take me out to the ball game…read more there's something wonderfully nostalgic about spending an evening at nat bailey stadium. near queen elizabeth park, the stadium has been home to the vancouver canadians for decades and has that old school minor league baseball feel that makes a game here about much more than what's happening on the field. tonight's matchup was the vancouver canadians versus the tri-city dust devils, and the whole evening had that easy, family oriented, community feel you want from a baseball game. no need to dress up, no need to make a big production out of it. just grab a seat, settle in, and let the game happen around you. we weren't particularly hungry at 5:00 pm, so instead of going all in on their footlong dogs, we made an easy decision: hand scooped strawberry milkshakes from triple o's. cold, creamy, and strawberry forward, it was just enough of a treat without committing to a full meal. there was plenty going on between innings too. the chicken dance made an appearance, there was the seventh inning stretch, a 50/50 draw, and all sorts of little bits of entertainment that kept everyone engaged. it's the kind of stuff that makes a live baseball game feel like an event rather than simply sitting down to watch nine innings. one of my favourite details was watching someone behind the scoreboard manually updating the scores and game information. there's something oddly satisfying about seeing it happen in real time rather than everything being instantly updated on a giant digital screen. and then there was the fan who caught a foul ball with one outstretched hand while holding a beer in the other. the crowd absolutely roared and broke into applause. honestly, that may have been one of the night's highlights. the scoreboard wasn't just about the score either. there were player stats, home run counts, stolen bases, and other bits of information that gave you something to keep an eye on between pitches. for someone who enjoys the little details, it added another layer to the game. the crowd really brought the atmosphere. at one point, everyone stood up and clapped in unison, creating this sudden wall of noise and energy around the stadium. it was loud, enthusiastic, and exactly the kind of thing you don't get watching a game from home. a big thank you to subaru for sponsoring the game and for the baseball cap and water bottle flask. free swag is always better when it's actually useful, and both were nice take home extras. nat bailey has been a fixture in vancouver baseball for decades, and while it's certainly not a modern, bells and whistles stadium, that's part of the charm. the relatively intimate seating, neighbourhood setting, mountain views, enthusiastic fans, and all the little traditions make it feel distinctly vancouver. there's something about baseball that slows everything down in the best possible way. sit back, sip a strawberry milkshake, root for the home team, do the chicken dance, stretch during the seventh inning, watch the scoreboard get updated by hand, and enjoy an evening at the ballpark. for it's one, two, three strikes, you're out, at the old ball game

My first time at a Canadians game even though I've lived here my entire life! Had to get a yard dog…read moreto share with friends, so cute that they gave us a lottle accomplishment pin. I appreciate that they cut the dog up for you, and it's a good deal with the $5 alcoholic beverage. Yard nachos were also fun but got soggy fast, I prefer the yard dog. If you come, bring a cushion to sit on as the benches can be hard after an hour!

I've been trying out different spin studios in Vancouver and decided to try Spinco's Gastown…read morelocation on a Sunday morning at 9. They recommend getting there 15min before the ride starts if it's your first time to get you checked in and oriented I got there around that time and the lobby area was super quiet - the front desk staff helped me check in right away and gave me shoes. They let me know that the changing room & washrooms were downstairs and that while there was no lockers I could leave my stuff in the cubbies near the front desk and someone from their team would be there at all times. I headed downstairs to the washrooms - keep in mind while there are separate washrooms for male/female (the female one has 2 washroom stalls and 2 showers), the changing area is unisex so I saw some girls changing in the showers. They also provided hair dryers, shampoo, body wash, and towels as well. When I came back up the lobby had gotten much busier and the instructor let us in the room. A member from the front desk came over to ask if I needed any help and once I was set up on the bike the class started. For the class itself, I loved the instructor's energy and the playlist (lots of pop tracks) but my biggest drawback was that the music was too loud compared to the mic volume so I found it really hard to hear the queues and instead had to watch her. I found it pretty easy to follow though as many of the moves were repeated within the song so you could get used to them. There was also a short weights section as well which was a nice break from pedalling, as well as a very short stretch at the end that was a bit too short in my opinion - this may have just been because the class coming after was tight time-wise. Similarly, it may have just been the timing of the 2 classes but the lobby area and changing rooms were absolutely packed when I left the class which made everything a bit chaotic and there was a line for the women's washroom since many people were (understandably) changing in the stalls instead of the common area. Overall I really enjoyed the workout here and think it's a great studio for beginners and intermediates alike!

Didn't realize this spin studio was located here, but convenient to people living nesr Costco or in…read moreGastown. I signed up for a Battle of the Justins themed ride. The demographic runs 20s and 30s. This studio also seemed less busy than others downtown with several empty bikes, but it could have also been the time on Sunday morning. Staff here is friendly and they are quick with the check in. They provide shoes and sweat towels are laid out on all the bikes in the studio. They also included a welcome note for newbies. The bikes have more flat handlebars (not inclined) than other studios downtown. There were two bikes which were placed as demo bikes, one on the main floor and another downtairs. I think this is a nice touch for people who have never done spin before and gievs the staff an option to orient outside of the studio. There is a water refill station and no lockers, but cubbies to store personal items. Staff reassured me that they are always at the desk and lock the front doors once the class begins so theft isn't an issue. Downstairs were change rooms. The change rooms are very small and consist of three stalls and one vanity with two sinks. At least one of the stalls was a shower. There were hairdryer and straighteners in the women's washroom. But again, the change rooms are super small-- basically 3-4 people max can stand in the area outside of the stalls. The spin studio has a standard setup with lights. There were also some lanterns that the instructor brought out at the second half of the class. It was difficult to see the instructor from the side with the Av system controls because the laptop blocks view of the instructors torso and hands. The instructor was Ale. She came over before the class star5ed to make sure everything was good and adjusted my bike for me. Compared to other instructors, I found that her song selection included songs with beats that were easy to sync to while riding. She was also very clear in her instructions so you knew exactly what range of resistance to be on and what leg to lead with.

Came here with my gf in order to get our private tour of the Canucks stadium. This is the same…read morevenue where the mens hockey games for the 2010 Olympics are being held. Our hour long tour was quite impressive and went from the uber exclusive upper club levels in the stadium all the way down to the ice and to the team's dressing rooms. Probably one of the best designed hockey stadiums that I've been to considering that no matter where you sat you had a full view of the ice. If you're in town and the Canucks are playing I'd recommend grabbing a game or two for some awesome on ice action.

The ticket seller that popped up first was Ticketsales.com. But the key words were Vancouver…read moreGiants. Chose my tickets, $31 each. No mention of currency so you would assume CDN. Later find out its an American reseller and tickets were in USD!! What are the Giants doing using a USA company to fraud their consumers!!

WHL hockey action is cheaper, more accessible and a lot of fun. Plus the Vancouver Giants are often…read moreat the top of the Western Conference, outplaying teams from Seattle, Spokane, Kelowna and Kamloops (among others). If you just want to see some hockey and don't really care if you know the names of all the players, you'll get all the same great action at the Pacific Coliseum as you would at GM Place. Except it's a fraction of the price and your seats will be closer to the ice. The Memorial Cup (the highest prize of junior hockey) went to the Giants in 2007 -- it's always more fun to root for the winning team. The Giants are an especially a nice break if you're a Canucks fan.

This is a great place to play ice hockey, indoor soccer or do some ice skating…read more What I love about watching my husband and friends play hockey at 8 Rinks, is that you can watch in the comfort of the restaurant upstairs. You're not pressured to purchase any food or drinks so I like that flexibility. There's a couple of massage chairs in case you wanted to relax and most importantly, it is WARM upstairs. Yay! If you do want to purchase food, I usually order the nachos. The portions are huge and I find they are the tastiest items on the menu. Go for the Irish Nachos if you have room for extra room and deliciousness! http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/p9DWM8w27HhNUgLev1wJEA?select=Q-GBX69EPPuRbjfE48944w (instead of corn tortilla chips, you get deep fried potatoes) Note: There's plenty of parking and it is always free.

One of the nicer ice rinks in town. I heard the Canucks practice here as well…read more Parking is available all over the nice large out front. Free-skates on the weekend are only $8 or so for 75 minutes of skating, rental included. The skates are a little beaten up but this is expected. Interestingly enough, the rink isn't too full at all. There were maybe 40 people at most, which left more than enough room to zip around and do some laps. There are also walkers for those who aren't experts, as well as mini-chairs for the kids. Upstairs there is also a pub (Thirsty Penguin), but I didn't try anything there. If you are looking for a nice cheap place to have fun, whether you're with friends, family, or date, this is actually a surprisingly excellent venue. Recommended.

Trout lake is a wonderful community centre, it's very lively and their gym has almost everything…read moreyou need. Their gym is well lit, it's not too cramped, they have a room to do cycling, you can go outside with mats during warm days to do your excercises, and they have two stretching machines. My go to place for the gym. They also have programs and currently I am in their photography class which is fun!

I have been taking pottery classes at trout lake for the last 3.5 years, I love the instructors and…read morehave taken Suzanne's and Laura's classes. They are hard to get into (you need quick fingers) since they are very reasonably priced. Free parking lot, but heard that's changing to paid parking this summer :( the front desk is always helpful, they have a cafe in the back for a drink or a quick snack. Twice a year (May and Nov), they have a pottery sale from their members and everything is so reasonably priced!

The best curling club in the lower mainland!!…read more Tons of leagues to choose from for all levels of experience and competitiveness; great ownership; very welcoming patrons; fantastic bar upstairs complete with free pool, shuffleboard, darts and permanent drink specials; and world-class ice. I've been curling here since I was in high school and I can't think of a single bad thing to say about this place. Have curled out of probably every other club in Vancouver and none can compete!

Curling. It's harder than it looks!…read more Don't be fooled by the pros on TV making this sport look so easy. It's quite difficult to balance and not easy to judge how far the curling rock will slide. Plus it is super cold! Even with all these factors, everyone had such a good time. We rented 1 sheet of ice for a friendly birthday tournament and ended up having the whole place to ourselves. The brightly lit curling rink also provided some photo ops and the pictures turned out beautifully. Perhaps, we should make curling a yearly tradition...

My first time curling... and here's my checklist:…read more Good friends? YES Doughnuts? YES Coffee? NO (but only because it was too hard to transport to the club) Stretchy Pants? YES Warm clothes? NO (but you can't feel the cold when you're numb) Muscles? YES (but that stone is HEAVY) Camera? YES (to catch everyone falling on their bums!) We had a 15 minute quick curling 101 session with an expert at the club - and then we were off! After more than a few falls, we were practically on our way to being experts! Oh curling, how I underestimated you. I used to call you a sport for sissies, but now I feel the pain - oh the lunges!