“Were you here when they made the movie,” one traveler asked. “I’m sorry to burst your bubble but they didn’t do most of the filming here,” the woman at the gift shop replied. If you’ve seen Close Encounters of the Third Kind you know exactly what the Devils Tower National Monument is, and its significance in pop culture. I had not seen the 1977 Steven Spielberg film but John made sure to rectify that situation when we returned home after our long Midwest road trip this spring.

The iconic and evocative natural structure, also known as Bear’s Tipi or Bear’s Lodge to local tribes, was a new-to-me attraction and I’m glad we stopped by when we made our way through Wyoming from South Dakota.

Devils Tower was the first declared United States National Monument, established on September 24, 1906, by President Theodore Roosevelt.

“It protrudes out of the rolling prairie surrounding the Black Hills and is considered sacred to the Lakota and many other tribes that have a connection to the area. Hundreds of parallel cracks make it one of the finest traditional crack climbing areas in North America. Devils Tower entices us to explore and define our place in the natural and cultural world.”

Tips for Visiting Devils Tower

• Stop into the visitor centre: Check out the displays and get some back story & history before venturing out around the monument.
• If you are rock climbing: Always report to the ranger station to register. The national park asked climbers to voluntarily not climb throughout the month of June as it’s a culturally significant time for local American Indian tribes. The tower plays an important role around the time of the solstice.
• Wear comfortable walking shoes: I read that the path was paved so I wore flip flops but there are still small rocks and pine needles everywhere so clothes-toed shoes would be ideal.
• Take photos: We arrived in the morning so the view from the parking lot on the west side was washed out by sunlight, casting shadows on the tower. Wait until you’re around the east side to get some good shots, with the sun bathing the rock face.

Along the south side of the tower, there is a side trail that takes you up to a lookout to view the original stake ladder that was first constructed and used in 1893 by William Rogers and Willard Ripley to publicly ascend Devils Tower. There are viewing tubes to spot the ladder but many visitors (myself included) couldn’t make it out through the tube. Instead I zoomed my camera lens at the same approximate pitch as the tube and blindly took photos. I later examined my zoomed shots and I did manage to capture the ladder:

There is a lot of history at this spectacular monument, and a lot of information to take in. Make sure you allow for at least two hours to explore, although I think you’ll need about four. Our quick stop was about 90 minutes and we could have spent much more time there. Arrive early, we were there at 10:00am, since by the time we left there was a line of cars at the ranger checkpoint at the entrance.

Connect on social media, I did and the national park shared my photo of John on their Instagram account. Follow along on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. If you’re visiting a national park in the USA this summer, use tag #FindYourPark and #NPS100. View the rest of my road trip photos on Flickr and Instagram.

The YWCA Women of Distinction Awards were held in Vancouver last night, hosted by the YWCA of Metro Vancouver at the Vancouver Convention Centre West. Over 1,300 guests, dignitaries, and nominees were in attendance to celebrate over 80 women who were nominated for awards this year.

“To strong women:
May we know them, may we raise them, may we be them”
~ Chrysabelle @YWCAVAN

Along with a live and silent auction, three-course dinner, raffle, and of course the awards ceremony, there were also speakers on behalf of the YWCA featured in a touching video. One of the video segments featured Chrysabelle, who has been a member of the Support Group for Single Mothers. Her story showed perseverance and resilience, and she encouraged everyone in the room to donate to the YWCA.

As a result of her efforts, the volunteers, the other women in the video, the live auction (where a stay at the Loden Penthouse and club tickets to Adele went for a whopping $8,000) and the amazing atmosphere at the event, over $83,000 was raised for the YWCA last night.

YWCA Women of Distinction Award Winners

13 awards were handed out last night, here is each of the winners and their category:

• Connecting the Community Award: Traci Costa (Peekaboo Beans)
• Outstanding Workplace: Peekaboo Beans
• Young Woman of Distinction: Zoya Jiwa
• Research, Sciences: Patricia Janssen of UBC
• Public Service: Kathy Kinloch of BCIT
• Non-Profit: Ann Alexander of PLEA (Pacific Legal Education Association)
• Health, Wellness: Dr Shimi Kang
• Environmental, Sustainability: Amanda Pitre-Hayes of City of Vancouver (Greenest City)
• Entrepreneurship, Innovation: Lotte Davis of AG Hair
• Education, Training, Development: Penny Gurstein of UBC SCARP (School of Community and Regional Planning)
• Community Champion: Marcia Nozick of EMBERS Vancouver (Eastside Movement for Business and Econoic Renewal Society)
• Business & the Professions: Sue Paish of Life Labs
• Arts, Culture, Design: Artemis Gordon of Arts Umbrella

“You’ve got to get up every morning with a smile on your face, and show the world all the love in your heart.” ~ Sue Paish quoted Carol King.

YWCA Metro Vancouver is dedicated to achieving women’s equality. Their mission is to touch lives and build better futures for women and their families through advocacy and integrated services that foster economic independence, wellness and equal opportunities. Follow the YWCA of Vancouver on Facebook and Twitter for more information.

The flagship store of Canada’s largest sporting goods retailer, Sport Chek, has touched down in Vancouver on the corner of Robson Street and Howe. This 53,000 square foot sports destination provides three floors of innovative retail space in the heart of downtown.

Sport Chek on Robson Street

Features of the new store include:

• Motion activated screens, a Sport Chek first, which trigger real-time content based on movement
• A Golf Virtual Department Kiosk, providing recommended products based on the individual customer’s needs and abilities
• In-store eCommerce on associate tablets and in 55” and 75” displays, leveraging the full functionality of the Sport Chek website to offer an expanded product selection to shoppers
• LED Ribbons on the 2nd and 3rd floors which can be seen from Robson Square keeping sports fans up-to-date on the latest scores
• State of the art shop-in-shops from top brands including Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, Fitbit and GoPro offering customers an unparalleled assortment of the latest products
• Art installations immersing shoppers in creative displays inspired by sport

Enhancing the community around it through programs and activities, the new flagship will be the first Sport Chek store to offer a Training Club designed to help athletes train for their sport activity, with support from neighbouring UBC.

Win a $200 Gift Card

To celebrate the flagship opening, I have a $200 Sport Chek gift card to give away to one lucky Miss604 reader. Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

I will draw one winner at random from all entries on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 at 12:00pm. Follow Sport Chek on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more information.

Update The winner is Heidi P

A street festival in the heart of Vancouver’s Little Italy with a theme of “Let’s Eat!” what more could you ask for? On Sunday, June 12th, enjoy Italian Day on the Drive, a free celebration of Italian culture and the contributions made to Vancouver by Italian immigrants and their children.

As a sponsor of Italian Day on the Drive, car2go will be on site with a member appreciation event to simultaneously celebrate their 5th anniversary in Vancouver. Visit the car2go Pit Stop on The Drive at Gravely with Italian inspired food for the first 1,000 members, a member lounge with beats from DJ Gab, and an opportunity for you to score some free drive time.

Italian Day on the Drive

Where: Sunday, June 12, 2016 from 12:00pm to 8:00pm
When: Commercial Drive, spanning from Venables to Grandview Cut

This vibrant cultural street festival is a community driven event, attracting over 300,000 people and spanning 13 blocks along Commercial Drive in a day long celebration, while showcasing all that is Italian to Vancouver’s multi-cultural community of all ages.

Vancouver’s largest cultural street festival will have several Italian piazzas with a consortium representing language, culture, cooking schools, and agri-product conversations. Representation will include the Consulate General of Italy, the Italian Chamber of Commerce, Il Centro and the Italian Ministry of Education. An essence of Italia right in the heart of East Vancouver.

There will be three separate stages and several DJ music tents with highlight performances from local Italo-Canadian music celebrities, Federico Fuoco and Carmelina Cupo on the 2nd Ave Main Stage. On the Grant Street Stage, programming by Il Centro (Italian Culture Centre) will include jazz, theatre, and opera featuring the Cory Weeds Quartet and the Vancouver and City Operas. In Grandview Park, complimenting a large food and family activity piazza, entertainment on the Amphitheatre Park Stage will range from theatre, to live music, to contests and more.

car2go at Italian Day

car2go is an entire fleet of free-floating, low-emission, self-service smart fortwo cars distributed all over the city. Its tech-friendly booking makes it a great option for getting out and about to enjoy Vancouver. For easy parking, hop in a car2go and head to their Britannia Community Services Centre Drop Zone conveniently located at 1583 William St. Drop Zone hours of operation will coincide with Italian Day’s festival hours.

Not a member yet? Be sure to take advantage of my sign-up offer that includes free registration and 15 minutes of drive time* this summer. Use the code C2G15 before Italian Day.

*Restrictions and fees may apply. Registration deal/code is valid 5/2/2016- 6/19/2016.
Offer only valid in Vancouver until June 19th, 2016. One redemption per member. Drive time will be valid in Vancouver for 45 days from the date of issuance. This offer is not redeemable for cash or other credit.

Follow car2go on Facebook and Twitter for more information about the service in your area.

Join a free celebration of your community at Surrey Doors Open! This is the 5th annual, self-guided tour that takes you to unique places and spaces found throughout Cloverdale, Grandview Heights, Newton and City Centre.

Surrey Doors Open

On Saturday, June 18, 2016 from 10:00am to 3:00pm, discover activities for all ages, scout out local food trucks, enjoy live entertainment and take a photo to remember your day at a selfie station.

Check out the state-of-the-art Surrey Operations Centre, get a behind-the-scenes tour of City Hall, and take a stroll through the blooming gardens at Darts Hill Garden Park. Get around to these venues and more with our hop-on, hop-off trollies.

Trolley Routes

The inspiration for Surrey’s Doors Open stems from origins in France where the first Doors Open event (La Journee Portes Ouvertes) took place in 1984. The idea soon spread to neighbouring countries and has since expanded around the globe.

Toronto was the first North American city to follow the European lead and launched a high profile event showcasing constructed heritage, architecture and design as a millennium project in 2000. The City of Richmond has hosted the event over the last 4 years, and has grown their community involvement to over 50 open sites throughout Richmond. [History of Doors Open]

Check out the full list of Doors Open Sites, the Doors Open Site Map, and find out how you can get to Doors Open locations on June 18th.

Visit the Honeybee Centre, the Surrey Museum, Redwood Park, the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society, Surrey Animal Resource Centre, Surrey City Hall, and more! Follow the City of Surrey on Twitter and Facebook using the tag #SurreyDoorsOpen.