Clair's Bed & Breakfast
Ladner, Brisith Columbia, Canada
April 10th - 20th
Located right in the heart of the turn of the century fishing and farming village of Ladner, BC, is where the Red Chair (in Clair's Red convertible of course) came upon this adorable 1922 Art Deco Bed and Breakfast. Clair's Bed and Breakfast offers plenty of cozy common spaces for guests and luxurious guest rooms offering an instantly welcome and relaxed feeling as soon as you walk over the threshold. After a fabulous night's rest the Red Chair awoke to the aroma of breakfast coming from the elegant dining room where Red found a delicious array of a full homemade breakfast prepared by Chef Clair herself! After breakfast the Red Chair and Clair walked to the nearby town center where Red could shop, explore and eat until it dropped. They moseyed along the harbor to admire all of the boats and headed to Stir Coffee House for the Artists in the Village En Plein Air event. After a few hours of meeting new people, drinking loads of coffee and enjoying the atmosphere Clair and the Red Chair headed to The Dancing Pig for BBQ comfort food at its best! They ended the day with a round of Lawn Bowling at the Ladner Lawn Bowling Club, a first for our Red. From bird watching, horseback riding, golfing, fishing, hiking, biking and even river cruising the Red Chair had perfect blend of rest and excitement through out the entire stay! It was a great getaway and Red cannot wait to come back again.
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Oak Bay Guest House
Victoria, BC
March 9-14, 2016
Staying at the Oak Bay Guest House in Victoria, BC was absolutely perfect! The Red Chair loved hearing all about this beautiful 1912 Victorian home and the unique history behind it. Located right in the heart of Oak Bay Village, Red found it was very conveniently located to many of the attractions, shopping and restaurants that it wanted to visit during its stay as well as the Inn was only steps from the sea. Each morning started off with a delicious three course breakfast in the Olde English Dining Room but after that the days couldn't have been more different! The Red Chair explored the Oak Bay Marina, which was the former site of Sealand, took a trip to the top of Mount Doug, where Red was blown over by the views and nearly blown off the top of the mountain! Red also checked out the neighboring Oak Bay Beach Hotel and their Boathouse Spa and Pools, so Red could say it was pool-side and ocean-side at the same time! Another awesome spot the Red visited was Oak Bay Rose Garden, where it was a little early for roses but Red could see them starting to peek out! Red did some great shopping at 4 Cats Studio, Oak Bay Flower Shop, Side Street Gallery, Rogers Chocolates, Red Art Gallery, and lunch at Penny Farthing Public House, followed by seeking out some of the iconic town spots such as Red's Canadian cousins at Kitty Islet, Abkhazi Gardens, Willow Beach, Sno'uyutth Pole, and of course feeding the birds at Oak Bay Marina. While in town Red was invited to attend an Oak Bay Council Meeting where it got to listen to the Oak Bay Tourism Annual Report and meet the Mayor! Another case of so much to see and do yet not enough time to do it all! We guess the Red Chair will just have to come back again!
Cobble House Bed & Breakfast
Cobble Hill, British Columbia, Canada
February 26th - March 2nd, 2016
The Cobble House Bed and Breakfast is located in Cobble Hill, a small village located in the Cowichan region on southern Vancouver Island, just about an hour north of Victoria. The Red Chair arrived and was instantly excited to explore the area. Cowichan, or "land warmed by the sun" has Canada's only Maritime Mediterranean climate which makes it a prime agricultural region sometimes called, "Napa of the North". Red found that this area was fantastic for wineries among other businesses such as breweries, an estate cidery, cheese makers, sea salt harvesters, fishmongers, Canada's only tea grower, one of Canada's top 20 bakeries, lavender farms, organic farms, and one of the largest Farmer's Markets on the Island. It is a great destination for foodies! Red also learned that the Cowichan region is an outdoor paradise offering kayaking, fishing, great mountain biking, hiking on the soon-to-be world's longest trail, the Trans Canada Trail, golfing, boating, and so much more. Red got a chance to visit the commercial center of the Valley, Duncan, the City of Totems, and home to the largest hockey stick in the world as well as The Raptors, a birds of prey educational center. Red loved the meandering country roads, funky seaside communities, great restaurants showcasing all of the locally sourced foods. In the short time that Red was visiting the Cobble Hill Bed and Breakfast, it experienced a great sampling of what the Cowichan Valley has to offer and thinks B&B's are the perfect accommodation choice to explore the Cowichan!
Hawley Place Bed & Breakfast
Ladysmith, British Columbia, Canada
February 20th - 25th, 2016
It was a glorious week with the innkeepers of the Hawley Place Bed and Breakfast in Ladysmith, a beautiful Victorian replica in a pretty seaside town on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. After a delightful sleep and a full breakfast of German apple pancakes and sausages the Red Chair headed out on a bright sunny day with hosts Rhonda & Ed. Locals kept coming up to welcome Red to Ladysmith as they visited many of the unique local shops. When they stopped into Worldly Gourmet, Red was given cooking lessons! They also stopped at Little Rascals Pet Shop, Old Town Bakery for the "Best Buns in Town" (so delicious) and then they headed over to Wild Poppy Bistro across the street to have lunch in their gluten and peanut free establishment. Red visited the Ladysmith Museum where Red discovered, along with many other fascinating town facts, that Pamela Anderson was born here July 1st, 1967 and was the town's Centennial baby! Next it was onto Transfer Beach with its gorgeous ocean views, amphitheater, beach, volleyball sand court, and picnicking area, seasonal concession stand, and Sealegs Kayak & Stand up Paddleboard rentals. The Waterfront Gallery was just down the road and they saw the artists and board members having a great time together showcasing their "Fine Art Show". Red the stunning doors that the Coast Salish Carver John Marston did and begged for a picture with them. The innkeepers decided to take Red to the Crow and Gate English Pub out in Yellow Point for dinner, a 20 minute drive north of Ladysmith. What a place! An old English pub with Guinness on tap and delicious food! Their grounds are spectacular with an outdoor garden and patio. A little further down by the road they came to Blue Heron Park by Yellow Point Lodge, stunning, beautiful and peaceful by the ocean. They drove by Yellow Point Cranberry Farm and Red was reminded of the bogs back home! Continuing on this road the innkeepers were taking Red to a sun pit, a beautiful piece of heaven called "Elliott's Beach". Red got its four legs wet here and loved breathing the ocean air. After a bit of quietude among the beach Red headed to the Chemainus Theater Festival, just 10 minutes away from Ladysmith. It was a grand building and the show line ups were amazing. From here Red walked along the yellow footprints that led the way to the famous many murals of Chemainus painted on the walls of the buildings throughout town and headed towards Waterwheel Park. Red had an incredible week long stay with Innkeepers Rhonda and Ed at the Hawley Place Bed and Breakfast and when it came time to say goodbye Red had a tough time leaving!
Cornerstones Bed & Breakfast
Qualicum Beach, British Columbia, Canada
February 13th - 19th, 2016
Red arrived at Cornerstones Bed and Breakfast on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in early February of 2016. The Cornerstones B&B is located in the heart of Qualicum Beach, BC, close to all of the village shops, restaurants, art galleries, the Heritage Train Station and Museum as well as also being super close to many fantastic walking trails. On the way to Cornerstones B&B Red asked to stop at the Qualicum Beach Flower Shop to find flowers for hostess Anna Maria and ended up finding an admirer, Chair White. They spent a lovely evening together volunteering their time to hand out Valentine's Day raffle tickets at the Legion 76. Monday was spent at The Deep Bay Marine Research Station. Red loved the Whale Skeleton, viewing the wet and dry labs and taking part in a bit of research. Red was a little squeamish at first with the touch tanks full of starfish, jellyfish, and other marine animals but found them all fascinating. Red rode the tractor at Morningstar Little Cheese Works and helped feed the cows. Later Red met up with some golfers and putted some balls at the Qualicum Beach Memorial Golf Club and capped the day off with refreshments and appetizers at The Shady Rest. Red headed back to Cornerstones Bed and Breakfast for a restful evening. Wednesday Red toured the Qualicum Museum and jumped into a classroom learning the history of Qualicum Beach. A wonderful afternoon was spent at Milner Gardens, enjoying tea and biscuits among the newly sprouting early Spring flowers. Thursday was spent at The Old School House walking through the galleries admiring the local artists and playing a tune on the Baby Grand. In the afternoon Red was officially welcomed to the Town of Qualicum Beach by the Mayor and Councilors. Friday was a relaxing day with Red taking Coco, the Cornerstones' resident pup, for a walk and had a great chair to dog discussion about all of the best trails to explore. On the last day Red stopped at the Qualicum Beach Farmers Market to pick up a couple of things for its journey onward and marveled at the norther species of "Wood Turned Bowls" a rare sight indeed. From nature to history to pure relaxation and more, the Red Chair found it all here at the Cornerstone's Bed and Breakfast in Qualicum Beach.
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Chesterfield Inn Bed & Breakfast
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
February 7th - 12th, 2016
The Red Chair was super excited to visit Innkeepers Joy and Jake of the Chesterfield Inn Bed and Breakfast in Kelowna, BC this past February. After exploring the outskirts of the city it was now time to start exploring all of the exciting scenes in the heart of the city. The Chesterfield Inn B&B is a great place to be if you would like to stay near to the Kelowna General Hospital or if you want to be close to downtown. There are a number of great beaches that are only a few minutes away as well as downtown's Bernard Ave, with its many eateries, pubs and fun shops. Should you want to golf, admire the sailboats on the lake, take a wine tour such as one the Red Chair took at Cedar Creek Estate Vineyards, mosey around the parks and along the water or just relax and listen to any of the various music played in the parks, all can be found within minutes of the inn. Red found that walking along the water's edge was so serene and peaceful it tended to walk for hours. Although Red did keep an eye our for Ogopogoo, but alas no luck spotting the legendary creature, except for when Red came across the public art piece featured below! Eating delicious food, ice skating, shopping, wandering into the many beautiful art galleries, and of course eating more delicious food made for a spectacular rest of Red's time in Kelowna. Feeling fresh and especially relaxed the Red Chair moved onto the next Inn but it will definitely be back again soon!
Myra Canyon Ranch Bed and Breakfast Inn
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
February 1st - 6th, 2016
Myra Canyon Ranch Bed and Breakfast Inn welcomed our Red Chair on February 1st, 2016 and promptly got to work showing Red the very best of the Kelowna area. We all know how much our Red Chair loves adventure, well it found plenty of it here! Upon arriving the Red Chair noticed the beautiful European Contemporary design and definitely noticed the incredible views over Kelowna, Okanagan Lake and the Valley. From hiking in the surrounding Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park, cycling on the nearby Kettle Valley Railway Trail which is actually part of the Trans-Canada Bike Trail, climbing on the Kelowna Boulder Fields only a short 30 minute drive from the Inn, playing a little bit of disc golf, bareback horseback riding (well more like posing, Red really prefers a saddle to strap into as it has a tendency to fall off), climbing around in the Ranch's Adventure Park, to visiting just a couple of the many wineries in the nearby area such as Summer Hill Pyramid Winery (awesome Cabernet Sauvignon by the way), Camelot Vineyards Estate Winery where Red and the house knight Robert the Great shared a delicious drink and exciting stories, and lastly the House of Rose Winery where Red fell in love with a bottle of Grapes with Benefits. Red has to thank the wonderful innkeepers Kathryn, Rolf and their family for being such wonderful hosts but also to the Kelowna Visitor Centre for the many suggestions they provided during this leg of the journey! Canada has been a dream so far thank goodness Red still has more of it to see!!
Courthouse Inn Revelstoke
Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada
January 7-13th, 2016
It's safe to say that the innkeepers and staff of the Courthouse Inn Revelstoke were pretty stoked about hosting the Red Chair Travels and showing it all of the exciting reasons why Revelstoke is such a great place to visit. It is the perfect stopover place between Vancouver and Calgary, Alberta on No. 1 Highway and it is a gateway to the Canadian Rockies. East of Revelstoke are the Selkirk Mountains and Glacier National Park, penetrated by the Rogers Pass used by the Trans-Canada Highway and the Canadian Pacific Railway. Revelstoke was founded in the 1880s when the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was built through the area. Along with all kinds of skiing and snowboarding if you tack on dog sledding, snowshoeing, and a paragliding flight you have got yourself a pretty stellar Revelstoke winter vacation! See more about the various skiing and other winter adventures available to you in Revelstoke here! As the summer heat (which can get up to 105°F) pushes the snow back toward the summits, the high mountain jewels of the area are revealed. Inland and alpine adventures abound the Monashee and Selkirk mountain ranges; with hiking explorations in Mount Revelsoke and Glacier National Park waiting at your doorstep, easy access to world famous alpine mountain biking trails, a new dirt biking trail network that keeps on growing and a Championship Golf Course that borders the Columbia River. Add free nightly live music in Grizzy Plaza, white water rafting on the Illecillewaet and stand up paddle boarding on Lake Revelstoke and you's got a Revelstoke summer experience that will knock your socks off! Named as a "must do trip" on National Geographic's Ultimate Adventure Bucket List as well as by our Red Chair Travels, here you will find a vibrant mountain community with with a rich heritage.
Pineacre on the Lake Bed & Breakfast
Peachland, British Columbia, Canada
December 27th - January 2nd, 2016
Innkeepers Tanya and Rocky welcomed the Red Chair in late December to the Pineacre on the Lake Bed & Breakfast. The Red Chair was so excited to be spending the New Years Celebration here in Peachland and was especially excited to meet Santa and participate in their New Years Day Polar Bear Swim! Red has to admit, visiting Peachland covered in snow was absolutely magical! The scenery was stunning, especially the views from Pineacre's balconies and grounds. Red learned there were over 200 wineries within a 20 mile radius, and try as Red might, it could not fit all of them into it's week long stay. Even though Red's visit was mid winter, it still found plenty to keep it busy or if Red decided, it had a day of pure relaxation and calm at the inn! Penticton, Summerland, Peachland, Westbank and Kelowna were all a 5-20 minute drive from Pineacre on the Lake and full of great restaurants such as the Blind Angler Restaurant, Gasthus on the Lake, Beach Avenue Cafe, and activities including golf, wineries, parks to wander and explore, and winter beaches to mosey along. Not to mention the fun various events put on by Peachland! After talking with the Innkeepers Red has determined it will need to come back and try out all of their beach and water activities when the weather gets a bit warmer!
Mainstay Oasis Bed & Breakfast
Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada
December 11-17th, 2015
The Red Chair was welcomed to the Mainstay Oasis B&B in Port Moody, BC, Canada in December of 2015. The area's initial plunge into the Accommodation & Tourism Industry began with the Winter Olympics in 2010 which the Red Chair loved hearing about from the innkeepers. Since then, the area has embarked on receiving international guests for the past six years. With Port Moody's 100th birthday in 2013, Mainstay has since offered High Tea Parlour Parties in keeping with the traditions of early settlers to the area. The City is renowned for the high value and opportunities for the ARTS so of course Red spent time visiting the very active Art Center & Gallery. The railway has played a big part in Port Moody's history which is a big reason why our Red wanted to visit the Port Moody Railway Museum for a tour and to see what types of fun activities were going on as well as check out the Engine sculpture in front of City Hall. Port Moody has all the attractions of a major city but is geared to arts and the outdoors, both water and land. There are wonderful hiking and biking trails through the Pacific Northwest Rainforest and lake beaches nestled between mountains. Red had everything at the doorstep, including an amazing breakfast too. It was truly tough for our Red Chair to move on!
