Vancouver Island Adventure Travel

Alberni Outpost has recently expanded their Schooner Cove Marina! You know what this means, with two different locations they will now be able to provide customers with even more kayaking opportunities. They have four extra tours including a Sunset and a Lunch tour, and a mid afternoon paddle and a Taste of Kayaking tour. There will be a minimum of three tours a day throughout the summer with added lessons for intermediate and advanced paddlers, so don’t miss out!

Coming up on Sunday June 3rd between 10am and 4pm is their annual event ‘Demo Day’. Alberni Outpost’s Store is the biggest kayak retailer on Vancouver Island. They will be displaying 100 different types of kayaks for people to test paddle. This event will be held on Long Lake in Nanaimo. So come out and sample a few kayaks for FREE!

For scheduling information or to see the online store go to www.albernioutpost.com

Vancouver Island adventure directory: www.viadventures.net

# posted by Adventure Explorer : 1:49 PM  1 comments

Ever wanted to go in search of Bigfoot? Well, here’s your chance! Bigfoot Safari takes people into the wilderness. Not only do people come here to go in search for the legendary monster that roams about, they also come here for many other reasons as well. Some people come because they think they want to learn how to drive 4 wheel drive. They want to become better drivers and there’s no better place to practice but out in the middle of nowhere on rough terrain. It’s also a good chance for children to learn and understand more about vehicle dynamics. People can either rent vehicles from Bigfoot Safari or bring their own. YOU can create your own experience with Bigfoot Safari.

Large business groups have come up to Bigfoot Safari to learn how to work together. Bigfoot Safari allows people to create teambuilding exercises by teaching them how to work together. It’s great for building up confidence. They can book out the bed and breakfasts and private tours. Bigfoot can even take it up a notch or two in terms of the extremity of the tours. It’s all down to what YOU want to experience.

To learn more about what Bigfoot Safari’s has to offer go to www.bigfootsafari.com and see how they can benefit you.
Vancouver Island adventure directory: www.viadventures.net

# posted by Adventure Explorer : 1:36 PM  0 comments

Who said pirates are only in the movies? Tall Ship Sailing Adventures will be taking part in this year's 3rd annual Boat For Hope on June 2nd. This fundraising event provides special needs children with a fun boating experience they’ll never forget. It will take place at the Inner Harbour located in downtown Victoria. 200 children will participate in a treasure hunt on a ‘ship’ which will leave from the Malahat dock and will stop at 5 different locations in search of treasure. However, while sailing the seas, there will also be Pirates of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary out and about looking to stir up some trouble with water canons. Prepare to get wet! But never fear, the Victoria Police Boat and the Victoria Fire Boat will also be keeping a look out…

All proceeds will be going to the Variety Children’s Charity in order to fund this years Boys and Girls Club of Greater Victoria’s wilderness camp project. For more information you can go to www.boatforhope.com and see how you can participate and about some other adventure ideas check out Vancouver Island's adventure directory at www.viadventures.net.

# posted by Adventure Explorer : 2:35 PM  0 comments

Vancouver Island is a paradise in every sense of the word. If you visit this magnificent island take time to explore and taste its many eating establishments. We have found a Tuscany Bistro in the heart of Royal Oak in Victoria. On Sunday night after a weekend of curling, my wife suggested we try this new restaurant on Saanich Road, you know the one that was a dessert and coffee place. Skeptically I said we'll drive by and have a look. It looked plain on the outside, very clean with Tuscany atmosphere inside.

Rosi's Dinner Menu, the 4 course Cena Toscana Menu and a reasonable wine list was presented, followed by two hours of very enjoyable dining. The service, the food, the presentation and the ambiance was exceptional. Full dinner for two with a bottle of wine, taxes and tip was only $60.00. Their chef truly made this dining experience memorable and we are happy that we found this splendid restaurant.

When you're back in Victoria after your "viadventures" tour I suggest you drop by Rosi's Tuscan Bistro for lunch or dinner. You will have delicious food, beautiful wines, warm and friendly staff and a great time, guaranteed.

# posted by Adventure Explorer : 10:37 AM  0 comments

Deciding to leave home for the first time is a very big decision. Even if you are not moving out permanently it is difficult to choose when would be the best time to leave on your first overseas expedition. Should you leave right after high school graduation? Or would it be better to complete a few years of college or university, then take a break? Or would the smartest thing to do be to graduate with some form of secondary education then reward yourself with a lengthy trip overseas? How is a person to decide?

After extensive pondering I decided to take a year off after graduating with a degree in economics. I then had to decide where in the world I wanted to go. I thought the first decision was hard enough but now I was forced to choose from hundreds of different locations, while taking into account my financial situation and what type of trip was actually plausible at this time. My parents always told me that decision making was a part of growing up; I guess I tried to put it off for as long as possible. Sometimes I wish I could have stayed in high school forever.

After months of serious debate I finally decided on the West Coast of Canada as my choice destination. I chose the west coast because I had heard extensively about the beauty of British Columbia and the thought of living close to the water and the mountains was very appealing.

After choosing BC as my new home for the upcoming year, I began researching all the towns and cities I could potentially live in while on my trip. Firstly I considered Vancouver. It sounded great but I opted against it. I then considered Whistler, Big White, Silver Star, all the major ski resorts in BC. Over time I became frustrated as I was not finding a place to live and work that really excited me. My frustration continued to grow until the day I stumbled across a blog on one of the hundreds of travel website.

All the comments I read were ubmitted by young travellers raving about Vancouver Island. People described it as "The adventures capital of the west coast...so much to do, I ran out of time" and referred to it as "One of the most beautiful islands (they had) ever visited... a new type of paradise". I was instantly intrigued. The thought of living on an island that was full of life, adventure, and beauty sounded perfectly wonderful. I spent a great deal of time researching Vancouver Island and its adventure offering, which quickly reinforced my decision on living there.

I no longer cared about finding accommodation and a well paying job; all that concerned me was how I was going to get to the island and if there was going to be enough time to do everything once I got there.

While researching on the internet I found a young traveller's ideal adventure guide, www.viadventures.net. It acts as an information directory for most of the adventure activities Vancouver Island has to offer. The site, www.viadventures.net is awesome. I have already planned out several trips because the website made it easy for me to find the adventure operators that cater specifically to the activities that interest me. I haven't even left home, yet I know I will be spending the first week on the west coast kayaking around the Gulf Islands before heading to the waters of the coast of Victoria to check out some of the world's best known diving sites.

# posted by Adventure Explorer : 10:00 AM  0 comments

Planning a family vacation is tough work. In the past our family has taken a week long family trip at either Christmas or Spring-Break, to all-inclusive resorts in countries such as the Dominican or Mexico. We have had a fabulous time, but a 7-day jaunt overseas is far too short.

This year I decided to plan our family vacation a little differently, much to the distress of my children. This year I decided no more tropical resorts.

Instead of spending ridiculous amounts of money sending the whole family on holiday for only one week I decided to research other options that would allow us to take a longer vacation, at a more reasonable cost.

My husband and I have relatives who live in Tofino on Vancouver Island in Canada, and lately have felt guilty about how little time we spend with them. At Christmas time we began to ponder the idea of visiting them next summer.

Through multiple sources we had heard how beautiful and relaxing a vacation on Vancouver Island would be, so our only hesitation lay in the possibility that the island may not be a place where the kids could enjoy themselves and that they may lack things to do.

I spent some time researching Vancouver Island on the internet and quickly discovered that it had a lot more to offer our family that we had initially thought.

Through a simple Google search I discovered the most fantastic web site,www.viadventures.net which acted like the yellow pages for adventure operators. It included every type of activity Vancouver Island has to offer, in a layout that was easy to navigate and directed me straight through to each individual operator's websites.

Because of ViAdventures I was exposed to the possibility of renting a motor home. For less than we paid for a one week all-inclusive vacation for 4 in the Caribbean I was able to book a motor home that sleeps my entire family for 3 weeks! By renting the motor home not only will my husband and I be able to take a significantly longer holiday due to the decrease in cost, but we will also get to spend more one-on-one time with our children on a 'road-trip' like vacation. We will also have the opportunity to visit and experience Vancouver Island in its entirety.

The whole family is thrilled about our new vacation plans and can't wait to hit the road. Through the help of the www.viadventures.net web site my husband has already booked a fishing trip, my daughter has registered for a week-long outdoor adventure camp and my son has signed up for surfing lessons. For myself, I have not chosen an activity yet, but I am interested in renting kayaks for the entire trip and having the ability to take sunset paddles on every beach we visit.

I have a feeling this may be our best family vacation yet!

The Government of Canada recently announced measures to fight the Mountain Pine Beetle. This small, dark-coloured nsect has had a devastating free lunch in British Columbia and on Vancouver Island since 1910. The current outbreak of Mountain Pine Beetle in B.C. is the largest that Canada has ever seen. It attacks and kills standing, living, lodgepole pine trees. It generally completes its life cycle in one year. In mid-summer, large numbers of adult female beetles attack new trees by boring through the bark to the sapwood. They construct vertical galleries in the phloem between the bark and the sapwood where, after the males join them, they mate and the females deposit their eggs. The beetles introduce a bluestain fungus into the sapwood of the tree that prevents the tree from repelling and killing the attacking beetles with pitch flow. It also blocks water and nutrient translocation within the tree. The joint action of larval feeding and fungal colonization kills the host tree within a few weeks of successful attack.

The forest industry is a very important contributor to the Canadian economy and Canada is the world's largest exporter of forest products, with about one third of its potential harvest coming from British Columbia. Canada has 10 percent of the world's forests, including 30 percent of the world's boreal forests. Since forests provide countless economic benefits for many communities and contribute to the well-being and health of Canadians and the environment it is important to initiate discussions and talks on British Columbia's past and present forest problems that will lead into debate on things we can do today to protect this beautiful province and Vancouver Island as an adventure paradise for our next generation to enjoy. Please check out the website: buymybricshares.com to read more information about another British Columbia disaster. A BRIC Share Certificate framed in Genuine BC Pine Beetle Ravaged Wood is also available on eBay. Check out eBay for "BRIC Share".

# posted by Adventure Explorer : 12:41 PM  0 comments