Winters in Saskatoon are long. Really, really long. I have found a key aspect of surviving weeks upon weeks of bitterly cold temperatures and darkness is to take things one day at a time and have some form of winter travel plan. Both for the escape from Saskatoon, but also for the joy of planning that escape. I liked last year’s plan – a week in Mexico in late December and then a city break in mid February to Portland. This year due to time and other constraints my plan put all of its eggs into a basket of a few days in Vancouver.

It is not all that hard to find a place warmer than Saskatoon in February, and even though Vancouver was a bit colder than seasonal when I visited, it was a real novelty to not wear a heavy jacket and to be able to venture outside without gloves on. I even enjoyed the nostalgia associated with having to carry around an umbrella during most of my visit, something I never need to do in Saskatoon.

Vancouver was exactly what I needed. A late winter distraction and change of scenery. It had most of the hallmarks of a great solo trip. A couple of fun events – a Canucks game and an international wine tasting fit the bill. There were craft beer tastings at new to me since my last visit East Vancouver breweries. There was wonderful food including a couple of great feeds of sushi. And, of course, there was the water. A rare beautiful blue sky February day greeted me on a day of hiking around the seawall that topped up my spirit with the sights and sounds of the coast. I think this trip will give me just the right amount of strength to see through the final period of winter in Saskatoon, even if that is another month or more.