Randall Shirley's Regional Diversions--

Places you might have overlooked!

B.C. residents occasionally think they've "done everything" and "been everywhere" in our region. Yet when I ask people about the travel options below, as discussed on Studio 4, I get a surprising number of "er, haven't been there yet!" Here are details and links to help you find your way.

1. Wine at the border, definitely NOT borderline!

1. Wine at the Border, definitely NOT borderline!
Local wine tasting...

Most residents of the lower mainland have made plenty of trips to Washington, USA, crossing either at Whiterock/Blaine or Aldergrove/Lynden. On the way, you pass many exit signs pointing to vineyards and wineries in the Langley area.

If you're like me, you've often said, "I wonder what the wine is like in those places...I seem to only hear about BC Okanagan wines.

Well, due to a 3+ hour wait at the border a few weeks ago, my partner, our friend, and I ran out of patience with the idea of going into the States, and said, "let's go do some local wine tasting."

You're likely to taste mostly whites in this region, especially if it's important that the grapes are grown locally.

The wineries generally have a tasting fee of a few dollars per person--if you buy it will be applied toward your purchase.

Here are the wineries we sampled, in order.

• • Lotusland Vineyards. This spot is technically in Abbotsford, but we didn't mind. It's far from fancy, and their tasting room is in a small building next to 16th Ave. You'll probably have to "ring" for service.
    
    We rang, and owner Liz Avery was delighted to pour us samples of their wines. She explained that Lotusland used to be called A'Very Fine Winery, but recently rebranded. Their wines are organic.
    
    They're currently offering a variety of whites, and while their site doesn't indicate it, we walked away with a delightful "Rainbow Rose" bottled under their former A'Very label.
    
    
  • Chaberton Estate Vineryards. This spot certainly has the fanciest tasting room in the area, and offers a handful of picnic tables out front, they also have an on-site bistro, which I have not tried.
    
    I particularly enjoyed Chaberton's 2006 Siegerrebe, a fun fresh white, and brought a bottle home.
    
    A unique option at Chaberton is their 100-mile tasting--all of the wines will be white, and all from grapes grown within 100 miles. Despite being the busiest of the wineries we visited, the staff were patient, fun, and friendly. Cool.
    
    Due to the recent windstorm and power outage, Chaberton's holiday open house is today (November 13, 2007).
    
    The wine Fanny and I sampled on Studio 4 was Chaberton's "2006 Siegerrebe," a fruity and very drinkable white.
    
    
  • Township 7. Both my partner and my pal seemed to know about this winery before we arrived. It's incredibly picturesque, with an old barn sitting atop a vineyard-lined hill.
    
    Township's annual holiday open-house, featuring their gift baskets, is scheduled for November 24 & 25.
    
    Township also specializes in whites, and offers both oaked and unoaked Chardonnay. Their Shiraz has been hailed by a local wine "expert," and thus is sold out...along with several other wines as you'll see on their site. Don't worry...there's still plenty to taste!
    
    
  • Glenugie Vineyards. This was our last stop. Glenugie's tasting room is through huge doors entering a large tasting room. The focus is on Chardonnays, and my pal took a bottle home.
    

Wine tasting is meant to be fun, informative, and SAFE. Make sure someone in your group is the designated driver. Never, ever, drink and drive. And don't think that if you choose to spit you can't get drunk--alcohol does absorb through the mouth, too.

If you don't care for one of the wines you're tasting, it's ok to politely pour it into the bucket.

The Fraser Valley Wine Association provides additional information and maps to these and other wineries throughout the region.

The Township of Langley offers an excellent map and guide to local wineries, farms, festivals, and events.

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2. Up in the Air -- the Amazing Boeing Jumbo Jet Factory &
their new "Future of Flight" exhibit

You're reading this, so you must like to travel! Chances are you've flown on a Boeing jet, and if you've flown overseas, you've probably flown one of their widebodies.

Those jets are made just down the road, in Everett, Washington. Since you're probably headed to the Alderwood Mall or other Seattle area shopping soon, this is a diversion that will thrill and surprise everyone in your group--not just the guys!

The actual factory is the largest building in the world, by volume (472 million cubic feet) and comprises several production lines for Boeing's wide body jets: the 747, 767, 777, and brand new 787 Dreamliner...which is "in production" but has yet to actually fly. You'll see the 787 and 777 in production on the tour.

On the nearby tarmac you'll see jumbo jets painted in a variety of airline's colours. On my recent visit one of the U.S. government's Air Force One 747s was in plain sight; the tour guide said she wasn't allowed to talk about it, and simply called it a "special air missions" plane.

The tour begins at the very cool and relatively new "Future of Flight" centre -- sort of a forward-looking museum all about commercial jet transport. The centre itself features some very neat stuff allowing you to get up really close, including:

• • Design your own jet
  • The first "concept" cabin for a 787
  • A full-scale 777 jet engine
  • The front end of a 737
  • The tail of a 747--standing next to it you realize how huge these jets really are!

If you're going further south, there is a separate facility called The Museum of Flight -- possibly the best in the world for airline enthusiasts. You can actually walk through a British Airways Concorde, explore the very first Air Force One 707, and lots more. It's between downtown Seattle and SeaTac airport -- a perfect diversion if you're catching a flight at SeaTac (you do always price check both YVR and SEA, right?).

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3. Island Hopping in Washington

It's hardly news: the Canadian dollar goes a very long way in the USA right now. But the truth is, in Washington's San Juan and other islands it's been stretching a long way for quite a while.

Winter can be a great time to simply get away to a cottage on one of the islands -- if the weather doesn't cooperate it can simply be great to escape and enjoy a change of scenery. Read a book. Catch up on DVD movies. Write some poetry. Play board games.

• Lopez Island can represent amazing value this time of year. Try Craig's List Seattle for some great values -- check the "Vacation Rentals" section of the site.
  
  
• Whidbey Island is an excellent choice -- no ferry is required as you can simply drive across the bridge at spectacular Deception Pass. The island includes loads of great B&Bs -- including the "straight friendly" (gay owned) Whidwood, with a glorious garden, old-fashioned wood hot tub, and more books than some libraries. There are many excellent restaurants on Whidbey, and you should at least pop into world-famous Toby's Tavern for a brew in Coupeville, the island's historic central town. Both Coupeville and the southern town of Langley are full of galleries and gift shops.

A big rea$on for heading to the U.$. i$land$? The ferries are cheap, cheap, cheap! While B.C. Ferries is currently offering winter discounts to Vancouver Island, even the U.S. small islands are are much cheaper (sometimes about half) than going to Canada's gulf islands--even in high season. Don't take my word for it: compare prices at B.C. Ferries' and Washington State Ferries' websites.

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Also Mentioned

NEXUS Border Pass. After the show, a station staff member said they believed the NEXUS program has now been simplified, and that the same card can now be used at air, land, and border crossings. Checking the Canada Border Services Agency website indicates that is now, indeed, the case.

As with all things we discuss on air (or on this site), always check with actual providers, hotels, airlines, B&Bs, and government agencies for up-to-date information. Neither myself nor Shaw TV are liable for errors or omissions. I strive to provide information that will interest you: it's then your responsibility to check with the actual providers.

Wanted to mention...ran out of time:

• Princess and the Pea B&B, Langley, BC. After a day of winery hopping, why not stay in this incredibly gorgeous B&B with their trademarked "marshmallow" beds? Host Wally Martin runs this historic property with his wife, and he'll entertain you with stories of the nearby "first paved road in Canada." This property was one of the first hotels in B.C.
• Explore the variety of Asian cuisine with ease using Tourism Richmond's (BC) Asian Dining Guide. I especially enjoyed a unique Taiwanese spot called Vogue, and the dim sum at Shiang Garden.
• Visit delightful Village Books in Fairhaven, a historic neighbourhood near Bellingham, Washington. Not only is it a fun store, you get U.S. prices on books and magazines! They also attract some high-profile American authors for readings and signings.

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