Browsing “Unplugged”

THE LEAVES ARE CHANGING COLOUR and falling to the ground, making crunching noises under my feet. The temperature is dropping noticeably too. At this time of year, like clockwork, I start to set my sights on the mountains. This year in particular, I’m remembering my life in Whistler and the excitement that mounts every October as anticipation for the winter season builds. Today, I’m taking you to the “Wonderground”, a place where white dreams are made and snow becomes an obsession. PLACE: Whistler Blackcomb (CLICK FOR MAP) LOCATION: Whistler , BC.Have suggestions for UNPLUGGED this fall? Tweet me @amberturnau.

This snow-filled short film is the first in a series of ‘Wonder Reels” by Whistler Blackcomb. The documentary-style series – produced by local film crews Sherpas Cinema and Switchback Entertainment –  will profile the various wonders of the mountains, both tangible and intangible.

“Snow” is produced by Sherpas Cinema and really captures the essence of early season anticipation in a very artful and beautiful way. It certainly got me thinking about the excitement of winter and the beautiful silence of a powder day – save for the swishing of my board in knee deep snow.

The winter season kicks off November 22 at WB, but there are plenty of ways to get stoked ahead of time. The Turkey Sale and Swap is on this coming Thanksgiving weekend, with tons of discounted skis, snowboards and outerwear to prep for the season. My personal favourites are the cheap socks and under layers. You won’t find them much cheaper anywhere else.

Also, just a heads up that Early Bird season passes are on sale until Monday, Oct. 8. You will regret missing the deadline, trust me. Enjoy the pre-season and see you on the slopes!

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“I’m on a boat…” We couldn’t help but sing the song. Blasting out across English Bay and under bridges as we bounced over choppy wake left by Sea Buses, float planes and other boats. We took in the iconic sights of Burrard Inlet and Deep Cove. This week’s adventure takes you to a rented freedom that is worth every penny. PLACE: Granville Island Boat Rentals (CLICK FOR MAP) LOCATION: Vancouver Harbour , BC Have suggestions for UNPLUGGED this fall? Tweet me @amberturnau.

There’s no better way to say goodbye to your 20′s than a speed boat ride with your best buds. Now, this wasn’t my first “boat” rodeo, but nevertheless, it was a totally memorable experience to celebrate my 30th birthday.

We rented our boat from Granville Island Boat Rentals, stopping by the Public Market first to pick up some fresh deli salads, olives, cheeses and breads.

There are a number of different routes that can be taken during the two-hour rental period we signed up for. We chose the route to Deep Cove, which included a zip across English Bay, and under both the Lion’s Gate and Second Narrows bridges.

Our favourite point of interest was the McBarge. Anyone who attended Expo ’86 remembers the floating McDonald’s Barge that became a big attraction and one of the iconic pavilions of the Expo. Nearly 30 years later, the McBarge has been more or less abandoned in Burrard Inlet and has stood the test of time – bearing graffiti, barbed wire around its perimeter, as well as a few leaks. Apparently, the McBarge is awaiting its big move to Mission to become refurbished.

There’s something about driving at top speeds, dodging Sea Buses and wake from busy harbour traffic. It makes you feel alive. The boys in our party, especially loved testing their boating maneuvers.

With views like this, how could you not feel like a child again? Despite cooler temperatures, the autumn is the perfect time to get out and enjoy the fresh air and gorgeous Vancouver cityscapes. So get your flippy floppies out and head down to your closest rental spot for a boat adventure.

Note:  This trip cost us $190CAD, which included temporary boat lessons for two of us, as well as 2 hours of boat time, plus fuel.

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BEING SURROUNDED BY NATURE inspires creativity. It also instills us with passion to protect our natural surroundings and conserve all that is beautiful and pure about our dense forests, sacred mountains and innocent wildlife. This week, I’m introducing you to a very cool event, that is dedicated to raising awareness about conservation efforts through by showcasing what is most beautiful about Mother Nature.  EVENT: Artists for Conservation Festival (CLICK FOR MAP) LOCATION: Grouse Mountain, BC Have suggestions for UNPLUGGED this fall? Tweet me @amberturnau.

“Among the Alders” painting by Mark Hobson (Canada)

From October 13-21, Grouse Mountain will play host to Artists for Conservation Festival, one of the world’s largest gatherings of nature artists. The best part of all is that most of the programming is free with discounted Grouse Mountain Skyride ticket.

Want to win tickets? Copy and Tweet the message below for a chance to win tickets! Prize draw takes place on Monday, Oct. 8 at 5pm:

RT to win 2 tix to @NatureArtists #AFCFestival at @GrouseMountain from @VIAwesome http://bit.ly/S3XxNh

80 international nature artists will showcase their work atop Vancouver’s iconic mountain during the 10-day festival, which is now in its second year. Visitors will  take in the art exhibit and live art demonstrations, and can also pre-register for lectures and art workshops. There will also be a more exclusive black tie gala fundraiser on October 12, with proceeds going towards the Artists For Conservation Society. An additional 250 underprivileged youth from the Vancouver area are will be provided with tickets to attend the event.

In total, there will be 90 original works, including an oil painting of an endangered Amur Leopard by Robert Bateman, which has been created exclusively for the event.

“Rainforest Canopy” painting by David Kitler (Canada)

The Artists for Conservation Festival will also host world premiere of a short-film on wildlife painter Simon Combes, who dedicated his life to preserving species and culture of one of Kenya’s most delicate regions, the Rift Valley. Tragically, he was killed by a charging buffalo in 2004, but his legacy lives on.

MORE INFORMATION

Artists for Conservation website

AFC Facebook Page

Follow @NatureArtists on Twitter

THERE’S NOTHING QUITE LIKE watching dusk fall upon the calm waters of a harbour. The faint sounds of seagulls owls and herons. The splashing of feeding fish fleeing from the seals that hunt them. The murmurs of people having dinner on their boats and the smell of barnacles at low tide. This is the time of day that the magic of living on the ocean reveals itself and when I’m most delighted to be aboard a boat – the one I grew up on. This week’s adventure takes you to a place I’ve called home every summer since I was a little girl.  PLACE: Desolation Sound (CLICK FOR MAP) LOCATION: Okeover, BC Have suggestions for UNPLUGGED this fall? Tweet me @amberturnau.

Our family has spent summers at Desolation Sound for two decades now. The provincial marine park, is about a 2-day sail from Vancouver or a full day of road and ferry travel to the closest mainland departure point of Okeover.

Every July, our family of four hopped aboard our sailboat Chucklyn – which was built by my parents in the 1970s and has seen its fair share of offshore adventure. For at least a month, we spent our days venturing between ports, hiking, visiting waterfalls, diving into warm lakes, fishing and paddling to our heart’s content along the shorelines.  It sure beat day camp and by the end of the summer our skin was nut brown; our feet toughened from shoeless adventuring.

Both in their late 60s, my now-retired  parents still spend at least three months a year continuing our family tradition of exploring coastal BC.

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Location: Robson Street I think you’ll all agree with me when I say that this is a pretty darn awesome way to spend a bit of time outside in the city and pretty much THE most awesome way to make use of the old Canada Place sails! Thanks for this one, Jason. I think I’ll just go for a quick nap…

There was a lot of amazing photography in the pool this week folks, please keep posting and spreading the word about the Unplugged Flickr Pickr.

It’s that point in your consciousness where you can feel at one with nature, escaping the trappings of the day-to-day to an almost dream-like place where nothing else seems to exist besides you and your natural surroundings. It is our opinion here at VIA that Vancouver holds a unique place in the civilized world in that reaching this state often requires no more effort than simply pulling off to the side of the road, pocketing your keys and taking a few steps into the forest

THE HOWLING WIND AND SEA WILL SET YOU FREE. Or at least it will provide a major distraction from everything else in your life as you seek to set sail in Howe Sound. But it’s not your typical sailing experience. No, this is a human-powered adventure. For this week’s outdoor excursion, I take you to arguably the best kiteboarding spot in Canada for a beginner lesson. PLACE: The Spit (CLICK FOR MAP) LOCATION: Squamish, BCHave suggestions for UNPLUGGED this fall? Tweet me @amberturnau.

After a drive through the town of Squamish and out onto a winding logging road, I arrived at The Spit; greeted by the characteristic thermal winds what whip through the Howe Sound every summer. In fact, it’s not uncommon for the wind to reach 20 knots or more, which is like standing in a wind tunnel.

As the wind worked itself into a frenzy, creating a hectic and chaotic atmosphere, my first thought was: “Sweet baby Jesus, how am I going to learn how to kiteboard in this?”

But, it was Kite-0-ween, and boarders were out in costumes, hucking big air and having a blast. The vibe was light and fun and people weren’t taking things too seriously, so it helped calm my nerves a bit.  But, only a bit…

I met up with my instructor from Vancouver Kiteboarding School who helped kit me out with my wetsuit, harness, helmet and booties. She gave me a run through of all the equipment and how it all worked as we set up our kite on the spit amidst dozens of kites.

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