Win a #TravelTuesday Chefs Across The Water #CAW Grand Prize with @Hastings_House @SaltSpringAir and @hummingbird604
If you have followed my blog closely you probably have realized how much I travel writing I do, and how many wonderful events in Canada I promote and highlight. Travel Tuesday is usually one of my favorite days of the week because it usually gives me the chance to write about fantastic travel-focused events that happen in Canada, and especially my home province, British Columbia. One of the destinations I have more proudly highlighted on my travel writings (and where I feel most at home) is Salt Spring Island. Once you reach Salt Spring Island, you are on island time and you really have a chance to relax. And one of my absolute favorite food and wine events happens every year precisely on Salt Spring Island. It’s one of those amazing opportunities that you ABSOLUTELY MUST enjoy at least once in your lifetime: Chefs Across The Water. I recently announced on my Twitter stream the dates for Chefs Across The Water 2012, hosted by Hastings House on Salt Spring Island. You can tell how much I loved it that I highlighted Salt Spring Island as one of my top travel experiences and destinations in 2011.
Hastings House Country House Hotel and Dining Room on Salt Spring Island is pleased to announce our guest chef program is returning for 2012 — top BC chefs have been invited to prepare multiple-course dinners in the Hastings House kitchen, incorporating Salt Spring Island’s produce, seafood, and meats. Wine pairings featuring BC wines will be offered to complement the extraordinary menus.
Salt Spring Island is a food-lover’s paradise, blessed with a mild Mediterranean-like climate and devoted growers and producers renowned for their organic fruits and vegetables, meats, and cheeses. Fresh-caught, wild seafood rounds out nature’s local pantry. In recent years, island wineries have further added to the diversity of the local harvest. Diners can look forward to amazing experiences as the celebrated guest chefs each put their own personal spin on Salt Spring Island flavours.
Chefs Across The Water is, without a doubt, one of the premiere wine and food events in the entire province of British Columbia, and certainly would rank up high there in Canada. The 2012 programme sounds simply amazing:
The new guest chef line-up builds on the tradition of connecting British Columbia’s fine dining establishments while highlighting the incredible bounty of the region’s produce. This year Chefs Across the Water invites distinguished chefs from three Relais & Châteaux luxury hotels and gourmet restaurants to participate in a series of gastronomic island adventures in the months of June, September and October.
Chefs Across the Water participants and dates are as follows:
Chef Nicholas Nutting
The Wickaninnish Inn
Monday, June 11th
Chef Lee Parsons
The Wedgewood Hotel
Monday, September 17th
Chef Terry Pichor
Sonora Resort
Tuesday, October 16th
Each one of the dinners is $100.00 per person, wine pairings $40.00. This is really affordable, even more so if you think about the kind of exclusive and one-of-a-kind experience it is, and each person gets to enjoy a delicious five course dinner prepared with local ingredients by some of the most amazing chefs in the province of British Columbia.
I am super excited to announce that Salt Spring Air and Hastings House have again partenered with me (as they usually do, because they are amazing and they always have been incredibly kind to me) to offer a lucky reader of mine (and a guest of theirs) a Chefs Across The Water 2012 Grand Prize. The Grand Pack elements are as follows:
My Chefs Across The Water/Hastings House/Salt Spring Air Grand Prize package will include two return (Vancouver-Salt Spring Island-Vancouver) seats on the flight to Salt Spring Island that is most appropriate for Chefs Across The Water (June 11th afternoon to return June 12th morning). If you know anything about Salt Spring Air, you’ll know that they are absolutely wonderful and that they provide top-notch service (as well as dozens of Twitter deal, you should follow them at @SaltSpringAir). Beyond their fantastic service and amazing customer service quality, another thing that I love about Salt Spring Air is how eager their owner (Phillip) is willing to experiment with social media (check out Salt Spring Air Pinterest, for example). I always have entrusted my travel to and from Salt Spring (and sometimes to Victoria too) to Salt Spring Air.
SaltSpring Air is the islanders’ airline. We are a locally owned airline based out of Ganges on Saltspring Island, British Columbia, Canada. Now offering free parking at Vancouver Airport. We offer scheduled seaplane service between Saltspring Island, Vancouver International Airport (YVR), Downtown Vancouver/ Vancouver Harbour, and Maple Bay on Vancouver Island. Saltspring Air also provides seaplane flights to the many Gulf Islands.
Charter flights and scenic sightseeing flights are available to any destination throughout the west coast of British Columbia including Victoria Harbour, Nanaimo Harbour, Tofino, Sunshine Coast, Canada’s Southern Gulf Islands and most points reachable by floatplane on Vancouver Island. Our scheduled service serves the following communities; Ganges, Fulford Harbour, Duncan, North Saanich, Pat Bay, Mill Bay, Chemainus, Crofton, Ladysmith, Cowichan, Saturna, Poets Cove and Port Washington of Pender Island, Lyall Harbour on Saturna Island, Miners Bay on Mayne Island, Montague Harbour on Galiano Island, Telegraph Harbour on Thetis Island, Brentwood and Sidney by the Sea.
My Grand Prize Package also includes dinner for two at the June 11th Chefs Across The Water dinner. You REALLY should try, regardless of whether you win (or not) my Grand Prize, to visit Salt Spring Island for Chefs Across The Water. You can read my experience at the August 2011 Chefs Across The Water here. And a couple of photos just to entice your appetite.
Not only do you get to experience the scenic flight over to Salt Spring Island, courtesy of Salt Spring Air, and a fantastic dinner for two in the dining room of Hastings House at Salt Spring, but Hastings House has kindly upped the ante on my Grand Prize and is offering accommodation for two for an overnight stay at the amazing Hastings House. You can read my experiences at Hastings House (which have always been wonderful, both for Chefs Across The Water and for the Salt Spring Island Documentary Film Festival) here. Just a couple of photos of my previous visits to show you how cozy and comfortable the accommodations are.
Hastings House Country House Hotel is a small waterfront luxury country resort, spa and restaurant – sits on 22 acres on the waterfront of Ganges Harbour, Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. Enjoy luxury lodging, fine dining, wellness and relaxation in a casually-elegant atmosphere. Explore British Columbia’s natural beauty, Salt Spring’s mild climate and the warmth and creativity of its people.
The heart of the seaside resort is a magnificent 11th century Sussex-style Manor House overlooking peaceful Ganges Harbour on Salt Spring Island, BC. The Manor House is where guests gather for cocktails and conversation, before dinner. Eighteen unique guest rooms and suites, each with its own décor and history, are situated in seven lovingly maintained buildings around the estate.
So, what do you need to do to enter to win my Chefs Across The Water/Salt Spring Air/Hastings House Grand Prize contest? Well, that is actually pretty easy. You can earn one entry by dropping a comment on this post telling me about your best travel experience in British Columbia. Bonus points if said travel experience has been to Salt Spring Island, or a stay at Hastings House, or flying with Salt Spring Air! I just think it is important to highlight how much of a fantastic travel destination Salt Spring Island is, and while I love all of British Columbia, I think it would be neat if your travel experience had a Salt Spring Island component (this is not mandatory, however!).
If you want to earn a second entry on top of your comment (for a total of two), you can post the following on Twitter:
Shared BC travels w/ @Hummingbird604 http://is.gd/U9nQoH 2 enter 2 win #CAW @saltspringair @hastings_house Chefs Across The Water prize
I will count the second entry (Twitter) only after you drop a comment on this post. I will void entries that just drop a one liner, though. My goal with Grand Prize contests like this is to enrich the experiences of my readers by having my readers share their own travel experiences, so a one liner or a two word phrase just telling me where it was where you travelled and had the most fun doesn’t really inform the other contest participants and commenters on the post. Share about the wonders that Salt Spring Island and the province of British Columbia have!
The fine print:
This contest is open to 19 years of age and older. Please drink responsibly if you consume any alcohol during your dinner. Travel to-and-from Vancouver (if you are out of the Metro Vancouver area) is on your own, as the flight will leave downtown Vancouver and drop you off in Ganges, Salt Spring Island.
I will draw a winner from all entries on the second Travel Tuesday of June, June 5th, at 4pm Pacific Standard Time. Good luck everyone, and thanks Salt Spring Air and Hastings House for, as always, partnering with me to offer amazing Grand Prizes to my readers.
I spent a wonderful weekend on Saltspring Island. It was a really wonderful experience. Lots of artists live on the island and have their studios open for tourists to drop in and purchase their creations. Truly a unique experience.
My best holiday experiences in BC include camping trips where I was based in Nelson and then experienced as many hotsprings swims as I could find in the nearby Kootenays. I loved Ainsworth. I loved Nakusp. The whole time I was there, however, I thought about what it would be like to visit Saltspring, where I’ve never been before. I grew up nearby (Nanaimo) and have no excuse for not going, so Saltspring is now on my list, even if there are no hotsprings there!
When I was 9 years old I visited Salt Spring Island with my maiden auntie Jean whose friends owned the house now called Hastings House and operated it as a sheep farm at that time. It was just their family home. I loved the boat ride over from Victoria as my parents were not able to afford vacations so this was such an adventure. I remember being in my own bedroom such a treat not to have to share with my siblings and looking out at the harbour, watching all of the boats and then walking through the fields with the sheep. Even as a child I have such fond memories of this trip and always wished to go back. Now that I am in my later years I wished I had gotten more information about the family that lived there. I would love to revisit this most magical place as I remember it so many years ago.
When I was a kid my family had a boat and we’d spend summers traveling up the BC coast, as far as Sullivan Bay. My favourite destinations were the Gulf Islands, specifically Salt Spring.
It held a special place in my heart for many years after the boat was sold, and two summers ago I finally revisited the island with my boyfriend, who proposed to me atop Mount Maxwell. We wanted to stay at Hastings House that weekend, but it was over our budget! The closest we got to it was wandering around their lovely grounds. We’d love a chance to go back to Salt Spring and this time actually go inside Hastings House!
Sadly, I have never been to Salt Spring! Which is why I want to go so much!
Although I have had many many amazing BC traveling experiences, I would have to say that my best was the first time I traveled to Vancouver Island, had an incredible road trip around the island, and ended up in Tofino. Facing the ocean in all it’s glory at Long Beach was one of the most awe-inspiring and humbling moments of my life.
My best travel experience in BC was a trip to Kingfisher Spa in Courtenay on Vancouver Island a few years ago. Great spa services and great food.
My best travel experience in BC was to Pacific Sands in Tofino. Tofino is one of my favourite places, and Pacific Sands is an awesome place to stay. So relaxing. I would love to go to Saltspring Island!
I’ve been to Saltspring a few times and love it – it feels like warping back in time to a world that was simpler, more wholesome and with amazing food!
It’s funny that Salt Spring should be the destination because, honestly, my best travel experience has been Salts Spring Island. I went last, last January and while it was the off season, I absolutely fell in LOVE with the place. I loved the little farms and sites (there’s AMAZING CHAI at one of the small coffee shops). I would love to see it again, this time when it’s a bit warmer!
@katdov
My favourite place to go visit is Tofino. I like the ocean, the fishing and kayaking. Makes me forget all my stress. The seafood there is also less polluted.
Best travel experience in BC is taking my hubs back to my small town of Clearwater, BC to show him the amazing, most fabulous and wondrous, biggest falls I have ever seen called: Helmcken Falls in the beautiful Wells Gray Park. Along with these falls, we walked around the mushbowl, Spahats Falls, and Moul Falls and spent the rest of the day enjoying the park. We were excited to see deer along the way, and a little nervous when a baby bear crossed the road. Overall, the trip was a success, and my hubs could not believe a jewel of a park could be in such a small town. Small towns have character, and feel peaceful. I would love to travel to Salt Spring BC.
My best travel experience in BC was a couple of summers ago when we rented a car and explored the Rockies. Admittedly, some of this trip was in Alberta. We saw so many amazing sights and and wildlife we’d never seen before.
my best travel experience in BC was taking the Salt Spring Air seaplane from Ganges to Vancouver.
I have never seen the island,trees water and buildings from above.
It was a glorous experience. Every minute of the way.
Oh!
Wow! and WOW!
and flying over Stanley Park was thrilling.
Having been a tree hugger for decades it was amazing to see them from above yet so close.
My best travel experience in BC has been Salt Spring Island twice. Once as a student with my friend. Here we had a wood fire burning oven where we stayed and the room not having a TV or phone encouraged us to de-compress. We were really close to Hastings House but student budget didn’t allow us to splurge.
The second time was the most special as it was my honeymoon. We stayed at a B&B and had our own private view from the hot-tub and again, we could walk down to the water. Just time to relax and read and enjoy some wonderful local food.
My best travel experience in BC was many years ago when hippies were just discovering the Gulf Islands and Richard Nixon was just getting into trouble. Then, the ferry to Denman and Hornby Island was the somewhat successful mating of a tug boat and a barge by some weekend welder with a creative bend and alcoholic bender. Hornby was undiscovered and at low tide the detritus of World War One became apparent with barnacle encrusted cannons and truck bits of that era revealing themselves near the beach. There was a haunted house that an old gentleman would tell you a story and try to frighten you but even a youngster like me was more interested in the mechanical aspects of his gizmos than being scared by his story. It was bliss and a Treasure Island adventure for a kid. In fact, the Gulf Islands were full of mystery with abandoned Japanese fishing villages, cults, pirates, bones and rum runners.
I went to Salt Spring last year on a whim and loved it. My one big concern with islands is that they’re – well – too remote for the urban gal that I am. Salt Spring was the perfect middle ground – island living, with all the conveniences and quirks of a small town. I’m dying to go back…
While I haven’t been the Salt Spring (yet!) one of my best BC travel experiences has been to Osoyoos/Oliver region. My boyfriend and I took a leisurely drive to Osoyoos (4 hours), and spent the afternoon at different wineries, stopping for lunch at Tinhorn Creek’s new restaurant. We spent the night at Hester Creek’s resort and had an amazing breakfast and just chilled. We visited other wineries in Keremeos and just had a lovely time taking in the beauty of our province and all the delicious food and wine BC has to offer
At the end we ended up with 4 cases of wine from the various wineries in the Okanagan, a few of which I still haven’t opened because they are so special to me!
I was fortunate enough to have a work trip to Saltspring. So lovely, even in the rain! We stayed at the Harbour House Hotel (sorry Hastings, maybe next time!). Have you ever had their oatmeal for breakfast? Oh my word it is so delicious, especially with the fresh roasted hazelnuts. Excellent texture, so comforting, yet so so luxurious. My mouth waters just thinking about it.
My favorite BC travel moment was to Osoyoos which is BC’s very own desert. Water sports all day, BBQs all night, good company all around and a gorgeous scenic drive. Truly one of our gems.
UPDATE – And the winner is Andrea Gregory – congratulations! I will send you an email. Please look out for a message from Hummingbird604.com. Enjoy!
My greatest BC travel experience was a bicycle trip through the Gulf Islands, including my favorite : Saltspring Island! Natural Beauty, culture and a peaceful rural atmosphere so near to Vancouver makes Saltspring special.