Grouse Mountain, An Adventurous Option In Vancouver, Canada

by Jessica Festa on

Although Vancouver is a metropolitan city, it’s also a coastal seaport and home to mountain peaks and natural attractions. While many know the city for its sustainable restaurants, trendy nightlife and cultural fare, Vancouver also has options for the adventurous traveler, especially at Grouse Mountain.

Grouse is a mountain of the North Shore Mountains of the Pacific Ranges. The first recorded hikers summited the 4,100-foot mountain in October 1894, which at the time took three or four days. That was before Grouse became a hub of organized adventure activities and Vancouver’s most visited attraction.

While I’d known about hiking the excruciatingly steep “Grouse Grind” and had heard about paragliding, skiing and snowboarding opportunities, I was unaware they had a zipline. On my last visit, I tried it for myself. The five-line, double-track circuit was an excellent way to explore the beauty of the mountain while getting my heart rate up. While the first section is easy and gets you used to the experience, the second zips you at rapid speed over Blue Grouse Lake.

%Gallery-166362%To get to the higher sections, we had to take a chairlift, giving another opportunity to see the peaks, forests and canyons of Grouse. The last two lines are the scariest, reaching 200 feet in height and 50 miles per hour. My group was so high in the clouds; it actually felt like we were flying into an abyss.

At the end, you can visit the Eye of the Wind, a 1.5-megawatt turbine and the first wind turbine in North America to be built at such an extreme height. You’ll be able to go to the top – 214 feet in the air and less than 10 feet from the spinning blades – and enjoy 360 degree views of the mountains and surroundings.

Additionally, don’t forget to checkout the Lumberjack Show. While I wasn’t sure what to expect, it was hilarious. You’ll see Willie McGee from Blue Mountain and Johnny Nelson from Green River crack jokes while battling each other to see who is the best at log rolling, scaling 60-foot trees unharnessed, sculpture carving, axe throwing, springboard chopping and speed sawing. There is also a twist at the end that I won’t spoil, but actually seemed so real I had to close my eyes. Ironically, I have no trouble propelling myself above the trees, but get frightened sitting through a family-friendly show. The free event takes place daily at 12 P.M., 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Ziplining prices range from $70 to $109, depending on what package you choose. For a more visual idea of adventures on Grouse Mountain, check out the gallery above.

[Image above via Jessie on a Journey; Gallery images via Jessie on a Journey, Jeremiah John McBride, Marcin Chandy, www.metaphoricalplatapus.com, Sam DCruz, Shutterstock.com]

3 Stand-Out Sushi Restaurants In Vancouver, Canada

by Jessica Festa on

Vancouver, Canada, is filled with restaurants serving Asian cuisine, especially sushi. With hundreds of these types of venues sprawled across the city, it can be difficult to choose where to go. If you’re looking for something a little out of the ordinary, try one of these stand-out sushi restaurants in Vancouver.

Let’s Roll
104-1184 Denman Street

Located in Vancouver’s West End, Let’s Roll allows sushi lovers to make their own rolls. The process takes five steps. First, choose whether you want traditional seaweed or modern soy as your wrap. Next, decide between white, green or mixed grain rice. Once this is done, you’re on to the best part: stuffing your roll. You can choose two vegetables and two meats from a colorful showcase of items like salmon, tuna, avocado, prawn tempura, crab, beef, cucumber, spinach and more. Then, it’s time to select two toppings from conventional choices like fake crab and tempura flakes or unusual items like potato chips. When you’re finished, pick your sauces and you’re good to go. Remember, this isn’t traditional Japanese style, and the rolls you’ll make are huge. That being said, all ingredients are fresh, it’s fun and you’ll get exactly what you want.The Eatery
3431 West Broadway

The Eatery is unofficially Vancouver’s funkiest sushi restaurant. Located in the Kitsilano area of Vancouver, it’s been serving quirky Japanese fare since 1983. Signs reading “Funky Sushi” and an Astro Boy logo adorn the facade, while inside electronic music fills the air. The main attraction on the quirky cartoon-covered menu is the innovative rolls, although there are traditional-style options for those who want them. Some interesting fare includes the “Miss Piggy Roll,” which has bacon, scallops, asparagus, roe and unagi sauce, the “Found Nemo” roll, with crab tempura, asparagus and avocado wrapped with seared salmon or the “Volcano” roll, which has salmon, tuna, scallops and avocado on a bed of spicy crab meat. Expect fun roll names like “Erotica Roll,” “Italian Stallion” and the “S&S Roll,” as this is one of the sexiest sushi venues in Vancouver. You can also go here for a fun night out, as it’s more of an eclectic restaurant and bar then a quick sushi stop.

Juno Vancouver Sushi Bistro
572 Davie Street

Although you’ll find a plethora of sushi restaurants in Vancouver, most of them are quickly churning out rolls without thinking about quality or fresh ingredients. That’s where Yaletown’s Juno Vancouver Sushi Bistro differs. I’m a big sushi fan, and I found this place by asking numerous chefs, managers and wait staff at local restaurants where I could get the best sushi in the city. It was almost unanimous that Juno was the best. This place employs serious Japanese chefs who are committed to making the highest quality sushi rolls possible. My main reason for recommending Juno is they’re also sustainable. Ingredients include wild seafood, natural beef, free range chicken and heritage KUROBUTA pork, all locally-sourced from British Columbia farms. This is also a good place to try local libations, as Juno serves sakes from the Granville Island Artisan Sake Maker and BC “Vintners Quality Alliance” (VQA) wines.

[Image via Shutterstock]

A Day In Vancouver’s Stanley Park

by Jessica Festa on

In Vancouver, Canada, there are many beautiful places to spend the day – the Seawall, Coal Harbour, English Bay; however, Stanley Park, Vancouver’s oldest and largest park, allows you to experience all these and more.

Composed of 404.9 hectares, Stanley Park officially opened on September 27, 1888, as Vancouver’s first official “green space.” It’s one of the largest in the world, even bigger than New York‘s Central Park. Half a million trees cover the area, and visitors can spend hours strolling through cedars, hemlocks and firs.

Additionally, you’ll see an array of beautiful landmarks, as it’s possible to walk from Coal Harbour along the Seawall to English Bay Beach. Along with beaches and harbor views, you can ride an old-fashioned train, visit the park’s aquarium, take in public art, monuments and landmarks and inhale the scent of fresh flowers. Furthermore, the most popular attraction in British Columbia is located in Stanley Park’s Brockton Point in the form of nine totem poles, representative of B.C. First Nations artistry.

For a more visual idea of Stanley Park, check out the gallery below. If you plan on visiting, click here for a printable walking map.

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[Image above via Jessie on a Journey; Gallery images via Steve Rosset, Denis Kuvaev, Shutterstock.com , Jessie on a Journey]

Photo Of The Day: Baffin Bay

by Alex Robertson Textor on

Baffin Bay, located between Greenland and Baffin Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is a desolate and beautiful place.

It is also very far north. Though the above image looks like it might have been taken in the dead of winter, it was actually snapped in late August of this year. Check out photographer island602‘s big set of images of the Arctic for more near-frozen delights.

And upload your photos of icebergs and other frozen things to the Flickr Gadling Group Pool. We choose our favorites from the pool at Photos of the Day.

The World’s Most Recommended Country To Visit

by Chris Owen on

The world’s most recommended country to visit is Canada, says a study measuring public perceptions of countries around the world. The ranking is a component of the best overall country reputation that also considers employment, living conditions, investment potential and more.

Beating out Australia, Sweden and Switzerland for the second year in a row for the number one spot, Canada is one of 50 nations that will directly contribute to the $2 trillion tourism industry in 2012.

The annual RepTrak study was conducted by the Reputation Institute, a consultancy that measures the trust, esteem, admiration and good feelings the public holds towards 50 countries, by polling an online panel of 36,000 people representing the G8 countries.


“Beyond maintaining its top position, Canada has also improved its score by more than three points. Normally we don’t see such a large increase in a score from a top 10 country but Canada now stands head and shoulders above the other leading countries,” said Nicolas Georges Trad, Executive Partner, Reputation Institute in a statement.

Rounding out the top ten countries with the best reputations were Norway, New Zealand, Finland, Denmark, Austria and the Netherlands, all known for their stability, solid democracies, high GDP and strong social infrastructures.

The United States came in at number 23 but the study concluded that with a strong 5-10 point increase in the last four years, the reputation of the USA is trending towards more positive perceptions.



[Flickr photo by beaumontpete]