As the snow falls non stop in Vancouver, I long to go up to the slopes to snowboard. But the treacherous roads leave me home, yet safe, with nothing to do. I'm reminded of a city I visited early this year, Mendoza. I wrote this article and submitted it to a travel contest, but did not win. Here it is for you to enjoy.

Mendoza is a blend of our own Kelowna and Whistler, but cheaper. Their economy took a hit a few years back, and has yet to recover. The people are friendly and love to see visitors. We stayed at a lovely hostel where some staff were from North America, which really helped those travelers with limited Spanish. This was by far the best hostel of our South America trip at ~ $9 CDN per day. The have quiet rooms, clean bathrooms, storage lockers, lots of common areas and all the staff were friendly.

Mendoza is in Argentinian wine country. It is a small town, but offers a lot. There are many wineries and distilleries. We went on a tour (~$11 CDN) and saw where they make wine, olive oil, chocolate and liqueurs. The night-time street markets have many vendors selling their alcohol, so it’s easy to sample the many types of fruit liqueurs for free.

Adventure sports are everywhere; you name it, you can do it. I tried zip trekking over a canyon, rappelling off a rock face (~$30 CDN for both) and horseback riding (~$27 CDN). White water rafting, hiking and trekking in the Andes is very popular. We took a day tour of Mount Aconcagua National Park (~$75 CDN) which includes the highest peak in South America at 6962m. The polychrome mountains of grey, green, pink and white, contrasted against an almost fake blue sky made for awesome pictures.

At these prices, Mendoza is a gem. Most of the tours include transportation, a guide and food. Don’t forget to bring sunscreen and a camera!

Rio experience

I'd wanted to go to Carnaval for a while, and earlier this year, my wishes came true. Originally I thought that I would have to go alone and join a tour group, but as I talked about it amongst friends, a few people joined on. It was quite an experience, and a very expensive one at that. It was well worth it, and now I can say I've been there and done that. I submitted a story to the Vancouver Sun, and it was published. Enjoy the read.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/travel/story.html?id=6b5a6533-fc82-4265-a1c0-6f4aa4306af0&k=17782

our city

My favourite destination is home, Vancouver, one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is where I was born, grew up and still live in. Even when I travel and return home, it still amazes me what a wonderful city Vancouver is. With the backdrop of the North Shore Mountains, the waters of the Pacific Ocean, the majestic view of Mt Baker in the valley, how can one city have it all? Oh, but it does.

One major feature is the food. Where else can you find a multitude of high quality ethnic food outside of its own country? We have almost every ethnic variety of food imaginable, and there’s always a new restaurant/cafe opening up. We even have food festivals, such as Dine Out Vancouver, Taste of the City, Nibbles and Bites and Eat Vancouver. And the patios, with all the waterfront property available, it isn’t hard to find great food with a great view.

Another feature is events. Where else can you find a multitude of festivals throughout the year to keep you entertained? There’s lots of fun and free family entertainment, such as the Jazz Festival, Folk Festival, Greek Festival, Caribbean festival, Salmon festival, Just For laughs, Bard on the beach, Tour de Gastown, and Illuminaires. In the summer, where being tourist in your own city can be exciting and new, join a walking tour of the architecture of the city or history of gastown. One of my goals every year is to do something different or experience something new; it isn’t hard!

How about physical activity where outdoor exercise can include the sight seeing? Rollerblade or ride a tandem bike around the Seawall. Head up to Whistler to snowboard or ski, mountain bike or hike, or do the Grouse Grind. Head over to the berry picking farms, pumpkin patch or go through a corn maze; stop off in the town for fresh fruit and vegetables. Bring the kids to the zoo, aquarium, Kids Only Market or Maplewood farms. Or go swimming in the outdoor pools around town. Nowadays you can even sign up for boot camp!

And what about day trips? How can I list them all? You can go to the Okanagan and join a wine tour, or go camping in a provincial park. Hop on a ferry and explore the gulf islands to enjoy nature and top quality B & B’s. One of the most spectacular weekend trips would include Tofino, Longbeach and Victoria where one can surf, go whale watching, or go for high tea British style. Or how about a pampered spa retreat, or ranch holiday? And I’ve already mentioned Whistler.

One can spend a day in Vancouver and see all the sights, but many people come back many times or to stay, and some people never leave. I hope you enjoy it either way, I know I do.