Archive for December, 2012

From SPECC-tacular Productions Theatre Group comes Sleeping Beauty. We were fortunate enough to get a few snaps of the at the end of their fun pantomime. Running until Saturday, December 15/ 2012 at The ACT, don’t forget to bring the family!

Witch- Su Wolfe

Queen- Steve Bradley

The ACT, Maple Ridge

Touring around town at night can be an opportunity to see the City’s delightful holiday decorations and explore some of the shops that you haven’t been to yet!

T’s Gourmet Tea Coffee and Gifts, Maple Ridge

Pitt Meadows Museum

Bell Locksmith Ltd

Does that special someone on your Christmas shopping list have enough jewellery, tools, sweaters, ties, assorted knick-knacks and doodads to last two lifetimes? Well, try giving that person something truly special this holiday season – try giving the gift of memories.

Yes, finding the right gift for someone is always a challenge, no matter the occasion, but it always seems to be more difficult at Christmas because the pressure to find something truly meaningful is greatest then. Oh, and finding something for those “hard to buy for” people is the worst.

So why not make it easier on yourself this holiday season by giving the people on your shopping list the gift of fun and excitement? Give them a Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows experience that will provide a lifetime of memories, and prove once and for all that you are the most thoughtful gift-giver ever.

So much to do in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows

Giving the gift of memories is a great idea, and there are so many ideas to choose from locally. The opportunities are endless, and no matter where the interests of those on your shopping list lie, chances are good you’ll find an experience they’ll be thrilled to receive.

If you have an arts lover on your list, it’s actually easy to shop for that person because there are so many great arts and culture events in any given year thanks to The ACT, and the prices vary depending on the shows chosen, so there’s something for every budget.

The same goes for the golfers in your life thanks to the terrific golf courses we can boast of locally, including Swan-e-Set Bay Resort, Meadow Gardens Golf Club, Pitt Meadows Golf Club, Golden Eagle Golf Course, Maple Ridge Golf Course, and even Hacker’s Haven. Buy a round of golf or find something useful or interesting in the pro shops. You could even buy a gift card so your golfer can go bash some balls at the Meadows Golf Centre.

Sports enthusiasts would likely enjoy a night out at a Maple Ridge Burrards lacrosse game, or a Maple Ridge Flames Junior B hockey game. The tickets are reasonable, and the family fun quotient is high.

Adventure lovers would surely enjoy a trip to Wildplay for some thrills in the woods, and it doesn’t cost much to put together a hike up into the local mountains on our fantastic hiking and walking trails – just the fixings for a great picnic, and maybe some good boots and socks. You could also put together a canoe or kayak adventure at Pitt Lake or Alouette Lake, where they rent canoes and kayaks at reasonable rates. And don’t forget about the skydiving and other opportunities for fun available at the Pitt Meadows Airport.

History buffs will definitely thank you for a day out at our local museums, including the Maple Ridge Museum, the Pitt Meadows Museum, and perhaps even afternoon tea at Haney House.

The foodies on your list are a snap to buy for given the wide choice of restaurants now available to us – from fine dining establishments to favourite lunch spots and everything in between. And for something a bit different, try booking a chef demonstration session at the Golden Ears Cheeseworks.

So many great gift adventures right here in Maple Ridge

When you give the gift of adventure this Christmas, you’ll be giving the gift of lifelong memories, and nothing says adventure like horseback riding through the trails of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.

The communities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows are a horse-lovers paradise, as we have kilometres and kilometres of riding trails that wind through forests and across streams, along dykes and over hills. We have lessons and riding stables, trails and riding events. Truly something for everyone who loves horses.

So how do you give the gift of an adventure on horseback? Simple, really, just get in touch with one of our local riding stables and let them help you put together a great gift package.

 Trail riding in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows

As noted, we have many kilometres of trails to explore – about 100km all told, with another 50 or 60 up at Golden Ears Park. Equutrails Horseback Riding Adventures and Kildare Riding School and Leghorn Ranch are three companies that will take you out by the hour, half-day or full-day to explore the local trails with knowledgeable guides.

 

Riding lessons in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows

If that someone special in your life wants to learn how to ride, why not give the gift of riding lessons this Christmas. Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge have plenty of stables that offer lessons for people of all ages and abilities.

Try contacting Evergreen Stables, Kildare Riding School, Maple Meadows Equestrian Centre, Maple Ridge Equi-sport Centre and Equutrails Horseback Riding Adventures to learn more about costs and conditions, but you’ll definitely be “Santa of the Year” if you give riding lessons to the horse-lover in your household this Christmas.

 

Riding for the more adventurous

If riding the trails or taking lessons aren’t quite enough for the horse-nut in your life, how about something a little more adventurous.

If you’ve seen the show Mantracker on television and thought it would be cool to give it a go, Equutrails Horseback Riding Adventures has its own day-long adventure that pits teams against each other.

Equutrails Horseback Riding Adventures, Kildare Riding School and Maple Meadows Equestrian Centre also have day camps for horse enthusiasts, and Leghorn Ranch even offers over-night riding adventures for those who love riding and camping.

These are just some of the great horseback riding activities that would make for spectacularly fun gift ideas this holiday season. Give the horse-lover in your life a real adventure this Christmas.

Naturally, the easiest way to please any Maple Ridge or Pitt Meadows foodie is with a gift certificate or two to a local restaurant, and there are plenty of places to choose from. We don’t have the space to list all of the local restaurants, but the Tourism Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows dining guide will point you in the right direction.

Combine food and fun with a hands-on gift that will delight any foodie

Does your foodie like to cook? Well, Golden Ears Cheesecrafters offers an ongoing series of food-centric events that involve demonstrations and tasting with some of Metro Vancouver’s premier chefs and instructors. Learn about cooking techniques, tips and tricks for the kitchen, and a whole lot more. Small classes and plenty of sampling is the name of the game, plus lots of fun.

If your foodie has a group of friends who might want to engage in a special cooking event together, consider Eileen’s Creative Cooking classes. Your host, Eileen Dwillies, offers special cooking classes based on the interests of her students, so this is a terrific opportunity to learn something new. A hands-on experience, this is perfect for people who want to learn, cook, and eat the end results. Eileen also offers Saturday classes that focus on bread-making (very popular), pastry-making, and more.

Does your gift recipient enjoy wine? How about treating him/her to wine school at Swirl Wine Store? This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the wide world of wine with some area experts. Naturally, what would wine school be without wine tasting… purely for educational purposes, of course.

Special events created just for foodies

Yes, special events are just the ticket for foodies who like mingling with like-minded people, and Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows have some good ones. They’re fun, and many of them are for a good cause, so you’d be giving more than just a present.

Consider Golden Harvest, the Meadowridge Rotary Wine Festival, Chinese New Year, the Ridge Meadows South Asian Cultural Society gala, and other such events. If you can’t get tickets before Christmas, an IOU with a great card makes a good present. Just don’t forget to pay up when the time comes. 

These are just a few ideas to consider for the special foodie in your life. Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows have plenty of other opportunities to indulge that special someone’s appetite for great food and quality fun, so be creative and thoughtful, and put a big smile on someone’s face this Christmas.