summer Archives

Summer Summary 2024

Hello friends! I’m sitting at our kitchen table with a hot mug of tea while it’s pouring rain outside – and by pouring rain I mean an ‘atmospheric river’ has hit Metro Vancouver. If anything is going to symbolically announce that summer is long gone and those shy initial stages of fall are over, it’s this. Time to look back and tell you about my summer months.

It’s been a bit quiet over here, sorry about that! I’ll make it up to you with a little (or not so little) summary of what this past summer was like. Officially, summer starts on June 20th, but let me cheat a little bit and start at the end of May, when we had our first summer-ish activity.

Half Corked Marathon

At the end of May, we drove to the Okanagan for a very special event: a half marathon through the vineyards of Osoyoos. We ran 21 kilometer and stopped at 18 wineries for a tasting sample (or two). The theme was “Now That’s The 90s” – it was hilarious to see what everyone was wearing. We went as Baywatch and high fived a bunch of other life guards as well 😉

Special guests 🇳🇱

When we got back to Vancouver, we quickly dropped our stuff and hopped back in the car to head to the airport… Because Vera and Melissa were about to land! They stayed with us in Vancouver a couple of days, took the ferry to Vancouver Island while I worked during the week, and when they returned the girls and I left the city for a road trip. I wish we’d had more time in Vancouver and some better weather, but hopefully better luck next time? 😉

That road trip took us from Vancouver to Calgary! More about that in my other post from this week: ✍🏼 A Vancouver to Calgary roadtrip itinerary through the Canadian Rockies, and here’s a few more photos below.

Camping on Vancouver Island

In July, we went camping with Anienke and Smit on Vancouver Island. For all of us, it was our first time sleeping in a tent in Canada. We had so much fun and had amazing weather. We camped in Strathcona National Park for a night and went to find Myra Falls there, a beautiful place used as a filming location in the Apple tv show “See”. What an incredible place. The water was ice cold and super refreshing! The next day, it was time to pack up and move to another camp site a little south of Port Alberni. So lovely driving around and getting to know the island a little bit better. The second campground was a bit smaller, but still very nice and located conveniently by a river, so we hung out there to cool off.

special guests part 2 🇳🇱

My two dear friends Fanny and Franka came to visit. It was rather last minute, which made it all the more special to have them. They joined us and our friends for Symphony in the Park in Burnaby, we swam in the Lynn Canyon, we paddle boarded on Buntzen Lake, I got to show them Joffre Lakes, sent them to Squamish for The Chief, and so much more.

Sooke

We couldn’t get enough of Vancouver Island, so thankfully, we had another tripped planned 😊 No camping this time, but a lovely Airbnb in Sooke. We visited several beautiful beaches, cooked delicious meals in our kitchen, and went on an unforgettable whale watching tour.

Chelan County in Washington State

Our last trip this summer was a road trip to Washington State. I love that place so much! It was a bit of a long wait at the border, but it’s worth the trouble. Our destination was Cashmere, a small town in the Chelan County, which is just south of the Okanogan County. That made us laugh a bit, because north of that is the Canadian Okanagan (you know, where the wine comes from).

On our way to our Airbnb, we stopped in Leavenworth, a Bavarian-style town that was terribly crowded but quite charming. Once we got to Cashmere, we could quickly freshen up and only briefly catch our breath before continuing our journey, because we were going to see the Imagine Dragons perform at what must be one of the most beautiful concert venues in the world… The Gorge Amphitheatre. Oh man, what a special place and what a great show!

After the concert, we spent the rest of the weekend exploring this beautiful area of the state a little bit, which included a 5 hour hike to Colchuck Lake (that was a really nice one!). The way back to Vancouver was such a treat – we took the northern scenic mountain route and it felt like we were driving in the Rockies.

and everything in between

These highlights make me miss summer so much! And that wasn’t even everything yet. Vancouver is so amazing in the summer, there’s so much to do and everyone around us is always up for getting together, because what better way to enjoy the season than with great company 💛

We did another day out on the boat. The water was pretty rough that day, but Tom and Jo were great captains and ensured both boats returned in one piece and delivered our group back on Granville Island safe and sound.
We did an overnight backpacking trip to Watersprite Lake for Lara’s birthday. In case you missed it, I posted about that adventure here.
We went to the Abbotsford Air Show again this year. We were better prepared for the intense heat this time, but still, whoo, it was just as bloody hot as last year. The air shows were as impressive, too. So were all the soldiers around that somehow didn’t faint from being in uniform all day.
August is our birthday month, so Tom and I threw a birthday party. The bbq was delicious and the company was even better 💛 Alexander and Sif were in town after moving back to Denmark last September, so it was extra special.
Just after my birthday, I finally finished my Invisalign treatment! I wore aligners for about 8 months and am super happy with the results.
This summer also included some apartment viewings, because we decided to look for a different place. A couple of viewings and a number of grey hairs later, we found a nice new apartment in the same neighbourhood. We moved in on October 1st and felt at home quickly. We gave our car an appreciative pat on the trunk – we were able to move everything in our own car, including the couch and bed. Don’t ask how, but we succeeded!

And now? Now we hibernate 😴

Travel Nov 03

The summer trilogy

Hello! How are you all doing? An incredible summer season has come to an end over here. I know I’ve been a bit MIA on the blog here, but I do want to make sure I share a bit about my summer! Apart from all kinds of spread out summer activites, we had 3 big things on the calendar: two visits from back home, and one trip to the east coast of the US.

visitors and sunshine coast

Tom’s parents came to visit us in July. It was so lovely showing them around and giving them a glimpse of what it’s like here!

They explored Vancouver while we worked during the week, but we did really want to take a day off so we could spend a full long weekend with them. And what better way to do that than to get away from the city like people do here?

On Thursday evening, we took a ferry to the Sunshine Coast. We had heard such great things about it, and we loved the idea of seeing a new island in the area.

It was fantastic weather, and we hadn’t been there ourselves yet, so it was nice to explore something new all together. Part of that trip was also the Skookumchuck Narrows – a nice read there if you want to know more about it. And here’s a little reel of our time on the Sunshine Coast!

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canadian rockies

Not long after waving Tom’s parents goodbye, we had another special couple over at the end of August! We met Tom’s brother Erik and his girlfriend Aga in Calgary and spent a week road tripping through the Canadian Rockies. It was amazing slowly making our way back to Vancouver with them. We saw Banff National Park, Yoho National Park, and Jasper National Park for the first time. There’s so much to share and tell – so I put together a separate (rather lengthy and photo-filled) post about that. Go read that if you’re interested! But yeah, my oh my, what an unforgettable experience. The rockies are overwhelmingly beautiful.

happy accidents

OK, silly story. I’m an early ’90s girl that grew up listening to the Jonas Brothers. So when they announced their tour, I did my fangirl dance and looked for Vancouver on the list. Sadly, they were going to skip my city, and so I scanned the list for alternatives. Toronto? Ugh, flights are so expensive and it’s so far away! Why don’t I just find something in the US, instead? The US border is just a 1,5 hour drive away, so lots of people from Canada go to cities in the US to see shows. Washington it is. A 2 to 3 hour drive will get us there.

One morning, I was preparing for a full day of training when I was reminded about ticket sales starting at 9 AM. I sent the Verified Fan link and information over to Tom, asking him to get us 2 tickets. Any tickets. Doesn’t matter where we sit, I just want to be there.

A little while later during my break, I check in to see how it went and if we got some tickets. Yep. We did. Then Tom goes: “You do realize it’s for Washington, DC, right?”

!@#$%^&*()(*&^%$#@!

Sigh. This is such a first world problem, but yeah, we decided to see it as a nice opportunity. So 6 months later, we hopped on our flight to New York City. We spent 4 days exploring New York City for the first time, then took a train to Washington DC to continue our trip. We ticked off countless must-sees and recommendations from friends. And then, on Saturday 23 September, my brain effortlessly downloaded all the lyrics to songs by the Jonas Brothers from 2007 to today.

hello, autumn

Returning home from the US was like a baptism into the fall – rain, storm warnings, urges to buy knitwear, all of that. Or at least that’s what it felt like at first – soon after, repeated whiplash followed, as we went from cold to warm and back again several times. But yeah, by now, fall has definitely kicked in.

I’ll try to be good and keep up with posting a bit more in the fall. It will be our first fall and winter here, so it will be interesting to transition to new activities and experiencing what the colder seasons are like in Vancouver.

Thanks again for reading along, and see you next time!

Travel Jun 22

Things to do in Vancouver in spring and early summer

Ahhh the sweet, sweet arrival of warm weather! I am writing this mid-June, amazed at how fast time has flown by. I can’t believe it’s been about 6 months that I’ve been here! If you ask me, arriving in winter was the best thing. It’s cold, but gorgeous, and gradually you feel the temperature rising, the sun shining more hours, and people finally coming out of their hibernation state. It’s not even officially summer yet and there are so many amazing things in the calendar for the coming months… But let’s look back for a second – here’s what I already had a chance to do in spring and early summer.

Before anything else, I should tell you: everyone is telling me how unusual this year’s (pre-)summer is. We were hit with 30 degrees out of nowhere in May, and the weather has been amazing since – with the odd grey day here and there. It’s been unusually dry – May and June are supposed to be very wet months, but there’s hardly been any rain… It’s nice for activities, but there’s a price – “Canada on track for its worst-ever wildfire season“… Wildfires are unfortunately not that unusual here, so a smoky Vancouver is definitely something I’m not looking forward to.

richmond night market

If you’re a foodie, then it’s definitely a must to visit the Richmond Night Market at least once. It’s an annual night market that opens from May until October. A great place to go in the summer and fall! It almost feels like a festival terrain with all its colours! When you arrive, you’ll likely see some pretty long lines. I recommend getting the Zoom pass – staff walks around the queue selling these passes that get you immediate skip-the-line access. It’s a ticket for 5 people – we went there with 4, but you can still use the last slot for the next time you go. It’s only a few dollars more than the normal admission, and it’s worth skipping the line which can take 45 minutes to get through.

There’s an abundance of food from all over the world – though I have to say I missed a Filipino stand! Food isn’t the only entertainment though, there’s a whole section with carnival-ish games. I failed miserably at catching sticks. Those of you following me on Instagram know what I mean!

3rd beach tuesday drum circle

On a random Tuesday evening walk around Stanley Park, friends of ours noticed a big group and some pretty impressive drum music on Third Beach. Turns out, it’s a drum jam that happens every Tuesday evening in that exact spot if the weather is nice.

A week or two later, the four of us filled up a cooler, brought a sweater, and met up at Third Beach to enjoy the drums. They do this from March to September after 6 PM until sunset.

Do expect interesting crowds… using lots of weed. If you don’t want to be in the middle of that, just pick a spot a bit farther away from the drummers. It’s loud enough to enjoy the music from a bit more distance 😉

join a charity run

With the weather improving, I felt encouraged to put my running shoes on more often! After a very wet Vancouver Sun Run, I signed up for the Run For Women which took place on the University of British Columbia campus grounds. It was lovely seeing a different neighbourhood of campus, and it was an amazing route right through the Pacific Spirit Regional Park. The weather was fantastic, the vibe was so nice, and the goodie bag was out-of-this-world. I’ve done so many running events but this goodbie bag was by far the best. The event was by Shoppers Drug Mart, so it was full of shampoos, creams, vitamins, lotions, tooth brushes, and more!

white rock

After the run, we spent the rest of the sunny day with my friend from work. She and her husband took us to White Rock, which is about a 50 minute drive from downtown Vancouver. It’s a beautiful seaside city known for its historic pier (also the longest pier in Canada!) and lovely beaches.

It has almost a Californian vibe to it, a summer vacation feeling, especially with the amazing weather we had that day! It’s referred to as a resort town, so I guess that makes sense… We had a lovely time strolling over the pier, enjoying the street music, wondering how much the properties here must cost 😉

If you check out the video here, you’ll see some serious train tracks. The railway running along the waterfront operates 24/7, linking our Canadian province to Washington State. Once a train is passing, it can take quite some time before you can get off the pier. Not sure if I’ve ever seen that many cargo train carts in one go!

go to a sofar sounds show

I love live music, so when I heard about Sofar Sounds I was eager to try it! The concept is you buy tickets to see a show, but all you know is in which neighbourhood the show will take place.

A day or two prior, you receive the exact address, along with the names of three artists or bands that will be playing. The location can be anything from a bar to an office space, and from someone’s garden to a clothing store. The first time I went, it was in a beautiful co-working office on W Georgia St. We all sat on pillows, and there was a small bar area to get drinks. The second was a clothing store in Kitsilano, with cute rugs on the floor to sit on and you could bring your own snacks and drinks. Now that the weather is nice, it’ll be nice to see a show from a rooftop or other outside venue!

It’s small and intimate, with maybe 50 people in the audience. Just a string of lights, some nice plants, and cute decorations, and you have a lovely stage.

It’s a fun way to discover local artists and see places you’ve never been before. They’re active in soooo many cities all around the world, so have a look and see if there’s a show in your city!

use the may long weekend

We bought sup boards and took them out on the water in Washington State! I wrote about our trip for the May long weekend in another post. Gotta love the statutory holidays! We went out of Canada for this one, but British Columbia has so much to offer. Now that it’s summer, we’ll be exploring more hikes in BC, so I’ll have so much more to share with you over the next few months!

take walks by the water

Nothing beats the waters in BC. Stanley Park is my go-to for strolls by the water, but Vancouver is surrounded by the sea and lakes, so there are so many options! I mean… The five second video right here says enough.

Enjoying the views over the water, you’ll be sure to spot a seal or an otter, birds. And… so… many… dogs (in and out of the water!)

rent a boat from granville island boat rentals

This was sooooo much fun! For a Saturday in early June, we booked a 19″ boat (good for up to 8 people) for the afternoon until closing time at 9 PM.

Toss together a pasta salad. Collect ingredients for guacamole. Fill up the cooler. Put on your bathing suit. And ready to go! We took the ferry from English Bay to Granville Island (takes literally 2 minutes) and stepped right into the boat rental office. After signing some paperwork (gosh that did take a long time) and grabbing some life jackets, we were on our way. After debating a bit between Bowen Island and taking the inlet to Indian Arm, we decided on the latter.

We stopped at Deep Cove to use the washroom, then made our way further north up the inlet. It was so, so beautiful! Had an amazing time – not too hard with these surroundings and wonderful company. I want to go again!

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visit queen elizabeth park and go up the hill

South of downtown (about 30-40 minutes by public transit but just 18 minutes by car) lies Queen Elizabeth Park. Oh my goodness, this park is absolutely gorgeous. If not for the perfectly kept gardens, then the view from up there is why you should make the trip.

With just a few minutes of hiking up the hill, you’ll find Seasons in the Park, a fancy French restaurant with an incredible view over the city. (And great cocktails!) The view of downtown Vancouver with the mountain backdrop seen from this side of town is so mind blowing! If you want to see it from within the restaurant, remember to make a reservation… In any case, our waiter confirmed: even if you’d be out there every day, this view just doesn’t get old.

Phew! That was a lot, wasn’t it? But there’s more to come this summer that I can’t wait to share with you guys! Expect more photography, drone footage, and nature!