The following has been contributed by Dax Justin in partnership with ZenSeekers, exploring BC’s Gold Country and #Route97.
#Route97 is a collection of experiences and destinations you will find within the Okanagan Valley and into Washington state.
ZenSeekers challenges you to explore the region this fall and have a series of stories to help make that happen.
Exploring Gold Country with Dax Justin
The greens and golds of Cariboo country in fall
I was heading to Cache Creek, about 350 kms north of Vancouver, the gateway to the Cariboo region, a place that took me by surprise. I landed in this desert-like landscape with rolling hills of ranchlands and grasslands spread out before me.
This is a place known for its outdoor adventures and some cools stops you’ll not want to miss when you visit here. Here are a few places I discovered on my late September trip. I’m sure that fall is one of the most beautiful seasons here with the changing colour and gorgeous light.
Be curious. Learn more about Gold Country on the #Route97 website »
Ashcroft Bakery
The smell of fresh baked bread gets me every time – especially when I’m hungry, so a stop at Ashcroft Bakery on Ashcroft’s main street is a must. You’ll feel like loading up your car many warm loaves of bread for your road trip and the bakery’s famous cinnamon buns. This popular spot is owned by a couple of local women, making visitors feel welcome they serve a delicious cup of coffee after an early morning drive from the city.
The Jade Shoppe
The Cariboo Jade Shoppe is a local institution in Cache Creek. Walking into the store, the first thing I notice is a massive one-foot thick slab of jade at the front door.
This store has been around since the 1960s and is run by Bill Elliott, who restores, collects and buys jade creations from jewelry and intricate sculpture and semi-precious rock specimens, and beautiful amethyst pieces. Elliot’s a man about town who’s also a volunteer firefighter who owns several other businesses.
People from all over the world who pass through this town stop at the shop, also known for gift items such as moccasins and Canadian gifts. As I walk around the store, I’m captivated by one intricate piece – a bear with a fish in its mouth, and think of the hours it must have taken to create it.
I was fascinated to learn that nephrite jade is commonly found in this northwest region of BC and that the province is one of the major exporters of jade in the world. Jade is also the official stone of BC. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
Five magicians are presenting a full theatre magic show at the Michael J Fox Theatre this month. “M” The Magic Show features a unique blend of cutting edge illusions, mystery, music, audience participation, comedy and sleight of hand.
“M” The Magic Show
When: Saturday, October 21, 2017, 8:00pm (doors 7:30pm)
Where: Michael J Fox Theatre, 7373 Macpherson Ave, Burnaby
Tickets: Available online now
Featuring five illusionists (including two who have fooled Penn and Teller): Kelvin Ng, Wes Barker, Vitaly Beckman, Trevor and Lorena Watters.
“This is not your average magic show for children,” Kelvin Ng says.
“Youtube sensation Wes Barker has been seen on America’s got Talent, Vitaly Beckman has successfully fooled the world famous Penn and Teller and dynamic duo Trevor and Lorena are the North American Champions of Stage Magic. These guys are highly-trained, fantastically skilled illusionists, and the show has an air of suspense and theatricality that we think will surprise and amaze the audience.”
Kel, whose act has appeared on Fairchild TV, Fairchild Radio and Channel M, offers a combination of comedy and skillful sleight of hand that has left audiences spellbound and has successfully sold out shows at the Michael J. Fox Theatre and Massey Theatre in the past.
The proceeds of the show will contribute toward the YMCA’s annual campaign that focuses helping kids, youth, seniors, and adults to get access to community programs like swimming, high quality child care, education and after school programs that they wouldn’t be normally able to have access to on their own. Each ticket purchased will help fund families and help them grow in our community that will lead to healthier and happier lives.
Win Tickets
I have THREE pairs of tickets to give away to “M” The Magic Show to give away to one lucky reader. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Click below to get another entry by posting on Twitter:
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win tix to #MTheMagicShow w @vitalybeckman @ngcredible15 @trevorandlorena @StuntMagician http://ow.ly/eDgN30fPGq4″ quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw three winners at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Monday, October 16, 2017.
Update The winners are Michelle, @Kreative22, and Becky!
Touchstone Theatre, in association with Ruby Slippers Theatre and Diwali in BC, presents Happy Place by Pamela Mala Sinha.
Happy Place explores and celebrates the courage, compassion and humour of seven women living amidst each other in the most extraordinary of circumstances. Set in an in-patient centre for women dealing with trauma, Happy Place is a sincere and contemporary look at mental illness and the path to healing.
L-R Diane Brown, Nicola Cavendish, Sereana Malani, Adele Noronha, Laara Sadiq, Colleen Wheeler and Donna Yamomoto. Photo by Riun Garner.
Touchstone Theatre Presents Happy Place
Where: Firehall Arts Centre (280 E. Cordova St)
Tickets: Available online now
When: October 20 to 29, 2017
Preview October 19 at 8:00pm (only $17); Opening October 20 at 8:00pm; Tuesday at 7:00pm; Wednesday to Sat at 8:00pm; Saturdays & Sundays 3:00pm matinees; Wednesday, October 25 at 1:00pm (Pay What You Can Matinee); Tuesday, October 24 at 7:00pm
Touchstone’s fall production, the first of their 2017/18 season, is Happy Place by Pamela Mala Sinha. Touchstone’s Artistic Director Roy Surette makes his Directorial return for the company, supported by a top notch team of designers: Pam Johnson on Set, Christine Reimer on Costumes, Adrian Muir on Lights, with Original Music and Sound Design by Dorothy Dittrich.
Happy Place takes us into the experiences of seven women in an in-patient care facility, living together in the most extraordinary circumstances. Though each woman must navigate her own survival in a world that challenges that possibility, they are also the ones who teach one another how to live in a way no therapist ever could. Happy Place is a glimpse into lives filled with courage, compassion, humour and startling surprise; lives which, in many ways, are not so different from our own. Happy Place premiered in September 2015 at Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre.
The show features a cast of amazing Vancouver actresses with over 50 Jessie nominations and awards between them: Diane Brown (The Duchess a.k.a. Wallis Simpson, A Beautiful View), Nicola Cavendish (4000 Miles, Bakersfield Mist), Sereana Malani (Pericles, Valley Song), Adele Noronha (Brothel #9, Walt Whitman's Secret), Laara Sadiq (Brothel #9, The Penelopiad), Colleen Wheeler (Elizabeth Rex, Peter and the Starcatcher), Donna Yamamoto (5 @ 50, Salmon Row).
Win Tickets
I have a pair of tickets to give away for the performance Happy Place on October 24th. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Click below to get another entry by posting on Twitter:
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win tickets to @TouchstoneInVan & @rubysliptheatre’s Happy Place http://ow.ly/wCeW30fOBUl” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Wednesday, October 18, 2017.
Update The winner is Vivian!
The following has been contributed by Steffani Cameron, who is in the middle of a 5-year worldwide adventure that she is chronicling at FullNomad.com.
Waterfront Wines in Kelowna
When Chef Mark Filatow from Kelowna’s Waterfront Wines Restaurant heard that I was in town researching for a travel article on the Okanagan for the world’s largest cheese magazine, he invited me to come dine on a chef’s tasting menu.
Naturally, I told my Aunt Eileen to gussy-up with some loose pants, then we headed in for an early dinner.
For eight years in a row, Vancouver Magazine has awarded Chef Mark and Waterfront the Gold Award for Best Kelowna Restaurant. Soon, we’d learn why. “Eat local” is the raison d’etre at this hyper-local eatery. If it’s grown nearby and in season, it’ll be the star of the show. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
