Lopez Island: A Winter Getaway
Sometimes it’s nice to do things off season. Lopez Island in the San Juan Islands is a very popular summer destination, but on a chilly weekend in mid December we found ourselves in an almost empty campground, on roads with little to no traffic and on beautiful abandoned beaches. True, it was a bit cold and the days are short. But with enough clothes, a bonfire at night, a cozy tent and the right company, everything is possible. On Friday it was Gili’s birthday, and also the mark of 16 years of us being together. Usually we are not big on celebrating these kinds of occasions, but we figured a…
Vancouver’s Secret Beach: Exploring Close to Home
With shoulder season stretching longer these days, and since anyway I won’t be doing much skiing this season, it’s time to look for some adventures close to home. After the cold spell last week and then the pouring rain afterwards, we finally got a break in the weather on Sunday, so we headed out for a walk along the beach. Or as I like to call it “Vancouver’s secret beach”. Not everyone is aware that there is a stretch of beach behind the rich people’s houses on Point Grey Road, only accessible by foot or boat. I actually first became aware of this beach a few years ago when our…
Nicaragua: A Test in Attachment and Other Such Adventures
Some trips are different. This was not a cycling trip, backpacking or hiking trip, nor was it a trip to visit family in our homeland. This was simply a trip to get out of our routine, get away from Vancouver in the gloomiest time of year and try to live in a new place for a few weeks. It was supposed to be about relaxing, getting some work done and other projects and enjoying the heat and the sun. What we didn’t expect would happen is that we’d get so emotionally attached to a few creatures, that every week we’d have to face another emotional obstacle. That we’d get so…
The Journey of Cherry on a Bike
We are once again in Granada, Nicaragua, where the idea of Cherry on a Bike first started. When you’re on a trip, especially a cycle tour, your mind often wanders. Although we tried to live in the moment as much as we could, thoughts about the future always came up. When we stopped in Granada where Gili’s aunt Peta and her husband Ben lived at that time, many of our conversations were on this topic. Since we both have a weakness for food, especially fruit, we first thought of a fruit drying business, with a baking component, my favourite hobby at the time. In a brainstorming session the name Cherry on a…
Vantage Peak: The Peak of Summer
There was a feeling in the air that summer was close to its end and autumn was fast approaching. But just before Fall officially started we were blessed with yet another sunny weekend and the mountains were calling our names for one more summer adventure – probably the last one for this season. Jan and Warrick, friends from Vancouver Island, planned to join us, so on Saturday morning we picked them up from the busy Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal and then headed north towards Pemberton and beyond. When we arrived to Keith Hut trailhead we were shocked by the number of cars parked there. We could barely find a spot to park and…
The Rockwall: Braving the Storm for Rewarding Sunshine
There is something about beautiful places that draws us back to them again and again. This was not our first trip to the Rockies, and rest assured, it won’t be the last. But every time we make the long drive, past numerous lakes and rivers, across mountain passes, and basically cross the province to reach that beautiful area known as the Rockies, I know it will be well worth the effort. Even if in the beginning the sun does not shine in our faces, and the mountains look sad and sometimes are well hidden behind a thick wall of clouds, I know that in the end it would all be worthwhile. We decided…
- British Columbia (and nearby), Cycling & Cycle Touring, Food, Hurley & Lillooet Valley, Trip Reports
Pemberton: Slow Food Bike Ride Goes Even Slower
Slow is good. Why do we need to rush through life? When you move slowly you observe more, experience things differently, and enjoy the moment. This is why I love cycling, because when you ride you move slower. Last Sunday we joined hundreds of other cyclists for the Annual Slow Food Cycle Sunday around Pemberton. The Slow Food Movement believes that food should be “good, clean and fair”, and mostly grown locally in farms or ranches. As opposed to fast food, it has more character, it’s tastier, and healthier – not that it’s a tough competition. The combination of a nice bike ride and good food always appeals to me, and…
Three Brothers Mountain: and Cherry Picking Too
We are obsessed with cherries. So obsessed that driving 400km away and five hours each way just to pick cherries doesn’t seem like a ridiculous idea to us. I think there is something exotic for us about cherries. I remember hearing stories from my grandmother about how she used to climb the family cherry tree in their backyard in Cologne, Germany, pre WWII days. She would sit for hours on a wide branch munching on the unlimited supply of cherries, spitting the pits into the Nazi neighbour’s yard… It always sounded like a fairy tale, cherries were almost unreal. Growing up in Israel we sure enjoyed many different types of fruit, but…
Hawaii: Flowing with the Lava on the Big Island
It all started at a gas station. Not the ideal place to start a two week vacation in Hawaii, but this is how it went. We left Vancouver a few hours prior to our arrival in the dreamy gas station, exhausted, drained and just plain tired. Flying with bicycles is always a hassle, and after we checked-in the two huge boxes, we felt so much lighter. We had to think about all the advantages of traveling by bicycle, because at that point it just seemed like a pain in the ass, but as usual it was well worth it. The flight was half empty which gave us the opportunity to take over…
Abbotsford: Discovering the Discovery Trail
On Saturday we headed to Abbotsford. Even though it’s only one hour away we had never really been there, only passing through occasionally on the way to the border. We had planned a 57km loop around Abbotsford, incorporating the Matsqui trail along the Fraser River and the Discovery Trail through town. Already after a few kilometers of cycling we encountered a problem. The trail disappeared and instead there was a big pool of water. It turns out that with the warm temperatures we experienced recently, the snow is melting fast, and as a result many rivers are high. We managed to cross the problematic section without incident, but then arrived…
