If you're in Vancouver for the upcoming Winter Olympics, you'd better have nothing but nice things to say about the games, or else the authorities will come down on you like a pile of bricks. That's what gallery owner Colleen Heslin discovered recently, as officials ordered her to remove a mural by Jesse Corcoran (pictured) that depicted the Olympic rings with four frowny faces and one smiley face. ]]>
Have you been watching the Olympic countdown on Vancouver2010.com? With less than three months to go before the Winter Olympics, we've already seen promos for the "Today" show's trip to Vancouver in February, but Tourism Vancouver wants to make sure that Matt, Meredith and Al aren't the only ones in town for the games.
Tourism Vancouver's Olympic Sweepstakes is offering up three prizes for people who sign up for their monthly newsletter. The gold prize—relating to Olympics medals, of course—is a deluxe Olympic package including tickets to alpine skiing and the closing ceremony, plus plane tickets and a hotel room. Not that Silver and Bronze are too shabby either, with hockey qualifying tickets and a Wii up for grabs.
While you plan your trip to Vancouver, you can follow along on the torch's journey with an interactive map. It's in Prince Edward Island now but may be coming to your town soon, if you're lucky enough to be in Canada.
Related Stories:
· Sign up for the Tourism Vancouver monthly newsletter here. [TourismVancouver.com]
· Is It Time To Start Booking Rooms For the Vancouver Olympics? (YES.) [HC]
· LGet Thee To The Jetty: A Perfect Plane Spotting In Vancouver [Jaunted]
[Photo of the Olympic Village under construction: roland] ]]>
The city of Vancouver isn't just a great place to see celebrities or fly to Hong Kong any more. While the next Winter Olympics are two years away, Vancouver and nearby Whistler are already experiencing a construction boom, according to the New York Times, including an all-new light-rail line and several luxury hotels that will be ready to accommodate travelers in 2009.
Traveling to Olympic host cities before their big games is a great way to get a deal on a new, or newly renovated, hotel. The celebrities are just a bonus.
[Photo of Olympic mascots Miga, Quatchi and Sumi: stevenbuy_toy2005]]]>