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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Sponsored Post — Views are my own. This post is published in partnership with the Kaanapali Beach Resort Association. Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
We arrived at night, doing a walk-around our rental car using the flashlight on our phones. Then, one by one we loaded up our suitcases and hit the road from Maui’s Kahului Airport, looping down around the coast to the Kaanapali Beach resort area. We turned on the radio and the sweet sounds of 93.5 KPOA welcomed us to the island.
My first and only previous Hawaiian visit was back in 2012 for the inaugural Kaanapali Fresh food festival with John. Now, five years later, I was coming back with my sister, a woman very deserving of a tropical getaway, and I knew Kaanapali would be the perfect place for her to unwind — and also get in a little adventure.
Pulling up to the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, we were greeted by the friendly valet and I headed in to the lobby to check in. Welcomed with beautifully delicate floral leis, we felt like royalty right away – even though this is a standard greeting for all guests at the Hyatt Regency Maui. Rolling our suitcases through the lobby and into the grand courtyard, the rest of the resort’s landscape came into view. Lush gardens, birds, pineapple plants, and this was still just inside the hotel! Once the elevator doors opened on our floor, we looked down at the courtyard, where an ocean breeze swept up through the lobby and met us 19 storeys up.
In our room it was like Christmas morning. There was fresh-cut pineapple in a bowl, and fresh pineapples hollowed out waiting for us to pour in a Mai Tai mix. Hyatt Maui pineapple cookies were on a plate next to some awesome pink swag for the Paddle for the Cure we were going to do in a few days. We poured our Mai Tais into the pineapples, snapped a few obligatory photos for social media, and stepped out onto our ocean-view balcony.
It was late enough that live entertainment down at the poolside restaurant had ceased, however the sound of the wind and waves was all we needed to unwind. We sat out in the warm South Pacific air, above the palm trees, wearing our new pink hats and leis, sipping from our pineapples, and my sister turned to me and said: “This is the Hawaii you dream of. And it’s real.” Little did she know just how much more “Hawaii” our experience would get, but this was a pretty awesome start. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
Last year I discovered a newly re-opened ski resort perched above BC’s South Okanagan wine country and it blew my mind. Expansive terrain, amazing conditions, no line-ups for lifts, free hot chocolate around an open fire at sunset, an a rockin’ lodge bar. This year, Baldy Mountain Resort is open again, building on the momentum from last year’s debut, and they’re kicking things off in style with the First Chair Festival.
First Chair Festival at Baldy Mountain Resort
Where: 2680 Mount Baldy Rd, Oliver, BC When: Friday, December 8 to Sunday, December 10, 2017
I had the chance to talk Baldy‘s new general manager, Andy Foster, when I was researching a post for SnowSeekers:
Andy and his team have been working hard to deliver even more this season, on top of their 260 acres of graded runs, and the First Chair Festival will be the ultimate showcase of those efforts. The resort actually has 600 acres of skiable terrain.
“Since I came on six months ago, we really wanted to focus on enhancing the customer experience and adding value to what we already have, which is great terrain, a great mountain, and a great community,” says Andy.
There will be a lot of family activities, including a kids’ slalom course on the magic carpet, a scavenger hunt, tobogganing, and hot chocolate around the fire pit. You can try out the disc golf competition (with an awards ceremony in the newly renovated Baldy Bar for apres), along with free guided snowshoeing, and tours with mountain hosts to share hidden gems.
No matter your age or level of activity, you’ll enjoy the First Chair Festival! Ski Baldy and Stay Osoyoos (like I did last season) with these awesome package deals. Stay at the Coast Osoyoos Beach Hotel or Walnut Beach Resort which both have beautiful South Okanagan accommodations and offers with Baldy.
For all of the latest snow news, whether you like to snowshoe, toboggan, or ride epic fall lines in the backcountry, follow SnowSeekers this season on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The JUNO Awards will return to Vancouver on March 25, 2018, bringing with them a week-long festival (March 19 to 25, 2018) that will celebrate of Canadian music. Tickets for the awards ceremony at Rogers Arena, hosted by Michael Bublé, will go on sale on Friday, November 24, 2017 at 10:00am.
JUNO Awards Return to Vancouver
The awards ceremony will be broadcast live across Canada on CBC and CBC Radio and around the world on CBCMusic.ca at 5:00pm PT/8:00pm ET on March 25th.
Tickets are available starting at $59 (plus fees) through the Rogers Arena Box Office, by phone at 1-855-985-5000 and online at ticketmaster.ca.
The JUNO Awards has once again partnered with Plus 1 so that $1 from every ticket is donated to MusiCounts, helping to ensure that children and youth across Canada have access to musical instruments. Plus 1 is a non-profit that partners with touring artists to facilitate a $1 add-on from every concert ticket to go to a cause the artist partner believes in.
This will be the fourth time that Vancouver will host Canada’s Music Awards ceremony; shows previously took place in 1991, 1998, and 2009. Follow the JUNO Awards online with the tag #JUNOS on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
While the days are getting longer, with the sun setting in the late afternoon, the lights of Vancouver’s marquees are illuminated with entertainment options.
John and I love to celebrate Vancouver’s seasonal charms through date day/date night activities. In the summer, it’s a walk through Stanley Park and a picnic at Third Beach, or a performance at Granville Island followed by a water taxi and a walk home along the Sea Wall. There’s photowalks through cherry blossom groves or fallen rust-coloured leaves in the spring or autumn, followed by mulled wine at an outdoor market and skating at Robson Square with hot chocolate grasped in mittened hands.
There are many traditions and date night options in the city but my favourite, especially in the winter, is dinner on South Granville, sipping a crafted cocktail, then catching a show at the Stanley Theatre. Of course, that isn’t your only option and we’re lucky to have so many holiday theatre shows on stage in Vancouver right now. Here are just a few to get you thinking about your next night out, because there’s no reason to hibernate this winter when the city is glowing with entertainment options.
Holiday Theatre Shows in Vancouver
Company: Arts Club Theatre Company
Show: The Day Before Christmas
When: Now playing until December 24, 2017
Where: Goldcorp Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre (162 W 1st Ave, Vancouver)
Company: Arts Club Theatre Company
Show: Onegin
When: November 23 until December 31, 2017
Where: Granville Island Stage (1585 Johnston St, Vancouver)
Company: Arts Club Theatre Company
Show: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
When: December 7, 2017 until January 13, 2018
Where: Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage (2750 Granville St, Vancouver)
Company: SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs
Show: Bah Humbug!
When: December 7, 2017 until December 16, 2017
Where: Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (149 W Hastings St, Vancouver)
Company: Vancouver TheatreSports League
Show: Christmas Queen Drag Race
When: Saturdays, November 25 until December 23, 2017
Where: The Improv Centre on Granville Island (1502 Duranleau St)
Company: Vancouver TheatreSports League
Show: Christmas Queen 4 – Secret Santa
When: Wed – Sat, November 22 until December 23, and December 10, 17 matinées
Where: The Improv Centre on Granville Island (1502 Duranleau St)
Company: Gateway Theatre
Show: A Christmas Carol
When: December 7 unti December 24, 2017
Where: MainStage at Gateway Theatre (6500 Gilbert Road, Richmond)
Company: Pacific Theatre
Show: Almost, Maine
When: November 24 until December 16, 2017
Where: Pacific Theatre (1440 West 12th Ave, Vancouver)
Company: Pacific Theatre
Show: Christmas Presents
When: December 19 until December 23, 2017
Where: Pacific Theatre (1440 West 12th Ave, Vancouver)
Company: Metro Theatre
Show: Annual Christmas Cinderella Pantomime
When: December 15, 2017 until January 6, 2018
Where: Metro Theatre (1370 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver)
Company: The Daisy Theatre & The Cultch
Show: Little Dickens
When: December 5 until December 22, 2017
Where: Historic Theatre at The Cultch (1895 Venables St, Vancouver)
Company: Bring On Tomorrow Co. and Kay Meek Centre
Show: Little Women
When: December 27 – 30, 2017
Where: Grosvenor Theatre, Kay Meek Centre (1700 Mathers Ave, West Vancouver)
If you have a theatre listing to add, please leave a note in the comments section below, or send it in via Miss604.com/contact.
The 19th edition of the CP Holiday Train is ready to support communities and raise awareness across Canada as it sets out to visit 171 communities and host free events in November and December. There are over 20 stops in BC, from Sparwood to Port Coquitlam, with each featuring an opportunity to view the impressive train-long light displays and enjoy a free concert.
CP Holiday Train
Beginning in Montreal, Quebec, on November 25 and 26, 2017 respectively, two trains will make the festive journey, travelling through both the United States and Canada to bring holiday cheer to 171 communities along CP’s network. Each event is completely free, with CP encouraging every attendee to open their cupboards or wallets to ease hunger needs in their community. Local food banks will be accepting donations at each stop to ensure those less fortunate can access adequate food this holiday season and year-round.
The 2017 edition of the Holiday Train also concludes CP’s Canada 150 celebrations and the Canadian train will feature the Spirit of Tomorrow car, which was part of the Canada 150 Train this past summer.
Local Schedule
Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Band will roll up into the Fraser Valley on December 16th for a show stop in Agassiz, then head over to Haney-Maple Ridge for another, and will end the night in Pitt Meadows. The train will roll on December 17th with the two final stops and performances in Port Moody and Port Coquitlam.
How The Events Work
When the train arrives it will pull to a safe stop in front of the crowd in attendance. The stage door lowers and the band opens with its first song. After that, a brief presentation takes place with local food bank officials and other dignitaries.
Once complete, the band resumes performing a mix of traditional and modern holiday-themed songs. The whole event lasts about 30 minutes, and once the band plays its farewell show, the boxcar door closes, and the train slips off into the night on its way to the next stop.
The spectacular event is free to attend, but you are encouraged to bring healthy donations for the food bank. Every pound of food and dollar raised at each stop stays with the local food bank to help feed those in need in that community.
The CP Holiday Train program launched in 1999 and has since raised more than $13 million and four million pounds of food for communities along CP’s routes in Canada and the United States.
Follow the #CPHolidayTrain on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to see its full schedule as the cross-country journey comes to an end out west.
