Have a great summer!

It’s that time of year again — August is upon us and it’s time for summer vacation!

At this time every year, I close my law firm for three weeks and my partner, Penny, and I enjoy an incredible three-week staycation.

Vancouver really is a spectacular city. Problem is most of us are so busy we never get to be tourists in our own city. When Penny and I take our staycation, we draw up an itinerary that includes at least one exciting adventure each day. Here are some of our favourites.

UBC campus in summertime is truly awesome. We really enjoy the opportunity to wander around the grounds, and the Museum of Anthropology is a highlight. They have three special exhibitions on this summer, and I’m really excited to see the one featuring puppets from all different eras and all over the world that come from their own collection — the largest collection of puppets in western Canada.

Those of you who read my summer staycation blog last year know how much I love the Southlands. This neighbourhood is like no other in all of Vancouver. It is idyllic — there’s no other word for it. The roads are like country lanes, with no sidewalks or curbs, and everywhere you walk you see people out on horseback. Building heights are limited to two stories so that adds to the real “country” feel. We spend the entire day wandering around and finish off with a visit to Southlands Nursery, which has all kinds of interesting and exotic plants.

Last year, we discovered a new treat that we’ll further explore this year — a walkway along the Fraser River along the southern edge of Southlands that’s part of the Fraser River Trail. Bring a picnic and enjoy your day there watching the tugboats and herons go by.

The PNE is always another staycation highlight. There’s so much to do and see we’re never able to fit it all in to one day. One of our favourites is the Telus Future Home where you can see futuristic home technologies—quite spectacular. If you visit the PNE, also make sure you take time to visit Farm Country in the big red barns. It’s another great attraction with dozens of prize-winning farm animals including livestock and birds on display, as well as a huge, glassed-in honeybee centre where you can watch (and hear!) busy bees at work.

These are just a few of the activities Penny and I will be up to — we hope you enjoy your summer, too! Talk to you again the last week of August.