Joshua Tree was my favourite stop on our road trip. This may have had something to do with our grand entrance to the park, driving into the rolling hills dotted with strange trees, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun. We stopped the car several times to take in the scenery and the eerie sound of coyotes howling somewhere over the horizon drifted toward us.

We camped at Jumbo Rocks. I’d read that it was one of the largest and most popular sites in Joshua Tree, but as we passed only a handful of campers on the winding road through the grounds, we realised it was mostly empty. Our site was private and perfect and we set up our little tent and decided to try sleeping with the fly off, as the sky was clear and hinting at a magnificent starscape to come.

Since the moon was very bright, we stayed up for a while attempting to take star trails and night portraits. Later, as we snuggled into our blankets to sleep, I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I shot up and stared into the surrounding brush, lit by the glow of the moon. Then, more movement, to the left of our tent! Frantically I shook Jordan. “Coyotes! There’s coyotes in our campsite!” I hissed, my heart pounding. He sat up too. I put on my glasses and we watched where I had seen the shadows. After a few moments, when it was clear we were not under siege by a crazed pack of marauding coyotes, we clambered out of the tent and put the fly on and I put in ear plugs and attempted to sleep. I subscribe to the “Can’t see it, can’t hear it, it’s not as scary” school of camping.

We rose with the sun the next morning and I thoroughly investigated the hills around our site but saw no signs of night time visitors. Oops. Thrilled that we had survived the night, we packed the car and then spent a few hours chasing the many adorable jackrabbits and exploring the enormous cluster of gigantic boulders that give Jumbo Rocks its name. The rough texture of the rocks’ surface made it easy to clamber right up the sides. All around us stretched Joshua Tree and we happily took in the view, knowing we would be on the road to Monument Valley all day.

It’s only a two and a half hour drive to Joshua Tree National Park from Los Angeles, and even closer from Palm Springs. It’s such an otherworldly place that I would highly recommend it as a day trip or quick overnight if ever in the area. There’s lots of hikes in the area too!

After some birthday fun with both my mom and Masako on Friday evening, I went to Victoria on Saturday morning. The weather was surprisingly warm so we spent some quality time in my favourite park ever, Beacon Hill. There’s so many nature zones there! We started off in a Garry oak meadow, where some peacocks were resting in a nearby tree and everything around us was slowly turning to fall.

After grabbing some hot drinks in Cook Street Village, we went down to Dallas Road, where the beach was cloaked in a mysterious mist rolling off the ocean. We passed the time playing “boy games” (setting up rocks on a log and then throwing rocks at these piles).

Kevin and Ian found a tawdry Princess Di paperback in their laundry room and luckily I was the first person that came to mind. I promise to report back with all I know on Di and James Hewitt’s “heartbreaking affair” once I’ve burned through this gem.

These funny octopi (?) made me really happy! Sorry to whoever has to paint over those little faces someday. Sorry to me too, because I woke up with a cold the next day. The sick season caught up with me!

Before Metchosin Day, I had Friday and Saturday to enjoy the sunshine in Victoria. September always ends up being a fun month because people tend not to make as many plans and the weather is usually great. Everyone is around and, amplified by the expectation to make up for a rainy, cold summer, eager to enjoy the sun to its fullest.

Spent Friday morning with my parents booking tickets to Los Angeles in November for my cousin’s wedding and eating lunch at Pho Vy. I have yet to find a suitable replacement for #33, garlic pork with spring roll on vermicelli. There is something about its weird deep fried pork, with its bright pink in colour and terribly unnatural texture, that just can’t be matched.

The second half of the day I spent with Leslie and Rupert. We went to Beacon Hill park and explored the playground and met some weirdo kids and then we had Thai food on the steps of their house. So much baby dancing happened.

Later in the evening, Leslie, Brooke and I went to a house party and drank some magical Phillips 10th Anniversary 10% IPA out of a giant bottle. There was a lot of grown up dancing to The Coasters.

The next morning Kim and I were feeling the effects of the previous evening so we made a pact to enjoy a greasy breakfast and lie in the park doing absolutely nothing. After a round with Pig’s chicken and waffles, we were solidly reclined in Central Park when Jordan texted to let me know some magical beer fairies had procured us free tickets to the nearby Beerfest. In no time at all we were enjoying the finest of microbrews from all over North America. Kim was sad the Beerfest hooligans destroyed the Rifflandia sign though. Nothing in public streets is safe during Beerfest.

Best new beer tried was Naughty Nellie’s Ale from Pike Brewery. Refreshing! Also, Lagunitas NEVER disappoints. Everything was delicious but I’ll never stop recommending their IPA.

Some silly stuff started happening and we were totally pooped from drinking in the sun all day so we got outta there.

We all trekked up to Tina and Sean’s for a BBQ. They had these awesome old timey newspapers. “Saltiest Seamen”. I also love “He Was Bereft When Lovely Martha Sailed Away”. I was really into the adorableness of Sean and Tina’s canning. I was also really into grilling a whole bunch of delicious things and Tina’s Guzzler. She used The Secret to have it brought to her. Works every time.

After the BBQ, I biked out to Shambalanducci to hang out with the Doukhobors. The evening air was still warm. Kim called this weekend “Last Blast of Summer”. Rightfully earned, lil’ weekend.

After a summer of escaping the city for adventures elsewhere, it was great to spend a beautiful long weekend discovering new things in Vancouver.

Saturday was morning coffee and delicious pastries at Le Marché St. George, a long bike ride for my first trip to the infamous Wreck Beach and a seafood feast with interesting people and a ridiculous spread of food. Wreck Beach was truly a experience: for one, it’s a clothing optional beach so the people watching is totally on another level, and we just happened to be sitting right in front of the nubile topless hula hooping girl arena, where a lady had a hysterical freak out and the cops sent to check on her discovered a large cache of hidden beer and poured out three cases in a matter of moments (see above picture for this truly tragic incident).

On Sunday Jordan and I went to the PNE. We checked out the farm animals, saw the SUPER DOGS show (worth every penny), rode the 1958 wooden roller coaster and ate some great junk food.

Did a mega lazy Monday at Spanish Banks (another new beach!) with Jordy, Tippi and Masako. This beach had a mega chill feel compared to the craziness of Wreck Beach, lots of families and the view of downtown Vancouver, Stanley Park and the North Shore mountains was top notch.

(Thanks to Aimee for capturing the essential moment of our Wreck day so perfectly.)

For the final installment of a series recalling my Epic Weekend, I’ll let the lovely Kimberli (above) present to you the Island Chefs’ Foodfest. This annual event celebrating local food, drink and farms is put on by the Island Chefs’ Collaborative, a “community based, social profit organization dedicated to supporting sustainable food and agriculture on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.” The fest had the feel of an all-day, all-you-can-eat-and-drink picnic catered by my favourite restaurants and breweries, filled with good friends, great live music and beautiful views. Foodfest took place at Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse, a National Historic Site and all around scenic locale. Here’s a recap of some of the things that made the day feel like a great start to an amazing summer:

1. BIKE ARMADA! I want to give huge props to Shane from Habit Coffee (our favourite place for coffee in Victoria) for organizing a bike gang to ride from downtown to Fort Rodd Hill. It was a blast cruising down the Galloping Goose trail with 35-40 happy bikers, ringing our bells in tunnels and generally holding up traffic, in a good natured way. Here’s a hint for next year: the bike gang got first admission to the fest, while everyone else had to wait for the gates to open! Just be careful on the way home, a few friends (after some of that “all you can drink”) drove their tandem bike into a fence and ended their day with a broken hand and a bum knee.

2. Discovering new food, drink and products, all from local producers. The mushroom tart on greens, quince sorbet served in an adorable cone (using fruit courtesy of Lifecycles, an organization that collects and uses excess fruit from backyard trees) and the dry, refreshing Pippins Cider from Sea Cider in Saanichton were my favourite tastes of the day. Pippins Cider will definitely make an appearance in some backyard bbqs this summer.

3. Picnic party! We ended up part of a group spread over multiple blankets. People mingled, played cards, hopped from stall to stall collecting wine and snacks, or just relaxed on the grass in the wonderfully warm June sun. I made some new friends (like Rebecca, in the cute straw hat) and got to spend some quality time with some of my favourite Victoria people too. I even brought along my little brother Jeremy (in the yellow shirt), to further encourage his developing love of local food.

4. First lake swim of the summer. My friend Duncan is hardcore and has already been swimming for a month now, but this was the first time I’ve jumped in a lake thus far this season. Sure, Prior Lake was totally cold, but it felt great after a long bike ride and was the best way to end the day. (Actually, we ended the day seeing X-Men First Class, which was pretty entertaining. James McAvoy, wow.)

Spring! Here’s to happy goats, happy ducks, happy pigs, flower explosions, bike rides and hikes in the park. I can’t wait for the Camas lilies to carpet Beacon Hill. It’s gonna happen in no time at all!