What to do on the weekend?

Summer is hiking season and what better way to explore nature in beautiful British Columbia than with a nice walk? That’s why INTERNeX has planned another hike for the weekend to Jug Island Beach near Belcarra Regional Park. The path is 5.1km long and a rather moderate route with many incline/decline switches. It takes around 1.40h to complete, but we’ll have a nice lunch break at the beach across from the Island. If you want you can even take a dip in the water. 😉 It’s a popular area for birding, fishing, and hiking.

If you want to keep it chill check out Bard on the Beach, a not-for-profit, professional Shakespeare Festival, offering plays, related dramas and special events in two modern performance tents. Productions include “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “Harlem Duet”, and “Romeo and Juliet”. You can get tickets as cheap as $27! If you are under 22 you get a youth discount, so it’s definitely worth checking it out. I know that Tim was already there, so maybe ask him how he liked it. 🙂

If you don’t like cultural program too much you could go around and explore another area of Vancouver. Have you been to the Steveston Fisherman’s Wharf? It’s in Richmond, has a lot of good restaurants, as well as a pier with a fish market and some free museums about the history of this cute area. I recommend trying Steveston Pizza co.! Their Pizzas are packed with delicious toppings and come in a tall box, super special and I bet something you haven’t seen before. Thank me later.

Whatever you end up doing, I’m sure it’s going to be great weekend! Enjoy the sunshine and as always, let me know how it was when we meet again next Wednesday for Pub Night!

Cheers,

Laura 🙂

How was the weekend?

It was long, but felt so short. 😀

On Saturday INTERNeX went on a little hike in Lynn Canyon, over the Suspension Bridge, through the lush forest, along the river and multiple waterfalls. It was a hot day, but the trees gave us a nice cool shade, so it wasn’t half bad. Another thing that cooled us down was the natural pool with its refreshing water, some just dipped their feet in, others were full on cliff jumping! Tim and Daniel had so much fun jumping that they stayed longer while the rest of us went on with the hike. On our way we saw more people cliff jumping from a different spot, it looked quite dangerous, so we were holding our breath for the jump. Fortunately nothing happened! The guys seemed to have experience. I could never imagine jumping into the water from such a height. Maybe because I’m afraid of heights? What about you? Are you into the thrill and adventure? Would you do cliff jumping? After the adrenaline kick from watching them jump, we had a hard time getting up the last couple of stairs before ending our hike, maybe because I told everyone there were no more stairs coming, but then oooppssiieee, surprise, more stairs! In the end they forgave me (I think) and we went back downtown. I don’t know about you, but I always feel weird being back in the city after a day in nature. It’s so calm and peaceful, versus so fast and exciting.

Exciting was also the Pride Parade on Sunday. We met on Davie street and walked all the way down to English Bay where we found a great spot to watch the parade. Again, it was a hot day but we had some trees covering us with shade and the firefighters in the parade were sprinkling everyone with water which was super refreshing. The display went on for 2-3 hours and it was so fun cheering everyone on, seeing all the different groups showing colour and celebrating diversity! There was lots of music and performances, good vibes and great people. We started collecting stickers, buttons, and other things they gave away. After a while people went and grabbed some food, while others went to the after-party at Sunset Beach. There were food trucks, two stages with live music and other booths around the area, the perfect set up for an awesome day.

I would tell you more, but this week is really busy at INTERNeX, so I’ll stop writing for today. I have to introduce you to a lot of newcomers on Thursday, so keep posted! 😉

We can also chat more tomorrow at Pub Night, 7pm at the GPO Kitchen and Bar, so you can tell me about YOUR weekend! 🙂

See you there!

Cheers,

Laura 🙂

What to do on the weekend?

This weekend is going to be a good one, the sun is shining, the INTERNeX events thriving. On Saturday we will go on a little hike to Lynn Canyon. People often say “that’s what I imagined Canada to be like” when they go to the area. The hike we’re doing includes walks over an impressive suspension bridge, along the river with small waterfalls, through lush forests and a natural pool to swim in, so make sure to bring your swim suit. 😉 It’s a free safe-guided adventure and a great place to learn about the North Vancouver eco-system. The hike is good for all levels, so even if you usually rather spend your Saturday’s on the couch, you can join us for this one. 😉 Make sure to bring plenty of water and some lunch/snacks with you. In my opinion a MUST-DO while you’re in Vancouver, and nothing better than hiking with a group! Meeting is 11am at Waterfront station!

On Sunday we’re going to celebrate the Pride Society, LGBTQAI2S+ communities, queer serving organizations, we’re celebrating diversity, vibrancy and people in Vancouver at the Vancouver Pride Parade! It’s a big celebration where all come together and party! 😉 If you ask me it’s THE event in Vancouver. It’s going to be hot hot hot in many ways, so make sure to put on sunscreen and drink enough water! Safeway Canada and Kwantlen Polytechnic University will be the fundraising flag-bearers for this year’s Toonie Brigade. The Toonie Brigade carries a giant rainbow flag where folks can throw in their toonies, which go towards making Pride what it is today, so make sure to bring a couple Toonies with you. 😉 Dress Code: colourful and fun! We’ll meet at 11am at the Esso gas station on Davie Street!

If you are not into the INTERNeX events this weekend there’s other things to do as well. Have you checked out the Londsdale Quay in North Vancouver yet? It’s a really nice area right by the water with a great view of the Vancouver skyline. There’s lots of artisan shops to browse through and nice restaurants to check out. For all the Germans out there, or those who like German food, there’s a restaurant in North Vancouver called ‘Jägerhof’ which offers some typical German meals like Schnitzel, or Rouladen, plus a broad selection of German beers (can though), while playing traditional music, sometimes even live! It’s a fun experience. But don’t worry there’s lots of different options, you’ll find something you like. 🙂

There’s also the last chance to see the fireworks of The Honda Celebration of Lights this Saturday at 10pm. Spain will be the last out of the three contestants. I recommend watching from Sunset Beach, unless you want to spend your whole day at English Bay, since it gets really busy there and it’s almost too crowded to enjoy the fireworks from there. Sunset Beach is a great option. You can still find a spot where you have perfect sight of the fireworks and more space around you. Of course you can go early anyways and enjoy the day at the beach, watch the sunset and then the fireworks. Have you seen the other ones before? Which one did you like better so far?

I hope to see plenty of you at our events, but if I don’t see you, have a great weekend!

Cheers,

Laura 🙂

How was the weekend?

Hot, Adventurous, Fun. Those words describe my weekend best.

As you know, the sun was shining the entire weekend. For some it might’ve been too hot, but I loved the sunny weather. One reason I liked it so much might be that I spent my days near the water, so I could cool down easily.

On Saturday some friends (including their big puppy) and I went to Cultus Lake in Chilliwack. We brought some snacks, a big blanket, lots of water, air hammocks and a floatie with us, everything you need for a perfect day at the lake. I recommend going early, since it gets really busy on hot summer days and it can be difficult to find a good spot. I really enjoyed just relaxing in the sun, float on the lake and refresh in the cold water. There was also the Cultus Lake Festival going on, with lots of little booths and food trucks. If you ever get the chance try some cinnamon rolls from SinAmen Bun & Co., they are delicious!

After my rest day I felt ready for our Bubble Ball match with INTERNeX! We met at Charleson Park and started our adventure. Raul, the coach, explained the basics to us, for example to never bump someone from the back, and how to get in and out of the bubble, before we started our first game: “Bubble Soccer”. My team won both rounds (wohoo), but we weren’t ready for the next game. It’s called “Protect the General”. Each team had to choose one general and the goal for the other team was to knock them down, or push them outside the lines of the field. We lost every single round and got bumped to the ground pretty hard. Nevertheless it was super fun! We had some free time to try out a few stunts in the Bubbles, like front flips, or back flips, before we finished with our last two games: “English Bulldog”, and “Musical Bubbles”. There was a lot of running and bumping involved, so it got pretty hot in the sun, even hotter in the bubbles!

To cool down, some of us went to Kitsilano Beach, where we met more people from INTERNeX. Apparently not everyone was tired from Bubble Ball yet, so they played a round of Volleyball. It was super busy at the beach, but we still found a nice spot to relax and enjoy the sunset with good music and a couple of beers. 😉 It was the perfect way to end the weekend, it just felt too short. But good news, this week will be a short one! Friday is Canada Day! Are you ready to celebrate?

I hope your weekend was great and you enjoyed the first days of summer in Vancouver.

See you at Pub night on Wednesday!

Cheers,

Laura 🙂

What to do on the weekend – Sunny Edition

We’ve all been waiting for it and finally it’s here: Summer. At least this weekend the weather is expected to be spectacular in Vancouver! Here are some ideas on how to enjoy the sunny days.

I) BC Bubble Ball with INTERNeX Join us for Bubble Ball this Sunday, 1pm at Charleston Park! We are going to play a bunch of fun games encased in transparent big bubbles. It’s recommended to everyone who is comfortable playing sports, falling over and laughing until their abs hurt. 🙂

II) The VIMFF in North Vancouver Also on Sunday, from 3pm-9pm there’ll be the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, celebrating Canadian Multiculturalism with a free outdoor event at the Shipyards, right at the Londsdale Quay in North Vancouver. We’ll head over there after our Bubble Ball match, so if you’d like please join us! There’ll be award-winning mountain films, live music, giveaways, fun activities, like an outdoor climbing wall, a beer garden, snacks and more! A perfect way to end a sunny weekend.

III) Beach day Of course the sun screams for a beach day! Vancouver has a lot of them! Take a buddy and tan, play volleyball, or go swim in the ocean. For a more relaxed beach atmosphere with a little more space I recommend to go to Spanish Banks. The beach is wider and the water clearer than at the other beaches, plus you have a great view of the mountains and the city skyline. If you want to stay close to bars, restaurants and other shops I recommend Kitsilano beach. It’s such a hip area! A lot of younger people go here to play some beach games and enjoy the sun. At night you can sometimes find street artists playing their music and people just start dancing to it. To me, that really feels like summer.

IV) Lake day If you’re not into salty water, there’s also a few lakes around. You’d have to go a little further, but you could make a whole day event out of your trip. My recommendation is Cultus Lake in Chilliwack! Nearby there’s also the Cultus Lake Water Park, Castle Fun Park in Abbotsford and more. It’s a nice little getaway from the city and popular amongst many locals. A good way to explore the Canadian country side a little more. If you’re hungry on your way back stop by at Brodeur’s Bistro in Abbotsford for the best Chicken Waffles you’ll ever have (trust me on this one). The only downside: you’d probably need a car, since the public transit is not too good outside of the city.

V) Get some ice cream! Vancouver has a bunch of (n)ice cream shops. Here are my top 3 must-tries this summer:
1.) While you are in Kits, get some Rain or Shine ice cream before, or after you go to the beach and thank me later. 😉 They have some really good vegan options as well and all cones are made in house! You can smell it when you get close to the shop.
2.) Earnest Ice Cream is one of Vancouver’s favourites when it comes to the frozen dessert. They have rotating flavours that make you return all summer (and winter) long.
3.) If you are looking for a place with many many different flavours, you should check out La Casa de Gelato, with it’s 238 varieties of ice cream! This place actually won a world record.

Which ice cream are you going to try first? Are you Team Beach or Team Lake? Are you excited for summer, or are you more of a winter person?

I’m definitely excited!

Have a great weekend!

Cheers,

Laura 🙂