Elvis tributes come in all shapes & sizes, but this Penticton festival is just right for "Good Rockin' Tonight"!

The 11th annual Penticton Elvis Festival will be held at the Okanagan Lake Park & Penticton Convention Centre from June 22 through 24, 2012.

British Columbia’s Boldest & Best Elvis Tribute

For three rockin’ days, the Penticton Elvis Festival celebrates the King of Rock and Roll with spirited competition and awe-inspiring performances.

The Penticton Pacific Northwest Elvis Festival Society has organized this event to celebrate Elvis Presley in a unique and memorable way for the last 10 years. 2012 promises to be a banner year for this long-running festival.

Dozens of professional and amateur Elvis tribute artists will descend on Penticton to win the hearts of the fans (and the votes of the judges) in a world class competition.  Special guests for the event include:

• Darwin Lamm, publisher of Elvis International Magazine
• DJ Fontana, drummer for Elvis and Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame Inductee
• Cynthia Pepper, Elvis’ co-star in the film “Kissing Cousins”
• Joe Esposito, friend of and road manager for Elvis Presley
• Red Robinson, legendary Rock ‘n’ Roll DJ
• Darlene Thompkins, Elvis’ co-star in the film “Blue Hawaii”

Two World Class Elvis Festival Venues

This event is simply too grand for a single location, so Elvis fans will be able to enjoy watching tributes and performances in two Penticton locations that are convenient to each other:

Okanagan Lake Park

Several events on the schedule will be held at beautiful Okanagan Lake Park, where sand & pebble beaches, ponderosa pine forests, and rolling, sagebrush-covered grounds combine to create a spectacular setting for the Elvis festival’s performers and attendees.  Events at this location include:

The Tribute Artist Competition on Saturday, June 23 Beginning at 9:00 AM

The competition starts on the outdoor stages at Okanagan Lake Park.  Watch Elvis tribute artists, both amateur and professional, sing and dance their way to the finals.

The Gospel Music Showcase on Sunday, June 24 Beginning at 9:00 AM

Anyone that knows Elvis knows that Gospel was among his most treasured forms of music. Elvis’ library of inspirational songs are presented by the tribute artists and hosted by BC’s own Brian “Elvis” Simpson, who also MC’s other festival events.  Come celebrate the spiritual side of Elvis Presley.

Penticton Trade & Convention Centre

The Penticton Elvis Convention will also have events at the Penticton Trade & Convention Centre, located only two blocks from Lake Okanagan’s beaches.  Come inside to enjoy:

Headliner Show with Gino Monopoli and the Ultimate Elvis Show Band on Saturday, June 23 at 8:00 PM

Gino Monopoli is one of the most acclaimed Elvis tribute artists performing today and his performances capture the highlights of the entirety of Elvis’ career, from Sun Records to the grand 1970s concerts.

The competition builds to a fever pitch during the finals at the Penticton Elvis Festival

Tribute Artists Finals on Sunday, June 24 Beginning at 2:00 PM

The finest Elvis tribute artists compete for the Professional Grand Champion and Amateur Champion titles. The victor in the Professional category wins automatic entry into the final round of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, which is a highlight event of Elvis Week 2012.

Learn more about this weekend of entertainment at the Penticton Elvis Festival website and buy tickets to this extraordinary event in scenic Penticton.

Choose Personalized Okanagan Lodging

Our South Okanagan Bed and Breakfasts offer you the opportunity to make the most of your time at the Penticton Elvis Festival and all across the region with their many breakfast choices, luxurious lodging, generous hospitality and knowledgeable innkeepers.

What’s Your Penticton Elvis Festival Expectation or Experience?

Please share your plans for the 11th annual festival and memories of past Penticton Elvis Festival events.

British Columbia’s Premier Food Expo

The EAT! Vancouver event brings together many culinary elements, including the finest local restaurants, wineries, and culinary manufacturers, retailers and artisans and pairs them with celebrity chefs and cookbook authors for three days of celebration, demonstration, entertainment, shopping, competitions and exhibitions.

Highlights of this year’s festival include:

Food Network Celebrity Stage

As in previous years, the Food Network Celebrity Stage promises to be the crown jewel of this event.  Featured chefs & celebrities include:

Bob Blumer

The host of Food Network’s World’s Weirdest Restaurants & Glutton for Punishment will be signing his latest book, Glutton for Pleasure, on Friday only at EAT! Vancouver.

Chef Rob Feenie

The first Canadian winner of Iron Chef America is the food concept architect for Cactus Club Restaurants and host of New Classics With Chef Rob Feenie on Food Network Canada.

David Rocco

The host of Food Network’s David Rocco’s Dolce Vita will be signing copies of his new book of the same name, available for purchase at the show.

And Many More Celebrity Guests!

Bite of Vancouver Restaurant Pavilion

The owners, chefs and servers of some the most popular restaurants in Vancouver invite you to sample a wide variety of appetizer-sized menu offerings of local and international cuisine. Each of these “bites” listed on their menus runs from $1 to $4 each. Enjoy the opportunity to talk with restaurant experts and pose the questions you’ve always wanted to ask. It’s almost certain that if you come for lunch, you will want to stay for dinner!

Pop-Up Culinary Centre Offers Cooking Classes

Cooking classes are taken to a whole new level as internationally trained Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts Chef Instructors lead sessions on hands-on fundamental cooking techniques. Each session is limited to only 15 participants to ensure that, regardless of your culinary skills and experience, you will receive personalized instruction. Classes include deboning, knife skills and maintenance, plated desserts, omelet cookery, aromatics and seasonings, bread baking, shellfish shucking and peeling, emulsions and compound butters, and much more  Cooking class tickets are available online.

World Culinary Travel Expo

What pairs better than tourism and discovering regional cuisine?

Meet local and international vendors and uncover a world culinary offerings from destinations such as Antigua, China, Korea, India, Indonesia, Israel, Philippines and many more. Learn invaluable information from cruise & tour operators and lodging & tourism representatives. They’ll give you tips on how to both save money and enhance your vacation. Finally, taste the world with dishes prepared by international celebrity chefs.

Wine, Beer & Spirits Tasting Pavilion

Taste a wide variety of the finest British Columbia, Canadian and international wines, beers and spirits – direct from the vintners, brewers and distillers who are on hand to take your questions. Drop by the Grapes & Hops Presentation Stage adjacent to the Tasting Pavilion for presentations on food pairings and wine tastings with Daenna Van Mulligan, Vancouver’s Wine Diva, and many other wine, beer, culinary and mixology celebrity experts.

Plus Chef & Barista Competitions, Pets EAT! Too and Much, Much More!

Learn more about this event and buy tickets at the EAT! Vancouver website.

A World Class Venue

The EAT! Vancouver event has moved from its previous home at the Vancouver Convention Centre to the recently upgraded BC Place Stadium, which features a new retractable roof and modernized access ramps, concourses, washrooms and concessions to provide enhanced comfort and better accessibility for everyone.

Choose Personalized Vancouver Lodging

Vancouver B&B Inns offer you the chance to enhance your culinary adventures at the EAT! Vancouver festival with the variety of breakfast options, luxury amenities and friendly and knowledgeable innkeepers of our member inns.

What’s Your EAT! Vancouver Expectation or Experience?

What are your plans for the 10th Annual festival and memories of past EAT! Vancouver events?  Please leave your comments!

Margaret Falls, Herald Provincial Park

Located on the Trans-Canada Highway 1, on the southern shore of Shuswap Lake, 25 km northeast of Chase and 45 km northwest of Salmon Arm, is the lakeside vacation community of Sorrento. Sorrento is surrounded by snow-capped mountains, alpine meadows, rivers and forests on the shores of Shuswap Lake.  Originally known as Trapper’s Landing, after the meeting place of Shuswap Indian trappers returning with their furs, the town was renamed by James Kinghorn after the Italian town of Sorrento, because Copper Island on Shuswap Lake reminded him of the Isle of Capri, off Sorrento in Italy.

Sorrento’s history dates back to the year 1910, and it is today enveloped by motels, resorts, campgrounds and summer cottages, offering a fabulous array of recreational activities, during both summer and winter. Sorrento also acts as a wondeful ‘home base’ for a sightseeing trip through the Shuswap where you can visit historical land marks such as St. Mary’s Anglican Church, and a number of provincial and regional parks.

As the Suswap region is known for its lake side beauty and warm water during the summer months it only makes sense to spend time exploring Shuswap Lake Marine Provincial Park. Comprised of 26 sites located around the perimeter of Shuswap Lake, all locations are popular for fishing and water sports. Some sites are road accessible, but most are water-access only, so make sure to bring your boat on this trip! And if you don’t have a boat then you may be interested in Herald Provincial Park which is a very popular day-use area. The park covers 79 hectares of beautiful beach and forested uplands. Swimming, fishing and bird-watching are popular Shuswap Lake activities, as is the self-guided nature walk to Margaret Falls.

And because we mentioned how perfect the town of Sorrento is for your Shuswap vaction home base, you must make sure to book your reservation at Ingrid’s European Bed & Breakfast. Located off Highway 1 at Lakeview Place in Blind Bay, only four minutes east of Sorrento, the view of Shuswap Lake from this Sorrento Bed & Breakfast is breathtaking. Offering artistically decorated rooms with comfortable beds, antiques and art pieces along with private bathrooms, a fireplace and TV and VCR, Ingrid’s European Bed & Breakfast is the perfect spot to call home during this trip.

Frog Peak, Valhalla Provincial Park

Conveniently located close to popular tourist destinations like the Valhalla and Kootenay Provincial Parks, and the towns of Nelson, Castlegar and New Denver, Winlaw is the perfect getaway for the traveler seeking to ‘get away’. It is also the perfect destination for all mountain bikers as Winlaw is the starting point for the annual Shreddin’ the Loop mountain bike race. In addition to mountain biking, the Village of Winlaw and its surrounding area has much to offer its visitors. Scuba divers can even make the short drive up to Slocan Lake and search to discover the sunken Silverton Box Cars. This popular recreation destination offers hiking, fishing, camping, golfing, and a number of winter activities from skiing to ice fishing which attract visitors from all over British Columbia and Canada on a yearly basis.

The most important part of a holiday to a community such as Winlaw, is finding accommodations that provide a true representation of the culture and community. And when visiting Winlaw, Arica Gardens Bed & Breakfast does just that. A beautiful and luxurious timberframe home on ten acres of land, Arica Gardens is the perfect spot to seek your respite from city living. And with three rooms/suites available, all with great views, your stay at this wonderful Kootenay bed & breakfast will leave you wanting to come year after year!

Liloeet Lake, Pemberton BC

Everyone knows that when you go and visit a place like Pemberton, you are not there to check out the local movie theatre or visit City Hall.  When you are visiting one of the most amazing coast mountain ranges in the world, you are there for the beauty of nature. Pemberton is surrounded by a number of  awe-inspiring parks which are all located within a short driving distance from the Village of Pemberton. These parks include Birkenhead Provincial Park, Nairn Falls Provincial Park, Joffre Lakes Provincial Park, and of course the larger Garibaldi Provincial Park. And when you have completed your sightseeing through the Provincial Parks and are looking to relax your tired muscles, then why not explore one of the three Hot Springs located either in or around Pemberton.

Pemberton also offers an abundance of recreation opportunities for their locals and visitors alike, both in the summer and winter seasons. Since we are currently turning our back on winter and welcoming the spring sunshine, I will focus more on the summer activities. Well, where do I begin: should it be with the 2 marvellous golf courses, the countless water activities such as the always exciting Jet Boat rides, or should I start with the great fishing locations? No matter what type of activity you are looking to take part in, the Village of Pemberton offers it.

Now that you know just how amazing the mountain Village of Pemberton really is, why haven’t you made your reservations at the Greenwood Country Inn? This West-coast style B&B is located in a superb, quiet location above town offering incredible mountain vistas and valley views from various decks. With a pond, hot-tub, jacuzzi-Suite, air-conditioned bird-theme rooms, native Art Gallery, wireless internet connection, and delightful breakfasts, the Greenwood Country Inn is the perfect place to rest and relax during your trip to Pemberton.

Orchard Blossom in Kelowna

One of the richest wine regions in Canada, and also the World, the Okanagan Valley provides the wine enthusiast with a plethora of opportunities to take in a wine tour while visiting. Whether you are looking to take a self-guided tour or book with a wine touring company, vineyards are spread throughout the valley offering visitors tastings and information sessions that will make them want to come back every year.

For those looking to get out and experience some of the top rated golf courses that Kelowna has to offer, you will not be left without a course to play. With over 18 courses to choose from, and terrains ranging from rolling hills, orchards, vineyards, lakes and desserts, the Kelowna golf scene is the envy of golfers across North America. And with many great deals out there to be had, playing a few rounds at championship courses during your stay has never been more reasonable!

So instead of sitting there scratching your head wondering where you should spend a long weekend in Spring this year, go and find yourself a Kelowna bed &  breakfast and wash away your winter blues with wine, golf, and everything else the Okanagan Valley has to offer.

Being the most westerly part of Canada, Haida Gwaii is known for its breathtaking scenery, quaint villages, white sand beaches, and also being part of the Canadian $20 bill. Depicting a Haida Chief, the art work known as the ‘Spirit of Haida Gwaii’ is featured on the reverse side of the Canadian $20 bill. Although the Spirit of the Haida Gwaii is the most popular piece of art coming from the island communities, Haida art is also frequently seen on large monumental sized cedar totem poles and dugout canoes, hand-crafted gold and silver jewellery, and even as cartoons in the form of Haida Manga.

So I know you’re asking yourself; what exactly do I do while visiting this gorgeous location in the Pacific? Well, where shall I begin? Haida Gwaii is a great destination for adventurers, sports enthusiasts, or individuals, couples, and families who merely want to vacation in a relaxing environment and soak up culture. Some great activities to take part in while visiting include, but are not limited to, biking, surfing, fishing, beach combing, birdwatching, as well as trip to Gwaii Haanas. Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site  protects an archipelago of 138 islands, the largest being Moresby Island and the southernmost being Kunghit Island. While visiting this marvellous part of Haida Gwaii you will be witness to ancient cedars, hemlocks and Sitka spruce which tower over an undergrowth of salal, shrubs, ferns and moss, patterning the forest with many shades of green.

Being a fairly small part of the province of British Columbia, Haida Gwaii does not offer as much of an abundance of accommodations to its visitors as other parts of the province. But Smillies Bed & Breakfast is a great place to call home while visiting. On the shore of Masset Inlet, Smillies B&B offers three rooms set in a seaside cottage style. Breakfast is delivered to your room which also has a kitchenette and barbecue.   It is the perfect spot for a quaint and private trip to British Columbia’s most spectacular region.

Great Bear Rainforest, Vancouver Island

When most people think of Vancouver Island they think of cities like Victoria, Parksville, Tofino, and possibly Campbell River. But these folks are missing out on the most spectacular part of the largest Pacific island east of New Zealand. The Northern Vancouver Island region is a place of pristine natural splendour. It’s the last frontier, where massive expanses of lush wilderness beckon to outdoor adventurers, explorers, nature lovers, and wildlife watchers. With destinations such as Woss, Telegraph Cove, Sayward,  and Port Hardy, to name a few, the Northern Region of Vancouver Island offers many amazing places to visit.

More coastline and more waterways than any other area within the Vancouver Island region makes Vancouver Island North a premium destination for marine adventures. Which is why fishing, scuba diving, whale watching and kayaking are some of the most popular activities to take part in. World famous and noted for brilliant soft corals, countless marine species, 100-foot-plus visibility and unique opportunities such as seeing Pacific white-sided dolphins, wolf eels and exploring shipwrecks, Northen Vancouver Island is consistently ranked as one of the top 10 places to scuba dive each year.

The number of activities and outdoor adventure possibilities is too long to list, but in addition to scuba diving, another MUST DO is a guided grizzly bear tour. With a number of companies offering guided tours, taking a day to search the region for one of these spectacular animals will not leave you disappointed. These tours take place at the appropriately named ‘Great Bear Rainforest’. One of the world’s great wildlife areas, the Great Bear Rainforest still hosts healthy populations of the same wildlife species present when Captain Vancouver sailed up the BC coast in 1793.  The Coastal Mountain range has isolated many wildlife populations from their conspecifics in the rest of North America. As a result, the Great Bear Rainforest is home to many subspecies and genetically unique populations such as the Grizzly Bear and the coastal grey wolves.

Although Vancouver Island Bed and Breakfasts may not be abundant in the Northern Region of the Island, making your home base in Courtenay or Campbell River will allow you the opportunity to make daily excursions up island. And when you are looking to explore the wilderness and vast expanses of this untouched region, what better way than with road trips from your comfortable and relaxing  British Columbia Bed and Breakfast.

Vancouver in the Spring

The lights are bright, the streets are packed, and the restaurants are full…then you realize you are in the city of Vancouver on the weekend. Not just your average weekend holiday, but a trip to one of the world’s most beautiful cities in one of the most visited provinces in Canada. With winter coming to an end, and the spring flowers beginning to bloom, the city of Vancouver is one of the most spectacular places to visit. Whether you are looking to take in the arts and culture district on Commercial Street, or experience a Vancouver Canucks hockey game at Rogers Arena, Vancouver is a city that offers something for all tastes.

When you are on a vacation, the mornings are relaxing and the days are enjoyable, but the evening activites are most memorable. And Vancouver never leaves anything unexplored. With over ten theaters within minutes of downtown Vancouver, and professional hockey, baseball, football and soccer teams playing year round, there is always an activity to take part in when the sun goes down. The Orpheum, the Orpheum Annex, the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, the QET Plaza and the Arts Club Theatre are a great example of what the arts and culture community of Vancouver have to offer. Whether it be a ballet, rock show, or live theatre, the arts enthusiast will never be left to ponder what could have been.

But when the lights go down and the streets become vacant, your Vancouver accommodation is the more important part of your weekend get-away. With 16 Bed and Breakfasts within the city of Vancouver, and a number of other fantastic options available in the outlying communities, finding a comfortable and relaxing BC Innkeepers Bed & Breakfast to stay in will not be an issue. Not only are there many options available, but some of the best Bed and Breakfasts in Canada are just a walk away from the magical streets of down town Vancouver.

Mineral Pool at the Nakusp Hot Springs

Nestled deep within the natural beauty of the Kuskanax valley, locals and tourists alike have been flocking to the Nakusp Hot Springs to relax and revive their lives for decades. Offering over 200 acres of outdoor recreational opportunities from the mineral pools to hiking, biking, and fishing, the Nakusp Hot Springs, and the Arrow Lakes region is a gem in British Columbia’s Kooteneys.

Offering two outdoor pools, one hot and one warm, the Nakusp Hot Springs is the perfect place to rest your aching body and revitalize yourself when you are feeling weighed down with your day to day life. Not only do the pools provide a great excuse to relax, they are also known to provide many health benefits. Two years ago a Hungarian medical study by seven PhD scholars, showed that hot spring soaking is an effective treatment modality in elderly patients with osteoarthritis of the knee or with chronic low back pain, and its benefits lasted for at least 3 months after treatment. Say what? Relaxing in a pool of hot mineral water is good for my health? Sign me up!

And the mineral pools at the Nakusp Hot Springs are only the tip of the ice berg when visiting this region. The Arrow Lakes, which in essence are simply a widening of the Columbia River, offer great recreational opportunities including fishing and water sports. Stretching from Castlegar to Revelstoke, the lakes are surrounded by dense forests home to a great diversity of wildlife from Eagles to Grizzly Bears. The region is also well visited by ATV and snowmobile enthusiasts who can find great trails no matter where they look, and by winter activists who are looking for a spot to strap on their cross country skies and snowshoes.

Only a short drive away from four provincial parks and famous cities such as Revelstoke and Nelson, the Nakusp Hot Springs is a fantastic destination which should not be passed on. And with many great Kootenay Bed and Breakfasts in the region there really is no excuse to skip out on an opportunity to escape the city life and give your mind, body and soul a break while relaxing in the hot mineral pools.