To all Mount Washington Season Passholders, 
 Believe us when we say we understand how frustrating the start of this season has been. We appreciate your business, your patience and your loyalty to Mount Washington Alpine Resort. We are happy to provide you with this opportunity to get on some snow before it arrives in earnest on Vancouver Island.
 
 Here are the details you will need to know before skiing and boarding for free from January 6-31, 2014 on Whistler Blackcomb:

WHO GETS THE DEAL?

• Applies to 2013-14 Mount Washington Gold, Alpine, Midweek and Student seasons passes only
• Midweek passholders get the deal from January 6 - 31, weekends included
• Does not apply to Mount Washington Volunteer or Staff passes
• Deal does not apply to pre-purchased 6Paks, multi or single day tickets

WHAT DO YOU RECEIVE?

• All eligible Mount Washington passholders are entitiled to receive one Whistler Blackcomb day ticket per person when they show up at a Whistler Blackcomb ticket location between January 6 to 31, 2014
• Mount Washington passholders must show their current 2013.14 winter season pass to receive a day ticket. This process must be followed for each day the Mount Washington passholder wishes to ski/board
• No multi day tickets will be issued by Whistler Blackcomb as part of the deal, single day tickets only
• You will be requested to attach the day ticket to your jacket at the Whistler Blackcomb ticket window location with your seasons pass

HOW LONG DOES THIS DEAL LAST?

• The free ticket deal lasts until January 31, 2014 or until Mount Washington opens enough terrain for a full-price lift ticket, whichever comes first.
• If Mount Washington opens before the end of January with a full price ticket, the deal at Whistler Blackcomb ends (with a three-day grace period)

WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW?

• Mount Washington passholders will need their current 2013.14 winter season pass plus a seperate piece of photo ID. additional paperwork required by Whistler Blackcomb will be needed

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 Now this is a story that's out of this world hahaha!

The third annual Queen of the Peak women's surf championship saw both blustery and sunny skies (and waves!) Cox Bay Beach October 9 & 10, 2013. Leah Oke of Port Renfrew, Vancouver Island took first place in the longboard competition while Tofino's own Catherine Bruhwiler claimed victory and the Queen of the Peak title on her shortboard! Over 20 girls ages 16 and under took to the waves in the Princess of the Peak contest, where ten year old Matea Olin of Tofino took the crown with an impressive performance - rememeber her name.

 When the wonderful people at Island Daily Deals offered up an opportunity to pick up a 5 punch pass at the Nanaimo Squash Club for an unreal price I took advantage.

 I had never tried squash, but after reading about how it's the world's healthiest sport, I was looking forward to trying it out and getting a great workout. 

 There are 4 courts (2 with glass backed viewing galleries) which for non-members you need to book between 4pm-9pm Monday to Friday. The drop in rate is $10 which includes equipment if you need it. Depending on whether you are a beginner or more experienced, there are different balls you will want to use. 

 I simply e-mail to book a court and have a time block of 45 minutes. For a high intensity, quick game like squash - 45 minutes is the perfect amount of time to get a serious sweat going. 

 As a member you have full access to the bar and lounge area, fitness area and sauna. 

Membership Prices: 

Type of MembershipMonthly Payment PlanAnnual Payment PlanSingle$68.00$816.00Couple *$108.00$1296.00Student/Junior **$32.00$384.00Senior (65+)$50.00$600.00Fitness$36.00$432.00
 

 You can also find the Nanaimo Squash Club on Facebook
 

Frankie's Modern Diner Signage   When I heard Moxie's had closed it doors and had re-opened under a new restaurant (and modern diner style at that!) I was eager to check it out. I've always enjoyed the nostalgic look and feel of a modern diner. We arrived on Sunday morning for breakfast and I was eager to indulge in one of the many bennys that were presented on the menu. 

"Fresh, Local, from scratch cooking -

Our goal is to provide local, sustainable products and prepare field for fork meals for your pleasure. We cook as much as possible from scratch and fresh daily. Menu items are created and tested by our culinary team and we welcome your thoughts and comments"


This is straight from their menu. 

They have one of the largest menus I have ever seen, including ALL-DAY breakfast. So if you're a breakfast lover like myself, you'll LOVE this.

 We arrived with a party of 6 and we were all impressed with the extensive menu. 

I had a hard time deciding on which eggs benny to try as they all looked delicious and unique (there is even a duck benny with truffled hollandaise!). I settled on the gluten-free Don Juan - on polenta cakes (corn mash patties) with grilled chorizo, roasted red peppers, portobello mushrooms and CHIPOTLE hollandaise! Served with BC redskin hashbrowns and a fresh fruit brochette. The full order was $14 and half $10. Very reasonable. The chipotle hollandaise was unreal!

The gluten-free Don Juan Benny
 Our food arrived hot and delicious after a short delay. Yes, food to table was a bit slow but the food (in my opinion) was worth the wait. Hopefully this is something the restaurant finds a solution for in the near future. Just don't expect super fast service either when it comes to "from scratch cooking", it just takes longer!

 Frankie's Modern Diner gets kudos from me. I love the "from scratch" and "local" food options coupled up with the modern diner style of the menu and restaurant decor.

Frankie's Modern Diner on Facebook

Frankie's Modern Diner on Twitter

Or you can visit them at 102-6750 North Island Hwy Nanaimo (250-933-3281)

Open at 7am daily.   

 Where were you for the blizzard that walloped Vancouver Island in the winter 1996? 

 

  Black tailed deer are a common sight in the suburbs of North Nanaimo, resident Michael Scott recently caught these two bucks fighting and caught the action in the middle of the day. 

 p.s a male deer is a "buck" not a bull :P

 Passengers on a BC Ferries trip between Galiano Island and Tsawwassen in the Strait of Georgina got a rare sighting of a super sized pod of Pacific White sided dolphins. Amazing!

  
  It's almost that time of year again! These awesome photos of Mount Washington in the Comox Valley were taken on Nov.1st by Morgan Mckenzie. The lifts will start running Dec.6th at 9am!

  I learned something new today. 

The Edge to Edge adventure on an island in the Pacific from The Edge Food Energy on Vimeo.

 Produced and narrated by The Edge Food Energy this video highlights some absolutely gorgeous outdoor recreation shots in the most beautiful place on earth (yep, Vancouver Island!)

 The Edge Food Energy is based out of Qualicum Beach they are producing nutritious everyday snacks for active people.
 

Photo from kilrennyfarm.com  Kilrenny Farm has been active since the 1920s - the current owners have farmed organically on the property since 1988.  

 Their catchphrase is "Local food for local people" and they grow a variety of seasonal organic vegetables, raise free run/range chickens and turkeys and more recently have begun producing fresh grain pastas and pasta sauces (using ingredients from their organic garden as much as possible!)



 Visit them in the Cowichan Valley at 1470 Cowichan Bay Rd. 
250 743 9019
Open: Weds. through Sun. 10am to 6pm

 This awesome mountain biking video features the crew of Rocky Mountain Bikes (Vancouver) and highlights the natural beauty of various location on Vancouver Island (Victoria, Cowichan Valley, Port Alice, Comox Valley).