Biking from the B & B

Photos Courtesy of City of Vancouver

One of the great advantages of Nelson House's central location is the ability to do without a car. First of all, the peninsula that comprises "downtown Vancouver" is only about 15 by 21 blocks and almost surrounded by water. If you are a healthy walker, these are not NYC blocks and most folks can do one end to the other in a half hour. If going further afield or unable to do things on foot, Robson Street buses are as close as three blocks away and they will connect you to the Skytrain, the Seabus and the entire public transit system. 

Even more fun, especially in summer, is the opportunity to rent a bike and explore more of the city at a leisurely wheeling pace. Public Seawalls border all of the downtown shoreline. Many more miles of beaches and parks heading westwards along English Bay are laced together by offstreet paved bikeways. Since the shorelines are at sea level - just think - no hills - and non-stop views!!

A cluster of bike rental shops are within a ten minute stroll from the B & B. Our guests are welcome to bring their own bikes from home or keep the rentals overnight in locked and easily accessible storage in our basement.

The City of Vancouver alone offers 400 "lane-kilometres". That's about 250 miles of one and two way bike routes. The City is currently adding separated bike lanes for safer bicycling in the business core.

And then there are the Naked Bike Rides. Visitors to Vancouver can be a little surprised the first time they witness hundreds of nude bicyclists cheerily pedaling by on a sunny afternoon.

Vancouver Beaches on Top Ten List

Once again, Vancouver rates with the best in the world. None other than the respected National Geographic has included Vancouver's beaches with the likes of Honolulu, Sydney and Rio de Janeiro. Vancouverites are currently enjoying the long summer days on ten ocean side beaches and one fresh-water lake - all within city limits. Eleven miles of civic beaches range from the expansive views of Jericho Beach, pictured above and below, to the downtown beaches bordering the West End and Stanley Park and a few blocks from the B & B, to the muscle-beach scene at Kitsilano ("Kits") Beach and the clothing-optional wilderness feel of world famous Wreck Beach!

Bard-B-Q & Fireworks

Hurry if you want some of the best fireworks views available!

Bard on the Beach is selling all-inclusive tickets during the Celebration of Light. For the four fireworks evenings, begin your experience with Act I of either Much Ado About Nothing or Falstaff. During an extended intermission, have a drink and enjoy a West Coast salmon barbeque. Return for Act II and then take coffee and dessert in the same private seating area in Vanier Park for all the pyrotechnics.

Always a sell-out.

Vancouver Summer Fireworks!!!

Every year, since 1990, there has been some drama over whether or not Vancouver's spectacular fireworks competition will once again find the funding. (Because you asked), I am glad to report that the Celebration of Light will launch again, next Wednesday, July 21st!

Even better, the warm up for the pyrotechnics will be live musical performances, dubbed Shorefest, on stage at the English Bay Bathhouse and the Rogue Stage at Sunset Beach. Both stage performances will be simulcast on SHORE 104 FM radio.

This year's Celebration of Light features four competitors and promises to be bigger and better than ever before. July 21, the USA is first up with a tribute to the Big Band era. The next Saturday, the 24th, this year's World Cup winner, Spain, will show us whether they can kick that fireball through the goalposts. On Wednesday, July 28, the Latin rythyms will continue with Mexico's swirling presentation. On Saturday, July 31st, the inventors of the artform, China will provide the climax for probably the biggest crowd of all - up to 350,000 people ringing the beaches, bridges, boats and highrises of beautiful English Bay.

No matter if you have seen the rest, come see the best! Our B & B guests will be bundled up with beach towels and tipped to the ultimate viewing points.

Blog Freshening

I realized that at 100 posts, it was time to touch up the paint, wash the windows and let the message shine through. Hope you like the new look!

Vancouver Street Food

Our city's street food scene will soon reflect more of our cultural diversity. City Hall just drew 17 names out of a barrel of 800 applications to finally award street vending licences to something other than hot dogs and chestnuts. Within weeks, pedestrians will be able to sample everything from Chinese Dim Sum to Korean and Southern style BBQs, Tex-Mex burritos to stone-baked pizza.

Ahh...the savory aromas of Vancouver!

Wreck Beach Day(s)

Summer has Vancouver in its hot grasp. And that means white clothes, short skirts, shirtless muscles or NO CLOTHES AT ALL!

Tomorrow, July 11 is the 30th Annual Wreck Beach Day - a celebration  of all things nude and natural. This link(beware! non-sexual, not necessarily pretty human nudity) will lead you to photos of North America's largest clothing-optional beach and first to be legally-sanctioned in Canada!

This weekend, the quintessentially free spirits of Canada's West Coast are trying for a Guinness World Record for a mass, continent-wide simultaneous skinny-dip and posing for this years photos.

On August 8th, the more athletically inclined will form up for the 14th Annual Bare Buns Run. That is 5 kilometres on sand. Think about running 5 kms on sand even with your clothes on! For a number of years, our B & B was happy to host the oldest participant in the Run, who was always acknowledged with a prize ribbon, just for being in his seventies, bare buns, running on glorious Wreck Beach!

Happy Canada Day

Canada is a young and virile 143 years this July 1st, 2010. Still a work in progress, some imperfections but deserving of a very happy birthday.

At the Opening Ceremonies of Vancouver's recent Olympics, a local slam poet, named Shane Koyczan, told the world a little about this country. He bravely stood alone in front of an overflowing stadium audience and a billion more watching on TV.

In his poem, We are More, he said in part:

"some say what defines us

is something as simple as please and thank you

and as for you're welcome

well we say that too

but we are more

than genteel or civilized

we are an idea in the process

of being realized

we are young

we are cultures strung together

then woven into a tapestry

and the design

is what makes us more

than the sum total of our history  

we are an experiment going right for a change...                        

we are the surprise the world has in store for you

it's true                          

                        

Canada is the "what" in "what's new?"...                              

we are the true north

strong and free

and what's more

is that we didn't just say it

we made it be. "                                                                                                               


    Thank you Shane. Here is the full version of your spoken word.

Vancouver Summer Festivals - a timeline

After my last post on the Jazz Fest, I decided that visitors to Vancouver this summer might appreciate a timeline around which to organize their trip. Both locals and part-time locals like to optimize their time while the sun shines on our beautiful city. Festivals may stretch for weeks but most events are one-offs and a real shame to miss. Then there are the regular concert halls, theatres and club offerings. This summer Cirque du Soleil's "Kooza" and the Queen E's "Lion King" are among those.


So - from Bard on the Beach, to Theatre under the Stars, from the Vancouver Folk Festival to Queer Arts, here is the chockablock summer entertainment and arts schedule and links posted on the Nelson House B & B website.


Have fun!

ALL that jazz!!

Visitors with enough foresight and planning to come to Vancouver between June 25 and July 4th can indulge in all the delights of the
Stylings will range from Alt/Indie through every variation of Avant, Free, Improv & Experimental to Big Band, a dash of Blues, Gospel & Roots, Funk, R n B & Soul, from Chamber and Traditional to Fusion and Modern, from Swing, Gypsy, World & Hip Hop to amazing songwriters and vocalists.

Big names like George Benson, Chick Corea and Strunz & Farah will bless the city's stages. Electro and Ambient sounds will vibrate through after hours clubs to the break of dawn.

Calling all music lovers to Vancouver this month!