After our first night in Canada, we had some time to explore in the morning before heading out on the Sea-to-Sky drive to Whistler.  So what does an organic foodie, a cool mom, a hotel belle, a creative type and a travelista all have in common?  SHOPPING!

After breakfast we headed over to Granville Market.  If you like farmer's markets, then this is the creme de la creme.  The only other market I've seen similar is Pike's market in Seattle.  Granville Market was advertising for their upcoming art festival, WINTERuption ... but even this far north in Canada during February, I didn't see any signs of Winter.  Only Spring ...

There were so many delicious things to see and taste.  Fresh flowers, spices, teas, seafood, veggies, cheeses, chocolates and tons of other artisan foods and crafts.  DelOrganic and I went paparazzi on the produce ...

And then we found Edible BC whose tag line is "Sightseeing for your tastebuds."

This one place alone has me convinced I want to move to Vancouver.

I usually collect recipes as my souvenirs, but Edible BC upped the ante for capturing local flavor with Sea-to-Sky salts named for the places that inspired them. (Except bacon tomato, of course.  But who isn't inspired by bacon?)

Okanagan Salt: "Capture the essence of the Okanagan's famous summers with fields full of lavender."

Haida Gwaii Salt: "Celebrating the ethereal earthiness of the Queen Charlotte Islands, one of BC's top natural treasures, this salt combines local wild chanterelle and lobster mushrooms."

Davie Street Salt: "Pink and fruity, this salt was inspired by the colorful neighborhood in downtown Vancouver's west end. Originally designed as a rimming salt for summer margaritas, it has also proven popular on spinach salad with local goat cheese and fresh berries ... "

They also have a distinctively different birch syrup.  It is not quite as sweet as maple, is darker and more thin, tastes sort of tangy and is apparently sometimes rare to find.  I purchased a couple of bottles along with about $50 worth of salts and rushed out of there before I had to talk myself out of buying one-of-each of everything in the store.  Also pictured below are two of the rubs from Four Season's Whistler's restaurant, Sidecut. They're known for their long bone, and a good long bone is all in the rub.  More on THAT later on.

Granville Island Public Market is an awesome place for the traveling foodie to get completely lost in.   I took a peek at the other adventures Edible BC offers including their gourmet kayak tours, whiskey dinners, farm-to-fork dinners and their behind the scenes experience with local artisans where you can be a chocolatier, sakemaster or cheesemaker for a day ... I definitely have to make a trip back up here this summer!

Now, the explanation you've been waiting for ... how to stuff a fighter pilot into the trunk of a car.  It's actually quite easy.  According to Mach2Shay, they're self-loading.  All you have to do is ask.  We didn't make him sit back here for the entire ride to Whistler, I swear.  Only a few short blocks to the Japadog stand!

As if having a 4 course dinner and a filling breakfast that morning at Yew, and munching our way through Granville Market, we still would not be satisfied if we didn't taste a Japadog.  (Do I hear a treadmill calling?)

What exactly IS a Japadog?  Well ... it's a Japanese style hot dog.  Unique to Vancouver, this is a MUST-taste experience.  Instead of mustard, get miso mayonnaise.  Instead of relish, get seaweed.  Instead of ketchup, go for teriyaki.

Here's Annie getting the perfect shot of a Japadog before we each take a bite and devour it.

So how many bites does it take to finish this meal on a bun?

One ...

Two ...

Three ..

With our bellies full, it was time for us to join up with the rest of the group to hit the road to Whistler / Blackcomb.

(Julie, Pete, Carrie, Rachelle, Eric, Andrew, Annie, & Jeremy)

Am I the shortest person on this trip?  Geeze ... I need some boots with heels!

With bags full of sweet baked snacks from Granville Market (we did not go hungry on this trip) we piled into a van and headed Whistler on the Sea-to-Sky drive.

Every bend and turn in the road was another jaw-dropping view.  And wouldn't you know, we found a perfect little coffee shop along the way.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of it.  But I'm certain Penguin (Jeremy) did as this is him taking a picture of me, taking a picture of him. (I'm standing up on the cafe's porch, looking at the view above.)

This little cafe introduced us to the Canadiano ... a coffee drink like an Americano with maple syrup.  We each walked away with a warm frothy cup of caffeinated goodness.

Hot beverage in hand, we were ready to make our way up to the snow in Whistler.  When we departed Four Seasons in Vancouver, we requested to stop at any scenic spots along the way.  Our driver said she had something in mind.  About 30 minutes and one Canadiano later, we found ourselves at the bottom of a thundering waterfall named Shannon Falls.

What was cute is we were all hiking up there with our fancy coffee in hand, pinkie's up.  Not really "outdoorsy" of us, eh?

A few twists and turns later, we were pulling up to the Four Seasons Whistler

They have THE BEST hot chocolate.  Ever.  I swear it's just melted Godiva bars.

We all went to our rooms to unpack and get ready for our next adventure.  But I had to sneak a moment to pause and take in the view.

So what's next on this Four Seasons Journey?  Well, after Sea-to-Sky comes Ski-to-Spa, right?

In my next post, we walk through the hotel wearing our robes, dip delicious things in cheese at the top of the mountain, Florida-girl survives snowmobiling and we all learn what a long bone is ... it's all in the rub.

-Rachelle

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to travel with other bloggers on a Four Seasons Journey, seen on Twitter as #FSJourneys

Our first Destination: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Most of the other travelers were from the West Coast in California and Colorado.  Being from Florida, I had the longest flight from one corner of the United States to the other and just a bit beyond.  I actually trailed along the route with the tip of my finger on the large wall map in my office, making the same doodle doodle doop sound that I remember from the tv show Reading Rainbow.  What can I say, far away adventures bring out the kid in me.

The flight was long, but so worth it.  A connection in Denver and schlepping through TSA made my total travel time about 10 hours, so I was definitely looking forward to wrapping myself in the comfort of a Four Seasons bed.  But the excitement of exploring a city I'd never visited and making new friends kept my energy high.  I be-bopped through Vancouver Airport like I'd just had a couple of espressos.  If you've never been to this airport, it's amazingly beautiful and clean.  Not only is it full of artwork, but the design pulls in all the natural features of BC with plants, waterfalls and totems.  They even offer free wi-fi.  I tweeted thanks for the wi-fi ... they immediately tweeted back.  Cool.

Canadians are about the friendliest people I've ever met.  They always wear a smile and I love the way they're constantly unnecessarily apologizing in the fun way they say "sowry."  Customs is the only exception to that friendliness. Even with my passport in hand, they had a way of making me feel like I was trying to sneak across the border.  Though, I guess red-eyed with a delirious and goofy smile on my face, I probably did look a bit suspicious.

After meeting the other bloggers (who are all AMAZING - see the list below and follow them!) we traveled the short distance to downtown Vancouver and checked in at the Four Seasons.  The lobby has a relaxing zen-like quality to it with a large Buddha greeting you at the door and a sort of eco-chic atmosphere that matches the city.

The evenings festivities included a pampering salon appointment and dinner, but we had a few quiet moments to relax and unpack.  The room was no less than amazing.  Let me give you a little photo tour ...

The Room ...  (huge, isn't it?)

The living area.  Yes, that's my bright pink ski jacket on the chair at the desk where all the tweeting magic happens.  What I like about this suite is that it really is large enough to feel like a home away from home.

And, of course, the amazing view.

Famished from only eating airport food all day, I was thankful for the little snack waiting for us in our rooms.  Olives and Italian meats and brie and crackers and local craft beer and ... wait a minute ... is that an egg???

I'm an adventurous foodie ... but slimy raw egg makes me wrinkle my nose.  While traveling, I do like to try everything at least once.  Afraid of offending my gracious host, I opened up my laptop to tweet a photo and work up the nerve to swallow an egg.  But then I saw the BLOG menu description.  How clever!

B -  Brie Farmhouse, Dried Fruit Toast, Aggasiz Hazelnuts  (www.farmhousecheeses.com)

L -  Liquid Mango Ravioli, Exotic Fruit Consomme  (www.yewrestaurant.com)

O -  Oyama & Moccia Charcuterie,  YEW Duck Pate, Olives  (www.oyamasausage.ca)

G -  Granville Island Winter Ale  (www.gib.ca)

It's a liquid mango ravioli!!!!  Well alrighty then!  Why didn't someone just shout at me that it was dessert!   I love sweets ... down the hatch!  Apparently, this little mango concoction is well known at the Yew.   Speaking of Yew ... it was time to get ready for dinner so I headed down to my hair appointment at Blo.  Yes, you read that correctly.

I'm actually surprised at how trendy it is for the Four Seasons.  I imagined the Four Seasons to be a bit high brow and stuffy.  Well, having a salon called "Blo" in the lobby, complete with buttons that say "blo me" ... blew that notion right out of my mind.  Four Seasons is definitely "kewl."

Blo is a girlie girl's place.  Completely pinked-out with modern Jetson's-like decor and stylists ready to make you look like you just walked the red carpet.  They don't do cuts.  They don't do color.  They just style.  Wash and blo.  What a great way to get refreshed and ready for dinner.  If you'd like to learn more, check out their website at:  BloMeDry.com. Please misspell it.  If you type in "blow" the correct way you'll regret it.  Trust me.  It might be clever marketing on their part, but you'll attract some computer viruses if ya know what I mean.

All primed and prettied up, we toured the hotel with the PR Director, Samantha Geer, and headed for dinner at Yew. What exactly is a Yew?  No, it's not a funny Canadian pronunciation of the word, "you."  It's an evergreen tree that is common to see in Vancouver.  They tie in those natural elements (wood, fire, stone) throughout the whole restaurant.  Like I said ... eco-chic.

When traveling, I love to go where the locals go and eat where the locals eat.  Yew is definitely a local hang out with quite a fun happy hour at Wine Down Sundays.   This isn't your typical hotel restaurant food, Yew is a destination on it's own.

So here's the "Fam" at Yew ...

Hmm.  The normal hair styles and orange juice on the table tells me this is from breakfast the next morning.  But look how happy and relaxed we look after a good night's sleep in a Four Seasons Bed!  Seriously, I think I'm going to order one for home.

Here's me and Chef Oliver Beckert at Yew.  He had some great recommendations for a travel foodie exploring Vancouver including Edible BC.  Check it out.  (I'll have more about the Vancouver foodie scene in another post.)

My theme this month on the blog has been, "Inn Love,"  and I have to confess, I'm now completely and totally head over heels for the Four Seasons.  While I can be just as comfortable camping as I can be in a luxury hotel, for extended travel the Four Seasons is where I want to stay.

In my next few posts, find out what a "JapaDog" is, more about foodie adventures in Vancouver, how/why we stuffed a fighter pilot into our trunk (we were a feisty group) and our Sea - Sky - Snow - Spa experience in Whistler.

-Rachelle aka @TravelBlggr

FUN FACT:  Did you know the Four Seasons was a Canadian Company?

CONFESSION: Did any of the other bloggers collect a life time supply of L'Occitane lotion from their rooms?  Uh ... em ... yeah ... I didn't either.  OKAY!  OKAY!  I admit.  I love the stuff.  And it's in perfect travel carry-on size.

FOLLOW:

Deliciously Organic:  @DelOrganic

Cool Mom Pics: @TheJulieMarsh

Annie Fitz: @AnnieFitz

Penguin: @Penguin

Eric Ries: @ericries

Andrew Hyde: @AndrewHyde

Four Seasons Vancouver: @FSVancouver

Oh Yeah!  Read my disclosure here ... What's Up My Apron.

In celebration of this month's theme, "Inn Love," enjoy this guest post by Sarah Armour-Jones of the Concord’s Colonial Inn in Massachusetts. I love Inns, and I love history so this story was just my cup of tea.  Follow them on Twitter: @ConcordsInn

A 125 Year Old Love Story ...

Last year we heard a story that combines love and history, and it’s quickly become a staff favorite. A 90-year old patron was touring the Inn’s social event spaces with his grown children. They were planning his 90th birthday party and needed a large room. He stopped in the doorway of the Thoreau Room, one of our smaller function rooms, which wouldn’t work for his event. Director of Sales, Steven Jones, explained that the Thoreau Room couldn’t be configured to hold the number of guests they anticipated. The patron replied that he was just stopping to enjoy the room and said that his parents had been married in that room 125 years earlier. As a boy, this now 90-year old man had come to the Inn with his family and had always heard stories about his parents’ wedding. His family had a huge connection to our Inn, and he was celebrating a terrific milestone in the very place that his parents began their lives together.

We love that sense of attachment people have to our Inn. Meaning and sentiment are often lost in an industry that focuses on reward points, cookie-cutter event spaces and chain locations. Concord’s Colonial Inn is one of those amazing places that’s been part of our nation’s history since before it was a separate country. The original structure was built in 1716 and the building has served as a Revolutionary War hospital, home to the Thoreau family, and a welcoming Inn to countless guests (including some famous ones like Queen Noor of Jordan). Some say it’s home to ghosts as well.

While the buildings have evolved over the years, guest rooms in the Main Inn have the kind of Colonial wide-plank floorboards that can’t be replicated, and one of our taverns is in the original 1716 structure.

With a nearly 300-year old building, we live and breathe history, and we’ve seen our share of beautiful romantic moments, weddings, engagements and anniversary parties. Highlights include a nervous older gentleman proposing to his lady friend; a wonderful wedding that booked the entire Inn and was unbelievably fun (with the best bride, groom and family ever); and a couple getting away from kids for the first time to enjoy a well-deserved weekend break. People who choose the Inn want something unique – something that has stood the test of time, something with charm and character (like a good spouse) that becomes part of their family history.

So this February we celebrate the friends and customers who allow us to be part of their family histories. That’s something to love.

For more information on our specials see:  Specials & Packages

What are some of your secret indulgences?

My two ... sweets (which is probably not so secret) and romance novels.  Well, only my friend Karen's novels.  Not only is there always a shirtless hottie on the front cover, but the stories are the type of page-turner that you'll devour as quickly as the O.M.G.-Melt-In-Your-Mouth pecan pie recipe that she shared with me below.

Last summer, I had the opportunity to produce a book trailer for Karen's release of Much Ado About Marriage.  It was a fun project, as I usually only create documentary-style travel videos.  In this one, I had to create a storyboard and enlist the help of two of my actor friends to star in this short flick.

So let me share my first indulgence with you ... the shirtless hottie ...

In addition to being a writer, she also posts for The Goddess Blogs.  Here, my friend Karen along with 9 other authors write about men, sex, food, travel and writing.  Could it get ANY better?  My favorite posts are FROS - For Refreshment Only Sunday, where photos of a super-hottie are posted for your drooling pleasure.

And for more mouth watering delight, here is my 2nd indulgence for you today ... sweets.

Something sinful, and yet guilt-free.  Oatmeal makes this healthy, right?

Oatmeal Pecan Pie Recipe from Cooking Light/ My Recipes

###

In celebration of this month's theme of "Inn Love," enjoy this guest post by DC-based photographer and blogger, Christina Saull.  Follow her on Twitter @MiddleSeatView

Romance at the Market
A surprisingly romantic, sunny, anniversary trip to Seattle
by Christina Saull, author of  View From The Middle Seat

When my husband and I were married in October 2007, we vowed that every year we would go away for our wedding anniversary. Both avid world travelers, we decided that our anniversary travel would focus on discovering cities and regions of the United States that neither one of us had been to before. In 2008 we had a whirlwind tour of Chicago, complete with an early morning visit to Cloud Gate (aka "the bean") at 6am the morning of our first wedding anniversary.

For our second anniversary, we found ourselves already in the Midwest from the east coast for a family occasion the weekend prior. Jumping on the chance to cut the travel time, we ventured on west to Seattle. Based on recommendations from friends and travel guides, I booked us for three nights at the Inn at the Market, a charming 70 room inn/boutique hotel directly across the street from Pike Place Market. When I booked the room, I let them know that we were coming for our anniversary and they really pulled out all the stops.

Our room was complimentary upgraded to a huge room, with a bumped out bay window overlooking the Market and Elliot Bay. On the bedside table, we found a small chocolate cake waiting for us with an anniversary card from the Inn. "There are many fish in the sea," the card read. "But you've already caught the love of your life - happy anniversary!"

The room was a constant, comfortable, romantic retreat after long days of exploring Seattle by foot. We would return in the evening, just before sunset, to enjoy a glass of Washington wine purchased around the corner at the Pike and Western Wine Shop. On the surprising number of non-rainy evenings, we'd enjoy this glass with other couples on the inn's romantic rooftop deck, over looking a bright orange sunset. On the one rainy evening, we spent the evening curled up together in our bay window.

The Inn was even helpful when our anniversary dinner, at one of Seattle's "best" restaurants, went horribly wrong. As I returned to the hotel with a remade dinner in hand, we were greeted in the room by chocolates and a place setting - they had heard how bad our dinner was from the restaurant and wanted to make it up to us, even though it wasn't their fault in the least.

While my husband and I have a knack for making even the dumpiest hotels romantic, staying at the Inn at the Market meant we didn't have to try - they made it chic and romantic on their own.

Rich Greenhagen is on a mission to spread some love ... one kind word at a time.  Not just through blogging and social media, but by carefully folding the words into an origami paper crane and mailing them around the World to anyone that requests one.

From Rich ... "The goal is to write a thousand word poem, then write one word on each crane. But i don't want to keep the cranes.  I want to mail them out to any and everyone who wants one. Together we can piece together the poem. It's a selfish idea I want to share with everyone."

I don't think it's selfish at all!

How do you get in on this love game?  Email Rich at thousandcraneproject@gmail.com or Tweet him at @1KCraneProject and he'll mail you a crane.  Take a photo of it, post it on your blog and also email it to him.

So far, he's mailed out 400 cranes.  I can't wait to see the finished poem.  My crane's word ... "forgot"

-Rachelle

aka @TravelBlggr

http://thousandcraneproject.tumblr.com/