Anne’s act of incredible hospitality was to help out a visitor who was coming to town to assess her aging Godmother who was living on her own. The visitor had called Abbeymoore to inquire about staying there and Anne offered to provide a cot (delivered) at no charge so the lady could stay with her Godmother. The cot was delivered along with freshly baked scones and the visit went well.    

Since 1994, the Victoria Hospitality Award Program (VHAP) has encouraged outstanding hospitality by recognizing individuals, companies and associations from the Greater Victoria area that go out of their way to make visitors, and locals, feel like there’s no better place to visit or live.   Anne and Ian have previously won the BC B&B Innkeepers Guild’s own Moyra Turner Hospitality Award.  Fellow innkeepers are not surprised that the city of Victoria has recognized Anne.   She is hospitable and caring and sets a high standard for us all.

Just a week later, September 11 and 12, the Red Bull 5000 Down returns to Whistler for the second time.  This is a mass start downhill mountain bike race.  Some 250 men and women, all starting simultaneously, decend more than 2,182 meters (7,159 feet) with a vertical drop of 1,530 meters (5,020 feet) in order to cross the finish line in Whistler Village.  Riders will need to maintain constant physical and mental alertness if they are to keep in control for the entire descent, expected to take about 20 minutes for the fastest riders.

The starting point is the snowcapped peak of Whistler Mountain.  Riders then streak past the Roundhouse Lodge and enter the famous Whistler Mountain Bike park at the top of the Garbanzo Express chairlift, finally riding the Park’s giant slalom course and crossing the finish line.  Over the course of two days participants are challenged by bar to bar racing as they ride side by side and deal with fatigue, difficult dirt trails, jumps, stunts, and root-strewn terrain.

The event draws some of the greatest North Anerican and European riders including 2008 World Champions Gee Atherton and Rachel Atherton and 2009 Red Bull Rampage winner Brandon Semenuk.  The top five men share a cash purse of $9,500 and the top three women will share $3,500.  

Just watching these hard fought events is bound to bring on some sore muscles, so make sure you’ll have the most comfortable of beds by booking your Whistler Bed & Breakfast accommodation with one of BC’s Best BnBs!

Saturday morning is the big Show and Shine event on Baker Street.  Prizes and trophys will be awarded in the afternoon.  At 7 in the evening doors open for The Roof Top Dance at the Parkade, featuring Pauly and the Greaseballs.  Eat your heart out Bowser…

* A Trainer’s Challenge where for 3 days, 3 horses, 3 trainers, and 3 judges deal with an obstacle course

*A Honey Contest to pick 2010′s best bees

*A Liberty Challenge involving the light horse division and much more

The rodeo features events including saddle bronc, steer wrestling, and the wild cow milking contest.

Agriculture is an important and exciting part of the BC experience.  Don’t miss it.  And don’t miss staying with your local BC’s Best B&Bs for insider’s information on what to do and see and for great sleeps and eats.

August 20-22 is a time when the Sunshine Coast really strutts its stuff. The Pender Harbour Music Festival will start things off with a celebration of the 200th anniversaries of Chopin and Schumann.   Performances by a lineup of superb musicians highlighting the two pivotal composers and others are sure to mesmerize and intrigue.   Come and enjoy chamber music played in the beautiful and intimate environs of the School of Music in Madeira Park. 

Meanwhile, Arts Alive in the Park takes place in Powell River that same weekend, August 21 and 22.  “Arts Alive in the Park” is tons of summer fun and kicks off the annual Blackberry Festival (the kind you love to eat!).  This is an opportunity to view the work of established and emerging local artists in a beautiful outdoor setting. There is also dance, music, a poetry slam and workshops for both kids and adults. 

For your Sunshine Coast Bed & Breakfast accommodation, be sure to check out the BC B&B Innkeepers Guild members.  Ask your B&B hosts about the many natural attractions of the Sunshine Coast.  Insiders know where to go.

Saturday’s classical line up includes A Touch of Brass, Rosemary Lindsay and the Music in the Garden Chamber Players with Mark Fewer, Terence Tam, Kenneth Broadway and Isabelle Rowland.

Sunday’s Jazz will feature the PDAMCA Student Ensemble, the Bridge Quartet, Jillian Lebeck and Brad Turner with Strings.

Just click on Milner Gardens for information about the performers, tickets, and all about this very special place.  For a very special place to stay be sure to visit the BC Bed and Breakfast Innkeepers Guild members anywhere from Nanaimo to Courtenay and points north, west and south.

Strathcona Park was BC’s very first provincial park, and is located on central Vancouver Island, near the communities of Campbell River, Courtenay and the Comox Valley.  The Strathcona Wilderness Institute is a not for profit charity whose mission is to inspire awareness, appreciation and stewardship of the natural world through education and participation.

You can “Rest Assured” at any local member of the BC B&B Innkeepers Guild, where an excellent night’s sleep and a delicious breakfast will have you well prepared for any level of hiking.

There are many amazing  one day trips from Prince George in the center of British Columbia.  One of the most fascinating  is the Ancient Cedar Forest.  These stunning Cedars, dating up to 2000 years old, are some of the oldest and largest ever found.  The stand was a surprise find by some Forestry Researchers from the University of Northern BC (unbc.ca).  The Cedars are towering with amazing gnarled branches reminiscent of the “Lord of the Rings”.    The ecosystem of the Ancient Forest is mysterious itself and supports many rare and fascinating plants, lichen and fungi, some waiting to be identified!

The trail takes about 2 hours return and is easy walking for the whole family.  The BC Bed and Breakfast Innkeepers Guild has members in Prince George who would love to give you more information.

This year’s Nanaimo Marine Festival is a salute to the “Canadian Naval Centennial 1910 to 2010″.  The salute is also the theme of the festival’s “Sail Past on Wheels Fun Parade”. 

Some of the other fun events are a “waiter’s race” and a “bartender’s competition” (your blogger would be happy to judge that one).
A real treat for children of all ages is The Festival of Lights  and Music Fireworks Display.  It is Vancouver Island’s largest fireworks show and takes place in Nanaimo Harbour.  Thousands of people are expected to turn out so be sure to book your British Columbia B&B Innkeepers Guild Bed & Breakfast as early as possible for the finest Nanaimo B&B accommodations.

Complimenting the movie screenings  are workshops and other special events to enhance the experience.  The event guide is not quite complete, so keep checking the website for all the details including the directory of films to be judged and schedule of screenings.