us to Incinerator Rock which is about half way between Ucluelet and Tofino. It also happens to be where scenes from New Moon (part of the Twilight teen vampire saga) was filmed.
The water was a chilly 7C but the sun was shining. The act of getting into a cold wetsuit warmed us all up pretty quickly and by the time we actually got to the water, it might as well had been July outside.
After some land based instruction on the basics, Sean had us get wet pretty quickly. I had heard that people surfed year round on Vancouver Island, and considering it was the middle of February, I was surprised how mild it was. We did have great weather but the water is pretty much the same temperature year round. Put a wetsuit on and lug a nine foot surfboard around for a bit and you’ll be just fine and warm.
I had a camera mounted on my wrist so the footage isn’t ideal but you can get an idea of one of my first attempts to get on the board and ride a wave in:
After a number of other attempts we were all starting to get the hang of it…well somewhat. Sean brought us back in and showed us how to popup on the board now that we were able to ride on our stomachs.
With the weather cooperating and most of us starting to get up on our surfboards, we could have stayed in the water all day if we didn’t have more plans that day.
One more splashy video to show you the ‘on board’ experience…too bad I was only able to popup for a few seconds before falling off:
At this point I decided to stop worrying about the camera and start focussing on the surfing as it was a little tricky to shoot decent footage and surf as a beginner. I stayed in the water as long as my body would let me (it was tiring) then ditched my board and took most of the photos you see in this post.
Sean was a great instructor and extremely encouraging to all of us…if you’re interested in checking it out, check his availability online. Private and group lessons are available.
It was definitely a highlight of the tour to spend the morning at the beach, in the water, in the middle of winter, in Canada!
Upcoming posts to follow from the rest of the tour of Vancouver Island showcase some of the amazing cuisine the island has to offer.
John is an avid photographer, gadget geek and traveller. You can find him on Twitter and at johnbiehler.com where he discusses photography and all sorts of technology. All photos & video in this post were taken by John.
Disclosure: Activities, services and dining experiences during the trip were compliments of Tourism Vancouver Island or the operators and businesses mentioned.
I am currently in Ghana to experience Cadbury’s Bicycle Factory delivery. This is their second delivery in two years thanks to the help of Canadians who participated in the online project.
When departing Kumasi City (Ghana’s second largest city) to head back to Accra (the capital) we ran into a bit of an issue at the airport. With only 4 members of our group receiving boarding passes for the flight, the rest of us rented a van. As the crow flies, the cities are only about 250kms apart however with traffic and road work, we arrived at our hotel just over 6 hours later.
Pointing my camera out the window of the bus, I shot this quick video in a few parts. You can tell the road gets a little bumpy along the way but I just wanted to show the route. The scenery went from dusty to lush and back again while small towns bustled with activity.
There’s not only a culture shock between Canada and Ghana, but between the major cities and the rural communities here. Everyone is connected through texting, 3G mobiles, and my hotel had WiFi so I could blog and Skype with home. While just hours away, we were out in a dirt playground with children who walk long distances in 40C degree heat to get water from a well pump. You can find similar contrasts in many countries around the world and even in our own back yard to various degrees.
If you are so inclined, please check out the work that CARE International is doing globally and in Ghana. Locally, at the very least, follow organizations like @VanFoodBank, @UGM, @BeautyNight, @CovenantHouseBC and many others on Twitter to find out more about their work and consider supporting their efforts in Vancouver.
I leave Ghana tonight with mixed emotions but am thankful for the opportunity I have been given. Hopefully I can return again (with John) in the future to spend more time in this caring and passionate nation.
Disclosure: I have not been paid by Cadbury to participate in this trip. However, they have covered my accommodation and airfare to come along and document what I experience.
