Off to the land of poutine and Nanaimo bars

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Do you know what poutine and Nanaimo bars are? If so, you know where we are headed on our 2015 summer vacation.

Here’s a photo of poutine:

Poutine. Photo by Yuri Long from Arlington, VA, USA (road_trip-9349.jpg) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

It’s basically French fries topped with brown gravy and cheese curds. If you think that’s a weird combination, welcome to the club. But I’m willing to try it.

Nanaimo bars are much easier to stomach, especially if you have a sweet tooth.

Nanaimo bars. Photo by Stephanie Spencer (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

They’re no-bake dessert bars with a wafer-crumb base topped with custard and melted chocolate. We’ll spend a night in the town of Nanaimo where the Nanaimo bar was supposedly invented. I’m sure our kids will talk us into trying some.

So have you guessed where we’re going? If you said Canada, you’d be right. British Columbia, to be more precise. We’ll do some exploring in and around Vancouver and Vancouver Island (including Victoria). On the way there and back, we’ll stop in Portland, OR and Seattle, WA to visit friends and fellow gardeners. No room for plant purchases due to the crammed automobile situation.

Expect to see posts from the road as early as Thursday. Our first stop will be at the Danger Garden in Portland.

Comments

  1. Jane StrongJune 24, 2015 at 5:56 PM

    Oh, how envious I am! Cool, cool weather! Stunning gardens and many of them. Show them to us, please!

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    1. Gerhard Bock (Succulents and More)June 24, 2015 at 10:07 PM

      I'll do my best. I'll definitely go to the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden in Vancouver as well as Butchart Gardens in Victoria, BC.

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  2. Kris PetersonJune 24, 2015 at 8:47 PM

    Have a great time! I hope Portland and Seattle offer healthier fare.

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  3. Mark and GazJune 24, 2015 at 10:19 PM

    How wonderful Gerhard!! Have a great time!!!

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    1. Gerhard Bock (Succulents and More)June 24, 2015 at 10:23 PM

      I've never been to British Columbia. I can't wait. The UBC Botanical Garden in Vancouver is supposed to be stunning.

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  4. danger gardenJune 25, 2015 at 9:06 AM

    Even with all my many trips to British Columbia I'd never heard of poutine until Andrew and I honeymooned in Montreal. We tried it, it was disgusting. Fast forward to the Toronto Fling and I was starving when the hors d'oeuvres started flowing before dinner one night so I accepted a small cone of poutine. Wow. It was actually good, and I'm not a fan of gravy. So, I'll be curious to hear if you find it in Vancouver and what you think of it!

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    1. Gerhard Bock (Succulents and More)June 25, 2015 at 9:14 AM

      I've never had poutine, but Laura has already been scoping out the best places for poutine in Vancouver (or was it Victoria)? I'm dubious about the gravy part too.

      We tried to make a Nanaimo bar last year but it was a disaster. I don't think it was a good recipe. Looking forward to trying the original.

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  5. AlanJune 25, 2015 at 1:56 PM

    "No room for plant purchases due to the crammed automobile situation"

    We'll see...

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  6. Hoover BooJune 25, 2015 at 2:55 PM

    Enjoy your vacation with your family! A little trailer for plants--would that be so difficult? Any room on the roof?

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