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49th Parallel Coffee Roasters & Lucky’s Doughnuts
If you read this site, you know I enjoy hot chocolate. I don’t drink coffee or tea. So, I am always on the lookout for a good one. I Googled to find a new place to try, and 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters (website) came up. Apparently, people absolutely love their...
Viewing Wanaka, New Zealand As The More Relaxed Traveler
As with every other place I visited in New Zealand, I didn’t do a lot of research before going to Wanaka. I didn’t even know it is a small town sitting on the edge of Lake Wanaka. Nor did I understand it is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream. I knew it is on the South...
Auckland, New Zealand – Getting Around and Things To See
I’m not a big fan of small towns, I prefer big cities. The larger the better. So, while I loved the country of New Zealand and the people there, I felt a bit uncomfortable. Until I arrived in Auckland. It was my favourite location in the entire country. Not because I...
Tartine Bread & Pies Shop in Vancouver – Mmmmm Pies
I first found Tartine Bread & Pies (website) when I was enjoying the #cookiechallenge in April 2018. I went there for the interesting cookie they were offering, but once I visited and saw their pies, I had to try more than that ‘everything but the kitchen sink’...
Drive from Queenstown to Christchurch, New Zealand
While I didn’t stay in Queenstown, it is a very touristy city with heaps of things to do there. It’s quite busy, and it is where I flew in to from Auckland. It’s also where I rented a car so I could drive from Queenstown to Christchurch. I had been in Wanaka so I...
Drive From Wellington to Auckland, Visiting Rotorua
Going through Thrifty Car Rentals I found one of their car relocation rentals to drive from Wellington to Auckland. It gave me two days to drive, see part of the North Island, and experience what I could. I had only done a minimal amount of research before I left...
Chocolate Drinks, the Coffee and Tea Alternative – Hot or Cold
For those of us who aren’t walking around with a coffee IV drip attached to our arm while just trying to make it through the day. Or how about those of us who don’t have tastings, relaxation sessions, and conversations about the different benefits of various teas. For...
Catfe Cat Cafe in Vancouver, A Great Way to Spend an Hour
Recently I had my 12-year-old niece visit and stay with me for a few days. We discussed several things to do while she was here and one place she wanted to visit was Catfé the cat café (website). She likes cats and didn’t think she’d be able to have one anytime soon....
Drive From Christchurch to Wellington, New Zealand
I was visiting New Zealand only a few months after they experienced a major earthquake in the northern part of the South Island, that was also felt in Wellington in the North Island. Unfortunately, amongst other things, this earthquake closed the #1 which is the...
Wellington, New Zealand – Things To Do and See
Other than knowing a friend who lived in Wellington, New Zealand, I knew nothing about this city. I also really didn’t know much about New Zealand as a country other than friends had told me Canada reminded them of it. But once I arrived I found out the temperatures...
Christchurch, New Zealand – Getting Around and Things to Do
Located on the east coast of the South Island and a little north of the half-way mark, Christchurch is the third largest city in New Zealand. It is the largest in the South Island with a population of somewhere between 350,000 and 400,000. I only spent three days in...
Macaron Day 2019 in the Vancouver Area
On March 20th bakeries, cafes, patisseries, and other wonderful creators of the macaron around the world will be celebrating Macaron Day 2019. Vancouver is no different. It has happened every year for something like eight years but I have never enjoyed it before....
Half Baked Cookie Company, More Than Just Cookies
I first found the Half Baked Cookie Company (website) during the Cookie Challenge of 2018 here in the Vancouver area. They are a micro-bakery located in a small space on Nanaimo Street in East Vancouver. Because it’s so small you get to see all the ingredients and...
Hot Chocolate Festival 2019 in Vancouver
Once a year for 3-4 weeks in January and February, Vancouver hosts the Hot Chocolate Festival, 2019 was no different. It’s a time of year when places make a pretty big effort and offer some amazing concoctions of chocolate joy for people to enjoy. For people like me...
Brisbane, Queensland Australia – A Few Things to See and Do
Most people probably know Brisbane as the huge tourist destination it is in Australia, where all kinds of theme and water parks can be visited and fun can be had by the entire family. That wasn’t what I wanted to do in Brisbane and even though I found a lot of...