explorebc – A Pursuit of Life – Barefoot& High Heeled

The Beautifully Tranquil Riverside Bed & Breakfast In Kamloops, BC.

There are those places in life that you visit and they leave a lasting and memorable imprint in your mind. You know in your mind that you will return one day, you just don’t know exactly when.

Riverside Bed & Breakfast in Kamloops, British Columbia is one of those such places for me. I stumbled across this B&B a few years ago when I was passing through Kamloops. It was one of those golden finds. I had randomly decided I wanted to spend the night and do some wine tasting when I was in the area, and after searching and calling around, having not much luck finding availability, I came across this stunning place.

At the time I was instantly in love with it. The property is immaculate, the rooms very chic, much more then you would expect from a B&B, and the energy of the place is very high vibe. I knew then that I would return one day.

I recently had the pleasure of revisiting, and spending another night. Let me tell you, it absolutely did not disappoint and if anything, it only got better with time. It was as immaculate and stunning as I remembered.

I was instantly in love with the room. It was spacious, bright, open and had an incredible view of the lake.

All of the rooms at the B&B share the same incredible view. Basking in that beauty is a fabulous way to start your day with your morning coffee.

Although, the king size bed was so comfy, I didn’t want to get up in the morning.

Not wanting to miss a minute of enjoying this experience and soaking it all in, was enough to make me crawl out of this blissful bed in the end.

The breakfast was superb as well. You are welcomed into a bright, open, and classy dining room.

The table is set as though you are in a upscale restaurant and the culinary experience is of the same caliber.

You will not be leaving hungry after this classy breakfast.

This time around I was the only guest at the property, as summer is finished, it’s the end of fall, and its not quite winter, it is that in- between time.

My previous visit, there were other guests, and we had great chat at the breakfast table, sharing stories and making new friends. Although I also enjoy the ‘me time’ experience’s, indulging in some of my favorite company….. My own! Mind you, I had some pretty fab conversation with the owner Cynthia, as she spoiled me with scrumptious eats.

As per the first visit, this was once again a truly unforgettable experience, and I will make it a point to return again when I find myself in the area. With the third time being the charm, so they say, I am curious if it can still continually surpass the last visits.

You surely leave feeling better then when you came.

I would love to hear where some of your favorite unforgettable spots are, that you have casually stumbled across?

The Sugar Shack – The Best Poutine In BC

Fried Potatoes, cheese, and gravy – a traditional Canadian treat. That gooey goodness that is total comfort food. Not something I indulge in very often, but from time to time, I don’t mind treating myself.

In 70 Mile House, British Columbia, there is an inviting little establishment called The Sugar Shack, where it boasts to have the best poutine in the west. Located right on the side of the highway with plenty of signage to make you aware of it, you can’t really miss it.

I really liked how it was built out of a garage, and one of the entrances is a large garage door. I was diggin it.

I was also diggin the rustic, beautiful varnished wooden interior.

They are not only famous for their poutines, but you will also find every maple syrup and maple syrup product under the sun.

Maple Bread, maple chocolates, maple jerky, heck if you want maple syrup on your poutine you could absolutely have that.

I tried out a coffee with maple syrup in it, and I must say, it was pretty darn tasty. Never had I even thought to put maple syrup in my coffee, but really, why the heck not?! It is a natural sugar.

Seeing as how I don’t eat poutines very often, I was pretty excited to give it go. Let me tell you, they are very generous on their portions. Go with and empty belly, and in sweat pants. You will not be leaving hungry, or a size smaller.

Look at that proud poutine in all it’s glory. My pants were getting tighter just taking it in with my eyes. When I put the fork in to take a morsel, the cheese was sooo gooey and stringy, it was poutine perfection.

What made the difference was that they use cheese curds. Glorious cheese curds. They really don’t get enough of the spotlight.

The gravy was delicious!! I love gravy, particularly good gravy. I think the only thing I would have opted out on was the smoked meat. Not because it was bad, but because I really am only there for the gravy and cheese on those crispy potatoes.

With the owner, Robert, being from Quebec, it was all making sense. The Maple Syrup, the poutine, and the cheese curds. These things are his art and in his blood.

He is fantastic! And truly goes above and beyond to be sure that everyone whom steps in his door has a memorable experience.

If you are interested in seeing the video of my experience, have a peak at my Youtube Video.

I can honestly say, that if your after a unique experience, and you happen to find yourself in 70 mile house in BC, then The Sugar Shack is a must do.

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Highlights Of An Impromptu Reunion Weekend In Vancouver

Vancouver is such an awesome city. It has good vibes, mountain views, sea views, and endless things to do and see. I always had a long time love of Vancouver, but as I hadn’t been there in years, my recent visit totally served to rekindle my love for it.

Considering it was an unplanned weekend pit stop, I didn’t really have anything major in my mind to do or see. It was more of a go with the flow kind of weekend. I was more excited that it was turning into an unexpected reunion weekend. Those sometimes are the best though! No expectations, just open to whatever adventure arises.

For a spontaneous Vancity girls trip, I was pleasantly surprised. Here are a few highlights from what was an absolutely top notch reunion weekend.

Taking in the views of the city itself are fantastic from all angles. Even with overcast it didn’t make it any less serene.

I was loving the little Ferries cruising the bay, and eagerly anticipated getting on one. Not like I haven’t sailed across the Atlantic ocean a few times, or spent years sailing and being on water in general. It’s simply just the little things sometimes, and I just happen to really enjoy being on water.

The girls and myself decided to take a leisurely cruise over to Granville island to check out the sights and indulge in a few classy glasses of vino.

Once again, the sights of the bay were superb! It brought me back to my time I spent in Miami. Cruising all over the city on yachts. Nothing like a good reminisce session.

It is such an energetic area, full of life. Living in that area must be so nice.

The small house boating community we cruised by caught my eye. I have a big admiration for house boats. I always thought it would be so awesome to own one of my own – and this trendy little community is pretty appealing. Houseboats and stylish tree houses, two things that totally intrigue me.

Vancouver has such an awesome beach life as well. I was loving it. Everyday there was a new beach to check out. The sun was shining and the weather was ‘oh so sweet’.

Wreck Beach pictured in the photo below was my first experience visiting a nude beach. How do I sum that up……. Birthday suits all over the show! What could one expect really, it is a nude beach. Once you become accustomed to it, it’s pretty cool to see people just being free with no sort of attachments to it. I suppose I can check nude beach off my bucket list. Even though I didn’t know it was on my bucket list. Check, check, check.

We did a day trip to Chief mountain near Squamish and and enjoyed a good leg burning hike.

When I say leg burning. I mean LEG BURNING!! Most of the hike is going up stairs, and when the stairs finally end, you are going up more stairs that have been dug into the mountain walls. Tough! Especially when you indulged in a bit of vino the night prior. What an incredible view though. It is all worth it. I do love a good calorie burn.

Vancouver has a bit of everything and more, and I can absolutely see why it is such a sought after place. It’s a new happy place of mine – that’s for darn sure. Impromptu weekend adventures for the win.

Spoiled By Nature In Port Alice British Columbia

Off the beaten track places are always alluring to me. For some reason those places that are a bit hard to get to, and not visited by many tourists is always what my adventuring soul yearns for. Port Alice on North Vancouver Island is a hidden gem of beauty and serenity.

First of all, the road to Port Alice from the main highway is a bit of a doozie – well, unless you enjoy roller coaster rides, then this road was made for you. It is all up and down and sharp corners, even being the driver I get a bit dizzy every time. However, it is well worth it for the destination that awaits.

Being welcomed by a rainbow is always a great way to enter somewhere.

Port Alice is a very small coastal village of 664 people, with a million dollar view.

You are surrounded by a 360 degree view of the mountains, and incredible sun rises and sunsets.

The town itself is very well maintained and super clean. I found it so interesting to hear stories of cougars roaming into town, and how you have to keep your eyes peeled at times for them. I am so used to looking out for bears and wolves rather then cougars in my neck of the woods.

I was lucky enough to not only wake up to this spectacular view, but to also dine with it every day.

Did I forget to mention the abundance of fresh seafood?! With prawns and crab galore you are bound to enjoy a multitude of it here.

There was so much left over that I had to create an equally as amazing lunch the next day, consisting of crab cakes and prawn salad.

And yes, it was absolutely divine. In case you were wondering.

It’s the perfect place to soothe your soul of life’s everyday hustle and bustle.

The various birds are always singing and the humming birds buzz around sounding almost like a large bee. I absolutely love humming birds, so it was very convenient for my basking pleasure that there were bird feeders hanging off the deck, as the birds loved to come and enjoy a refreshing drink of water.

In the summer you can enjoy watching the whales and sea lions swimming through the bay, right in your own back yard. I happened to visit a bit too early this time around so I was not able to see that action, but I have every intention of returning in the summer to enjoy a bit of the show.

Port Alice is the perfect spot for kayaking, scuba diving, and fishing, and it also has easy access to the Pacific ocean from the inlet. There are plenty of areas to go hiking, and a beautiful 9 hole golf course. Being less touristy, it offers crowd free adventures, which is exactly the way I like it.

Port Alice, is small in size, but big in beauty. An absolute must see if you find yourself in the North Vancouver island area. Happy travelling days!

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