A-Life BC Travel Blog

By Holly Rose

I am seated in a beautiful space, feeling a little reverent. While it is true that I am one to feel a great sense of reverence for culinary delights or an excellent glass of wine, I have only arrived at Steeples Restaurant and it is the space itself that inspires these feelings.

For the last 10 years, Steeples has been satisfying its patrons with an elegant ever-changing menu and its enticing selection of local (and global) wines, ciders and beers.

Prior to being the culinary prize of Shawnigan Lake, this space was once a place of worship. One glance around Steeples Restaurant and its history is evident. Proprietor Darren Cole ensured with his renovations that the beauty of the building was showcased.

Rich exposed beams shine in the afternoon light on my visit. Most of the brunch clientele has already moved on but a few linger on the protected patio with its lovely view of Steeples' manicured grounds. In the evening the patio is often full with the breeze of BC's summer nights, never bothering those under the shelter of heat lamps.

By Jessica Woollard

Victoria is home to Canada’s oldest Chinatown, so it’s only fitting that the Canada Dry Victoria Dragon Boat Festival would be one of the summer’s biggest attractions.

From August 12 to 14, join thousands of fans around the Inner Harbour and watch 70 teams and hundreds of rowers, both amateur and professional, compete in the 17th Victoria Dragon Boat Festival.

According to an old Chinese legend, dragon boat festivals commemorate the exemplary life and tragic death of Qu Yuan, a 4th century BCE poet and statesman, who was exiled from his home province for promoting ethics and equality.

Banished, he devoted his time to his poetry until one day, he heard that his home province was under attack. Utterly devastated by the news, he threw himself into the Mi Lo River and took his life.

By Jacqueline Windh

This past weekend marked the official opening of newly redesigned Kwisitis Visitor Centre.

The Kwisitis Visitor Centre is located within the Long Beach section of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, about halfway between the communities of Tofino and Ucluelet. People who have been out to this part of the park before may know this building as the Wickaninnish Interpretive Centre.

By Michael McCarthy

Alligators love marshmallows.

OK, who knew?

“Everybody keep their arms and legs inside the boat,” yelled the skipper. “Hang on tight and don’t fall overboard. Gators don’t normally attack people but let’s not tempt fate.”

Our target was El Whoppo, at over 16 feet in length and 75 years old, he is the alpha male of Honey Island Swamp in St. Tammany Parish just outside of New Orleans. Much of southern Louisiana is covered with swamps, and gators. Endangered a few years ago, gators have been making a comeback thanks to careful government planning and are a big draw for out-of-state tourists.

By Holly Rose

Today is as beautiful a Saturday as I can recall. I went in search of a wine tasting from the cellars of Divino Estate Winery and found instead something a little different. More than a wine tasting, I can only describe this as a wine experience.

In years past I have found myself in the most elaborate tasting rooms, with people sniffing very carefully and swirling with great abandon. Grand rooms with interesting wines and stories to accompany them—indeed I have loved it all.

However, there is something terribly charming about this understated tasting room, with its four small walls and intimate interaction with owner Joe Busnardo.

By Jessica Woollard

From Thailand’s world famous night bazaars to Germany’s holiday Christkindlmarkts, food and artisan markets have become a popular attraction in communities around the world, including Sidney, BC, just 35 minutes from downtown Victoria.

Now in its 11th year, the Sidney Summer Market boasts more than 200 vendors, displaying everything from hand-crafted jewellery, clothing, pottery, and soaps, to home-made pasta, granola, and teas.

By Michael McCarthy

Travellers expecting the ancient mysteries of the Orient to appear before their very eyes when they visit Bangkok will be sorely disappointed.

The capital city of Thailand has rapidly become Americanized and a lot of it looks like Los Angeles. City streets are jammed with noisy traffic, freeways crawl along at 10 miles an hour, the subway and skytrain are packed with commuters, and the newer sections of the city abound with luxury mega-malls.

By Ross Collicutt

I’ve been on Vancouver Island almost all my life, and one of the few places that I hear of again and again is Butchart Gardens.

I’ve always distracted myself with outdoor sports and other adrenaline-filled activities and said, “Gardens aren’t my thing.” I didn’t think I would be very interested in a little garden.

Boy, was I wrong.

By Jacqueline Windh

Yes, you heard that right.

Many people want to do the right thing both environmentally and healthwise, but lament the high price of local organic food.

Well, out here on the west coast, we have local organic food available for free, six months of the year!

Wild berries are one of the most delicious and easy-to-find food sources here on the west coast. And yes, the season really does run for six months or more. The first salmonberries appear in May, and evergreen huckleberries (also known locally as cinamock or winterberries) remain good for the picking in the cool temperatures of early winter, through November and even December.

By Michael McCarthy

According to the Guinness Book of Records, Hong Kong operates the world's longest escalator system, an elaborate infrastructure of moving sidewalks and stairways that moves 50,000 commuters up and down the fabled hills every day.

Authorities don't promote the escalator as a tourist attraction because it was designed as a commuter system to get cars off the road, but it’s the best way for any newcomer to see Hong Kong.

Starting at 6 am, the escalator runs downhill only for commuters and it's really packed. Tourists are well advised to avoid the crush and enjoy a leisurely latte in the Central District and wait for the flow to reverse at 10 am.

The escalator then runs uphill only, finally shutting down at midnight. This allows visitors curious about the real Hong Kong ample time to ride in comfort uphill and take all day to slowly descend, checking out myriad neighbourhoods, all of them totally different.