The Hotel Grand Pacific in Victoria welcomed John and I as their guests when we were in town for WordCamp earlier this month. I’m a big fan of many of the accommodations in Victoria, from resorts, to boutique hotels, and B&Bs and have walked by the Grand for years.
Conveniently located along Victoria’s inner harbour, the hotel sits next to the legislature and across from the Washington State ferry and former wax museum. Home to two restaurants, a cafe, fitness facility, spa, shops, and conference meeting rooms, it’s a fully inclusive facility. They even offer their own ‘Westcoast’ Afternoon Tea with a twist on the Victorian tradition.
The upholstered furnishings in the room were very classic but were accompanied by very modern amenities that tech-savvy travelers like ourselves truly appreciate.
iPod dock alarm clock, plenty of power outlets, tag-less ‘do not disturb’ system, doorbell, two LCD televisions, in-room coffee, and complimentary internet (although a cable connection, we bring our Airport with us whenever we travel to create our own WiFi).
There was even a vile of bath salts which may seem like a very basic perk, but you’d be surprised how often hotels with nice bath tubs do not even supply bath bombs, bath salts, or bubbles.
The morning we checked out we had dim sum in the hotel’s Pacific Restaurant. Turns out the national ice skating championships were going on that same weekend so Patrick Chan was having the same delicious experience at the next table.
The teas were all from Silk Road Tea and our server explained everything from the type of leaves or blossoms, to why they use the traditional gaiwan.
We had to run to catch a ferry so we missed our third course however the seafood congee, dumplings, steamed buns and leaf-wrapped rice patties were a delectable start to our day.
Since our experience was cut short, the Hotel Grand Pacific has put together an amazing Chinese New Year prize package for one of my readers to enjoy as well. This includes:
A two-night stay for two people February 4th and 5th, 2011
Return flights for two on Harbour Air (downtown to downtown)
Dinner in the Pacific Restaurant on the evening of February 5th from the Chinese New Year menu
A choice of buffet breakfast or dim sum
There will also be a lion dance on February 4th at 8pm in the main lobby.
As the prize is for this coming weekend the contest will be fairly quick. I will draw one winner Wednesday, February 2nd at 12:00pm. Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment on this post listing your favourite thing about Victoria (or if you’ve never been, what you would like to explore) (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I entered to win a weekend getaway @GrandPacific in Victoria from @Miss604 http://ow.ly/3Ntlw
Fine print: The contest winner will need to claim their prize within 24 hours of email notification on Wednesday otherwise a new winner will be drawn. The elements of this package cannot be claimed separately as they are part of a full package deal exclusive to the Grand Pacific giveaway with Miss604.com.
Disclosure: cmp.ly/2 Like many out-of-town WordCamp speakers, we received a complimentary hotel stay while in Victoria.
Update The winner is @Kickpleat – Kickpleat. Congratulations and have a great time this weekend!
Earlier this month our globetrotting friend Henry brought me a Fred Herzog book from C/O Berlin. Herzog is known for his stunning colour photographs of everyday urban life. At a time when colour photography was looked down upon as an art form or creative medium, Herzog managed to capture our city like no other.
“Life may be colorful, but black-and-white photography is more realistic” or so it was said. For many years, color photography was considered an inferior and not particularly valuable medium. Classic black-and-white photography was undisputed in the art world, but artistic color photography was supposedly banal and amateurish, a commercial medium for dilettantes. In the early 1950s, Fred Herzog began to revolutionize established viewing habits and existing orthodoxies. As a pioneer of color photography, he developed a profound visual sensibility for the ostensibly inconsequential. His subject matter included Vancouver streets, supermarkets, gas stations, bars, urban and natural landscapes and again and again, people in their environments, visualizing the highs and lows of the (North) American dream.”
C/O Berlin presents the first German exhibition of 80 photographs by Fred Herzog. A catalog accompanying the exhibition is published by Hatje Canz.
Nowadays, photographers like Kris Krug, PiscesDreamer, Jeremy Lim, Sean Orr, Sean Doe, and other contributors to the Miss604 Flickr Group, manage to immortalize our city through the same kind of ‘everyday’ snapshots. City, work, child and adult life is still caught on film or digital media cards. A man waiting for a bus, a boy sitting in a shop’s doorway, or a woman window shopping — sometimes it’s those moments that can tell us the most about our city
Prior to Herzog, my other favourite Vancouver photographers are Stuart Thomson and Leonard Frank. More than half of my favourite photos in the Vancouver Archives collection (from about the 1900s to 1940s) are attributed to those two.
If you would like to check out more of Herzog’s work, there will be an exhibit at the Equinox Gallery February 9 until March 5, 2011. From what I understand, the gallery has most of Herzog’s collection and exhibits (with different themes) are not uncommon.
You can also purchase the book that I now own on Amazon or at Chapters.
The cupcakes will be baked fresh daily at the Take 5 Cafe kitchen in East Vancouver and on the morning of Pink Shirt Day, February 23rd, proceeds from coffee sales will also go to the cause. A full list of Take 5 locations can be found online.
The following contains harsh language… as does bullying.
Follow Pink Shirt Day on Facebook or Twitter to find out more about the cause, the event, and anti-bullying campaigns or programs in your community.
The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival is coming up this spring and in celebration of the city’s 125th anniversary, they are encouraging residents to plant cherry tree. 3,000 Birthday Blossom trees are available for purchase before March 29, 2011 for $40. Proceeds will help support the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, “a charitable non-profit society dedicated to the education, celebration and preservation of the 38,000 cherry trees that help make our city unique, attracting admirers from around the world.”
The goal is to have 40,000 cherry trees in Vancouver, brightening up private properties, school grounds, and company lawns. While they are currently sold out of Pendula, they still have supplies of Kanzan and Akebono trees. More information include payment details, pick-up locations, and planting tips can be found via the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival.
CBC personalities will be at Metrotown on Saturday, January 29, 2011 for meet and greets, autographs, interviews, and to promote the Live Right Now campaign for healthy living. The day’s events will be hosted by CBC News Vancouver’s Claire Martin and Village on a Diet’s Garfield Wilson.
1:00pm Steven and Chris LIVE!
A “Live Right Now” special with chef Jonathan Chovancek and trainer Garfield Wilson from CBC Television’s Village on a Diet and Brett Wilson from Dragons’ Den
2:00pm Face the Dragon
Watch three lucky winners pitch a business to Brett Wilson from Dragons’ Den
Contest entry details to be revealed Monday, January 24th on the CBC blog
2:30pm Interview George Stroumboulopoulos
It’s BC’s turn to put George in the interview chair
Contest entry details to be revealed at 5:30 pm, January 21 on the CBC blog
You can meet your favourite personalities and check out hours of activities happening at the Grand Court at Metropolis at Metrotown (4700 Kingsway, Burnaby) starting at 11:00am this Saturday.