Prepare yourself, because today’s post is all about the magic of Grouse Mountain! You might remember when Alex and I went up to Grouse last December to get into the holiday spirit. We knew we had to head up the mountain again this year to spend the morning at The Peak Of Christmas!
I was able to capture some of my favourite photos of the year, including the above shot. That pink sky and the chair lift! I’ve already ordered a print of it for our house, and I’m obsessed! We’d picked a random day for our mountain adventure and not only did it happen to be December 1st, but it was also sunny. Which, might not seem like such a feat, but it rained here for almost 2 straight months, so a morning with sunshine was a lovely surprise. Plus, it turned out (which you might be able to tell from some of the pictures), that Vancouver was covered in a blanket of fog so they didn’t even get to appreciate that sun. Alex and I were able to get private early morning access, where we captured a stunning winter sunrise and enjoyed an incredibly memorable morning.
I absolutely love Vancouver. I grew up here (well, in the suburbs, minor detail), and have now lived on the East side of Vancouver for a decade. Exploring around this city is one of my favourite things to do. There’s so much amazing food, art, coffee, shopping, and scenery. We have incredible hiking trails, skiing/snowboarding, and are a generally active bunch. Yet, we also have the hustle and bustle of urban life in our downtown core and beyond. There’s adorable neighbourhoods like Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, Olympic Village, Fairview, etc. The weather here is mild, but seasonally accurate (for the most part) which makes it ideal to visit at any time of year! And yes, there are moments when it rains and rains, but don’t let that stop you. Bring some rain boots and an umbrella, I promise you it’s worth it!
I have been meaning to compile my Vancouver recommendations for years. Thanks to some encouragement from the lovely team at Vancouver Tourism, it’s finally time to reveal my secret gems around this place. Though I’m sure this is the start of many posts about this wonderful city, I have compiled a comprehensive 48 hour itinerary. It was really tough to narrow down what to see in only 2 short days, but whether you’re here for a quick visit or on a staycation here, below are a few of my favourite Vancouver things (oh yes, I just went there in song). Hope you enjoy!
Our last night in Cinque Terre, we suddenly realized there was a gaping hole in our plans. Our train to Naples was booked, but Adam had suggested we try to navigate the bus system to get to Positano. I looked at our luggage and envisioned us on the wrong bus, trying to speak Italian, exhausted and in the darkness of night. Thankfully, I contacted a shuttle service (literally think it was just called Positano Shuttle Bus) and they let us book just 24 hours before. So, the next day, we waited at the La Spezia station for our longest rail ride yet. It was a 7 hour journey to Naples and then the shuttle ride to our accommodation in Positano. Things got off to a tough start when our train was 45 minutes delayed, with no way of getting in touch with our shuttle driver. When we boarded, it was, of course, the first and only time that someone was sitting in our assigned seats. I nervously sat in other seats, probably staring at the man at our table, wishing we could just settle in our reserved spot (and too nervous to confront him, obviously). Luckily, he left about halfway through the trip and I was able to nap in peace. When we finally got to Napoli, we were crossing our fingers that the driver saw that our train was delayed and that he’d waited – thankfully, he was right there and happy to see us. We followed him out to the van, and I looked around, feeling extra thankful that we’d booked this inexpensive and convenient transportation. A short drive later, he parked at the Naples airport and mumbled something to us. “Did he just tell us to follow him into the airport?” I asked Adam. “I think he did,” he replied, as our driver opened the sliding door and motioned for us to leave the van. Giggling in confusion, we trailed behind him to the arrivals area where he instructed us to ‘wait here’ like we were his kids. He came back a few minutes later with 5 more people and we all awkwardly made our way back to the shuttle van. Adam and I moved to the rear of the van, which was courteous, but not ideal for my car sickness. Anyway, the drive ended up being a little longer because each group was being dropped off in a different spot, and Positano was last, but my goodness, what a delight it was to have a car service to and from Positano. A much better option than bus transfers and heavy luggage.
The next morning, we woke up in what felt like a different world. Perched on a hillside, Positano is an absolutely stunning spot on the Amalfi Coast. As I mentioned in the last post, we had an incredibly relaxing and romantic week there. We lived a simpler life, drinking good wine, eating good food, and enjoying/feeling grateful for those surreal views. Though we didn’t do a whole lot of exploring, I have tons of dinner recommendations outlined below, as well as a fun video of our travels!
I was so optimistic about travel blogging. I thought it’d be such a simple new and exciting chapter to seamlessly add to aliciafashionista.com. After a vow to myself to see new places as much as possible for the next few years, I have done just that for the last 365 days. The trouble being that I was slightly ambitious, as per usual. Adding “weekly” videos (in quotes because that most certainly has not happened yet), more lifestyle content, and an ongoing travel component has made it tough to keep up with things. Add in the time on the road and all the catching up required when you’re back, and I basically set myself up for travel blog disappointment.
The other night, the Contiki Canada team was kind enough to invite me to a little event to launch their newest travel packages. Not only did I have the loveliest interactions with the Contiki team, but I left there completely inspired. Just show me a 2 minute video about living life to the fullest and I’m already itching to go home and book flights somewhere. It was exactly what I needed. The time has come for me to catch up and fully commit to following my travel blog dreams. So, let’s pick up where we left off. Our honeymoon in Italy last year.
Can you even imagine living amongst these views? My new life goal is to own property in the Naramata Bench. It’s absolutely ridiculous that Adam and I had never been, we are now Okanagan Wine Country obsessed. In fact, I’m heading to Vernon the next TWO weekends in a row. What can I say, there’s just more wine to drink and vineyards to tour!
The Naramata Bench is such a special spot within BC. Just a 4 hour drive from Vancouver, but feels like a completely different world. We’d spend our mornings sipping coffee with our lake/orchard views, the afternoon vineyard hopping, early evening reading at the beach, and the nights enjoying delicious meals. If you’ve never been, you absolutely MUST go, it is THE perfect weekend getaway! Below, I’ve outlined what you’ll need to know to book accommodation, where to eat the best food, snap the best views, and of course, where to DRINK!
The last few days of summer, so I better end things on a colourful note! Remember our anniversary trip to the Naramata Bench? We stayed in THE most amazing Airbnb (details coming your way tomorrow) that was perched above a beautiful orchard. These ambrosia apples looked positively scrumptious, but they weren’t ready until the week after we left, so, I unfortunately didn’t get to try one myself. It’s also really neat because the new owners of the property are working towards an all organic operation, which is a truly inspiring initiative. Especially since it’s not a cheaper or easier option!
One of my goals whilst in wine country, was to get a quintessential outfit photo amongst the grapes (an apple orchard is a close second though and the same effect, so we’re good, right?). I was inspired by an outfit that Ania wore on her snapchat a few months ago and matched a bright jacket with a colour blocked dress. So much colour sounds a bit too crazy in theory, but it somehow works! Both pieces are a bit older, so I’ve linked two similar looks below:
I swear I do this to myself, but life has been absolute insanity lately. The end of summer rush was only magnified by oh, you know, getting a dog, and then, oh, you know, fighting with strata. I was so tightly wound when we left for our two day yoga retreat on Bowen Island, that I actually breathed a sigh of relief as the ferry crossed the Howe Sound.
Alexandra and I had never been on a yoga retreat of any kind, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Thinking about it now, I love yoga, and I love local adventures, so this was bound to only be amazing. I cannot even tell you how wonderful our experience was at Nectar Yoga B&B. Andrea is the best yoga instructor I’ve ever had. The food was incredible. Bowen is always a great escape from the city. You know what? Why don’t you watch it all in the VLOG that I put together from our retreat! Photos, more details, AND a giveaway are below as well!
Can you believe that Adam and I had never been to the Naramata Bench?! Our very own Napa-esque wine country here in BC, just a 4 hour drive away, and somehow this was our first time there! It won’t shock you, but we absolutely fell in LOVE. Not with each other, that happened like 9 years ago, but with the stunning lake views, the plethora of wineries, and the scrumptious local fare. It was simply beautiful at every turn, I had so much fun playing around with my camera, trying to capture it all.
Our trip wouldn’t have been complete without a celebratory meal (we base most of our getaways on food, don’t you?!). Since good eats are often a highlight for us, Adam surprised me with dinner at Vanilla Pod Restaurant at Poplar Grove Winery on our first wedding anniversary.
When we decided to make this summer more of a staycation, we made a list of all the fun events and activities to do around the city. One of the main things we wanted to check out was the Shipyards Night Market in North Vancouver! It happens every Friday night and though the original plan was to go with a big group of friends, it was an awesome impulsive date night!
The event is FREE which is crazy because there’s so much to see and do. We really weren’t sure what to expect and were blown away by all the work and detail that must go into making this happen every week. It makes me really happy to see such a fun initiative in North Van, we already can’t wait to go back! Read on to find out why:
