Tulip Festival in Agassiz, BC

Every year in Agassiz, BC, thousands of tulips go on display for the public to see. These festivals happen all over the world and are absolutely breathtaking to see. I first saw photos on Instagram and did some research that led me to Agassiz. It was only about an hour from Vancouver so made for a good day trip.

Facts on the Agassiz Tulips of the Valley Festival:

• This will be the 9th year of the festival
• There are 14 hectares of tulip fields
• There are over 20 different varieties of tulips on the fields
• Up to 3,000 visitors can come on a busy day
• Tulips can be purchased on site as well as local crafts and a farmers market
• The 2014 festival might be over May 1st, try to get there this week! :)

Tips for going to the Tulip Festival:

• Research - The tulips are only in full bloom for 1-3 weeks so do your research before making plans. The Agassiz Festival posts all info on their Facebook Page 
• Check the weather - Photos won't be as good if you get rain or overcast skies... make sure to check before you go
• Battery and Memory - Ensure you have plenty of battery power and memory for your cameras and phones before going. It's waaaay too beautiful to miss out. 
• Bring cash - parking is $5, entry is $3 and there are great local products to buy to support the farm
• Avoid the Crowds - Go early. Check what time it opens and aims to get there then. The worst thing would be to wait in line all day in your car. I heard they even had to turn people away last weekend because too many showed up at the same time.
• Have fun! :)

 For my FULL Flickr Album click here.  (a sample of photos below)

Link to the Tulips of the Valley website

Surfing in Canada

It had been six years since I had been to Australia. I spent a year over there working, traveling and learning to surf. Over the six years since I have been home, I have only been surfing twice. Once on a long road trip to Cape Hatteras and earlier this year on a trip to Hawaii. Since I was going to be in the Victoria area, I called the girls I surfed in Australia with and asked if they were interested in a trip to Tofino. That was all it took. We were booked for a 3 day girls surf trip.

We booked into a little surf shack (actually called that) near Chesterman's Beach. It had one bedroom, a couch, dining room, kitchen, bathroom and a HOT TUB! Since surfing in Tofino is so damn cold, the hot tub is the key ingredient to any trip.

We rented full wet suits and boards from a place in town and took off for the ocean. My friends would fall into the 'good' category for surfing and I would fall into the 'beginner' category. They did a great job and caught some waves while I practiced my paddling skills by the shore.

One of the best parts of the trip (aside from surfing and hot tubs) was the fish tacos! There is a little truck called Tacofino in town and the tacos are incredible. My favourite was the Tuna taco made with Ahi Tuna and a mango salsa and wasabi. I can't remember all the ingredients but they have some amazing stuff there. We got ginger cookies for dessert.

If you don't mind slightly cold water then get your butt to Tofino as soon as possible for an amazing vacation in Canada.