A Hidden Gem with a Big Heart!…read more We absolutely loved our ride on the Plover! For a very small price, you get a truly unique experience and a beautiful view of Blaine from the water. I went with my daughter and my young grandson--it was his very first time on a boat, and now he's totally hooked! The captain went out of his way to make it extra special for him, and I'm so grateful to the entire crew for making us feel so welcome. It's clear this little boat has a big heart. We'll definitely be riding again many times next summer! The ride between Semiahmoo and Blaine is smooth and scenic. It's just a short, easy walk to the resort and restaurant in Semiahmoo, and in Blaine, you're steps away from waterfront dining and charming shops. Don't miss this special experience. We love the Plover!

If you missed Disney's jungle cruise and wondered what a cannery themed one might be like, look no…read morefurther. This quaint water taxi is not fast, it's not got witty banter and it's not on rails but the captain and crew are kid friendly and there are seals and lots of birds. Take some time and enjoy a charming ferry ride.

I always thought Lafarge Lake lights would be the same every year! But I was wrong there's some new…read morestuff they add each time ^^ so it was refreshing to see, it's a cute date idea for free to do with friends or luved ones

We come here once a year. Usually during Christmas/holiday season it's super busy and hard to park…read moreat. This year we decided to go after the holiday season since the weather was nice. Way less people which made the whole thing more enjoyable. Love that they have lots of photo stations and that there are warming stations.

I had a amazing experience at Kensington Prairie Farm in (Alderbridge) Langley BC yesterday! The…read morestaff were very friendly and explained pretty much all the animals behaviours and where are the from. There are interactive experiences such as feeding and petting thr Llamas and alpacas! There are many other animals to see too such as pigs, goose, roosters, camels and turkey! There is a lot of things to see such as Easter egg hunting and the upcoming Shearing event for the alpacas and llamas. Don't forget to visit the gift shop as there are many clothes and knitting items made from the wool of alpacas and Llamas!

OMG this is such a cute farm! They have an informative tour every Saturday morning where you feed…read moredifferent groups of alpaca and listen to their stories. There're a bunch of moments and corner where you can take a photo with those cute creatures. You will need to send an email to register for the tour but if you register on Friday like me and didn't hear back from them, don't worry. My group still head there and they are happy to let us join as long as we sent them the register email. After the tour you will go in the store to wash your hands and pay for the tour (which is around 10bucks). The store has a bunch of alpaca wool stuff like scarf, socks, hoodie, cardigan, etc. and even wool for you to make your own stuff. The products inside the store may come from the alpaca here or from Peru, so look for the tag to check. They sometimes have a day of shaving all their alpacas and let the public join, so watch out for those fun activities. There are some parking lots right outside the store but not a tons.

My friends and I stopped here for a pre-hike coffee and a treat. I don't have any photos of this…read morebut inside there are tons of other wonderful things. If you're looking for some handmade soap or some other crafty items this is a place for you. A wonderful place to find items to bring home if you need souvenirs for loved ones. I got a latte and two different squares. The coffee was very tasty and rich in flavor. I tried the lemon Square and the blueberry square. I have to say the lemon square was the winner. It had such a nice zest to it with the delicious lemon curd.

Coffee, snacks, and gifts galore! We took a small detour when we were hiking around Lynn Canyon and…read morefound ourselves here in need of an energy boost! I'm so glad we stopped by for coffee, energy drinks, and a restroom break. We also ended up finding several cute gifts for my nephew - they have an extensive kids section full of educational games and toys. The gals working here were friendly and helpful, too! The coffee was tasty and things were not overpriced as one might expect them to be in a neighborhood such as this!

On the southeast False Creek seawall, just east of the Cambie Bridge, is the strangest, coolest art…read moreinstallation around. (It's actually visible from the Cambie Bridge if you are walking across it. It's practically right below the bridge, just off a bit to the side, if you're looking toward the Science Center, close to the VPD parking lot site). In truth, I had passed this structure many times before really noticing it, as it's comprised of large neon letters that spell out "SHOULD I BE WORRIED?" atop of a wooden support beam, and these wooden planks blend in with the craggy site at the shoreline here below the bridge (and of course the neon letters aren't illuminated during the daytime hours). So it's easy to miss during the day. Then, one day, I noticed the sentence atop the beams and now I am fixated on this piece whenever I pass it, when I walk on the seawall in this area between Athlete's Village and Spyglass Place, or when I cross the Cambie Bridge on foot. I keep on wondering, SHOULD I be worried? Should I? And, if so, about WHAT, exactly? There are so many possible stressors to worry about. Should I worry about them all? Prioritize them? Just deal with a few? Or perhaps not worry at all? To me, this work is both whimsical and provocative and it really makes me wonder what exactly should I be worrying about. It's simultaneously humorous and serious. It both blends in to its environment (by way of the rough, unfinished wooden support structure) and it also stands out (by way of the neon letters). In so many ways, it embodies dichotomies and contrasts. One can appreciate it at face value or one can ruminate on its possible deeper meanings. This piece was installed here fairly recently, in 2017, and the artist, Justin Langlois, is a professor and associate dean at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design. He was/is concerned with many of Vancouver's social and economic issues, and his art reflects that. Should we be worried? Check out this art piece, and you tell me! *NOTE: FYI I did not take the awesome photo of this art installation; rather, it is a stock photo, found online on multiple sites (including the City of Vancouver's official site, under its public art tab, and also online in every article about this art piece). So don't think I'm such a great photographer! My photos are usually blurred, or of my hands obscuring the lens...

The City of Vancouver, as part of its every-other-year Biennale, commissions artists to bring their…read morecreativity to the city. Installed in March 2015 in eastern Vancouver, the Trans-Am Totem has quickly become the great BC city's must-sees. I won't get into all the possible interpretations and grad-schooleque "merging of consumerism and nature" or "metaphor of recurring consumerism" or "throwaway consumer culture" talk and just give a run-down. Located near the Georgia Viaduct, Vancouver artist Marcus Bowcott has given us a 33-foot (10 m)-high, 25,000-pound (11,340 kg) sculpture. Simply put, it's a stump of an old-growth cedar tree topped with five cars. At the top is the car that gives this sculpture its name: a 1981 Pontiac Trans Am. Then there's a BMW 7 Series, a Honda Civic, a Volkswagen Golf Mk1 Cabriolet, and a Mercedes-Benz ... all donated by a local scrapyard. While the Trans Am Totem is perfectly viewable while driving down the road, I highly recommend parking and viewing it up close and personal ... it really accentuates the experience. Its location on a grassy median where Pacific Boulevard turns into Quebec Street does not make up-close viewing ideal, but well worth the extra effort. One of great things about modern art is the capability of grand scope ... it took gigantic moving trucks to get everything here and cranes with a construction crew to get it all in place. It's a real site to see!

I pass this sculpture regularly and, like Seattle's "Freemont Troll" or "Gum Alley", this towering…read moretotem pole is definitely a whimsical oddity of sorts, one that people either love or detest. Personally, I love it. I think it funky and odd and comical. Until fairly recently, the headlights on the uppermost vehicle lit up at night. I'm not sure why they no longer do so, but I hope the City fixes this minor issue, as this feature truly enhances the novelty of the work when viewed at nighttime. I've read a few articles about this piece in the past year. I had no idea how controversial this totem pole was; many people take offense at the use of an indigenous people's symbol (the totem pole), used in a contemporary, artsy, funky way. I guess it's not PC to use indigenous symbols in art in this way. I guess this work is polarizing (emphasis on "pole" - get it? My weak attempt at humor here!). In my opinion, any artwork worth its weight in salt elicits dialogue and conversation and debate. In this way, I think this work is successful. Another note to pass on: I read that this totem pole is going to be moved this year to another location (as yet to be decided). So if you're interested in checking this eclectic piece out, I'd recommend doing so soon before it's moved to God-knows-where.

One of the really cool quirky (and pagan) festivals in the East Side. Not sure how to describe…read morethis event, other than that it really brings the community together, and one can really feel the free-spirited culture of the Drive here. Parking here is pretty horrendous for the event. SkyTrain is your best bet. For 2014, the organizers set a path (loop) around Britannia high school, so it's pretty easy to hit all of the "exhibits". People are all dressed up, and there is definitely something there with all the spiritual stuff going on. There is a station where you can write down your fears on a piece of paper, then toss it into a nearby fire pit, symbolically burning them away. Great place to reflect on what's holding you back in life. The crowd is quite eclectic, and one can really feel the energy and excitement in the air. Certain parts of the event have a bit of a Blair Witch type feel (strangely-dressed actors acting like they're possessed), but everything here is safe. This event really has to be experienced. My review can't do it justice.

Parade of the Lost Souls is organized by the Public Dreams Society…read more(http://www.yelp.ca/biz/public-dreams-society-vancouver), but I really feel it deserves it's only piece of the Local Flavor pie. My favorite Vancouver event, Parade of the Lost Souls evokes traditions from the Mexican Day of the Dead festivities and Halloween. For one night (the Saturday preceding Halloween), Commercial Drive shuts down and costumed locals parade through the streets dancing as a celebration of life and death. Think four blocks of crazy costumes, bands, light shows, food vendors, and friendly folk. People who live on and around the Drive decorate with amazing creativity and the community comes out to support this treasured event. My tips? Get there early and start wandering, it's a must to dress in a costume (say my rules), and take your camera.

On top of this 30 story building is the Vancouver Harbor Control Tower for the float plane's…read morelanding and taking off on the Burrard Inlet. This control tower is the tallest in the world.. The building's many retailers provide unparalleled views of Vancouver Bay & Stanley Park.

In the summer, it's the go-to place for munching on your lunch and enjoy the North Shore views…read more In the fall, you avoid this b/c there's no shelter from the rain lol. Quite open and a lot of ppl don't realize the upper level that leads over to the Seabus terminal side. Historically, it's been here for decades with the Province/The Vancouver Sun as well-known tenants. Built right above the train tracks. Aqua Riva sadly went belly up too a few years back, now it's the high-end Miku taking over.

I liked how in the city center where all the business are located had free parking in the area…read more Unlimited on Sundays or weekdays after 6 pm and weekdays and Saturday between 8 am to 6 pm limited to 2 hours. It really helps foot traffic and businesses here. Especially most of the businesses are small mom and pop stores. The city is super clean and it was very calming to walk around. I really liked City of White Rock. I also found that some of the stores in the city center are very unique and interesting to window shop or even to go in and have a peak.

City of White Rock is stepping up all necessary precautionary steps to prevent any large groups…read moregathering during this Easter Long Weekend, and they are doing a great job! Kudos to all the staffs for the planning and exercising of the new rules during this difficult time! Traffic is smooth and all parks have limited their parking capacities, signs are everywhere to remind "Social Distancing", local police and securities are patrolling parks, beaches to make sure the public is following the rules, and from what I can see, people are still able to have fun and enjoy the open space and fresh air with their immediate families!