Author: arcturus

Enjoy time on our spacious deck

Breakfast

Posted on by

Just as breakfast is the most important meal of the day, we also believe it is a very important part of the Bed & Breakfast experience.  We strive to start your day off right, pampering you in simple ways that you might not take time to do for yourself.

What does that mean?

  • It means we are on your schedule. Whether you are an early riser or one that loves the chance to sleep in, we accommodate with breakfast served 7am-11am. Leaving extra early? We’ll pack something to take with you.
  • Breakfast outside on our ocean view deck whenever possible. Nothing says relaxation like sitting on the deck in the sun. The dining room is warm and cozy even when it’s not outside.
  • Local ingredients – Every breakfast comes with something from our own garden. We frequent our farmers markets and feature locally roasted fair-trade coffee.
  • Scratch baking – Muffins, breads, waffles, french toast, crepes…all from scratch.  Toppings & syrups, too.
  • Special diets or allergies? No worries.  Just let us know when you make the reservation. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, etc are all options upon request.
  • Health matters – real food for real people. Fresh fruit, yogurt, and whole grains are part of every meal.

Let us start your day on the right note.

 

From our guestbook: 

“Thank you! The french toast was so good our little girl Victoria was clapping.” – Jim & Tanja, Kamloops

“Wow, what a great visit! Lots of beautiful sunshine on the warmest weekend yet this year. What a great start to the spring. The hosts were excellent and we loved the blueberry crepes. What a treat to have breakfast on the deck! It feels like yesterday was winter! Thank you Stan & Celia for an amazing experience. We would definitely do it again!” – Chris & Sydney, Whitehorse/Vancouver

“Thank you for the beautiful stay. We Loved playing croquet in the yard, especially when the deer joined in : )  The breakfast was fantastic, nothing beats fresh fruit from the garden.” – Lisa, Natalia, Andrew & Aidan, Richmond

 

BC Ferries at your door

Travel in Style

Posted on by

I love a holiday where the travel itself is part of the adventure. The Sunshine Coast is a special place that requires you get out of your normal routine. How many places do you go that require you to travel by air or by boat? As soon as that ferry pulls away from the dock or that float plane takes off, your holiday is underway. Take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy the view.

Here in Canada, our low-key nature tends to understate things by calling our bodies of water “inlets” and “sounds”. Anywhere else in the world, Howe Sound would be described as a majestic fjord on the Pacific Ocean. Glaciers carved these inlets and sounds at the end of the last ice age where the water is as almost as deep as the Coast Mountains are high. Snow caps these striking mountains 10 or 11 months out of the year adding to the visual effect. Green and blue are the colours of life and the green forest of Douglas fir, hemlock and cedar cover the mountains like a warm blanket all year long. On a sunny day, the water is the deepest shade of blue surrounded by a bright blue sky. Yes, we do believe we’ve moved to paradise.

Take the time to go outside on the upper deck of your ferry and smell the salt air. Watch for signs of marine life. Pacific White-Sided dolphins, Dall’s porpoises, orca and grey whales all visit Howe Sound from time to time. Harbour seals and river otters live here in abundance. Bald eagles and blue herons feed here regularly as do many other sea birds.

Before you know it, you’re here. Only a 40 minutes sailing from West Vancouver or a 15 minute float plane from downtown Vancouver. Come by car, bike or on foot. Arcturus Retreat B&B is located 1km from the Langdale Ferry Terminal. Come relax on your private balcony and enjoy the view.

Top 10 Reasons to B&B

Posted on by

Top 10 Reasons to try our B&B

10.  Scratch baking every day

  9.  Kid friendly…they can even have their own room

  8.  More than a room…living room, dining room & gardens

  7.  Your own private balcony overlooking a glacial fjord

  6.  A full hot breakfast featuring local produce

  5.  Stargazing from the hot tub

  4.  We’ll make your dinner reservations, your tee time, or schedule your boat excursion

  3.  Breakfast on your schedule

  2.  One night stays are ok anytime. Sometimes you just can’t stay longer.

  1.  When was the last time you hugged your concierge at the end of your stay?

Give us a try…you’ll be glad you did.   Online Reservations

Sprockids Mountain Bike Park

Posted on by
It has been a gorgeous week for getting outside. Wednesday, Sprockids Mountain Bike Park was home to the North Shore League Mountain Bike Series. Some friends were helping to organize the race, so I stopped by to give a hand (and enjoy the sunshine).
Entrance to Sprockids Park

Over 100 students were on the Coast to test themselves. I have to say that it was a pretty cool event to watch.  Like cross country running, you really can’t watch the entire race.  The course was set up on some of the easier trails near the bottom of the park, but older students had to ride additional laps of the course. Some students were very series and focused…immediately wanting to know where they placed. Some students fist-pumped as they finished, proud of their ride. For others, just finishing the course was an achievement and even though they were exhausted for a few minutes, the pride of conquering the course was clear on their faces.

High School Students preparing to ride

Today with all the students gone, I decided to hike much of the race course.  The first leg went down Ankle Biter and over to Stinger on the south edge of the park.  I must have never gone all the way along this trail, because look what I found. Isn’t this the cutest picnic spot?

Picnic area with a live tree in the center

The birds were singing on such a nice spring day.  This picture is along Stinger.

Love the “faces” in the trees
It was nice to hike along trails I haven’t done in a while: Rock n Root, Skoolz Out, Technical Ecstacy.  It was also fun to see all the new signs throughout the trails that were installed last month. They don’t all have their “you are here” dots installed, but it really helps when navigating this extensive trail network. Can’t wait to find the new trail being created right now by the Capilano University Mountain Bike Program students. They’ve been working hard this month and if previous projects are any indication, this new trail will be great.

Sprockids Mountain Bike Park – March 24, 2013

Posted on by
Today was a day to celebrate community volunteers. Sprockids Mountain Bike Park is a place I’ve written about a lot. Last year it celebrated its 20th anniversary sharing our amazing forests with kids through the love of mountain biking. Teaching kids to ride safely with family and friends in a sanctioned park with educational components. This system is now used across Canada.  Here it is 2km from my front door and I place where I love to hike.

  

Sprockids Mountain Bike Park – shovels ready
Capilano University’s Mountain Bike Operations students organized the day to install over 30 signs throughout the park. Students, families and some diehard trail fairies spent the morning digging and carrying signs. Never get lost again! I’ve often been hesitant to direct guests to this park because of limited signage and maps in a complex system of trails making it an easy place to become disoriented. This is a great addition and will be very helpful to hikers and bikers alike.

I decided to try it out with a short hike in an area I haven’t been to for a while. These pictures are all from Skoolz Out which is just above the Skills Park. The question isn’t “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, does it make a sound?”…the question is “If a tree falls in the forest, what can we make with it?”
I would love to see someone bank on this.

Some very fun bridges
Yes, that long “bridge” is one tall tree…rootball still in tact at the end

That boulder at the end of the jump is taller than me!

 As I hiked, I could here some bikers above me. I decided to wait and see what is was like to jump off this. I expected someone to just launch over it and fly down the trail. Turns out, all these jumps and bridges are great teachers and confidence builders. Three young teenagers rode down and all came to a stop either beside or on top of this jump. They studied it…rode past it to check the landing…and discussed. Three different times one of them would ride up to jump it and stop at the last minute…not ready for the leap…talking to themselves that it was about being there mentally.  Finally one of them did it, and they all celebrated for a minute. A brief pause before taking off together to find the next challenge.

I finished my hike just in time for the skills demonstration. After a morning of digging holes to install signs, the kids were treated to a free lunch from the Lions Club burger trailer. Then they hit the skills park for some serious jumps from Coastal Crew and friends. They were flying…25 feet off the ground. Sorry, no good pictures, but they were impressive. The really fun part was after one of the older kids would jump, an eager 4-8 year old would ride from the same starting point and off to the next small run with a couple of junior size berms. The little guys were just as thrilled to show off in front of the audience and just as proud to ride successfully. The older guys cheered them on as much as they did for their friends making the huge jumps. What a great day.

Hidden Groves – March 20, 2013

Posted on by

Hello Spring!  To celebrate, I managed to take time for my first hike in the forest in a month.  Boy did it feel good!  Holiday, March rains, and a cold have kept me off the trails.  I made time to explore Hidden Groves on Sechelt Inlet. I’ve only hiked here a couple of times and it seemed like a good day to explore.

Massive old growth tree…500+ years old



The volunteers who have developed this park have done an enormous amount of work to create not only trails, but informational maps and signage.  No worries about getting lost here…maps can be found throughout the trail system. They’ve even marked and named the largest, oldest trees to be sure you don’t miss them. 
Too bad I didn’t have a friend along so that you could see just how big this Lonely Giant is. The young trees are as skinny as a man’s arm.  Lonely Giant towers over the others and would take a group with arms outstretched to reach around it.
Lonely Giant

I covered most of the southern half of the park in about an hour.  These are easy trails with no serious climbing.  The ground can be uneven in places, but the terrain is mostly flat with only gradual elevation changes.  I look forward to my next trip where I’ll explore the north side where there the maps show some steep climbs up to an amazing view of Vancouver Island.

You can’t get lost here
The trail builders have been busy. The official grand opening of the second wheelchair accessible trail is Sunday April 7.  It is a special celebration for dogs and people of all capabilities.
Monty’s Way

Snowshoe Adventure – February 1, 2013

Posted on by
You know how sometimes you just want to be out on your own with time to think?  Today was one of those days.  With the promise of sun, I grabbed my snowshoes and caught the Alpha Adventures shuttle to Dakota Ridge Winter Recreation Area.
Eagle Lookout Trail

Even though I arrived at Dakota Ridge with 15 other people in the shuttle and there were quite a few skiers near the parking lot and the warming hut, I had the trails to myself.  All the trails are now signed and have been well marked, so after of couple of times of hiking with other people I have no problem venturing out on my own.  I take care, one could easily get lost in the white snowy forest if you left the trails, to ensure I stay on the marked trails…letting the alone time be adventure in itself.  I hiked the almost 2km Eagle Lookout trail without seeing another soul.

just me and the forest

Dakota Ridge had a ton of snow in December. The base was up to almost 3 meters. When we were there on Boxing Day, all the trees looked like white Dr Seuss candy canes.  Today the trees were green as we’ve had warmer temperatures lately that have melted some of the snow.  The snowshoe trails are obvious with hard tracks to follow.  Fresh snow in this week’s forecast should cover that up with fresh powder.

Map along the trail

After a short snack break outside the warming hut, I headed out on the Balsam Loop. This is another green trail just over 2km long that starts and ends at the warming hut.  The first half of the trail meanders through the forest, but there is a point where you come over a hill and into a clearing where on a sunny day there are just amazing views. Today the sun was playing peekaboo most of the day. There were touches of blue sky and warm sun, but clouds kept hanging in. The view is still pretty awesome.  Check out my December post if you want to see the clear sky pictures.

Eastern side of Balsam Loop

It wasn’t until the very last leg of the trail that I passed 2 groups that I had ridden up with in the shuttle.  Almost 4km of snowshoeing completely alone with my thoughts…great exercise and productive brainstorming.  When I finished, I had a nice break in the sun at the warming hut.  I was able to visit with someone who was waiting for the rest of his party.  Dakota was well used today.  A dad/daughter learning how to cross country ski, a large group of co-workers on a team building day, a husband/wife team on their first snowshoe adventure, screams of joy from the tobogganing area, and just as we were leaving a boy scout troop on a winter camping adventure.  I am sure I won’t let another month go by before my next snowshoe.

Ferry Trail – January 30, 2013

Posted on by
A break in the rain today, so I headed for the forest.  There is a trailhead right at the end of the street which I have written about before, but it has been a while since I hiked here. Every sunny day possible…a treat in January…I’ve chosen to walk at the beach. Today was more of a warm and foggy winter day, so I headed to the forest.

To my surprise, the amazing trail fairies have been very busy. I often avoid this trail in the rainy season as part of it becomes a stream. Someone has been adding gravel improving some of the muddier parts in a big way. I was very surprised to see signage and trail markings to greet me…in hot pink. The trail was really in good shape, thanks to some unknown but special volunteers.

once mighty giant

 I know it’s hard to tell without a frame of reference, but this was once a huge forest giant.  See the skinny trees on the right edge of the photo?  This moss covered stump is easily 3 people’s outstretched arms around.

 Most of the lower part of this area are young alders, but this stately giant stretches wide and proud.

This trail connects Sprockids Mountain Bike Park to the Langdale Ferry Terminal and is the final stretch of day 5 of BC Bike Race. All downhill and a great finish for 500 lucky riders.  For me…its just the trail closest to home.

busy precious trail fairies

 You just don’t see many hot pink trail markers……

This is the sign under the hydro lines clearly showing both the way down to Langdale or the way over to the Elphinstone Trails and Sprockids Park.  This is also the break between mostly young alder psuedo forest and the firs and cedars of the real forest further up the mountain. I love how green it is even in the middle of winter.  Ferns are huge and everything is moist and full of life. I won’t wait so long for my next visit to the Ferry Trail just beyond my doorstep.

Polar Bear Swim – January 1, 2013

Posted on by
Happy New Year!  I’ve come to enjoy a New Year’s tradition…sleeping in (one of my favourite pastimes) and making our way to a Polar Bear Swim.  I haven’t felt the need to actually be the person in the water, but I love to cheer on the brave souls who start the year with a splash.   This year, we cheered on the polar bears at Armour’s Beach in Gibsons.

It was a beautiful crisp, clear morning and temperatures just above freezing.  Plenty of sunshine and a fresh dusting of snow on the mountains…just low enough to touch the highest point on Bowen Island.  A large group that included all ages plunged into the water.  I love to watch the kids…they are very excited about the prospect of swimming.  Then there is this point once they are in the water when they realize, “Hey, this is really cold!”

After the plunge of excitement we took a nice stroll along the beach in Gibsons Landing.  It’s a good start to the year when you can take a refreshing walk along the ocean.  Thank you to those who organize the Polar Bear Swim…a festive and energetic way to start the year.

Dakota Ridge – December 14, 2012

Posted on by
It may be another week until the official start of winter, but today we enjoyed our first day of fun in the snow.    Saturday, December 15 is the official season opening for Dakota Ridge Winter Recreation Area.  Our good friends at Alpha Adventures took us out for a sneak peak & guided snowshoe tour.
15km Nordic ski trails
All trails have been named this year
It was an AMAZING day!  You couldn’t ask for better weather conditions.  It is early in the season, but new snowfall was 50cm (that’s 20 inches) in the past 24 hours. The clouds broke overnight and the sun was shining this morning. Temps were just around the freezing level.  We were warm after a bit of hiking and the snow on the trees was just melting a bit in direct sunshine. A perfect bluebird day.
Knee deep in fresh powder!

Dakota Ridge has almost 4km of groomed snowshoe trails and another 3km of wilderness trails. With our expert guides, we were able to get off the beaten path (though in all that powder…not so beaten) and break fresh tracks through the forest. The forest is magical….so very quiet. Snow makes the most interesting shapes covering varied terrain, small trees, and moved by the wind. It was a bit like a Dr Seuss picture with rounded magical shapes.

Our expert guides Jamie & Lauren

Alpha Adventures offers guided trips and lessons for both cross country skiing and snowshoeing. They also operate a convenient shuttle from Wilson Creek up the mountain roads to Dakota Ridge. The access road is much improved this year thanks to a provincial grant.  The road is wider and has more pullouts, but it still requires chains or 4×4.  My little VW isn’t making that trip, so I am more than happy to ride in Alpha’s comfortable shuttle.  The parking lot has doubled in size, so there is more room for everyone making the trip.

We hiked quite a distance without seeing another sole…partly because this was the day before opening day, but these trails are never crowded.  Plenty of room to get away from it all and just enjoy exploring on your own.  Coming down over the Eastern trails, we found the most amazing view. We could see the North Shore Mountains, including Cypress and The Lions. There were low level clouds & fog blocking the view of the ocean, but we were so far above the thick clouds that they looked like a big fluffy ocean.

What a view! Mt Elphinstone in the background

It was the perfect spot to stop, take a few pictures and have a snack. Just an amazing 360 degree view.

After a full day of snowshoeing we stopped in the warming hut for lunch and hot chocolate. A much needed rest at the end of a great day. I can’t wait to get back up on Dakota Ridge…thinking a great way to spend Christmas Day.