Posts Tagged ‘BC’s Best B&Bs’

Wild Times in Whistler

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

Canada’s best off road triathletes will be crowned in the  2010 La Terra XTERRA Canadian National Championships being held in Whistler September 5 (the Labor Day long weekend).  This race offers a Sport and Championship distance event along with a relay division on the Championship Course.    Athletes compete in several different five year age divisions with the chance to earn places to race in Maui at the World Championships.  A total of 20 Maui spots are available in both male and female divisions.  The professionals compete for a prize purse in excess of $10,000.

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!

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Bulkley Valley? YES!!!

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

Drive west from Prince George in Northern BC and you’ll find Smithers and the Bulkley Valley, an area of unsurpassed natural beauty, agriculture and a young, vibrant population.  Each year in late August over 20,000 people come to the fair here for four days of livestock exhibitions, horse and dog shows, Midway rides and a BCRA rodeo.  Festivities begin with a parade on Wednesday, August 25 and get better and better.  New for 2010:

* 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.

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Where is the love? Vancouver Island Music Fest of course

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

The Comox Valley is host to Vancouver Island Music Fest July 9-11 where during the day 5 stages make it possible to hear all of one’s favorite kinds of music from rock to blues to jazz to pop to hip hop and genres from around the world.  At night the main stage takes over and the crowd gyrates to the awesome sounds of some of music’s best from both the past and present.  In previous years greats such as Taj Mahal, Don McLean, Earl Scruggs, Los Lobos, David Gogo and Bruce Cockburn have wowed the audience.  This year’s Music Fest promises to be better than ever.

Roberta Flack, one of the greatest songstresses of our time, is headlining at VIMF 2010.  A Grammy Award winner, Ms Flack tells stories through her music like no one else. Her songs continue to bring insight into our lives, loves, culture and politics, while she effortlessly moves through a musical landscape from pop to soul to folk to jazz.  (more…)

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If You’ve Got A “Smart” Phone BC’s Best Has Gone Mobile!!

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

BCsBestBnBs.com goes Mobile!!!  We are the FIRST Bed and Breakfast Association in Canada to have a fully mobile version of our website.  It has just become easier than ever to book where you’ll “Rest Assured” at one of the 200 Guild member B&B Inns located across British Columbia.  Last minute travelers are sure to be especially happy with this major technological advancement.

We are thrilled to announce that our Guild now has a fully Mobile version of our website.  This amazing feature detects that a “Smart Phone” is searching for our Bed and Breakfast Guild and brings up a mobile version of the site.  This is a pared down version of our full site but has all the necessary information that  future guests need to make a booking at a BC Bed and Breakfast Innkeepers Guild property:

  • Find a B&B by City, Region or Specials
  • View this Blog
  • View the Full Version of the Website
  • Contact email  information for the Guild

Once our new guest has found the appropriate B&B:

  • there is a google map of the city
  • picture and description
  • ability to get directions
  • phone numbers, website link, and availability link

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Starboard Tack!

Monday, May 24th, 2010

The Swiftsure International Yacht Race, May 29 and 30, is the premier long distance sailing race  in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia area. Starting and ending in Victoria, BC, Swiftsure draws boats and sailors from California, Hawaii, New Zealand and even Russia. The nature of the course and the potential variety of sailing conditions provide an exacting review of seamanship. Swiftsure consists of nine races over four courses in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, including the Rosedale Rock (formally “Sookesure”) and “Classics” races. 

(more…)

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Lassies, the Men are wearing Kilts, and they’ve got the legs for it!

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

The tee shirt read “Don’t crush that Scotsman, hand me the Caber!”   Whoa said I, what the heck’s a “Caber”?  Little did I know a Caber is a log the size of telephone pole tossed about by some of the strongest men in the world who just happen to be Scots wearing kilts.  There are Highland Games showcasing BC’s Scottish heritiage scheduled all over British Columbia this year beginning May 22 in Victoria and in the Comox Valley.  Victoria’s games are, for the first time, in conjunction with the  IHGF World Heavy Events Festival so book your Victoria B&B  accommodations early as it may get crowded.  The games are not all about strength, though the big fellows also throw heavy hammers, stones, kegs and bales.   There are world class pipers, drummers, piper bands and highland dancing displays as well. 

This Highland Games link lists all the BC events including the Cariboo Highland Games June 1 & 2 in Quesnel, the Sons of Scotland Games June 10 in Abbotsford, the BC Legion Highland Gathering  June 19 in Sqamish, the BC (United) Scottish Highland Games in Coquitlam June 26,  the Penticton Highland Games July 1 and the fall finale Castlegar Highland Games on October 4.  Followers of the Games will find friendly BCsBestBnBInnkeepers close to all the locations for a nice rest after all the caber tossing, dancing and maybe even a fine meal of haggis and a pint or a wee nip of single malt!

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Guild Members Recognized by MD’s and Airlines too!

Friday, April 2nd, 2010

Abbeymoore Manor

It’s no surprise when elegant Victoria BC accommodations generate interest and excitement, but when three out of four in one article are members of BC’s Best B&Bs it warrants taking note.  An enthusiastic Jeremy Ferguson, writing  for Doctor’s Review,  featured three Guild members, Abbeymoore Manor, Fairholme Manor, and Villa Marco Polo in a flattering article available at www.doctorsreview.com/features/victorias-aristocratic-bbs/.   

In a separate piece author Suzanne Morphet, for Westjet Airlines, captures the essence of Abbeymoore Manor in a beautifully crafted feature available at http://www.upmagazine.com/story/article/abbeymoore-manor  As she says in her article “…The reason people love this place is because Ian and Anne care to get to know you”.

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Paralympic Flame Ignited

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

The inspirational 10 day Paralympic Torch Relay is underway as the first group of Paralympic Torchbearers- one from each province and territory- gathered in Ottawa and witnessed the lighting of the flame today, March 3, 2010.  Over 600 torchbearers will carry the flame on its proud journey through 11 communities until the the lighting of the Paralympic Cauldron at BC Place in downtown Vancouver on March 12. 

 The Paralympic Flame has no ancestral home but was ignited and blessed by Aboriginal firekeepers of the Pikwakanagan and Kitigan Zibi Algonquin bands on Victoria Island during a special ceremony.  It then was placed in a lantern and delivered to the Parliament Buildings where it passed to three youth representatives of the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit, Kanatami and Metis National Council.  This trio of flames was brought to a stage located on the Hill’s historic front lawn where Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, Whistler Mayor Ken Melamed and  Squamish Nation Chief Gibby Jacob, on behalf of the Four Host First Nations, reunited the flames in the Paralympic Cauldron.  Arnold Bolt, a multi-sport Paralympian with many world records, officially started the flame’s journey by dipping his torch into the Paralympic cauldron in front of a crowd that included Prime Minister Stephen Harper.  Bolt then handed off the flame to 15 other torchbearers on the way to Vancouver. 

Paralymic sports include Alpine skiing, Biathlon, Cross country skiing, Ice sledge hockey and Wheelchair curling.  The events will take place at several of the Olympic venues in both Whistler and Vancouver.  Crowds will likely be smaller than at the Olympic Games, but the competition and excitement will be just as electric and memorable.  Click here for more information about the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games.   For superb Vancouver Bed & Breakfast accommodation and Bed & Breakfasts in Whistler, be sure to visit BCsBestBnBs.com.

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