Zublog

The Zufall experience usually comes from rolling two dice but sometimes we only need one.  We’ve used the blue (we call it letting blue decide)  when we have two options and just can’t make up our minds. We let blue decide by assigning each option either odds or evens.  Well, once in a while we use only the directional dice.

We told you about finding a hotel on St. Martin (a part of the French West Indies in the Caribbean) by chance – but the rolls didn’t stop there:   

I had heard that Anse Marcel was a nice, secluded beach that not a lot of people ended up at -perfect. When it comes to beach time, we are DIYers. So, we packed up our cooler, our towels and our umbrella and headed North.

The drive was very pretty, with the final stretch, up a winding road, providing a stunning preview of the little cove known as Anse Marcel. Arriving at the end of the road, we discovered free parking and plenty of signage to get you to the beach. The walkway led us straight to an area where beach chair and umbrella are for rent at $15 each. It’s smack dab in between the white loungers of the Radisson and the orangey-red of Hotel Le Domaine de Lonvilliers (jhee jhee).

We walked right past those haute chairs to the southwest side of the beach – which was wide open. It likely won’t stay that way very long based on the bulldozers ripping up the ground behind that portion of the beach. We stuck our umbrella in the ground and set up our towels…but a few minutes later a white clad waiter informed us that we were not welcome to stay. A small white plastic fence stuck in the sand was apparently the divider between public and private beach and we were in the domain of Le Domaine. A local had told us that all beaches on St. Martin are public and that regardless of how fervently a resort might try to protect its guest from having to look at riff-raff sitting directly on the sand (gasp), you had every right to stay put. But, we weren’t in the mood for putting up the good fight – we wanted to swim and chill and if that meant moving three feet to the left, so be it.

Once settled, we broke out the picnic and had ourselves a nice cold beer. We frolicked in the gentle surf (the drop off is quite gradual, so it was a great location for bobbing in the water), read our books, and watched the people walking down the beach (most of whom were actually wearing bathing suits – a rare thing indeed on a French beach). 

It was the perfect last day on an island that we had truly enjoyed and thought we had fully explored.  Thanks to the dice, we found one more cove worth discovering.  And, that is why we never go on vacation without our Zufall dice.

Sometimes waiting until the last minute to book a hotel can leave you sleeping on the beach. It’s true that we like to leave things to chance, but there are varying degrees of that practice. Case in point; we’re traveling to the island of St Maarten / St. Martin in the Caribbean, thanks to a kind offer from a friend to use his timeshare there.

However, the accommodation doesn’t cover the full stay – so we were still in need of a place to stay. As hotels can get pretty expensive on the island and, although the $7000 a night villas look lovely, we wanted to make sure we grabbed a reasonably priced place before they were all gone. But, we weren’t prepared to completely give up on our favorite pastime – Zufall. So, we pulled up a Google Maps shot of the island and imagined we were right in the middle. We set our base value at 1km as the crow flies. We rolled an E/4 … so directly east from the centre (Dutch Cul de Sac) we ended up at Oyster Pond.

We found a great little place on line that is right up our alley (not a big hotel resort) It’s called Les Balcons and it’s a small, family run establishment with bungalow style rooms equipped with a kitchen. The interesting thing about Oyster Pond is that half of it is on the Dutch side of the island and the other half is on the French side. It’s a less touristy destination and I doubt we would have bothered to look there for accommodation if we hadn’t rolled our way there.

Our reservations are set, and we’ve got our fingers crossed that the dice are leading us to yet another great adventure by chance.

I should know better than to chastise Tim for missing an exit while Zufalling. We had rolled a NW 3 with a base value of 10 minutes driving. By the map it looked like we would end up in Horseshoe Bay.

Horseshoe Bay is always a great place to go for a stroll on a sunny Saturday afternoon – so I was looking forward to it. But, Tim missed the exit.

Here’s the thing – you can’t make a wrong turn when you Zufall because you don’t really know where the roll is leading you until you get there. Tim took the next exit, and we ended up driving through the neighbourhood of Horseshoe Bay instead of visiting the village – where all the tourists go. Of course, I knew there was more to Horseshoe Bay than the village, but I had never seen it.

We drove up and along Marine, checking out the million-dollar homes that cling impossibly to the cliff-side to deliver the spectacular view of Howe Sound to its inhabitants. It was inspirational, breathtaking, and completely unexpected. As we descended down toward the yacht club we saw some local kids playing soccer – it seemed like the entire community had come out to support the young superstars. We carried on along Marine, having gotten a little turned around by the zigzag of the road.

Suddenly, on our right was a sign for Lighthouse Park and we pulled into the crowded parking lot. I don’t know where those car’s owners were because it felt like we had the park to ourselves. The smell of pine and dirt, the glint of sun off the rolling ocean and the majesty of one of the province’s first light houses – it demanded a long walk in the forest and some scampering up the rock faces. We even ran into an old friend as we were leaving and got caught up.

It was another spontaneous afternoon that could have been very different if Tim hadn’t missed the turn. It was also a great reminder for me to not try to plan the unplanned adventure.

The weekend roll was NE/2 – we had set our base value at 10 minute driving and we thought we were headed for deep cove.  We put on clothes fit for kayaking and hit the road.  Much to our surprise, the traffic delayed us and after 20 minutes of driving (a roll of 2 times 10 minutes driving) we weren’t yet at Deep Cove. The next place to turn off Dollarton Hwy was Cates Park.  The parking lot was crowded but we found a spot in overflow.  Lots of families were picnicking and settling in for the late afternoon free music performance that the sandwich boards advertised.  What a place to end up – right on Burrard inlet with an amazing view of Burnaby Mountain!

We were happy to discover that Takaya Tours rents double kayaks (and they’re $10 cheaper than Deep Cove) and launch you right off the beach.  It’s a new service at Cates Park that only started last summer – who knew?

We had a lovely time on the water, checking out the beautiful mountains, dreaming about the waterfront mansions and we even managed to make it to Deep Cove.  Ninety minutes later, we returned to the pebble beach much more relaxed and joyful. There was only one thing left to do…eat. 

Cates Park had one more surprise for us – the recently opened Wally’s Burgers.  This place was an institution in Vancouver and when the original drive-in style restaurant on Kingsway shut down in March 2008, many lamented the loss of a great burger joint.  Well, it’s back and it’s busy.  Tim had the Deluxe Burger with onion rings and I had a mint chocolate chip milkshake made with real ice cream.  Deee-licious!  We sat at the picnic table taking in the view and watching the people come and go from their day at the beach.  

It just goes to show, even when you think you know what is going to happen on your Zufall adventure – you have to be ready for it to be totally different. We definitely made the most of Cates Park today!

By the way, we’d love to hear about your adventures by chance…please share them with us by clicking on the orange banner on the main page and check out the experiences that other people have had.  Each adventure is always unique.

On a recent Zufall adventure we found ourselves in Osoyoos, BC.  It was a scorching hot day in the desert and while a dip in the lake seemed tempting the variety of wineries we passed along HWY 3 had been tempting us for longer.  It was late afternoon, but we still managed to visit two tasting rooms, all with in a few kilometers from the downtown area. 

The first on the list was Twisted Tree, a relatively new winery (established in 2004) just a few minutes North East of Osoyoos on Hwy 3. The tasting room had a real Southern French flare and we soon found out why. All of their varietals are from France. We tried three whites, two of which were blends. We are not usually Chardonnay lovers, but theirs was a subtle Chard, its oaky-ness softened by a hint of honey. That was the bottle we bought.   

Our next stop was just east on the East Bench above Lake Osoyoos, and is quite a bit more established.  Nk’Mip Cellars is conveniently located just up the hill from the campground we were staying at giving us a gorgeous view of the vineyard (planted in 1968) rolling down to the lake. The winery is owned by the Osoyoos Indian Band and is adjacent to the still expanding Spirit Ridge Resort and Spa.

 Nestled into the dusty hill, the property boasts a contemporarily styled dining room, an outdoor patio bistro (with overhead mist jets – a delight on those punishing desert days) a pool (check into a cabana for the afternoon), golf, and some education with the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre. It’s a lovely resort with stylish, spacious suites and well laid out villas with a kitchen for extended stays or families. Plus, the place is riddled with metal sculptures…but back to the wine.  We’ve been fans of this vintner for some time. Tim is particular to the Qwam Qwmt Merlot but this time around we picked up the Reisling.

Nothing tops off a hot, dry day in sagebrush country like a crisp glass of icy wine.  What a treat that we rolled our way to this great, yet under appreciated, corner of BC’s wine country.

We found ourselves enjoying breakfast at The Grand Lakefront B&B in Nelson recently – the dice rolled us straight into a soccer tournament, so we had to abandon camping and enjoy the respite of this heritage accommodation – more on that later.

Joining us at the table were Stacy and Galileo, a bubbly couple from Calgary. Eventually, we got to talking about Zufall and how it works. They loved it.

It was amazing to me, that they were both attracted to it for very different reasons.  For her, it was the lure of not having to plan, to avoid all the research and work that usually goes into a road-trip.  For him, it was the lack of accountability. He loved that nothing on the trip could ever be his fault. 

We often find that men and women like to Zufall for different reasons – women like the romantic notion of spontaneity – the surprise of it all, and to be completely unencumbered by the planning. Men like that it’s easy and it releases them from expectation (their own and their traveling companion’s). 

Either way – it makes for a simpler vacation and forces you to take it as it comes. Everyone is more relaxed and enjoys the journey. When it comes to the battle of the sexes and Zufall – there isn’t much of a battle at all.

It’s hard to believe but it’s been almost 9 years since the first seed of Zufall was created.  Back then it was a flip of a coin instead of dice but it was the same premise… let chance decide where we would go and the entire trip would become an adventure.  It wasn’t planned, it was the spawn of utter indecision – a car packed and ready for a camping trip and neither of us could decide (or was willing to choose) where to go. All of the gory details of that first date, young love and unbridled indecision can be found on the history page. 

A lot has changed in these past 9-years, we’ve developed the dice for Zufall, embraced the philosophy, and (in the last couple of years) have been lucky enough to introduce lots of great people to a world of adventure by chance. We get more and more people telling us about their experiences and sharing their adventures.  Who knew that one moment of letting a coin toss decide our weekend destination would lead to so much?

In honour of our 9th anniversary, we’ve decided to hit the road for another camping adventure. We’re gearing up for 5 days and we have no idea where we will end up. Just like our first trip, we won’t roll the dice until the car is packed and we are ready to hit the road – we’ll have to be prepared for anything.  But, unlike our first trip, we will be video taping our excursions to share with you here on Zublog. Stay tuned for episode one of ZufallTV…guaranteed to contain Tim’s antics, Val’s tisking and lots of random fun.

I realized today as I made my way to meet Tim for a Zufall lunch that our Friday Zufall dates have become a bit of a habit – and I had to wonder if it goes against our whole philosophy of spontaneity and un-planning your life. I guess that’s balance – we still get to roll the dice but we had to plan a little, to make it happen.  

Besides, today’s roll was worth it.  We started at 4th @ Burrard with the base value set at 1 block.  We rolled a 1/SE and thought we might be in trouble. If you don’t know Vancouver, there is something in every direction, except that one. Or so we thought.  

We ended up at Quince – a very unique business that preps gourmet meals so you can make them at home. The shop also has great foodie items like flavoured vinegars and artisan preserves (including a selection from the delectable Vista D’oro) Well, they also have a little café serving lunch – just our luck!  We waited a little for the food, but it was fresh and delish.  Tim had an organic chicken panini and I opted for the soup and salad (which prominently featured scrumptious beets). 

Not only did we find a new place to eat, but the surroundings gave us a bunch of food ideas – and even inspired us to get creative this weekend with our dinner plans.  I think Tim might even sign up for their very serious BBQ cuisine class.  It was just our regular Zufall lunch, but it still delivered so much more than we could have expected.

 

Last weekend, we decided to roll the dice for a place to hike. The roll was N/5 with a base value of 15 minutes driving. So, that had us heading up the Sea to Sky Highway toward Whistler.  And hour and twenty minutes got as far as Alice Lake – which is a beautiful place to have a picnic by the beach and wander the trails.  We did just that and really enjoyed our day.But, it wasn’t just the great hiking or the lovely setting that random chance delivered to me that day. It was a funny little contraption that I saw a young family using it. It was like a dissected tent – just the back half – providing a nice little clamshell shelter for their baby while the rest of the family frolicked in the water and sunshine. I had never seen anything like it and I felt like a new world had opened up to me.To understand my excitement, you have to know something about me – for all my love of the outdoors, I am impossibly sensitive to the sun.  My skin burns at the mere mention of sunshine. A day on the beach for me means bathing in SPF 60, long sleeve shirts, a wide brim hat and a sarong to wrap my legs in.  Until now! I found the shelter at XS Cargo for only $14.88 – it folds up nice and neat, just like a mini tent, and is a lot less cumbersome than a giant umbrella. I can finally be the beach bunny I’ve dreamed of being… without the skidoo suit.