Photo via ArconaHouse.com
Shake your life up a bit
By Morgan Hannah, Life & Style Editor
What a long week. You finally got caught up on homework and you don’t have to work this weekend.
Wait. What was that? It’s the weekend? Wow, that sucker snuck up on you. What are you going to do? You didn’t plan anything, and lounging is so last week.
Imagine booking a weekend at some nice lodge in the Kootenays—a beautiful blue-green lake reflecting pine trees, pretty stars, campfires and s’mores—and the best part? It’s just you and your friends. That sounds nice, right? Except for the fact that it’s hard to book a lodge on such short notice. And it can be quite expensive on a student budget. What else can you do, then?
Well, here’s where I save the day with a quick and handy list of easy weekend trips (that I have personally done) to help get you away from the couch this weekend!
Pike Place, Seattle, WA
Living in a coastal city comes with its perks, one being that it takes two hours to drive to Seattle. And once you’re there, you’ve got no excuse to not check out the first Starbucks ever invented! Even if you only take a photo beside the vintage storefront sign, it’s worth the visit since the first Starbucks to ever grace planet Earth is located directly across the street from Pike Place Market. The bustling, creative, and chaotic market is brimful of shops, trinkets, food, fish, flowers, and art galore. With a fresh brew in hand, what better way to spend your day than to gawk and shop at all the colourful stalls and booths.
If the market isn’t your style, take a walk down the boardwalk and hit up Cinnamon Works for a gluten-free cinnamon bun, maybe ride the ferris wheel, or check out the Seattle Aquarium! You could also have lunch at Von’s 1000 Spirits or skip the two-hour-plus line at Pike Place Starbucks and hit up one of the elite Starbucks Reserve locations for a fancier drink. Even the Seattle Art Museum is right in the area—and so are several other museums. Book a hotel and stay the night. It’s all in the same place, so why not!
Arcona House on the Lake, 108 Mile Ranch, BC
About six hours North from Vancouver by car, this European-style Bed and Breakfast is run by a Dutchman named Henning, and it is incredible. Whether you’re staying for a day or an extended stay, the Arcona House is a great option. It is nestled beside the 108 Mile Lake in peaceful 108 Mile Ranch, BC. There’s a trail that follows the shore of the lake and it is good for several reasons: morning walks, lots of trees for privacy and intrigue, as well as tennis courts and 18-hole golf. The lake also offers a variety of water sports, including canoeing, boating, windsurfing, and fishing.
Henning prepares a Dutch breakfast of fresh local fruit, meats, cheeses, yogurt, and handmade crepes that is both beautiful and delicious and the perfect for fueling your brain for activities—when I was there, I would then take my writing and a chair down to the waterside.
If I haven’t convinced you to spend your weekend getting in touch with nature while getting pampered, then perhaps the guest list of pianists, nobility, consul generals, and tourist from all corners of the world will. For more details on the guest list or general information visit the Arcona House website.
Vancouver Island, Victoria, BC
This one is ridiculously close! Just a cheap ferry-ride away and you’ll find yourself at Vancouver Island’s very own Victoria! Rent a posh condo for a night or two and enjoy delectable Canadian coffee, street markets, music festivals, and marina-life everywhere you go. Don’t forget to check out the Miniature World Museum, the British Columbia Parliament Buildings, and Craigdarroch Castle—a Victorian-era Scottish mansion of impressive stature. Government Road also offers lots of familiar and unique shopping and food choices, but my personal favourite is Foxtrot Tango Whisky Bar and is arguably the best. A 1920s themed cocktail lounge with smoky mood-lighting, low-baked leather sofas, old-fashioned newspaper menus, and the cocktails to match—it’s not too far away from the action on Humboldt street. Victoria probably has the best cocktail/bar scene in the area, so that alone is worth the trip!
