Teachers, principals, and educators
alike must be scrambling like crazy to adjust their science programs
this year … with
the sudden demise of Pluto from ‘planethood ’.
Sure, it doesn’t seem fair that our scrawny favourite
from waaa-ayyy out there
has been ousted, but it does go to show you that the public
interest in space, space programs and astronomy never seems
to fade. Your astronomical geography a little
lack luster? A visit to the HR MacMillan Space Centre will
light it back up again! Be sure to hunt for
Harold, their star projector, who is the visual genius behind
the Planetarium shows and turns the big 4-0 this year.
He just may be willing to teach that young IMAX kid a thing
or two! See www.spacecentre.ca for more information.
Trick or treating not exactly your thing? How about Treasure
Hunting! Sure Tom Hanks gave it a try in the DaVinci Code
(we have to begrudgingly admit that he
did a pretty good job), but the search for clues and mysteries
could lie in your very
future. Harrison Hot Springs has some
amazing myths about treasure that will have everyone itching
to get out their shovels
and maps! Captain Ward reportedly buried
his 2 chests of gold here, when they were spirited out of
the USA to fund a renewed rebellion. A
daring helicopter escape from Kent Institution (a maximum
security facility for the Pacific region of Canada) led
to a reported treasure of $250,000 in used bills hidden on
Echo Island and has not yet been found. Money not your
ideal treasure? In 1862 a paddle wheeler
sank, taking along with it 200 barrels of whiskey and brandy.
Imagine the vintage
on those puppies! Visit www.harrison-agassiz.com/chamber for more information on this terrific little treasure.
One may argue that one of the most recognized children’s
games of all time involves marking good, ole’ chalk
on the sidewalk, carefully drawn into
symmetrical squares, for the ever-enthralling game of hopscotch.
Okay, perhaps some of
the boys didn ’t indulge in
this pastime, and some of the girls were terrible at it
(I confess – once the drawing was
done, I had no interest in the game!),
but the fact remains that almost everyone has had some
experience with Hopscotch. And if
you are one of the few who hasn’t
jumped the squares? Here is your chance to experience the
adult version – and it’s
definitely more interesting. In November,
Vancouver welcomes the 2006 Hopscotch Festival, where you
get to mix
whisky and beer! The finest single
malts, bourbons, and ryes are pitched against premium beers
from around the world in the Grand Tasting
Hall. Hopscotch has never been more
fun! See www.hopscotchfestival.com for information.
So it
has finally happened, your 90-year old grandmother has gotten
over her fear of flying (with
a couple of shots
of
brandy, a first class seat, and
a kindly flight attendant catering to her every whim!)
and has hopped on a plane to visit
you. You are brimming with excitement,
until you start thinking about a tiny little detail called
mobility. For those who are
able-bodied, things like revolving
doors, 10 flights of stairs, and swinging chairlifts
are no problem, but for your grandmother, and
others who require a little patience
in maneuvering or are reliant on a wheelchair, these
are major obstacles. Worry no longer! Sticks and
Wheels has created a guide for traveling on the Lower
Sunshine Coast, designed for those who require a bit
of guidance on accessible travel
on the coast. With the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games
around the corner, those sandy beaches
and boardwalks await any type of
traveler! See www.sticksandwheels.net for details.
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess who believed
a crown was all that she needed to become a queen … this
is the premise behind the original
musical of fairy tale proportions, “How
I Became a Queen ”, premiering in October 2006
at the Evergreen Cultural Center
in Coquitlam. A charming feature of the Vancouver,
Coast & Mountains
region is that you don’t need
to visit the big cities to enjoy large scale theatrical
productions. The Evergreen Cultural Centre is celebrating
its tenth anniversary season beginning
in October, along with the promise of many more world
premiers in their future.
Visit www.evergreenculturalcentre.ca or www.howibecamequeen.com for more information.
Close your eyes. Picture British Columbia as it would
have been thousands of years ago – endless
sweeping landscapes, ancient
old-growth forests, the sounds of eagles soaring
in a cloudless sky, and the songs of First Nations
tribes, echoing
along the horizon. Sure it sounds like something you
may only experience through countless reruns of the “Dances
with Wolves” movie, until
now. Put down the remote and get on board with Wild
Eagle Tours. Operated and hosted
by a former Canadian Army officer,
Wild Eagle Tours provides their guests with the ultimate
First Nations experience, from
ecological excursions, authentic
feasts, and wildlife viewing all aimed at immersing
cultures together. The remote
locations
are
gems that the regular tourist
never discovers. And whatever happened to the relics
of these rustic, wild days
of yore? Visit Appleton Galleries
in Vancouver, our local specialists in original Inuit
and First Nations art, and collect your own
artistic memory. Who needs “Dances
with Wolves” when you can look
up at your wall and replay your own hands-on experience
in First
Nations culture. Visit www.wildeagletours.com and www.appletongalleries.com for information.
Did you hear that Travel + Leisure Magazine’s 2006 World’s
Best Awards Readers’ Survey, for the Top
Ten Cities in the US and Canada,
announced Vancouver sitting pretty in the number
six spot after heavyweights like
New York
and
San Francisco? We are so proud
to be noticed in such a prominent way, but also
fairly relieved that all
the
focus is
on Vancouver, letting the
outlying areas, like the sparkling Sunshine Coast,
still revel in their quaintness, beauty, and
untouched class. Of course,
this is what we thought – but the secret
is out! The appeal of the region is reaching out
and pulls in new residents each
and every day, along with a little help from Lodestar
Discovery Tours. Moving to BC’s beautiful
Sunshine Coast has never been
easier, with your personalized, in-depth Relocation
Familiarization Tour, which includes
visiting neighbourhoods, providing
information and tips, and finding the best location
to suit your unique demographics. By the
time you get
here, it will be like you
have lived here for years! Of course, you might
be required to encourage more visitors and
tourists to come and visit
you, should we let you stay. See www.lodestardiscoverytours.com for information.
