Trek & Treat: The Nanaimo Bar Trail

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In Nanaimo, beautiful areas to take a stroll and get in touch with nature abound. Neck Point Park, Westwood Lake, and Linley Valley are just a few of the many places where extensive trails wind through forests or along the shoreline, offering opportunities for peaceful reflection and healthy activity.

One of the city’s most popular treks, however, requires no athletic footwear, no love of the outdoors, and no physical stamina. All that’s needed is an appetite, a sweet tooth, and a few bucks in your wallet.

Welcome to the Nanaimo Bar Trail! Continue reading

Jingle All the Way!

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We’re now in late January, and the Christmas holidays are well behind us. Ornaments, wreaths, and bells have all been packed up and stored away till next season. But out this way, Nanaimo continues to “jingle”; in fact, the city jingles year-round. For as I’ve learned in my local travels, the delightfully named Jingle Pot Road appears here, there, and (it seems) almost everywhere. Drive along the Nanaimo Parkway and you’ll cross Jingle Pot Road not once, but twice. The road loops around. It morphs from other roads. And at one corner of town, it even meets itself.

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And the Beach Goes On

In the summer of 2020, you’re not likely to hear anyone proclaim “Life’s a beach!” But given our current circumstances, if you had the opportunity to escape to a beach, you’d probably grab it. Paddling leisurely through the water, or just sitting on the shore and watching the waves, all one’s troubles seem so far away, and life feels almost normal again. Almost. Continue reading

Dear Dad

From the time I started this blog, back in September 2017, my most supportive readers have been my mom and dad. Each post has been greeted with enthusiasm and generated a “can’t wait till the next one” response. Their encouragement has meant a lot to me. It’s a terrific feeling when your parents tell you they’re proud of you. Continue reading