VanDusen Garden is a sight to behold! Named after Canadian lumberman and philanropist, Whitford Julian VanDusen, it is one of five parks in the posh Shaughnessy neighbourhood, occupying a parcel of the old Shaughnessy Golf Course. The man who designed the garden, R. Roy Forster, was given the second highest honor for merit, the Order…
Month: November 2018
Gastown Stroll and L’Abattoir Dinner, Vancouver
Since 2009, Gastown has been a National Historic Site of Canada. It was the nucleus from which the whole city of Vancouver, British Columbia grew. Its name was derived from the “founding father of Gastown,” a Yorkshire seaman, “Gassy” Jack Deighton, who opened the district’s first tavern in 1867. His statue remains among the post-Great-Vancouver-Fire historic buildings…
Bowen Island Photography Hike, British Columbia
Still part of Metro Vancouver, Bowen Island is an island municipality in Howe Sound, a network of glacier-produced narrow ocean channels between bodies of land northwest of Vancouver. From Vancouver, you can take the BC-99 Northbound bus to Horseshoe Bay and take the 30-minute BC Ferries service to Bowen Island. The aisle to open water,…
Coal Harbor Morning Hike
“Nice bike!” a man on a bike hollered as he rode past! I was the only human within earshot so I soon realised that I had been hiking on the bike lane at Coal Harbor! Whether a straightforward “Out of my way” or a sarcastic “nice bike” was better, I learned to be mindful of…
Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver
Queen Elizabeth Park is one of the top go-to places for Autumn leaf-peaking in Vancouver. It used to be a forest with salmon-spawning creeks, making it a favorite hunting ground for bears, wolves, and elk. In 1870 when Europeans settled here, they got rid of the wild animals, cleared the forest, and built pathways on the…
Amasake Chaya, Hakone’s Last Edo Period Teahouse
Tradition. History. Culture. Food. Drink. Nature. Tale of the Faithful 47 Ronin: Check, Check, Check, Check, Check, Check, and Check! They come together in this 400 year-old thatch-roofed countryside teahouse set amidst the lush mountains of Hakone. To facilitate travel, the town of Hakone— famous for its year-round stunning natural scenery, hot springs, and expansive options…
Planning a Lake Kawaguchi Trip
Ideally, if you can do a Hakone overnight trip at Hakone, experience the onsen and explore the mountains, lake, and villages there, then the next morning, move to Lake Kawaguchi to continue to experience this magnificent Mt. Fuji Five Lakes area. Below is a sampling of suggested stops but there is so much more to…
Maple Corridor, Lake Kawaguchi
A news crew documents the first day of Maple Corridor Illumination. Summer took long this year so the leaves have still been getting enough sunshine and chlorophyll, staying green and delaying autumn. It is when the weather gets too cold, hours of sun are shorter, and the leaves are deprived of chlorophyll that they turn…
Den’s Inn, Lake Kawaguchi
Coffee and Hot Chocolate at this homey hostel cafe just across Kawaguchi Lake Forest. Den’s Inn looks Western outside but once you enter, traditional Japanese custom of removing your shoes at the entrance [and using the slippers they provide] applies. [Just a note so that you mind the socks you put on for this trek…
Kawaguchiko Music Forest
A musical theme park, Kawaguchiko Music Forest is situated right by picture-perfect Lake Kawaguchi. With the right weather conditions, you could get a view of Mt. Fuji as well. This is a lovely setting to take in the spectacular environs of Yamanashi Prefecture. There is a museum and event hall to complement the gardens. Catch live…
BUTTERFLY IN THE SPRING 