"Grinding" up Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver

by Keith and Heather Nicol

Be sure to check out the grizzly bear exhibit

     On Saturday, November 8 we headed up the Grouse Grind in North Vancouver. Despite it being late in the hiking season the good weather brought out lots of people wanting to do this “natural stair master” of a hike. We were joined by our daughter Kristie and her boyfriend Eric who have been doing this route regularly through the summer and early fall. For anyone not familiar with the Grouse Grind  it starts at the base of Grouse Mountain and climbs steeply gaining about 850 meters in 3 km.  Over 150,000 people do the uphill trek each year and then most take the aerial tram back down to the bottom. Many people use the “Grind” as a fitness routine and we were passed by many people dressed light trail running gear and some were literally flying up the mountain. The hike has been done in an amazing 25 minutes but we took a more leisurely 1 hour and 25 minutes, which was 5 minutes slower than our last trip here in May, 2014. At the top we also checked out the grizzly bear exhibit and which is a popular attraction at the summit of Grouse.  The grizzly bears (Grinder and Coola) are part of a wildlife interpretation programme that Grouse Mountain has been running for over a decade. Grouse also has chairlift rides, ziplines and is also now beginning to get ready to winter where they offer skiing, snowshoeing and lots of other winter activities. For more information on Grouse Mountain check out: https://www.grousemountain.com/

Kristie enroute to top of Grouse 

The view from the top of Grouse provides a great panorama of  the Vancouver area

Explore by sea kayaking in the Courtenay area of Vancouver Island

by Keith and Heather Nicol

Paddling to Denman Island

     We love sea kayaking since it is a great way to see a landscape from a different perspective and also can get you up close to various types of marine life. Our kayaks arrived from Newfoundland in late October, 2014 and since then we have been out kayaking twice. The first time we ventured out was on Saturday, November 1 and we put in at a day use area just south of Courtenay with a plan to paddle to Denman Island. Our first stop was an oyster “farm” that was a couple of hundred meters from shore. We were told that they did not have a good harvest this year and they thought that part of the reason were the very warm temperatures this past summer.  From there we headed to Denman Island and landed on a sandy beach where we had lunch. We then paddled north along the shore of Denman Island for about 20 minutes before turning back to our launch point. This seems to be a great area for sea kayaking since the water should be quite protected and the fact that Denman Island is just 2 km or so away means you can be there in 25-30 minutes. 

Exploring Tree Island

Paddling along the edge of Tree Island

 Our next trip was to Tree Island (also called Sandy Island) which we did on November 4. Again the weather was perfect for paddling since winds were light and the sun was out. We put in at Argyle Road just north of Union Bay. This seems to be the closest put in to Tree Island but even from this launch point it is about 4 km (1 way) so you need to have an eye to the weather.  It took us about an hour to reach the sandy beach on Tree Island and this included stopping to take some photos of some small porpoises (likely harbour porpoises). These animals were fairly fast and seemed to pop up quickly in different spots which made taking photos difficult. We enjoyed walking on the sandy beach at Tree Island and even in November we could feel the sun’s heat. On the way back we detoured to check out some loud sounds which turned out to be numerous sea lions that were hauled out on a log boom near the shore. We fully recommend this paddle and enjoyed all there was to see from the water. 

We have posted many blogs on where to paddle in the Courtenay - Comox area and they can be easily found on this blog by typing `sea kayaking in
Courtenay - Comox`in the search bar in the top left margin of the blog

Paddling back from Tree Island with Denman Island behind

Check out the CONA Hostel while staying in Courtenay - Comox area of Vancouver Island

by Keith and Heather Nicol

There are many styles of rooms

     If you are looking for a friendly place to stay in the Courtenay-Comox area  on  Vancouver Island then look no further than the CONA Hostel in Courtenay. We recently stayed there for 2 weeks while looking for a place to rent for the winter and we were very impressed with the hostel’s great location and its overall ambience. It is located on the Courtenay River and is close to shops, restaurants, groceries and walking trails. If you are there in the summer then mountain biking and sea kayaking are at your doorstep and in the winter Mt.  Washington is just 30 minutes away for winter activities like cross country and alpine skiing. 

The CONA Hostel is located on the Courtenay River

  The CONA Hostel has lots of options for rooms from dorm style to private and family rooms. There is even a suite which sleeps 8. There is a fully equipped double kitchen and lounge area which also has wireless internet and lots of games.  Linens are provided and there are also several storage lockers. Rates are very reasonable and start at just $21.90. If you are looking for clean and comfortable accommodations housed in a restored historic building then have a look at the CONA hostel in downtown Courtenay.  For more information see www.theconahostel.com or phone 1-877-490-CONA. 

The lounge has a variety of games to play

Take a trip with Marine Atlantic to see Newfoundland’s best fall colours

by Keith and Heather Nicol

   Every fall several cruise ship itineraries include Corner Brook as a port of call so that passengers can see the fall splendor in Newfoundland. These cruise ships often travel between Quebec City and Boston and make several stops so that passengers can see the best fall colours in each province or state. And generally Corner Brook is their main stop in Newfoundland since this part of the province has scenic fall colours. But you don’t have to take an expensive cruise ship to Newfoundland to see this autumn brilliance. You can simply board a Marine Atlantic ferry from North Sidney to Port aux Basques and then drive north for 2.5 hours to Corner Brook and the Humber Valley. Here you can easily create your own itinerary and depending on your interest you can explore by car, foot , bicycle and even by kayak. 

Corner Brook and Humber Arm from the Quarry Lookout trail

    One of our favourite fall trips involves a trip down the Humber River by canoe or sea kayak. The river is easy to navigate and the birch trees that line the shore make for a colourful autumn paddle.  

A paddle down the Humber River is spectacular in the fall

 We also love biking in the fall and there are various trails near Marble Mountain that are well worth exploring. Also nearby are tree lined back roads near the community of Little Rapids that are ideal biking for the whole family. 

Cycling near Marble Mountain

      We recommend hiking as another great way to see the views in the Corner Brook – Humber Valley area. You can hike trails that give fine views of Corner Brook and Humber Arm or others that take you past vast stands of yellow birches. No matter how you travel, fall peaks in this area by mid October so don’t delay if you want to see the colours at their peak. For more information on Marine Atlantic see: http://www.marine-atlantic.ca/langselect.asp?rd=index

Hiking in the Humber Valley is especially scenic in autumn

      

The Glynmill Inn has been satisfying the traveling public for 90 years!

by Keith and Heather Nicol

    This year the Glynmill Inn celebrates 90 years in the hospitality business catering to both local Corner Brook residents and visitors alike with its old world charm. The Glynmill Inn was built in a distinctive tudor style and currently includes 78 hotel rooms, 2 restaurants, meeting rooms and other amenities. It was designed by architect, Andrew Cobb of Halifax in 1923 and was turned into a hotel a year later.

The Glynmill Inn is known for its distinctive architecture

      Besides its outstanding architecture, another great feature of the Glynmill Inn is its location which is adjacent to the Glynmill Inn Pond as well as numerous walking trails. Although it is near the centre of Corner Brook it enjoys a fabulous park- like setting. 

The Glynmill Inn has numerous walking trails nearby

We have enjoyed taking visitors to the Glynmill Inn for years to see its well kept grounds and to enjoy a meal in the Carriage Room Restaurant. We often walk around one of the Corner Brook stream trails which wind next to the Glynmill Inn property and we think it is especially scenic in the fall.

Glynmill Inn Pond is very picturesque in the fall

      On a recent evening we enjoyed a walk around the pond and then had a superb meal at the Glynmill Inn’s renowned Wine Cellar Restaurant.  The Wine Cellar is known for its steaks and we ordered the popular filet mignon and strip loin steaks. Both were very tender and they come with your choice from a variety of homemade steak sauces as well as oven roasted potatoes and vegetables. We had a tasty avocado and tomato salad and delicious seafood chowder to start.  Later the dessert menu had lots of tempting options and even though we were very full we couldn’t resist splitting an order of tarts ,one bakeapple and the other partridge berry. If you want to have a fine meal out you can’t go wrong with the Wine Cellar. For more information on the Glynmill Inn contact : http://www.steelehotels.com/hotel.aspx?id=2&pid=1

Here we are enjoying a special meal at the Wine Cellar