Kale and Whole Kitchen philosophy went out the porthole for three weeks when I flew to Singapore and boarded Crystal Cruise's Symphony (but I went on a diet when I got home, including no wine for a few weeks, which I hadn't done since infancy.)
'Here's the plan. We'll eat in the bistro first, have our butler bring us some caviar and then we'll freshen up for dinner."
I overheard this conversation in the van shuttling me back to the cruise ship Crystal Symphony from a daylong excursion in Thailand. My fellow passengers and I were set to weigh anchor from Laem Chabang near Bangkok and head to Saigon, our next port of call on the 16-day Treasures of Southeast Asia cruise.
I was already well acquainted with David Feliu, the butler in my premium penthouse. I first met him two days before when I boarded the ship in Singapore. As he delivered champagne to my suite, he apologized for not greeting me and asked me why I had unpacked my own suitcase. Had I already made a Downton Abbey faux pas?
"Perhaps I can bring you a little caviar?" he suggested. Continue Reading
Pack lightly and bring a GPS unit to fully explore this offbeat trail.
Move over West Coast Trail, the Sunshine Coast Trail (SCT) has way more to offer to hikers. For starters, it’s twice as long (188 km, compared to 77 km) so you won’t be jockeying for trail space. And unlike Vancouver Island’s West Coast Trail (which was established in 1907 to help rescue shipwrecked sailors whose vessels sank off the coastline) you don’t have to apply and pay for a permit to hike it—you can go whenever and wherever you want.
Powell River is the stepping-off point to the SCT. With the exception of downhill skiing, “Powell Riviera” (as it’s fondly called by residents) seems to have it all, and the town is drenched in history—from the Patricia Theatre that opened its doors in 1913 to the nearly 400 heritage buildings neighboring the paper mill.
THE TRAILS
Waterfall thru new lens
On my first visit to Powell River, I took a four-hour outdoor photography course with resident Darren Robinson. We hiked the Appleton Creek Trail and shot one waterfall after another.
When someone shows you how to look at something in a different light, from another angle, it's amazing what you can see. And I finally figured out how to shoot on the manual setting. Darren's classes are popular with teens and adults of all ages.
"If you hike to Fairview Bay - which should have been named Oyster Bay - all you'll need is an oyster shucker and beverage of choice," said Eagle Walz, laughing. The shelters also have barbecue pits and (when I was there) firewood. Free! And if you go during mushroom season, chanterelles abound!
Chanterelle saute
The Trinket Trail
One of the most popular family activities is hiking the Trinket Trail, essentially a free outdoor treasure hunt for kids of all ages. It’s mined with small toys left by residents and visitors alike, and has quickly become a popular geocaching hunt.
All you need is a GPS unit and go to geocaching.com, and look up different sites by region, area or city. It will give you the coordinates and a clue, such as “look under a rock that has a painted circle.”
“My family sees the Trinket Trail as one giant geo-cache where trinkets hang in trees and hide in woody stumps,” said resident Darren Robinson. “For my kids, it’s as exciting as Disneyland. My four-year-old daughter Sadie spotted Big Bird right away, then we came upon a treasure trove of trinkets—they’re everywhere.”
About 2.5 km along the trinket trail you can’t miss Troll Alley; there are literally dozens of the funky hairy toys hanging from branches and wedged into trees and moss. The entire Trinket Trail is a 5.5 km round trip and begins just off Southview Road, all the way up to the Bunster Bluffs and back again. Give yourself three to four hours for this hike. Continue Reading
