Ukee, Tofino & Victoria

Our last week in Vancouver and Western Canada was spent with Cass and Pete who, along with Alyssa, came camping with us on "The Island" as the locals say. We packed up our Dodge Caravan, and headed for Ucluelet, a tiny town about 30 minutes south of Tofnio. It's not an easy place to get too, but it's well worth the trip. It was a 2hr ferry ride from Vancouver, then a 4hr drive. Once you get out of Nanaimo, the city in which you dock, it's a beautiful drive. There are huge lakes where you can camp, and do lots of water sports. The whole drive was hot, and sunny, until we entered out campground.

We had to wheelbarrow our stuff to the campsite! It's not as fun as you think.

Apparently, there is something called a 'Fog Zone', which is where Ucluelet and Tofino lie. Everyone was saying how beautiful Tofino is, but they forgot to mention that even in the middle of Summer, it's freezing! We didn't go anywhere without layers. Cass and Alyssa recognised the area in which we were camping as a 'Twilight look-alike' and it turns out, some of the movie was shot in and around the surrounding Tofino area.

We were only there for 3 nights, but it was beautiful. We saw 4 killer whales from our camp site, which was incredible. We went to the beach which you couldn't actually swim in as it was freezing (unless you were one of the crazy locals), made smores, and just hung out. It was the best way to spend out last remaining days in BC.

Enjoying our first beer!

View from our tent 

Panoramic views

 

Enjoying drinks from our beach front Campsite 

Alyssa taught us how to make Smores!

I'm now stepping a little back in time to April when we headed to Victoria, the Capital of British Columbia with Sam and Daniel. We went there for a night, which is actually quite a long way to travel for such a short time. It took about 4-5 hours to get there by public transport, which involved, a bus, a train, a boat and another bus. It was really fun though. It was a smaller town than I expected, but it had old, beautiful buildings. We went to a few breweries, but because of BC's crazy liquor laws, we weren't able to buy beers from the brewery, but we were able to have 'free samples' and fill our growlers. There wasn't that much to do there, just the main touristy things. We walked around downtown, looked at some old buildings but the highlight of the trip was probably going to the Butchart Gardens which isn't actually in Victoria.

The Butchart Gardens were beautiful. It's a year round garden that is open to visitors and has seasonal flowers. When we went, it was tulip season, and I have not ever seen such a wide variety of tulips. They have a Rose Garden, and Japanese Gardens too, which would be beautiful when in season.

Parliament Building in Victoria

Craigdarroch Castle

Tulips, Butchart Gardens

Weeping Heart, Butchart Gardens

Tulips

Butchart Gardens

Pansies, Butchart Gardens

Butchart Gardens

Guide to living in (or visiting) Vancouver

We have had quite a few questions and requests about where to live and what to do in Vancouver, either for a week or for living. So, instead of thinking of all the things, many times, I thought I would just create this blog for all to browse.

1. Get a bike

2. Get a big lock to lock up your bike, otherwise, it will get stolen!

3. Get a rain coat - you will need it (especially in Winter) 

Enough of that. 

What to do if you're making the big move:

• Sign up for the Vancouver Ultimate League (VUL)...it will change your life and you'll (hopefully) make great friends.
• Jump on craigslist and find a job, a unit, a bike and anything and everything you could ever want
• Go to ScotiaBank and tell the bank teller you are new in town, and they will give you a bank account with no fees and free movies!
• Go and get your SIN number, so you can work.
• Follow boredinvancouver.com and it will tell you everything that's going on for the week.

Where to live: (check out this useful map)

• Preferably near a skytrain, buses pretty much suck, trains are awesome and come every 3-6 minutes (at least they do on the Canada line).
• Don't live around Main & East Hastings. 
• As suburbs go, Kitsilano is pretty good. Very close to beach and shops - lacks a train line
• Yaletown - lovely neighbourhood, probably a little more pricey but has easy access to shops within walking distance 
• Mt Pleasent suburb (from Cambie St & Broadway - Clark)  - the name says it all. It's a great area with hipsters and very trendy stores, coffee places, it's safe and you can't really go wrong.
• Commercial Drive Skytrain, VCC skytrain - again, a very trendy hipster area.

If you are looking for a cheaper option, there is nothing wrong with Burnaby. Sure, it may take you a little extra time to get into the city, but it's a great area, with great people. Unless you live near great public transport, you may need a car. 

Craft Beers:

Step 1: Buy a growler. Step 2: Check out this map of Vancouver Breweries. Personal favourites: 33 acres & Parallel 49. If you go to a pub, you should definitely try Fat Tug IPA it's brewed on Vancouver Island and is delicious.

Food & Food Trucks & Coffee

Here is a great list of all the food trucks that are available and open. Personal favourites: Aussie Pie Guy (this is where I worked, it's great and delicious pies that taste like the real deal!), Tacofino have the best fish tacos ever, Disco Cheetah have delicious Korean Fusion tacos, Kaboom Box have a delicious Salmon Sandwich. If you want breakfast/brunch, hit up Yolks (food truck or commissary). Also, Twisted Fork  have a delicious menu and will not disappoint.

• If you want a delicious sandwich, hit up Meat & Bread.
• If you want delicious Poutine, go to Fritz European Fry House.
• If you want a Bagel with Salmon Cream Cheese Spread, go to Sally's Bagels.
• Don't go to starbucks, go to Tim Hortons. 
• For a (much) better coffee, hit up 49th Parallel (be sure to get a donut), Elysian, Matchstick & Revolver.
• If you want a delicious tea, be sure to find a Davids Tea. They are a Canadian company with more than 120 different teas. I also worked for this company while in Vancouver and they do to go teas or loose leaf to you can buy and enjoy in the comfort of your own home.

Hiking in (and around) Vancouver:

There are so many hikes you can do, don't waste one summers day without going outside and hitting up a hike. Do the Grouse Grind for a challenge, go to Deep Cove for a beautiful view. Just go to Vancouver Trails and explore the endless possibilities, or for the top 10 check out this guy's blog. Personal favourites: Grouse grind, the Chief & St Marks Summit

Deep Cove Hike

View from the Chief

Winter

Yes, it's cold, at least it was for my Aussie skin, but it's beautiful. Buy the appropriate winter gear, and you won't have an issue. There is a store in Vancouver called Sports Junkie, and they sell second hand snow gear. It will snow maybe a couple times a year, for a day or two. Nothing compared to the rest of Canada.

• Buy a rain jacket, you'll need it.
• Ski at Grouse Mountain after work, slopes are open til 10pm.
• Snow show at Cypress or Seymour Mountain, it's really fun.
• Go to Whistler if you have a car, or just catch the bus.

Snowshoeing at Cypress

Summer

• Hike
• Go to Vancouver Island and camp in Tofino, or check out the beautiful gardens near Victoria.
• Go explore the Rockies
• Explore the Okanagan
• Hit up Portland and Seattle. It's super close for a weekend trip. Either rent a car, or go on the Amtrak or Greyhound.

What to do in Vancouver (Touristy things)

• Get that bike you bought (or hired) and ride around the sea wall - the whole way, even if it's raining. You'll love it. 
• Stop in at Stanley Park on your ride, go to the Aquarium if that is what you wish (we never did, so I can't say if it's worth it)
• Stop in at Science World on the bike ride too, again, we didn't do it so we can't say if it's good or bad. 
• Beaches: Check out English Bay, Kitsilano Beach & Jericho Beach. If you want to take off your pants then hit up Wreck Beach.
• Granville Island or Lonsdale Quay Market
• If you want to pay $30 go to Capilano Suspension bridge, if you want a free suspension bridge that is just a nice and beautiful with a nice lake, go to Lynn Valley.
• Hit up Gastown, it's got pretty cobblestone roads, and a steam clock.
• At 8.59pm, stop everything, go outside and listen for the 9 o'clock cannon. 
• Go to a Giant's game, it's just as entertaining, and cheaper than the Canucks.

Lynn Valley

Giants game

That's it for now. I may even add some photos at a later time, but in the mean time, watch this.

Rocky Mountains - Frozen & Thawed

The Strelan blog is finally back! We have done so much over the last few months that I haven't had a chance to write about what we have been doing. We have been lucky enough that both my parents and Michael's parents have been able to come to Canada and share some really special adventures with us. Although my parents came a few weeks before the Strelans, we were able to drive to the Rockies with both of them and each time was an unbelievable experience. I'm going to combine both trips into the one blog, so don't get confused...

The first time we went was around mid-May. If you're ever planning a trip to the Rocky mountains around that time, the lakes will be frozen! Although they were frozen, they were still unbelievable. The second time we went with the Strelans (mid-late June) and between that time, all the lakes thawed completely.

Our main destination was the Icefield Parkway. It's about a 250km road that stretches from Banff/Lake Louise to Jasper throughout the Canadian Rockies. Every corner produces another breathtaking view, whether it's a glacier, an incredible lake, waterfall or animal - it's almost impossible to get bored on this road.

Here are a few pictures of my favourite spots on and around the Parkway, frozen & thawed.

Hiked up Sulphur Mountain in Banff, didn't realise it would be so snowy.

The hike was tough, but the views are spectacular!

Caught the Gondola down :)

Peyto Lake in May - Frozen

Peyto Lake in June - Thawed

Bow Lake - May

Bow Lake - June

Jumping on Lake Louise - May

Lake Louise - June

Athabasca Glacier

Takakkaw Falls - Yoho National Park

Beaver!

There is so much to between Jasper and Banff, I could upload a million photos. We saw Elk, Grizzly Bears, Black Bears and cubs, Pikas, Chipmunks, Squirrels, Coyotes - We did quite a few hikes the first time we went, as we had more time. If you enjoy hiking, this is a wonderful place. If you enjoy small strolls to see lakes and viewpoints, it's also a wonderful place. I always thought I would love the Rocky Mountains, and I did!! Canada, you're pretty incredible! I'll leave you with my favourite Lake, only available to do after the ice has melted around June.

Lake Morraine

Stay tuned for the next blog: Alaska!!

Our Whistler Ski Trip.

We have finally ventured further than an hour of out Vancouver, and I never want to leave. It's official, Canada has stolen my heart. Michael and I, along with Justin (aka. our chauffeur & friend from back home who is now living in Vancouver), headed to Whistler over the weekend and the drive alone is breathtaking. The snow covered mountains surround by the beautiful lakes line the highway and makes the 1 and a half hour drive fly by.

The drive to Whistler

It was a perfect weekend for a ski trip. The mountain opened its Gondolas 2 weeks early, the price was cheaper because of the limited opened slopes, there weren't as many people around and best of all the forecast was sunny! We drove up Saturday morning, hired our gear, rode the Gondola up the mountain for half an hour and by the time we hit the slopes it was about 11am.

Whistler, view from the top of the Gondola.

For those of you who don't know, I'm not much of a skier or boarder. I tried my luck back in 2007 in Switzerland, in the most amazing town ever and failed horribly. So, needless to say I was extremely nervous about giving it another go. I ended up doing 3 runs. I was keen for the family zone, which was explained to us as a nice, green run, perfect for beginners.

What they didn't tell us is that to get to the family zone, you have to go down what felt like a section of a black run due to it's vertical cliff. In reality, it was a pretty steep hill, but for a nervous beginner, not being able to see the space between the top and bottom of the hill wasn't at all appealing. This is where my memories of my previous skiing experience came flooding back. I remember trying to go down hills and loosing control. Falling over, and not being able to get back up, or get my shoe clipped back in mid slope. I remember taking my ski's off and walking down the hill and thinking that I would be stuck on the mountain forever, because there is no way I could ski down to the Gondola.

Michael, geared up and ready to go!

The first run started well. I was slow, Michael and Justin were very patient, and apart from having to side step down 1 section of the run, it was good. I fell over once or twice, got back up and kept on going, slowly. Towards the end I was getting faster and a little more comfortable with the ski's.

Our second run was the exact same run as the first but we kept on going, further down the mountain to the second Gondola stop. Apart from the terrifying hill at the top, this run was great. I was getting really comfortable going down the slopes. I felt comfortable turning, slowing down, when I lost control I didn't stress out, it was great. We got to the bottom of the slope and the boys said I was doing great, I felt great and thought, I should leave it here. I've had a great experience, lets not ruin that, but the boys were like, you're doing great, lets do 1 more run.

View from the top.

Top of the Whistler Gondola, looking to Blackcomb

Lesson of the weekend: Listen to your gut! A new trail opened that afternoon, the Pony run. It was described as one of the easiest green runs on the mountain. It was awful. There were quite a few moguls on the downhill sections.The boys were loving them on their boards, but for me, it was tough to ski on. As I tried to turn, one ski's would go half way up a mogul, my other ski was further down, and all of a sudden I was on the ground. This happened numerous times, and to make things worse I was having real issues getting my foot back in the skis. It was so frustrating. By the end of the run I felt like I had been used as a punching bag. I had stacked it repeatedly. I had fallen on my side, on my butt, on my belly face down the mountain, pretty much every way. My legs were aching because at times my feet weren't releasing from the ski's as I fell which, can get them pretty twisted and sore. All my confidence that I gained by the end of the second run was gone and my memories of disliking skiing were back, more prominent than ever.

More amazing views of Whistler.

Although I had a bad experience on that third run, I still had fun. The second run was great and I really did enjoy giving it another go. The views also made up for every bad moment. It was amazing, being out there in the mountains, it was just so beautiful!

The mountains close around 4 so we headed back to our hotel, got warm and went out for some well deserved beers. The town of Whistler is a really cute ski village. There is a main section that is pedestrian only, and it's a pretty good vibe.

Overall, an amazing trip. I'm glad I skied, I would most likely do it again but other recreational activities such as saunas and outdoor heat tubs and heated pools sound just as amazing!

View from Whistler Village

Small lake, frozen over in the village.

Bottom of the slopes, in Whistler Village.