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.
If you’re looking for a fantastic girls’ day out – I would highly suggest Downtown Chilliwack but first making reservations at Fortitude Wine Bar for 2pm (you’ll see why, keep reading).
Start out with an early 9 am breakfast at Cultivate Cafe at Minter Country Gardens. Enjoy a leisurely, scrumptious meal made by the talented Chef Cam & served by his adorable wife, Peggy. They’ve even got delicious baked goods or frozen soups to take home with you. I’ll always recommend the Eggs Benny – the. best.
Make a quick right out the door of the cafe into Minters & see all the lovely plants, flowers & gift items on your way into Marais Tea, also in Minters. The loose leaf teas are so fresh & there is something for everyone. They carry delectable chocolate as well.
Next, shop in all of the wonderful stores in the area such as Classic Home Decor & Boutique (so worth the extra minute to go to Alexander Avenue for the clothing, purses, art, decor & furniture that Barb has specifically chosen), then Circa Vintage on Main Street(we could wander among the vintage lovelies & chat with Darby all day!), The Button Box(the girls here are fun & their carefully curated decor & clothing pieces are so good), Pick Eco(it smells divine & they’re always at the ready with ways we can all become more ecologically conscious), also Fraser & Co.(this is an adorable store with gently used & new fashions), and Marion’s Dressing Room(vintage clothing to swoon over)on Mill Street, Lolly’s Fashion Lounge (fashion forward pieces + Matt & Nat purses & other accessories) on Wellington Avenue, also Creekside Chilliwack(beautiful country chic decor), Batiqua(handwoven baskets & decor), The Bookman(the best selection of new & used books, even some collectibles), Mary’s on Wellington(luxury underwear & pjs), Payton & Buckle(shoes, shoes, shoes & purses), The Veganist(a little grocer with tasty alternative choices in food & other products, including gluten & dairy free items), and Pink n Blue Kidz(new & gently used kids’ clothing). Magnolia & Oak(fashionable women’s wear, shoes & accessories – we’ve spent a LOT of time here!), The Local Space(some fun & saucy gift items, clothing, skincare, accessories, all locally, Canadian-made), Hunni’s(lovely women’s wear, including hats & accessories), Spruce Collective(clothing, puzzles, art, cards, candles, kitchenware & more) & The Chwk Store (good quality Chilliwack branded clothing, mugs, stickers, etc) are all in District 1881 on Yale Road.
If you’re looking for premium hair products & services, then stop in at Michael’s on Main, they’re award winning & have been 74 years in business, they carry Kevin Murphy, L’anza, AG hair products, DesignMe, Kenra, Mighty Moose Beard Oils & Balms, and Morocanoil haircare.
Really beautiful lashes & brows are crafted at Voila Lash Lounge, the best coffee or tea is right next door at Smoking Gun Coffee, again on Yale Road. They’ve got their own roasted blends for you to take home & treats to go with it.
If you’re into thrifting, there’s some great little stops on Main Street(the Hospital Auxiliary), Kipp Street(MCC), and a few on Wellington Avenue (Unique Thrifting has 2 spots) that are fun to wander around in & make it easy to upcycle clothing or home goods at a fair price, each of these locations give back to their community in big ways.
Now that you’ve shopped till you dropped, you’ll be glad you reserved at Fortitude Wine Bar to end the afternoon on a relaxing, delicious high note.
An absolute gem in the heart of @downtownchwk in @district1881 is @fortitudewinebar
The atmosphere is classy yet comfortable. The walls are a chic, matte navy blue with hints of green velvet on the banquets & gold accents in the lighting.
The wine or bubbles flights are served on wooden boards as is the charcuterie, that gives that rustic texture.
The appetizers were fresh & delicious from the escargot, to the chef’s board, from the Caprese salad, and the meatballs to the Bruschetta or the blue cheese stuffed dates.
Two of us enjoyed a crisp, delicious Prosecco while the others tried wine flights with some they loved and one not so much. But the excellent servers were helpful in finding another wine to try instead & that one was a hit.
The service was excellent, the pricing was fair & the total atmosphere of wandering along from Main Street and down Yale Road to our destination was just right.
It was easy to sit, visit & carry on conversations while overlooking the new additions to the neighbourhood. Downtown Chilliwack has been working hard to revitalize the businesses, from touching up or refurbishing the historic buildings, being conscientious of our yesteryear when building new ones, also improving the walkability(including parking), and for your viewing pleasure – notice the gorgeous murals found on many walls & most nooks & crannies. Each with a plaque to explain their origin & the artist that created them.
In the Summer, the gondola provides unobstructed views of the gorgeous Cypress Bowl – mountains, forest… nature’s natural beauty.
The Eagle Coaster is a cart on tracks that’s fun for all ages & physical abilities – even young tots can experience the thrill while riding with an adult.
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.
Even in rainy weather, this is quite a beautiful hike. It is quite steep & takes a lot of energy so be sure to take water & a snack. It’s called Teapot Hill for a reason… how many spouted vessels will you find?
The rating above is based on a five ticket recommendation. We compare to hundreds of locations and activities during the last ten years.
If you’re looking to go camping or even just daytripping – British Columbia has many beautiful spots to go. Really, there isn’t much to say when pictures say it all…
Step inside & experience the history of British Columbia. Since 1886, the Royal BC Museum has preserved & shared the human & natural histories of this province. Discover the famous First Peoples, Natural History & Modern History Galleries – – a feast of sights, smells & sounds of beautiful British Columbia. There are displays of ancient tools & weapons or even teepees. The Museum is also home to a cultural precinct including the BC Archives, Helmcken House, St. Ann’s Schoolhouse, the Netherlands Centennial Carillon, Thunderbird Park and Mungo Martin House/Wawadit’la. There are different floors & each has its own theme.. there is an old village on one floor that features a movie house, train station & real cobblestone streets. Another floor is filled with animals from ancient & modern times… walruses, birds, even a massive wooly mammoth!
Since I was 5 years old, this has been a place I have loved to go. My grandparents first took me then & I’ve loved to go back year after year, with my own children & now my husband, who is originally from England. Each year there is a new main exhibit, once it was about dinosaurs & most recently the artifacts from the Titanic were featured. We were humbled by the experience of portraying passengers on the ill fated ship… very real, very touching, very emotional…
