There and Back Again
A few weeks ago, we spontaneously decided to take a road trip up into the BC interior for the day. Our mission: squash. Our destination: the local produce stands past the Fraser Canyon. Results: accomplished!
Actually, it was a really nice excuse for a day trip. The weather was particularly sunny past the mountains that surround the BC Lower Mainland. Cloudy weather was forecast in the Vancouver area, and up around Chilliwack, it was particularly foggy, so we were really happy to find full sun.
Driving through the Fraser Canyon is particularly beautiful. The loop we took, through the Canyon, up to Cache Creek, over to Ashcroft, and across to Merritt and back down the Coquihalla to Vancouver, covers some of the most diverse landscape in BC. We saw a lot of farmland, mountains and rainforest, sagebrush and desert, azure lakes, poplar groves, miles of evergreens (sadly, some pine-beetle infested growth), and sweeping vistas. The mountains themselves are breathtaking — so many colors and to view.
Around Cache Creek
We stopped at several roadside markets to collect squash. Some of the markets were pretty small (but had great prices!), others are definitely very well established: Hilltop Garden Farms in Spences Bridge, Horsting’s Farm Market in Cache Creek, and Desert Hills Ranch in Ashcroft.
We saw lots of squash varieties that we don’t see in the local markets around here and came home with a good collection! I think squash is going to be on the menu a lot this winter!
Goats at Desert Hills Ranch
We saw lots of squash varieties that we don’t see in the local markets around here and came home with a good collection! I think squash is going to be on the menu a lot this winter!
So far, we’ve roasted one turban squash for a vegetable platter for Thanksgiving Dinner and with the leftovers we made squash-stuff lasagna, which was also pretty tasty.
Now comes the fun part: thinking how we will cook with the remaining squash!
World Mayor Contest
How do you think our Mayor is doing at her job? Here’s a unique contest where you can cast your vote for Dianne Watts as compared with the rest of the world’s mayors: World Mayor 2010. No word as to when voting will close so if this matters to you, vote early!
From: http://www.flickr.com/photos/loxy/2959407626/in/set-72157603845467174/
Grandview Shopping
I recently spent some time hanging out in one local area of South Surrey that’s really undergone change, Grandview Corners.
One of the latest shopping complexes, Morgan Crossing, is still in the process of opening. But there are a handful of trendy Yaletown-like shops open, and the flagship-type stores, the gourmet Thrifty Foods, London Drugs, one of the tidiest Winners I’ve been in for a while, and Best Buy.
The atmosphere around the complex, which has condos above, is really unlike anything else in Vancouver suburbia. It really has a modern, metropolitan feel with lots of metal and glass. Occasionally, you see water features or some cedar, but mostly its a cool color palette that meets your eye. Overall, it’s an interesting architectural choice for the area. Not too far away (15 min?) is Redwood Park, a forest-clad gem with many varieties of unique tree species. Redwood Park and this new shopping complex juxtaposed is somewhat jarring.
More info:
Looking for Old Cloverdale
It’s not too hard too spot old Cloverdale (although sometimes I admit, it is easy to drive past by without really noticing it). After settling into the area, I’ve become accustomed to seeing the Clova, the Boothroyd House (now Wired Monk), the Municipal Hall, Christ Church, just to name a few.
There are the properties that I pass by regularly that have piqued my curiosity: the tree-clad drumlin south of highway ten that hosts Mound Farm, the Alexander Etsell Connolly House off 168th that’s been clad in plastic for more than a year now, and just up the street, this listed house at 88th and 168th that may be the oldest in Surrey (going for 4.9Mil). I’m sure there are some great stories associated with these.
Then, there are the properties that have disappeared. Like the Charles Bell House below. I wonder if something will be rebuilt in its place?
Check out this Flickr photo set of Surrey Heritage sites by Bob_2006 that does a great job of documenting heritage locations all over Surrey. There’s quite a bit I haven’t noticed, including an old red cedar tree stump on Queen Mary Boulevard.
Scents of Summer
There’s a field near our house that’s abounding in clover. It smells so good! Yesterday, in the late evening, we took a short stroll along the path that runs next to the field. The sun was just beginning to set in the sky — really late as yesterday was the summer solstice. It’s really hard to believe that summer is here!
Getting About
It has been awhile since I last posted. With memories of the Olympics frenzy starting to dim, normal life has resumed although things seem a little busier than usual.
Last night we attended a stakeholder meeting hosted by Translink at the Cloverale Business Association. Translink is in the preliminary stages of a study assessing Rapid Transit needs in the Surrey/Langley area. (FYI, it seems that the meeting information for the upcoming stakeholder/public meetings has been moved on their website above.)
The purpose of the meeting was to outline the study, provide a definition of Rapid Transit, and, I assume, get preliminary feedback from local stakeholders (who they identify as organizations within Surrey/Langley, not the public at this stage). Of course, there was a good deal of feedback provided on what currently does not work and work in general with public transit in the area. Translink was looking for high-level data points on what users want in a transit system (accessibility, convenience, connectability). Missing from the meeting was really any clear indication of what Translink’s overall objectives are with Rapid Transit. (I guessing because there is no clear picture of this yet.) For example, objectives could be to effectively move people around the Lower Mainland (e.g., commuters), get people out of cars, or get people from hub to hub within the Surrey area.
Here are some takeaways:
- There are significant challenges for those who cannot travel by car both within Surrey/Langley and to points outside. In particular commuters and seniors
- Transit needs to accessible to those with limited mobility and cyclists
- There needs to be better ways to get to major transit hubs
- There are existing misconceptions about how long it takes to travel from Surrey/Langley to Vancouver
- Better transit could improve Surrey’s business infrastructure (more customers, more potential employees)
- Cross-border transit options are desirable for this part of the community
Love Note
Happy Valentines Day!
Here in Cloverdale, it turned out to be an incredibly sunny day! Gotta love it!
Big thanks to my husband for making heart-shaped pancakes this morning. Awesome.
Links About Town: Free Olympic Activities
Another week and the Olympics will be upon us. Already there’s a buzz in the air. I don’t know if it is my imagination or if it’s true that rush hour traffic on Hwy 1 seems a little lighter these days as folks seek out alternate commuting options.
In any case, I’m somewhat torn about the Olympics being here. On one hand, I think it is great for world-class athletes to have a forum to compete and excel. While not being terribly sporty myself, I still am impressed by what athletes (like anyone who has discipline and works hard) can achieve in competition and sportsmanship. I had a great uncle who was an Olympian (Silver medalist in 1936) and hearing about his experiences certainly has made me consider the value and role of athleticism. Still, the stories of corruption associated with the Olympic organization trouble me. I’m also not that impressed by how freely dollars are spent to show off our city when there are greater issues to be addressed locally and internationally. And that seems to be happening a lot these days.
That said, there seems to be a lot of free cultural and community events happening about town these next few weeks. I am looking forward to experiencing that part of the Olympics. Here’s a local sampling:
- As a venue city, Surrey is hosting its own large celebration at Holland Park February 12 to 28th. Looks like there will be a lot of exhibits from local organizations and artisans, musical performances, and family activities. Personally, I think that the ice skating and the agility dog performances sound like a lot of fun.
- Olympic Torch Relay details and the route map courtesty of the City of Surrey (approximately 2:30pm in Cloverdale, February 8th)
- There are lots of free events in the Lower Mainland listed here: Vancouver 2010 Free Events Guide courtesy of CityCaucus.com
On another note, it looks like the last shipment of Olympic red mittens is set to arrive at the Bay. Now, if we could have some snow to go with them!
photo credit : http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbc9/4258466912/
Dining At the Pearl
One of our favorite dining spots is Pearl on the Rock. This past Monday we braved the cold, rainy Lower Mainland weather to venture down to White Rock beach, which isn’t that far from Cloverdale, and visit this haunt. (They’d kindly sent us a gift certificate for our anniversary a while back and we were keen to use it.) The Pearl has a smartly sophisticated Pacific West Coast menu and offers impeccable service that is an experience in itself.
Despite being a frigid and damp work night, we had a great time out on the town.
Until February 9th, the annual Bite of the Rock is being held by White Rock restaurants, Pearl on the Rock being one of the participants, and free parking is available at the beach until February 26th.
About Town: Local Food Resources
Cloverdale has a few great local vegetable and fruit markets although it seems like most are located off 64th or Hwy 10. Do you have any favorites?
Here are a few other resources to local food shopping:
BC Good Food Directory – Local Food Directory
Foodshed 100 Mile Diet Vancouver
100 Mile FoodTV.ca Local Food Search and Seasonal Food Search
