Metro Vancouver "Create Memories, Not Garbage" Campaign

Our modest Christmas tree.  We are trying not to create too much trash and literally throw our money in the garbage.

I am very pleased with Metro Vancouver's campaign Create Memories, Not Garbage.  For the last couple of weeks, every morning at the SkyTrain station I see an ad that portraits  John , a motorcycle gang rider kinda looking fella with a smile on his face and a halo over his head, who is treating Barb to the opera.  Bravissimo!, the ad reads because  he's creating memories, NOT garbage. This is one of the various ads giving people guilt-free, gift giving ideas.

The city has a point.  I mean how many of us really remember all the gifts we have gotten during Christmas?  What we remember is the memories, not the knickknacks.  Metro Vancouver is giving people some real nice gift giving ideas like dancing lessons, bungee jumping and cooking classes.  Not to mention the added benefits of creating jobs and keeping the money in the community. 
This is the first time I see a campaign like this one in a big city.  I wish Houston, the city I used to call home before,  had a campaign like this going on.  Metro Vancouver was spreading the same Christmas message last year to vancouverites.  I wonder if all major cities in Canada are doing the same.

You can check out MV website here for gift ideas that will turn you into a green angel.

Watch this before buying toys this Christmas

Thinking of buying a tree?

Longest Hiking Trails in Canada

A Summer snapshot of Vedder Trail in Chilliwack, BC.

Today I want to tell you about Canada's largest hiking trails.  It must have something to do with the weather getting chillier and me trying to keep warm feeding myself with sunny days hiking memories.

Canada has tons of great hiking trails and the views that even the most mundane ones offer are simply too nice to miss.  The country is right now working on two recreational trails that will extent from coast to coast.  The Trans Canada Trail and the National Hiking Trail.
The Trans Canada trail is going to be the longest trail in the world with an incredible length of 22,000 km (pretty mind blowing, right?).  The plan is to connect hundreds of shorter trails to created this master trail.  The Trans Canada trail starts on the North at the Northwest Territories, crosses the Yukon, passes through British Columbia and finally arrives in Alberta.  On the West side, it starts near the city of Victoria on Vancouver Island and it goes all the way to Nova Scotia on the East.  It also has a few 'legs' or scenic detours like the one going deeper into Saskatchewan.  This trail is intended mainly for hiking and bike riding but of course some parts of the trail will allow for other activities like horseback riding and skiing.
The National Hiking Trail, formerly known as the Sentier National Trail, will in part overlap with the Trans Canada and in other parts offer a different alternative.  It's a much shorter trail but so far is about 3,800 km long .  The terrain on this trail is rougher so it is meant to be used mainly for hiking unless you are an experience biker or skier.

Weather predictions say this is going to be one of the coldest and whitest winters in Canada's recent history so I guess that means I have to get a good pair of snowshoes and some real warm winter clothes before going out for my first hike on the Trans Canada :-)

Want to know more about the Trans Canada Trail?  Click here!

First kilometer mark.   Not as impressive as a 20k one but you got to start somewhere!

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