Pemberton Music Festival!

The Pemberton Music Festival started July 25th, we headed up on the Thursday to avoid long line ups and even checked in at the suggested check in spots to exchange our tickets for wrist bands. This ended up being redundant, when we arrived (about 8pm) there were unorganized line ups everywhere and minimal staff directing traffic. There were about 5 rows of 10 cars each and people had begun to drink openly since they were waiting so long. 2 hour later people were smashed and now some of the lines were moving. Volunteers were walking off the job due to unorganization. People began to drive smashed and it wasn't pretty. Once we FINALLY got parked we had to haul all our stuff 20 minutes back to where we were parked in the first place to wait for a shuttle. The shuttles were full size school buses, there were about 1000 people waiting when we arrived. Needless to say we didn't get to the campsite until 4AM. It was chaos. I'm surprised no one was injured.



After the intial annoyance of shuttles and waiting, the rest of the weekend ran relatively smoothly, there was a police presence that was relaxed and laidback. They walked around in groups of 5 and I only saw a handful of incidents.

My favourite acts were as follows
1.TOM PETTY
2.JAYZ (surprising I know)
3. SAM ROBERTS
4. COLDPLAY

Metric, Flaming Lips and My Morning Jacket also get a shout out.

The showers were not up to par (minimal) so I didn't shower all weekend, although I did wash up at the cooling station (a great idea) But they really need to up the showers for next year, it's ridiculous to wait 2 hours or more for a shower. Dust was an issue too. The scenery is AMAZING. I would go again. I would suggest it to anyone wanting a satisfying music festival experience, I think it can only get better!

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BathTub Weekend in Nanaimo

Usually I would be enjoying an exciting weekend in Nanaimo celebrating BathTub weekend, but I happened to pick up some Pemberton Music Festival tickets and I will be posting a thorough review shortly! Anyone who attended the BathTub weekend in Nanaimo can graciously send me a review if they so desire :)

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McGirr Sports Fields

McGirr Sports Fields are located at Dover Bay High School on McGirr Rd. A softball hot spot, there are always plenty of games going on during the peak season of March to August. Slo-pitch and fastball teams play in the evenings during the week and all day and evenings on the weekends. The fields are also home to local soccer matches. These fields are very well maintained with a central club house in between all 4 diamonds.

Recently I discovered two of the four diamonds have had a concrete brick wall put up around the dug-outs that wasn't such a good idea. The wall blocks not only spectators view, but airflow, causing them to be muggy and uncomfortable. I've never been to jail but I imagine these walls would be quite similar. I'm not entirely sure but the other diamonds may also have this done to the dugo-outs which would be quite disappointing. The fields are regularly hosed down and groomed during all seasons and a concession stand makes avaliable various foods and drinks - including alcoholic. Above the clubhouse/concession stand is a patio with a clear view of all 4 diamonds looking down. McGirr boasts the best ball fields in the city!

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Nanaimo has a whooping THREE off-leash dog parks!
WESTWOOD LAKE: Located directly off the highway on jingle pot rd. The walk is fairly long ranging from one- two hours depending on your pace. The trail takes you all the way around the forested Westwood lake, but the actual off-leash park doesn’t even begin until almost half way around the trail. The off-leash area is located just above the trail along the power lines. The off-leash area is ¼ of the actual trail. There is no short cut to get to the designated off-leash area so you are forced to walk the trail.
Westwood is a local hot spot. The beach is PACKED in the summer with kids, summer camps, teens, and families that are looking to cool off on hot days. Want to take your dog for a dip after a long walk in the heat of summer? Well don’t even think of going to the beach area, the area is heavily patrolled with security guards and they will kick you off. This of course really only means that you just need to go somewhere else other then the sandy beach area to let your dog swim.

CABLE BAY TRAIL: located in cedar. The trail is located about 15 minutes off the cedar turn off from the parkway. This is my personal favourite off-leash trail. The ENTIRE trail is off-leash which is great, and the trail opens up to the ocean. It takes about 30 minutes to walk down the trail and then another 30 to come back up the trail. At the bottom of the trail you can take you four-legged friend right down to the water and let them go for a dip. The way back up the trail is almost entirely uphill, so it is a pretty nice workout for the dog walker as well. Weekday evenings seem to be the least busiest, with the weekends being extremely busy.



Beban Park: Centrally located right behind Beban arena and swimming pool. The actual turn off is right next to the BMX track. This is just a fully fenced space where owners come to let their dog run and socialize with other dogs. They also recently added a separate fenced in small dog area, but there is never anyone in it so most owners bring their small dogs into the general area. This particular park is perfect for someone who doesn’t have the time to take the dog on an hour long hike, but still wants their pup to get some exercise in. The park is pretty busy in the after work hours so between 3-7, and it seems to have a lot of regulars.

In my opinion Nanaimo is ready for some more off leash areas. It would be awesome to have at least one area that is designated an off-leash beach area for the water loving breeds out there. There are a few spots down town that would and could function as such. I think having more off-leash parks, and beaches would make it so less people illegally use other beaches and parks.
Just remember the sign says off-leash not out of control. You are still responsible for your pets actions.
Here is a link to the city’s rules for the off-leash areas
http://www.nanaimo.ca/uploadedfiles/Site_Structure/Community_Services/Parks_Rec_Culture/dog%20park%20rules.pdf

Happy offleash dogwalking!

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BASQUE

489 Wallace St is the home to Basque. After being open for a few months we decided to check out it out. Upon entering this warm July evening we found it to be warm and welcoming, yet not very busy for 6pm. The area inside is very lounge like, with a nice looking bar and open space. They play live jazz music on Fridays and Saturdays. In the past I've found a lot of places with live music to be TOO loud and it was difficult to carry on a conversation, but if that's your thing you might want to check that out.

We perused the menu and realized that the tapa menu was larger than the entree selection. There was only 9 selections on the entree page, and most of them were things such as lamb or duck. They did have a burger and fries (disguised under a somewhat fancy name). I ordered a martini that tasted like I made it at home and it wasn't very cold. We decided to order appetizers and tapas (since they were the only thing slightly appealing to us). We picked crab cakes, navajo fry bread (parmesan) shrimp in a garlic chili sauce and steak and shrimp kebabs.


It looked very appealing and we dove right in. The crab cakes were spectacular, perfect crispiness on the outside and moist and delicious on the inside. They had a bernaise hollandaise sauce lightly drizzled on top. The steak was slightly overcooked on the kebabs and everything else was mediocre. The best thing about Basque was the service, hands down. She was cheerful, prompt and genuinely seemed like she cared. This is honestly hard to come by in the service industry these days.
All in all, I probably wouldn't go back to Basque, unless their menu entrees became more extensive. It's not a bad choice if you're in the mood for a few different kinds of tapas though, but there are plenty of better choices in Nanaimo for tapas!

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BC FERRIES/DEPARTURE BAY

So we took our first trip to the mainland this summer. We were hoping to ride the new Coastal Inspiration (I didn't just make that up). However, we were uninspired and had to ride the older ferry. Ferry prices have risen again, an adult one way is now 13.00. Bring a vehicle and you're looking at another 43.00. Ferry workers were looking more confused then ever (new perhaps?). We finally got on and went upstairs to the washrooms, the food line-up was ridiculously long as usual (it's always nice to bring snacks) White Spot now serves on BC Ferries. Once I got an undercooked burger, I had to inform them in front of an entire line up of people. Awkward for them. If you plan on napping or having quiet time on the ferry, forget it. People frequently forget they are in public while on their cellphones. If I want to try to sleep I opt for staying in my vehicle, but other people do this too and they aren't always sleeping.

They do have plug in units for cell phones or laptops if you so desire, but they are limited.
Did I also mention I love waiting in ridiculous long lines, in the heat of the summer, not really knowing which ferry I'm going to get on? You can also make reservations for 17.50. Then you'll really be impressed when you get there a half an hour early and you didn't even need the reservation! No refund for you! Enjoy your ride on BC Ferries!

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Maffeo Sutton/Swy-a-lana Park (Nanaimo Waterfront)

Nanaimo’s waterfront is a treat in the summer. Lots of people, events and sights to see. From the waterfront you can choose to take a short boat ride over to adjacent islands if you so desire. But the waterfront alone boasts a nice leisurely stroll along the waterside, multiple places to stop for food such as Trollers Fish and Chips (not just fish and chips), Penny’s Palapas, Light House Bistro. Throughout the summer the waterfront is home to various markets that sell local products. You can often spot dragon boaters in the bay and small sea planes landing and taking off. There is a small beach which few people use for swimming but the kids would probably prefer the large playground a few feet away. The waterfront is a short jaunt away from the beautiful downtown of Nanaimo where small quaint shops await discovery. Sailboats, yachts and speedboats line the bay and cruise ships can often be spotted near Cameron Island. Cameron Island is home to high priced condos and the waterfront path follows all the way around the area.



Parking is free for the first 3 hours, which is usually more than enough time to explore and take in the sights. If you choose to take a trip over to one of the many islands (Protections, Gabriola and Newcastle) you’ll need to purchase a parking ticket. The area is not an offleash park and biking and rollerblading is not suggested (there are police and bylaw officers that patrol frequently in the summer) the foot traffic is a deterrent. I wouldn’t even suggest jogging during the busy times (5-8) as I’ve often seen joggers get stuck behind walkers.
It’s probably the best idea to explore the waterfront before dark as it can attract the night crowd. It’s best during the day anyways!

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After enjoying multiple other games on the new Wii system, we recently purchased Rockband for Wii. We could hardly contain our excitement to try it out that wonderous Sunday. The system comes in easy to put together pieces - drums, guitar and microphone. The intial set up was slightly confusing but after some twiddling around we quickly got started. Neither of us had played Guitar Hero previously so at first we were quite slow and confused about how to read the notes when they appear on the screen. The game comes with Training Tutorials that are very helpful and I HIGHLY recommend before attempting to play.

Up to 4 people can play at one time, a singer, drummer, bass and lead guitar. I would honestly say the drums are the most difficult, but once you get the hang of them they quickly become a favourite. I found myself enjoying the drums the most. There are 63 songs to play and hopefully Wii sets up the online market so new songs will be downloadable onto the system (this would be my ONLY complaint at this time)

The system costs $170 and is sure to deliver long periods of rocking out !!!

I give Rockband for Wii 4 STARS out of a possible 5, only because of the inability to download new songs on the internet ready Wii - but I'm sure this will be possible in the near future.

Oh Nanaimo.

The basis of this blog is to compile a list of reviews on various topics in one central location. Being from Nanaimo it would probably benefit readers if I did reviews on primarily Nanaimo subjects (restaurants, hiking trails, historic sites, best places to work - etc). Living in this area for the past 26 years has made me somewhat of an expert (I like this title) hehe.



I'm thinking restaurant reviews naturally.



- dance club reviews



- pub reviews



- hiking and biking trail reviews



- travel reviews (this will obviously come with time!)



- book reviews



- movie reviews



- political reviews



and many many more! This is only the beginning!

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