The Boathouse Restaurant in White Rock has been specializing in fresh seafood & breathtaking waterfront views in White Rock since 1981. Featuring sustainable seafood that is locally sourced & from around the world.
This ocean view & a surprise
Their exceptional chef-driven dining experience with the highest quality steaks & an extensive wine list, that has the best & largest selection of BC VQA wines.
Crisp linens & sparkling glassware
A true west coast dining experience, gazing out from the beautifully decorated dining room, or from the rooftop patio, across the street to the glistening ocean.
The service was fantastic, there were servers in training shadowing their well-trained co-workers, and the food was cooked to perfection. The fish & chips were, of course, as fresh as can be, tasty, crispy, with just the right amount of batter.
Crispy, lightly battered fish
The Truffle Butter Roasted Chicken, with goat cheese mash & truffled Brussels sprouts was moist, juicy & so flavourful.
We enjoyed a glass of cool, crisp, sparkling Henkell Trocken Prosecco & a refreshing Peller Family Chardonnay.
A little sparkling Prosecco to start
They also serve fresh oysters, steak, even brunch, there’s a kids’ menu & while we were there, they had quite a few large groups celebrating that they easily accommodated.
As the sun set, the sky was unbelievable shades of blues, pinks, purples & the fairy lights slowly came on in the trees along the waterfront. We were surprised when a train came along the tracks between the ocean & the street as we hadn’t realized they were there.
Magical view
Their other locations, with apparently just as exciting views, are in Kitsilano, New Westminster & Port Moody. We’ll give them a solid, full four star rating.
I have these comfy, colourful world map slip ons in white & also black. They’re part of my capsule wardrobe that makes it possible to only take carry on luggage on our travels.
My sister got me into these great little shoes by Bucketfeet. They’re super comfortable, slim for packing & easy on & off when going through security at airports.
There are lots of funky designs that are creations of actual artists, making these cuties available by limited edition only. These are perfect for me because the map (hellooooo travel!) & each continent actually looks like different fabrics (my other hobby – sewing!)
Bucketfeet let you to express your personality & individuality + you’re wearing art on your feet, making YOU a patron of the arts.
There’s something about the juxtaposition of the warm pastel of daybreak, the leafy green of the trees, the cold steel beam, the smooth arc of the hand-plastered ceiling & the curved, finely oiled wood post, the cool, clear glass, the peace & quiet but for the surge & swell of the ocean waves in the distance… #ocean #traveltiktok #travel #worldtraveler #fyp #foryoupage #travelcouple #trend #viral #trending #traveller #bucketlist #travelblogger #nature #island
This is a rare find & you should know – Felix Jack Guesthouse on Airbnb is usually fully booked, so don’t wait until the last minute! It’s a whole bungalow rental in an absolutely idyllic setting. You’ll be staying in a studio Queen suite + 1 bath + a spacious open concept kitchen & living area with a Queen sofa bed.
There’s a dedicated workspace & a common area with wifi that’s well suited for working, if you’re looking for an inspirational spot to do so.
The Felix Jack is lovingly owned & operated by husband & wife, Cheryl & Scott, Superhosts that are experienced & highly rated – they’re committed to providing great stays for all of their guests.
Cheryl says:
“Our Guesthouse is a centrally located, fully self-contained studio that is situated on 5 beautifully treed acres with ocean/sunset views of Active Pass. It’s perfect for a romantic getaway that offers peace, tranquility & privacy.”
It’s a few minute walk to the village where you can enjoy shopping & restaurants & then the beach.
“We are extremely close to amazing trails & tennis courts” says Cheryl. And an important tip “If you are walking on the ferry, please RESERVE your spot! I cannot express this enough!”
What Felix Jack offers:
Bay view
Garden view
Public or shared beach access
Kitchen
Wifi
There’s a lit path to the guest entrance & parking.
Mayne Island is surrounded with outdoor beauty including wild life such as deer, eagles, squirrels, ravens, raccoons & many species of birds + if you’re lucky… a pod of whales swimming through the pass!
Most things are within walking distance – groceries, liquor store, restaurants, galleries, library, bakery, park, beaches & tennis courts.
“Our art gallery/studio is located on the property & is open Thursday through Sunday but if you would like a private visit that is no problem, I open it up for anyone & you’ll find something for everyone. The art has been handcrafted by either me or my husband!” smiles Cheryl, proudly.
Getting around:
Felix Jack is a two minute drive from the ferry terminal. There is also a community bus available by donation. From the May Long Weekend, there’s a Farmers Market that runs Saturdays from 10-1 then runs every Saturday after that until Thanksgiving.
You’ll feel rejuvenated & relaxed after a visit to this perfect spot where you’ll daydream, nap or wander the days away. Many holidayers come back year after year… come see why!
Your Superhosts, Cheryl & ScottLight & bright studio Queen suiteComfy, open concept living space Everything you need in comfortGo for long walks in natureThis view of Active Pass!Georgina Point LighthousePaddle boarding on the oceanUnbelievable viewsArbutus treesWatch the ferries sail pastThe local wildlife The Felix Jack Art StudioNearby goats to visitThe entry to the BnB w/ outdoor diningStunning sunsets for spectacular photosA spot to read or enjoy a glass of wineA shady spot for a napThe perfect spot to wind down, maybe play cardsA fully appointed kitchen, full size fridge & stoveA great place to do some workEnjoy something from the local bakery in this perfect spotQueen size comfort Cozy blanketsPlenty of storage Awesome decor with art created by Cheryl & Scott Well-appointed bathWatch the planes come inWhich way next?! Hidden treasures Inside Felix Jack Art Studio on the property Inside Felix Jack Art Studio on the propertyInside Felix Jack Art Studio on the propertyTake a little piece of Mayne home with you Some of the whimsical art by CherylLocal bakery treatsViews of the docks & harboursSights along your walks Sights along your walksMayne Island Brewing Co.Mayne Island Brewing Co.
Birch Bay is a protected bay of the east shore of the Salish Sea, between Semiahmoo Bay and Lummi Bay; approximately 100 miles north of Seattle and 35 miles south of Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
I came here with my kid sister when we were young & stayed at Jacob’s Landing (which is still here, directly across the road from the beach!).
Early in the morning the tide would be out so we’d search for clams, seashells & build sandcastles with my grandfather.
We tried to convince my Nana we had to make chowder with our bounty of 3 clams…
They took us to the Birch Bay Waterslides (still there!), roller skating at the rink (couldn’t spot that one) & for copious trips for treats.
There was a great outdoor pool & of course the ocean to tire us out with plenty of swimming.
Amazing memories & still a beautiful spot to visit.
Ahh memories of childhood summers well spent Birch BayThe tide is in Sparkling watersDriftwood dreams A very busy treat shop – the C ShopA lending library & furry friendsThe Beach ShackA perfect spot to enjoy your treats I spy the water
About a 2 hour drive from where we’re staying in Trowbridge in Bradford on Avon, is this fantastic velvet sand beach, called Branksome Chine in County Dorset. We were lucky enough to hit a beautiful day with a temperature of 27 degrees & the perfect breeze. When you dipped a toe in, the water was cold for the first moments & then felt so refreshing!
We had hoped to do a little body surfing but the usual 3 foot waves were more like 1 foot, so just had some fun swimming & splashing. If you wander down the boardwalk a ways there is a little hut that had delicious traditional (& not so traditional) Cornish Pasties, fresh sausage rolls, ice cream + hot & cold drinks.
There was another restaurant where you could sit inside or on the patio overlooking the sea to have your fish & chips + across the parking lot, a walk up window with snacks & drinks We noticed on our trek that there were tons of chalets you could rent for the day, with a sink & small fridge, patio set + a few more luxuries to enjoy your day at the beach. Though most beachgoers, like us, decided to bring a small tent/shelter & mats to lay on the sand.
The velvety sand beach of Branksome ChineThe rating above is based on a five ticket recommendation. We compare to hundreds of locations and activities during the last ten years.
1. What is your name, where were you born & where do you live now?
Guest – Kelsey Forsyth:
My name is Kelsey Forsyth. I was born in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada and I currently live in London, United Kingdom.
My Return Ticket:
2. What sort of traveller are you? Full time / part time / business / backpacker etc?
Kelsey:
I would like to think of myself as some sort of backpacker. Impulsive, yet methodical. Someone who goes and explores places because of my curiosity from seeing it in text books in school or seeing pictures and thinking, I would love to see that in real life.
The last few trips I’ve taken, I have only taken a ruck sack because I don’t want to have to pay any airline additional fees, but my first trip overseas alone, I did take a full backpackers style backpack which I do love, I just don’t love the cost of paying for it. I try to travel as often as I can and as long as I can. When I lived in Canada I had a contract job which allowed me to have large chunks of time off during the Spring, so I usually made the most of that. I moved to the UK officially on April 14th, 2020, but there were no flights out of Canada during that time due to Covid, so I left the country on March 21st which ended up being the last flight to the UK because the flights before and after mine were all cancelled. Impulsive, to say the least.
My Return Ticket:
3. How do you fund your travelling?
Kelsey:
I have always worked. I’m pretty decent at saving money and I would work several jobs at a time, often far away from home allowing me to squirrel money away for adventures.
My Return Ticket:
4. How long have you been interested in travelling & give us a quick, bullet point list of some of the places you’ve been.
Kelsey:
I think I have always been interested in travelling. I just enjoy experiencing, exploring and seeing things instead of having things explained to me. I like the opportunity to walk around a place, eat the food and try out activities in different areas with different cultures. It’s amazing what this world is made of and it would be an absolute shame to not have the opportunity or to create the opportunity for myself to see it all first hand. I have driven across Canada twice with the exception of New Foundland and Labrador or any of the territories (although I was 20 minutes away from the Yukon Territory once). I have been to every corner of British Columbia, Seattle Washington, New York & Portland, Oregon. I have been to:
• Houston, Texas
• Jamaica
• Cuba
• Cayman Islands
• Mexico
• Ireland
•Iceland
• England
• Scotland
• Wales
• Germany
• The Netherlands
• France
• Spain
• Australia
• New Zealand
and most recently,
• Portugal
My Return Ticket:
5. Where is the best place you have ever been and why?
Kelsey:
The best place I have ever been is a very subjective question. I think the best beach I have ever been to has been in the Cayman Islands. The water was stunning and the people were so nice. But I could never live there.
I loved London from the moment I first arrived and knew it could be a place I could easily move to. I had left London for less than a week and booked a trip to return again to continue to explore the area I had read so much about from history books in High School.
My Return Ticket:
6. Where is the worst place you have been and why?
Kelsey:
The worst place I have probably been was New York. I was there on a class trip when I was in grade 11 and I enjoyed it to see the things that I got to see, but I really didn’t like the food. American food is just not good. It is so far from real and just made me sick the whole time.
Also, the people were horrible. I watched one of our special education teachers get knocked over and her glasses flew off and stepped on trying to cross the street because people give no care about anyone other than themselves.
It’s an overwhelming and tragic feeling in the United States of that kind of mentality and one that is truly unique to America.
My Return Ticket:
7. Do you have a Bucket List? Give us the top 5 on that list.
Kelsey:
I sort of do and I sort of don’t have a bucket list. The world is evolving and so am I in that time. Some places I used to have absolutely no interest in, I now would love to go see and explore them as I grow and learn more about my comfort zones and stepping outside them.
Currently, the next few places I would love to visit and explore would be
🧳 Italy
🧳 Croatia
🧳 Greece
🧳 Egypt
🧳 Morocco
Again, that is a short list and there are many beautiful countries missing from that list that I would love to visit.
My Return Ticket:
8. What 3 things (apart from the essentials – food/water etc) do you always travel with?
Kelsey:
Recently, I have only been traveling with essentials because it saves a lot on cost, but I do sneak in some items that are for vanity. I always take my mascara, a book and my own bar of soap.
My Return Ticket:
9. What was NOT a good travel experience & why?
Kelsey:
I really enjoy traveling by myself. I didn’t realize that until I had done it on my own and then met up with a best friend after. I had already become accustomed to enjoying walking and checking out different places and seeing things one way, while my friend enjoyed the glamorous side of traveling, which I also did, don’t get me wrong, but I enjoyed other aspects as well and it, at times, was met with resistance or hesitation so it made me feel like we both weren’t able to enjoy our experiences because we were both looking out for that the other would enjoy more than we were enjoying the experiences for ourselves.
It’s important to find the right person to do this with, and we had lived together and worked together so I didn’t expect our wires to cross the way they did, so it was a bit of a shock and made for a bit of an awkward travel experience.
My Return Ticket:
10. Where was your most recent trip? Tell us a little about it. Also please share some photos!
Kelsey:
My most recent travel experience was to Portugal. I happened to have a four day weekend allowing me to jump on a plane and travel 2.5 hours south to Lisbon. It was such a great experience and I am so glad I had the opportunity to go.
Everything was hard for a lot of people because of Covid and the continuous lockdown that the UK had seen since Christmas 2020. It was a long winter and opening back up again in the summer was slow and delayed.
Countries were being added to an amber list which meant you could travel with particular cautions and luckily being double vaccinated allowed me the luxury to start living life as close to normal as we can get, post pandemic.
We arrived in Portugal and went through security. We needed to prove our vaccine status and prove a recent Covid Test which was negative. It didn’t take too long to get through and we went to check into our Airbnb.
It was a great location, about a 20 minute walk into the old town, which was stunning and beautiful. We took a ride on the tram to go up one of the massive hills and then walked it the rest of the time.
We found an amazing restaurant with fresh seafood and pitchers of Sangria for 10 Euros! We visited it twice in our 4 day stay and did walking tours and climbed mountains to see castles in Sintra.
We relaxed on the beach after that in Cascais. It was such a nice experience to travel the world again and continue to be able to appreciate the things we could lose when things like Global Warming and Pandemics take over. The world is much smaller than we all think.
My Return Ticket:
Thanks so much, Kelsey, for giving us a glimpse into your adventures & we’ve noted a few of the same Bucket List destinations on your mind are also on our own – maybe we’ll see you somewhere around the world! Safe travels!
