Vicky Goche

Pasadena's Tournament of Roses parade is a magical event that attracts families and Rose Bowl float admirers from all over the nation to visit the Pacific coast during the New Year's holiday season. The Los Angeles area is one of the best places to visit during the winter months and there are numerous Rose Bowl related events taking place to be a part of while you are in town! If you plan on heading west for the Rose Parade to ring in the New Year, here is some useful information to make the "Just Imagine.

There is an undeniable magic in the air and in the spirit of the Pacific Northwest. From Washington state and the south of British Columbia all the way up to Alaska, if you have never been to the Pacific Northwest, you are missing an area of the earth unlike any other. With that said, what are you waiting for! One of the best ways to see the area is with an all inclusive Alaska cruise from Seattle to Alaska.

Finding reasonable budget travel is not always easy! Affordable accommodations and ways to travel often leave you trying to find last minute vacation deals or booking over a year in advance (which is not always possible when vacation dates may change). It is also hard to travel during the peak summer getaway season when everyone is looking for an affordable vacation.

Victoria BC is a vibrant city to visit! Travelers can stroll the natural scenery of Victoria's Butchart Gardens, adventure travel on the challenging mountain bike trails that span the island, shop Antique Row on Fort Street for rare finds, and see the marvels of Victoria BC's own Chinatown. However, no matter what brings you to Victoria BC, make sure to go whale watching off Vancouver Island if your visit is during the peak whale spotting season of April through October.

Do you want to jump on your mountain bike and experience the challenges of adventure travel with a solid dose of a big city's night life and never have to get in a car? If you have never heard of Burnaby, British Columbia, it is a suburb of Vancouver BC giving you the convenience of staying in the middle of a great city with quick access to excellent mountain bike trails.

A family vacation is really not complete without the whole family; but what if one of your close family members is a furry friend? Can you imagine exploring the beaches, mountains and parks without your animal family member? That said, finding pet friendly hotels and making travel arrangements is not always a simple undertaking. If you have the desire to include your fuzzy, scaly, or feathered loved one in your travel plans, here are some pet friendly travel tips to help you and your pet arrive at your Canadian destination with ease.

If you are looking for a challenging place to mountain bike, look no further than Victoria BC on gorgeous Vancouver Island. Great trails with maps for newbies, bike friendly hotels with tools, and the luscious South Vancouver Island setting make Victoria BC a fantastic place to hit the trails. ONE: Great Trails for All Experience Levels Not everyone in the family can hit the slopes or take the extreme technical paths! Victoria BC has an abundance of networked trails for a variety of skill levels to show the whole family some bike love.

One of the best cycling destinations in the world is British Columbia, Canada. Whether you are touring the countryside on Canada's multi-use trails or mountain biking the surrounding peaks of BC, the natural beauty of the area offers amazing biking experiences for any type and level of cyclist. And if you are a cyclist, finding a bike friendly hotel just got a little easier.

Come one and all to Victoria BC's 13th annual Christmas Truck Light Parade and food drive on December 3rd, 2011. This is a great time to enjoy an evening out with the whole family, to be thankful for the community that we have in Victoria BC, and to help pull together holiday fixings for families and individuals in need. If you are new to Christmas in Victoria, the truck light parade is put on by the Island Equipment Operators Association and consists of their industrial work trucks being transformed into a mobile light show.

British Columbia is one of the most gorgeous regions in North America and holds a large portion of the preserved natural space in the Pacific Northwest; why do you think British Columbia's catch phrase is "The Best Place on Earth." It just so happens, that the BC Parks system is celebrating its 100th birthday in 2011 with the anniversary of the first BC Park, Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island.