hot salsa in Vancouver

There will be literally dozens of performances from world-famous salsa dancers such as BAILA Society, Cobo Brothers, Proyecto Descarga, and Salsamania as well as regular workshops for beginners and up, and themed dance parties until 4 am.  Without a doubt, the VISF is the hottest ticket in town. Tickets start at only $20, and part of the proceeds go to the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.

The centerpiece events are the two Gala events on Friday March 4, “Latin Live” with a 12-piece live band and an international dance showcase,  and on Saturday March 5, “Casino Royale – Salsa & Martinis” with a dress code of Bond and Bond Girls.

A Vancouver Fashion Week preview

If you’ll be attending this spectacular event be sure to top off the experience with accommodations at one of Vancouver’s fine BC’s Best B&Bs member properties, where your comfort is always in fashion.

Sockeye Salmon battle up both the Fraser and Thompson Rivers during their age old quest to return home and spawn. About 12 km of the Adams River, near Shuswap Lake in the Thompson Okanagan, will be the destination of millions of the returning sockeye as well as other salmon species. With 65 hectares of stream bed Adams River rates amongst the richest natural spawning streams in North America. Salmon return to the Adams River every year but every 4 years there is a dominant run in which the largest number of salmon return, dwarfing the smaller years.  2002 and 2006 brought a staggering 3.6 million salmon returning, 2010 is another  dominant year and it is expected to be a great year!  Don’t miss the opportunity to watch this incredible event first hand— it just isn’t the same on film.  Salmon return to spawn in many rivers in BC, but the likely numbers here are staggering.

The Pacific Salmon Commission released new information on August 24th, 2010 stating that the salmon run this year is expected to hit levels we haven’t seen in the last 100 years.  They predict over 25 million salmon returning to the spawning beds this year.

Check with one of our BCs Best BnB Innkeepers for local salmon watching suggestions,  great accommodations and specials too.

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!

* 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.

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.  Ms Flack classically trained on the piano from an early age and received a music scholarship at age 15 to attend Howard University.   She was singing at the Washington, DC nightclub Mr. Henry’s when discovered by jazz musician Les McCann and was promptly signed to Atlantic.  Her many hits include include The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Where Is the Love (a duet with former Howard University classmate Donny Hathaway), Killing Me Softly With His Song, Feel Like Makin’ Love, The Closer I Get to You, Tonight I Celebrate My Love, and Set the Night to Music, Ms. Flack has built a musical legacy.  She received a Star on Hollywood’s legendary Walk of Fame in 1999.

You can order on line via the VIMF website where the performers list is updated as they are signed.  This event often sells out, so don’t delay, it is one of the best music festivals to be found anywhere.   Great accommodations are available  from BCs Best B&Bs members who you’ll likely bump into at Music Fest as they take a little time out for toe tapping too.

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

Those who love the sea and sailing will want to come the see the dozens of boats, big and small, participating in this annual event.  It is especially appealing to the experienced amateur sailor who takes pride in his or her boat. If you care as much about where you stay during your visit to the event as the participants do about sailing, be  sure to find the best in Victoria Bed & Breakfast accommodation at BCBestBnBs.com .

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!

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”.