The Vancouver Traveler » Family Fun

It’s That Time of the Year Again

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 06:32:59 +0000

With just under a month to go until that special day, this weekend is the kick off in Vancouver for all the Christmas Craft Fairs and family fun….so make sure you do not miss out!!

The West Coast Christmas Pet and Craft Fair, is running on the 29 – 30 of Nov. Kids and pets are welcome to the fair. Be sure to get your pictures taken with Santa Claus, and visit over 30 pet related booths, there is on-going entertainment with agility fun match, dogwood pacesetters, K9 Drill Team performing between 12pm – 12:30pm both days.

Come out and support the various rescue organizations. This will be taking place at the Cloverdale Agriplex….for more information call 604.534.2344

Photo Credit: sxc.hu

Post from: The Vancouver Traveler

Festival Of Lights

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:42:36 +0000

The Festival of Lights creates a magical wonderland throughout Vancouver’s VanDusen Botanical Garden.
Thousands of twinkling lights illuminate just about everything in the park and the Christmas carols that play in the backgound set the tone for the Dancing Light show.

But the highlight for everyone (especiallly the children) will be the stories told by Santa himself in his very own cozy living room, followed by special appearances by Christmas Elves or by the great Magician David Wilson.

flickr:keepitsurreal

The Festival of Lights will be running from December 5 until January 4 from 4:30pm til 9:30pm.

The VanDusen Botanical Garden will be closed Dec.25
Cost for addmission is adults $11; youth and seniors $8; children $6 or you can get a family ticket for $25.

Post from: The Vancouver Traveler

Hairspray

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 06:55:05 +0000

Get swept away to 1960’s Baltimore with the smash hit musical Hairspray!
Playing at The Center for Performing Arts in Vancouver from November 18th to 23rd.
Showtimes: Tues – Sat at 8pm ; Sundays at 7:30 ; with matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2pm
Tickets are $55 to $85 and can be purchase by calling 604.280.4444

The Center for the Performing Arts is located at 777 Homer St in Vancouver.

flickr:thesolaris5

Post from: The Vancouver Traveler

Vancouver Chariot Festival

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 16:36:03 +0000

Join the fun at the 35th Anniversary of the Vancouver Chariot Festival on August 10.
The parade will start at 11 am with three gigantic carts being pulled on huge wheels along Beach Avenue, ending on Second Beach.
At the end of the parade, you will be able to enjoy a free vegetarian feast, drama, cultural dance, music, face painting, clowns and a lot more for the whole family!
Admission is free and there will be a free shuttle bus service available along Beach Avenue.
For more information on this great family event, visit http://vanchariotfestival.com

photo credit – magnetas

Post from: The Vancouver Traveler

PNE’s Wooden Rollercoaster Celebrates 50 Years

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 16:11:16 +0000

The old wooden roller-coaster at the PNE celebrated it 50th birthday last month.
The roller-coaster is the most popular ride at Playland, despite the millions they spend on new rides every year.
Since the coaster is made of wood, instead of steel, the duration of the ride fluctuates depending on the time of day and the weather conditions. Rides at the end of the day are faster then those at the beginning because the tracks heat up as the coaster is used. As a result, ride times can vary up to 6 seconds, not much of a time difference, until you consider that the ride only last about 90 seconds!
Over the coaster 50 years, a few famous “bottoms” have graced those roller-coaster seats, including Mel Gibson, Johnny Depp, Adam Sandler, Bryan Adams, Alicia Silverstone, Mark Wahlberg and Kelly Osborne.
The American Coasters Enthusiasts Club(ACE) has designated Playland wooden roller-coaster an “ACE Coaster Classic”.

photo credit – L.Sunstrom

Post from: The Vancouver Traveler

Day Trips to the Gulf Islands

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:38:03 +0000

The Southern Gulf Islands make up one of the most ecologically distinctive and fragile areas in southern Canada.
They are beautiful, serene places, within relatively easy reach from Vancouver’s Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.

Galiano Island- The skinniest, driest and least agricultural of the islands, Galiano retains most of its unspoiled characteristics. You can spend hours spotting bald eagles, cormorants and gulls, and when the herring are running, California Sea Lions and the Killer Whales appear.

Mayne- A leisurely hike up Mount Peake yields splendid views, and on most days, you won’t see another person in sight! It definitely isn’t one of the more popular of the Gulf Islands, but if you are looking to spend some “alone time”, this is the island to go to.

Salt Spring- Locals have united over organic farming practices and with the huge artisan scene, the locals have created a lively arts and crafts experience for visitors. Rustic accommodations are available for around $60 a night. Salt Spring Island is probably the most popular of the Gulf Islands, but it is full of charm and well worth it for those who like to shopping and visiting with the locals.

Saturna- On the spectacular bluff walk east of Mount Warburton Pike, you’re likely to see feral goats, killer whales along the rocky shore and everyone waves at you as they drive by. Not many tourist travel here, so there is lots of open spaces to explore on your own.

Pender- Although people refer to Pender Island in the singular, there are actually two islands connected by a single lane bridge. North Pender, the most populous, is home to most of the islands 2400 residents and the Otter Bay ferry terminal. South Pender is mostly rolling farm land. Time moves slowly here, and you can spend you time on the sandy beach at Mortimer Spit or exploring hidden coves.

Getting There:
By Ferry – BC Ferries offer frequent service to the islands from the Tsawwassen ferry terminal. bcferries.com
By Air – Seair services all islands from YVR’s south terminal. seairseaplanes.com
Harbour air services Pender and Salt Spring islands with departures from downtown Vancouver and YVR’s south terminal. harbour-air.com

photo credit:
image 1
image 2
image 3

Post from: The Vancouver Traveler

Legend of Ogopogo

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:37:54 +0000

Over the years, the legend of Ogopogo has gained credibility as more and more sightings are reported.
Long ago, the Indians spoke of “N’ha-a-itk” who they referred to as a fierce lake monster that resided in Squally Point which is just 20 km south of Kelowna, in Vancouver’s Fraser Valley.
Descriptions vary, but certain characteristics have been used to describe Ogopogo over the decades.
Ogopogo is green, with a snake-like body and is about 25 meters long. Some have said his head looks like a horse, while others have reported it being reptilian and even goat like.
Some have claimed to have photographed the lake monster, but like the Loch Ness Monster, all those photographs have proved inconclusive.
Is it real or not?
Why not take a trip out to Kelown, which is about a 2.5 hour drive from Vancouver, and see for yourself!
It also a great place to find out more about “The Legend of Ogopogo“.

photo credit-sxc.hu

Post from: The Vancouver Traveler

HSBC Celebration of Light

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:00:12 +0000

Since 1990, Vancouver has been the host to this spectacular international fireworks competition.
Formally known as Benson & Hedges Symphony of Fire, competitions were held around the world, most notably in the Canadian cities of Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.
In 2000 the Canadian government restricted tobacco advertising and Benson & Hedges pulled out of their sponsorship of the million dollar event.
In 2001, the event was saved by HSBC Bank, BC Hydro Power Smart and the City of Vancouver.
The international event was renamed HSBC Celebration of Light, and this extremely popular event continues to light the skies over Vancouver’s English Bay, as three countries compete for the title!

The dates for this years competition are July 23, July 26 and August 2. The fireworks start at 10pm and last for about 30 minutes.
This is an extremely popular event, and downtown Vancouver streets around English Bay do get closed down. So plan ahead and make your way down to English Bay early, as parking will be almost impossible to find (busing might be a good alternative). Our family usually heads down to the area around 4pm and enjoys the beach, shopping and the vast array of food in the area…a great way to make a day of it!!

For more information check out the website at www.celebration-of-light.com

photo credit – sxc.hu

Post from: The Vancouver Traveler

Greater Vancouver Zoo

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 01:02:00 +0000

The Greater Vancouver Zoois located in the Fraser Valley community of Aldergrove, just off the Trans-Canada Highway.
Hundreds of animals from all over the world are on exhibit including lions, tigers, hippos, leopards, giraffes and zebras. There is a North American exhibit with grizzlies, Vancouver Island wolves, bison, moose, elk and the world’s only albino black bear.
You can hop aboard the Safari Express Train which will give you a 15 minute full narrated tour of the park, and is great fun for the entire family.

It is easy to spend the entire day here and there is something that will excite every member of your family, it is definitely worth the drive out there!

Visit their websit at Greater Vancouver Zoo , they have a fantastic website full of information and beautiful pictures!

image credit – sxc.hu

Post from: The Vancouver Traveler

Splashdown Water Park

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:54:58 +0000

Greater Vancouver’s only water-slide park offers advanced, intermediate and children’s slides. There is a slide there for everyone depending on your experience or your “scare” level.
Their advanced slides come with names like “Oliver Twist”, the “Kamikazi” or the “Corkscrew”, all which offer 425 feet of twists, turns and thrills.
If you like speed, give the “Whipper Snapper” a try, its 395 feet with less turns and a great straight down section where you can get some serious speed!
There is inner-tubing and children’s pools which have 5 slides available.
The water is kept at a temperature between 25 and 29 degrees.
Splashdown Water Park is the place to be on those warm summer days…so why not pack up the family and spend the day having fun in the water!
Splashdown also has a full concession which features pizzas, salads, sandwiches and burgars. BBQ rentals are also avaliable, as is rentals of various sport equipment, life jackets and umbrellas (incase of one of those sudden rain showers).

Splashdown Water Park is located by the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal.
For more information and admission fees visit their website at splashdownpark.ca

image credit – sxc.hu

Post from: The Vancouver Traveler