Photo Impressions of Winter in Vancouver, BC

 

It never rains in Southern California - true.  But in Vancouver, it is a different story.

Between November and February, I never had a chance to take photos in the 

sunshine. It rains at least once a day - but it is mild and nature is green all 

year round, even roses bloom here in mid-winter.

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Baer Illumination

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Downtown Highrises

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Gastown-Area

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Metro from the Airport and Richmond into Downtown

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Winter Berries in Stanley Park

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The mild winters and abundant rainfall have made Greater Vancouver a gardener

paradise and the lawns of even the most humble homes are enlivened by

shrubbery, often a rhododendron or hydrangea bush. 

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Seaplanes depart to Victoria, Nanaimo, or the Gulf Islands

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Stanley Park Restaurant

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Native Art - Totempol

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Natural Forest in Stanley Park

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Berrie Shrubs in Stanley Park

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Art Deco Highrise Downtown Vancouver

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Entrance Door Highrise

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Perhaps the forgiving climate, coupled with the early immigrants' British disdain 

for showing off, fastened the development of landscape architecture in these 

parts. Whatever the reason, landscaping evolved in Vancouver. 

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VanDusen Botanical Garden

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Vancouver's leafy and upscale Shaughnessy district, established around 1912
by the Canadian Pacific Railway for the city's well-off families. It was planned
by Frederick Law Olmsted, the American landscaper who designed Central 

Park in New York City and major civic parks in Philadelphia, Chicago, 

Boston, and Montreal. 

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Downtown Highrise

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Mural in Downtown

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Sailplanes and Floating Homes in the harbor

Planting trees and shrubs and creating pocket parks in Vancouver are now
viewed as ways to humanize the urban jungle, make streets safer, encourage
more pedestrians, and enhance neighborhood pride.  In many residential
neighborhoods, I saw small roundabouts on street crossings that were lovingly
planted with perennials and low shrubs.  Nice to look at even in winter!

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Mountain & Ski Slopes View from the City

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View over to North Vancouver

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Steady rain gave me the idea of going somewhere indoors.  A gallery?  A day
spa?  I saw an aquarium sign within Stanley Park and hopped on a bus that
drove directly into the park, just 200 meters from the aquarium.  The aquarium is
home to 65,000 animals, from sea otters to turtles, sea lions, and fishes from all
over the world.  The admission was hefty, almost 50 dollars,
but it was well worth it. 

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The aquarium tops regular lists of the best ones in the world.
The cafe, bar, and restaurant looked appealing, but I had just lunch. 

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On another occasion, driving into town from the east, I got lost and found myself
suddenly on Granville Island. It is a peninsula, built in the 1960s after it had been a
sandbar, used for industrial purposes.  The 38-acre Granville peninsula is a hub
for art, culture, and food.

The public market sells fresh produce and baked goods, but there are also
artist studios, and even a waterfront theater.

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More Attractive Parts of Vancouver: 

Yaletown which is northeast of the Granville Bridge. 

From afar, there are lots of residential highrises, but it also has numerous old 

warehouses, now home to hip restaurants and shops, cocktail lounges, often

with buzzing outdoor terraces, as well as indie fashion and decor boutiques. 

On the waterfront, David Lam Park has an expansive lawn and a 

playground, while the Seawall is popular for cycling and walking. 

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Commercial Drive Area

I was lucky that my friends lived close by, in a beautiful neighborhood, so I got to
enjoy this lovely strip. It is home to Vancouver’s officially designated Little Italy, 

eight blocks representing over 60 years of Italian heritage as well as a tapestry of
other cultures. 

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Cozy homes in the Commercial Dr area

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The Drive

To celebrate, The Drive hosts Italian Day every June, one of the city’s
largest annual cultural festivals. It is a multicultural and bohemian street in leafy 

surroundings which has hundreds of local gems and several parks to explore.

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Oregon Grapes blooming in December

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British Columbia License Plate

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Davie Street 

It stretches from Yaletown to Stanley Park and is most interesting in its western part:

the LGBTQ+ community has found a welcoming home in this district, especially 

around Jervis St. A stroll through the area reveals a collection of well-preserved 

heritage mansions and apartments in the Queen Ann and Georgian Revival styles.

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Gastown

This area is Vancouver’s oldest neighborhood, where the Gastown Steam Clock 

(still working!), the area’s most recognized landmark, is located. By night, 

this fashion-forward retail and commercial district serves as the city’s party 

hub with bar-crammed streets. 

South of Gastown lies Canada’s largest Chinatown.

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Queen Elizabeth Park Area

Five blocks east of the Van Dusen Botanical Garden is Vancouver’s highest hill 

with a beautiful rose garden and the Quarry Garden.  East of the park is a hipster 

haven with indie coffee shops, vegetarian restaurants, vintage fashion, and vinyl 

record stores. 

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Shaughnessy 

Shaughnessy is one of Vancouver’s oldest and most prestigious neighborhoods. 

Plainly said: all around the VanDusen Botanical Garden, but more precisely, it is bordered

by 16th Avenue to the north, 41st Avenue to the south, Oak Street to the east, and 

East Boulevard to the west.  Shaughnessy homes tend to be on large, manicured lots 

and the homes tend to have British and early American estate-like design elements. 

Stunning landscaping, indeed! Very walkable and flat. It also tends to be quiet with 

minimal vehicle or foot traffic. A perfect area for relaxing walks

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Photo Impressions from the Rockies in AB & BC

Spending the Winter on Vancouver Island one year, I had to wait until the
end of April to cross the Rockies and drive back to Eastern Canada.

Impressive Resort in Revelstoke, BC

Huge clouds over the mountains, but the weather held

Not necessary on this day - thank goodness!

The famous Lake Louise hotel still snowed in

The marvelous building style of this Banff restaurant...

Downtown Canmore, surrounded by impressive mountains

Mural, reminding that the West was developed with the help of trains

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Canada's Most Beautiful Gardens

July 1st, we celebrate Canada Day. But how much do you know about this vast country?  Have you driven the total length from New Foundland to Vancouver Island? Or vice-versa? It's a very special journey - and to visit Canada's best gardens will give you a reason to finally explore the country in all its beauty. Here are the top botanical destinations:

Memorial University Botanical Garden is located in St. John's, Newfoundland, and is known for its cultivated gardens and natural habitats. The botanical gardens are also used for environmental, botanical and horticultural education and research.

Nova Scotia's http://www.historicgardens.com/ features many themed gardens linked by picturesque paths that display plant collections, such as the Rose Collection pictured above. The collection contains over 230 cultivars.

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The New Brunswick Botanical Garden spreads over an area of more than 17 acres, showcasing over 80,000 plants. The rose garden, rhododendrons, luxuriant annuals, and perennials offer a symphony of color. Visitors love the spectacular arboretum. The New Brunswick Botanical Garden is also a center for the study.

Kingsbrae Garden, located in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, is a 27-acre public garden. The many themed gardens boast more than 50,000 plants. The garden also features a genuine Dutch windmill, which draws water up from the lower pond through a sluice to the upper pond. The water then trickles down a rocky course before returning to the lower pond.

The Montréal Botanical Garden is one of the best in the country and deserves praise for weathering some mighty cold winters. Stroll through and enjoy many of the 22,000 plant species and cultivars that grow here and don't miss the 10 exhibition greenhouses.

When visiting the Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG) you can explore the 12 award-winning themed gardens spread over four acres. The TBG also hosts tours, programs, nature day camps, and field trips. Don't miss the LEED Silver Certified Building; its energy-efficient slopping green roof and eco-conscious design are award-winning.

Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, Ontario is full of color all year long. Enjoy winter in the indoor Mediterranean Garden and spectacular spring and summer outdoor displays that burst into bloom. Royal Botanical Gardens is alive with color, scent, and spectacle.

The Crofter's Cottage in the English Garden of Assiniboine Park, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is a popular site. This heavily planted precinct of one of North America's largest urban parks boasts visits upwards of 4.4 million annually. Both locals and visitors love The English Garden for its spectacular seasonal color and texture, as well as the wide variety of plants.

Visitors to Lethbridge, Alberta's breathtaking Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden come here to enjoy the peaceful grounds. It's an authentic Japanese meditation garden that's well worth the visit to escape the stresses of everyday life. Explore the many meticulously pruned trees and shrubs, the only flowering plants that grow in the garden.

Hatley Park, located in Victoria, British Columbia, is one of Canada's National Historical sites.  Aside from the stunning Edwardian estate, this historic site features hundreds of heritage trees, including 250-year-old Douglas firs. The park boasts over 600 acres of forest, which can be explored from the many hiking and biking trails.  The most popular gardens are the Rose, Japanese and Formal Italian, which are open to the public.

Located beside the 7,000-foot Mount Chem, Minter Gardens is one of British Columbia's many stunning attractions. It features 10 different Canadiana gardens intertwined with waterfalls. The gardens also have beautiful displays of containers, tropical specimens, and intriguing annual designs.

The David C. Lam Asian Garden is the largest area in the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden. Visitors can explore the many plants and trees from Tibet, Japan, China, Korea, Manchuria and other regions of the world. Favorites include the stunning magnolias and rhododendrons. Visitors also love the paperbark (Acer griseum) and snake-bark (A. capillipes) maples.

Vancouver's VanDusen Botanical Garden is a pleasure to visit year-round. The garden has 55 acres worth of plants gathered from around the world. The Laburnum Walk, pictured above, is in full bloom from late May through June.

Glendale Gardens, located in Victoria, British Columbia, calls itself the 'garden for gardeners'. This six-acre garden is located on a large nature conservancy, which is also home to the Pacific Horticultural College. Explore the grounds along its many trails. Glendale Gardens boasts 10,000 varieties of plants in 28 demonstration gardens, including lovely perennial borders, Japanese and Zen gardens and the Doris Page Winter Garden.

There are many more natural beauties along the route, for example, the Reford Gardens - Jardins de Métis - near Rimouski on the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. Or the downtown Halifax, NS, beautiful Victorian-inspired Public Garden, open for visitors since 1867 - just to name two of the many lovely places.  

See also:

https://www.mtlblog.com/lifestyle/beautiful-gardens-in-canada

https://www.tourismvancouver.com/listings/nitobe-memorial-garden/20316/

https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g155015-d10763049-Reviews-Shakespearean_Gardens-Stratford_Ontario.html

https://kingslanding.nb.ca/what-to-see-and-do/exhibits/

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Champagne-Powder in Big White, Kelowna, British Columbia

When I visited the resort town of Big White, just 60 km out of Kelowna, at the end of November, early December, I found already 3 feet of snow.  Both, me and my dog wished we had snow shoes with us, as we sunk several times into the deep snow trying to make a shortcut to another road.  Right now the top levels have risen to almost 7 feet of snow (over 2 meters).  The location of this resort is outstanding, the views are stunning and you have sun almost all day long and on most days you can see the panorama of mountains and hills for hundreds of miles.  Several days a week you can even ski at night from 4pm to 8pm.
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During my whole stay I did not experience any waiting times at the ski lifts, in fact only approx. 20 percent of the ski lifts were used, almost entirely by young Aussies who seem to man the whole resort workforce.  They are very friendly, upbeat and an awesome bunch of youngsters and students who work in the resort during the season from mid November to the end of April.  On their days off or after shifts they can ski for free as much as they want.  

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What You Need to Know about Big White

1. Big White is for Winter Sport. Period.
The resort town is in a very remote area, no villages around and no grown infrastructure.  I could count the number of houses I have seen in the last 40 kilometers on one hand... The population in and around Big White consists of 60 people, however with visitors it grows to 22,000 during the Christmas and New Year's high season.  Don't compare it with Breckenridge in Colorado, Whistler near Vancouver, BC or any of the ski towns in Europe: Big White is marvelous and a perfect place for skiers and snowboarders, but that's it.
Barely any apres-ski activities, other than going out for an evening dinner or some music entertainment. Concerts, a library, movies, shopping malls etc. are absent.  No critique here, just to let you know what to expect - and to let you know that snow and skiing are the big thing here - not partying.  

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2. Transportation is Solely by Car or Bus. 
There is a shuttle bus from Kelowna's airport to the resort - in my eyes the safest way to get there.  Even though the resort is only 60 kilometer from Kelowna and its international airport, the drive can be tough, and it is for sure longer than an hour, it took me more than two hours!  I was lucky to make it without winter tires / snow chains, as I drove very carefully and slow. The road will be plowed, but not salted. My drive was both ways during the week, so not any traffic to speak of.  The road is very winding and in parts pretty steep.  Should you have an accident on the road or on the ski hill or any health condition: Transportation to the Kelowna hospital is via the only connecting road.  No helipad available at the resort!  When you travel by air to Kelowna, don't spend any money for a rental car.  You don't need it in Big White as the lifts start directly in town.  The roads are very narrow and there are no parking spaces unless you have one in your own vacation rental place.

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3. Shopping and Groceries.

My camera quit on me at the last hour of my stay. For the way back and until I could purchase a new one, I wanted to buy a small digital camera.  No luck, to buy a camera, nor can you find batteries, memory sticks etc. 

I asked a local security guide and I went to all six shops in Big White. Yes, six is the total amount of stores there, where you can buy anything at all and only in one you can purchase groceries (at inflated prices, but somehow: everything needs to be extra-delivered to this high-altitude place).
When renting a vacation apartment in Big White organize your purchases before you travel up - and even if you are in one of the very few hotels and don't want to eat in restaurants three times a day, or if you are on a special diet.  Better don't forget anything!  If you arrive at Kelowna airport, take a taxi to the nearest grocery store or Costco in the city and stock up for the whole time of your stay.  Not only food, but drinks, water, milk and everything else you might need - before you enter your shuttle bus to Big White.
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Still a Fantastic Place to Spend Your Ski Vacation!

I haven't seen better snow anywhere else! Really!  And I have been skiing the Rockies and the Alpes in Europe! "Champagne Powder" as the snow is called, falls in huge amounts every year in this vast acreage for skiers, snowboarders, nordic fans, skaters and sun lovers.
 

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Make sure not to miss the Free Mountain Tours: Local "Snow Hosts" will show you the best ski and snowboarding spots on Big White with a Complimentary Mountain Tour.  This tour will open your eyes to the locals’ favourite ski and snowboard runs, providing you with the ins and outs of Big White Resorts.  Guided cross-country skiing tours are offered Thursday to Sunday to introduce you to the 9 miles / 14 km of nordic trails. 

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Lots of Praise for Big White:

Big White, 40 miles / 60 kilometers from Kelowna in British Columbia was named one of the Top Ski Resorts from a world-renowned German resort test portal.  After an assessment using 18 stringent criteria, the site Skiresort.info awarded Big White 4.3 out of a possible five stars.  Canada's largest, totally ski-in ski-out resort village Big White was also awarded North America’s #1 Family Resort. 

Did I mention the wonderful clear and clean air?  Coming from the city it was such a treat to smell this fresh and unpolluted air.  I am looking forward to the next ski and snow vacation in Big White!  Maybe even this spring when they offer specials after the Easter Holidays.  

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