That’s right, I’m talking about the weather in Vancouver and I won’t be mentioning rain at all. This time it’s all about the extremely warm record-breaking sunshine that’s been blanketing the Lower Mainland over the last week or so. To help everyone who might be looking for a way to bring down their temperature while still enjoying cloudless days, here are my Ways to Cool Down in Vancouver…

Photo credit: David Drucker on Flickr

Outdoor Pools
The City of Vancouver operates several outdoor pools which have now been open since the May Long Weekend. You can check out my guide for the one in your neighbourhood or visit the Vancouver Parks Board website for more information.

Frozen yogurt
Qoola on Denman was my first real yogurt (and acai) experience and boy could I go for their green tea frozen yogurt right about now. I’ve also tried out Froyoswirl in Yaletown, which is equally delicious, with a few different menu items. There are plenty of gelato places around town but if you spot on of these havens I definitely recommend stopping in for some fresh fruit atop this icy treat.

Walk in the park
A stroll under the canopy at your local park is an enjoyable way to be outdoors while not overheating. If you’re lucky, when you emerge from the cooling shadows there will also be a waterpark nearby (like at Fleetwood Park in Surrey). Better yet, finishing up a hike over at the Lynn Valley Headwaters with a quick dip.

Hit the beach (and get in the water)
Vancouver’s known for its amazing beaches however I’ve noticed the percentage of people out baking on the sand far outweigh those who take to the water. The ocean is probably pretty darn chilly but also the perfect way to refresh and rejuvenate your sun-drenched body.

Patio + Drinks
My Vancouver Patio Guide from 2007 is terribly outdated as I’m sure dozens of other establishments have setup outdoor and street-side seating areas. Hit a patio for some appies and people watching while enjoying a frosted beverage with friends. Cactus Club, Milestones, Joe Fortes (rooftop), Chill Winston’s, The Mill, etc. there’s no shortage in this town. Below is a stream of Tweets in response to my question: Which restaurant has the BEST patio in Vancouver?

Get on a boat
There are plenty of Vancouver charter boat tours, yacht tours etc. but getting out on the ocean in a canoe or kayak will really cool you down. You can take a day trip from Deep Cove or rent by the hour from Granville Island.

One word: Slurpee
We’re lucky enough to have a 7-Eleven and a Mac’s in the neighbourhood and I tell ya, nothing gives you that instant chill like that first over-eager, brain-freezing sip of a Slurpee. It also takes me back to those lazy days of summer when I was growing up, adding to the refreshing (yet tasty) relaxation you get from a frozen beverage. You could also visit one of our bagillion coffee shops for an iced latte but some days just call for a Slurpee… especially July 11th when sample sizes are free.

WATERFIGHT!
Each year at some point in the summer a large group of people converge in a single location to unleash water balloons and the power of their Super Soakers on each other. This is Vancouver’s Largest Waterfight and it’s happening July 11th 2009 at Lumberman’s Arch in Stanley Park.

Also it’s important to note that drinking water is the ultimate way to keep your body cool. Find a water fountain in local parks or bring your own bottle of water out and about (preferably a refillable Sig bottle, not plastic).

In sort of related news I published an article for Tourism Vancouver about 10 Hidden Gems around the city that you simply must check out.

Update: Keira’s got a post about how to keep your pets cool as well.

On June 14th you could be one of the first people to cross the Golden Ears Bridge on foot with the Golden Ears Bridge Run. 300 people are invited to enter this 7km fun run (sorry, no walkers) and you can register online through the Running Room.

Photo credit: writepics on Flickr

The Golden Ears Bridge Run kicks off at 8:30am from the Maple Meadows West Coast Express train station parking lot and afterward there will be a public car-free celebration from 11:00am until 4:00pm. Highlights will include performance stages, information about key features of the bridge & road networks, an official completion ceremony and other activities for the entire family. The celebrations will all take place mid-span on the new bridge.

Photo credit: sashafatcat on Flickr

This latest crossing over the Fraser River links up Surrey/Langley and Pitt Meadows/Maple Ridge. It will officially open for traffic June 16th and will be toll-free for the first month.

Alexa Devine, Russell Roberts
& Laara Sadiq by David Cooper

The following was contributed by Miss604.com guest theatre blogger, Megan Stewart

It was a hard play to watch. “Not a fun play,” were my thoughts as the lights came up. Yet, there I sat, riveted in my seat, captivated by the suffering of three characters who were failing to come to grips with what they’d done during war. Touchstone has put on a strong production about conflict’s human collateral.

For Palace of the End, playwright Judith Thompson has written three monologues, each fictional but drawn on recent history and the actions of real people who became significant players in the story of Iraq since the Baathist coup that put Saddam in control in 1979. Torture is at the centre of these three lives; the language is graphic, and the imagery visceral.

I think we all remember Lynndie England. Whether or not her name rings a bell, who could forget the U.S. Army soldier who was photographed giving the thumbs-up at Abu Ghraib prison while naked Iraqis were dog-piled at her feet. The tragedy of this girl’s life, Thompson suggests, is her hick ignorance and naïve patriotism. This is an easy trope, considering Lynndie must spell her full name aloud—letter by letter—and was repeatedly fired from a West Virginia Dairy Queen because she couldn’t master serving frozen treats. She hopes her life story will be told through that bastion of American high art, the made-for-TV movie.

But the production and actor Alexa Devine grant depth to this character, revealing a lonely and pregnant girl desperate for validation. Devine brings a needed, well-timed comic touch since the character she plays has not known love or meaningful human contact and is haunted by the tenderness of one man’s neck—an Iraqi terrorist, she must remind herself— who she walked like a dog, leash in one hand, M16 in the other, and a smile ready for the cameraman.

Next we meet Dr. David Kelly, the U.N. weapons inspector who in 2003 pointed out the inaccuracies in the military intelligence on weapons of mass destruction. Russell Roberts plays this role, balancing bewilderment with softspoken, childlike optimism. The prescient line, “Perhaps I knew something I didn’t know I knew,” is a direct reference to Donald Rumsfeld’s “known unknowns.” A portrait of the past Secretary of Defense hangs on Lynndie’s office wall.

The third monologue takes us back nearly 30 years as Nehrajs Al-Saffarh, the widow of the leader of the Community Party, remembers Saddam’s Baathist coup. She tells us that we cannot understand the terror of life under Saddam—only those who experienced it can testify. Indeed, she says, “We were inside hell.” Laara Sadiq is excellently cast as Nehrajs and she brings vigour and dimension to this tale of ultimate loss and shame.

The score (sound design by Brian Linds) is heavy at times and dramatizes the internal states of mind of the characters. Likewise, the lighting (John Webber) points out the characters’ strife and self-doubt. And the unexpected shock that comes in the play’s closing minutes is excellently executed by the creative team at Thouchstone. The audience was visible shaken, as if further traumatized by a challenging play.

Palace of the End runs this week until Saturday, June 6 at the PAL Theatre in Coal Harbor. Tickets are $16 to $26. Showtime from Tuesday to Saturday is at 8 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday.

Megan Stewart is an independent reporter currently at the UBC graduate school of journalism. She has covered arts across Canada and Australia and also writes for Newslab.ca.

The City of Vancouver’s Heritage Awards, which took place last week, showcase heritage conservation projects and highlight when best efforts have been made to restore, preserve, and maintain icons of our city’s history. This also includes efforts to revitalize communities and neighbourhoods.

Here are just a few of the winning projects:

610 Granville Street – The Hudson
An Award of Recognition for restoring the two primary facades of the BC Electric Showroom, for retaining and restoring the additional facade of the Hunter Brothers Block, and protecting the St. Regis Hotel and Gotham Steakhouse. Awards were presented to Wall Financial Corporation, Macdonald Development Corporation, Stantec Architecture Ltd. and McGinn Engineering & Preservation Ltd.

Arts and Crafts Building, 576 Seymour Street
An Award of Recognition for restoring the storefront and the mezzanine, re-opening it to the street and adapting new retail and office uses. Awards were presented to owner Terry Pejan, David Hepworth of SITU Design, Hi-Fi Centre and VPAC Construction.

Paris Block before, and after

Chinese Freemasons Building, 5 West Pender Street
An Award of Recognition for the rehabilitation of the exterior, its contribution to the Carrall Street Greenway and incorporating seniors housing which will bring diversity and vitality to the area. Awards were presented to owner Pip Peri Pembo Management Ltd., Joe Y. Wai Architect, Commonwealth Historic Resource Management and Makam Construction Ltd.

The South Granville Business Improvement Association received recognition “for the celebration and public awareness generated by its festivities and public awareness efforts: installing heritage plaques, compiling a photo archive, holding a centennial event, and dedicating a time capsule.”

Lisa Smedman was recognized for her book, Vancouver, Stories of a City, awards were given to the Vancouver Art Gallery and Fred Herzog for Fred Herzog: Vancouver Photographs, and the City Reflections: 1907 – Vancouver – 2007 DVD by the Vancouver Historical Society was also honored.

Big thanks to Jason for informing me of this event and following up with links and info.

While planning our trip to San Francisco I put the call out on Twitter for recommendations and was told that @Kimpton would be a great choice. Just as soon as I replied to the referrer, Kimpton was adding me on Twitter and I setting up my reservation. I ended up booking our stay with the Serrano Luxury Boutique Hotel as Duane and Dale had already reserved a room there. However, Kimpton has over half a dozen boutique hotels in San Francisco alone so there were definitely many options available.

I came to learn that each Kimpton Hotel has a theme and for the Serrano it was “fun and games”. Our hotel mini bar had an etch-a-sketch, cards, a yo-yo, and a wooden snake puzzle that had me going for days until Duane solved it before we left.

The room for John and I was amazing to say the least. We had a big king-sized bed, minibar, iPod clock radio, and a LCD TV in the bedroom then in the living room we had a desk/workstation, another entertainment center, another fridge, and a hide-a-bed couch. The wifi was also complimentary if you signed up for Kimpton’s In Touch program although it wasn’t very speedy for us at times.

The bathroom was huge as well, complete with a jacuzzi tub, leopard print robes, Aveda products and a digital scale. John and I ended up stopping by the Lush store in Union Square to pick up a bath bomb so we could make the most of the tub after walking around the city all afternoon (a custom we enjoyed when we stayed on Saltspring).

Down in the lobby, which had elegant decor mixed with lots of seating space, there was a wine reception each evening at 5:00pm. Boardgames were stationed around tables, armchairs and couches including Scrabble, Life, backgammon, Sorry, checkers, chess, and there was plenty of opportunities to simply relax and enjoy the atmosphere… in the hotel lobby — which I know sounds strange but it really worked.

On Sunday Dale scooped up Jenga and we had a fun tournament in our room (where I believe I became the grand Jenga master champion… by beating Dale who beat everyone else).

The location was good, however if you’re walking there at night from the BART station I would recommend taking certain routes over others. We walked pretty much everywhere and were able to catch the cable car a few times to get to further points of interest so it was definitely conveniently located.

I was offered a tour of the hotel however schedules didn’t match up (my bad) but everyone I dealt with that the hotel and the company was very pleasant.

Tired from a few days of walking for hours on end (and conquering hills, my goodness the hills) Duane inquired about transportation to the airport when we were checking out. The concierge listed several detailed options and we all decided to take a town car to the airport. Sure, BART would have been under $10 each but for $15 each we would get to sit back, relax, and enjoy a relaxing ride. When the driver pulled up to the hotel it turns out he was taking his brand new luxury van for a spin so for the same price we got to enjoy its comforts for our final journey through town. This included iPod jacks (with bluetooth headphones), digital television, XM radio, cushy leather seats and candy – yes, candy.

The experience at the Serrano made it seem like much more than a simple room to store our stuff, with a bed to rest our heads. We were able to invite our friends up for games nights but also have our own relaxing time together in a quiet room.

Next time we’re in San Francisco I would definitely stay with a Kimpton Hotel – or lookup a Kimpton if we’re traveling elsewhere in North America. We had amazing pastries at the cafe under the Hotel Triton, John Biehler had a good stay at the Harbor Court, and the Hotel Palomar‘s bustling location was appealing. In Vancouver, Kimpton operates the Pacific Palisades Hotel off Robson. Kimpton Hotels are also pet-friendly.