A Tourist In Your Own City

Every now-and-then I like to be a tourist in my own city.

Just today I was talking about the amount of times I've been to Victoria (a stones throw away from Vancouver), on holiday or on a field trip in my younger years, and for the most part, did the same things. Over the past few years, I had made it a point to do something different each time. One year my love and I really stepped out of the box and did a ghost walking tour and a whale watching tour on a zodiac. These things I would never think of doing unless I was far away but because I acted like I was far away, it was the most memorable trip there to date.

There's something about exploring things in your own city. Sometimes forgetting the expense or at least trying something new, really makes for a great experience. Just like if you were traveling to some far away land on some exotic vacation. There are no rules!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of venturing out on a lower mainland wine tour with West Coast Wine Education. Having gone on a Napa Valley wine tour a couple of years ago, I thought it would be fun to do one here.

I'm not much of a wine expert but I do appreciate a nice glass of wine occasionally and I love being a tourist. Not to mention I'm naturally very curious about everything so expanding my palette and my knowledge for wines was definitely a welcome opportunity.

We set out at a reasonable hour and headed over to a winery in New Westminster called Pacific Breeze (which you'd never expect to be there). What I liked most is that they are all about selling smaller amounts of wine at a higher quality. I liked that idea and something I strive for when it comes to my design.

The rest of the day we spent in Langley at a few more wineries (Township 7, Domaine de Chaberton, Vista D'Oro Farms <-my fave) sipping more wine, having lunch, and taking photos of the scenery. (I posted 3 of my faves in this posting. What do you think?)

Overall, it was a really fun day. Touring in a nice comfy shuttle bus with my mom, her friend, and 10 strangers made for a fantastic break from the ordinary. I highly recommend it!

There wasn't one particular part of the day that was better than another but if I had to choose a favorite it would be learning more about wine making and the methods taken to produce different flavours. (John was very knowledgable). And I have to admit, I also really enjoyed analyzing the wine labels and bottle designs *snicker*

At the end of the day, I didn't pack any wine home but I did snag a $7 box of really awesome crackers and a $8 small jar of Honey & Raspberries; What can I say, I'm a sucker for honey. The crackers barely fared the day but the honey will be savored nice and slow.

And little did I know, there are actually honey farm tours! Now THAT would be fun! I'll be sure to add that to my list of things to do. I wonder if there are any honey farms nearby I could hit up?