Wow! Vancouver, Washington is having their very own marathon THIS Sunday, June 19th, 2011. Yes, that’s on Father’s Day. I can tell you that this father won’t be out on the course because I’ve already ran the race! Check it out…

On Sunday at 7am the first ever Vancouver USA Full Marathon will kick off. In addition to the full marathon Vancouver is also offering a half marathon that kicks off at 8:30am. You can register for either event in person at the Fit Right NW Sports and Fitness Expo taking place all day Saturday, June 18th at the Vancouver Hilton.

This is a great exposure for OUR Vancouver, WA and guess what? The Vancouver USA Marathon IS A QUALIFIER FOR THE BOSTON MARATHON! I love that the start and finish line for the marathon and half marathon is at the beautiful Esther Short Park. You can get all the Vancouver USA Marathon Course Information here.

If you’d like to follow along in a very high tech way you’ll be happy to know that they have created a Vancouver USA Marathon iPhone app. It gives course information as well as bio info and you can track your favorite runner.

Hopefully you head down and sign up to do this great course or go and root on your favorite friend or family member! I know I will.

And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
~Lee Greenwood

I love this song and the lyrics that go with it. It makes me choke up every time I hear it. Especially if you really stop and listen to what is being sung. This tribute is one of the best I’ve seen to go along with the song. Please watch it all the way through and remember those who’ve given it all for our freedom. Also, don’t forget those who still live while continuing to die a little each day from their service to our country. Hug a veteran!

As a society we remember all those who’ve passed on on Memorial Day but let’s not forget what it was originally established as…

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service.

Rather than go on with words, I’ll share some photos…

To the men who gave their lives in Vietnam November 8th, 1965…

To my dear friend Robb Needham. Your sacrifice and smile will never be forgotten.

Easter is upon us. I know lots of people are looking to locate an Easter Egg Hunt or two. I’ll highlight a few around town. I know this isn’t all of them but hopefully you’ll find one or two of interest.

SATURDAY APRIL 23RD, 2011 Easter Egg Hunts

Big Al’s Easter Egg Hunt is on Saturday April 23rd. They have two different times. The 4 and under hunt will begin at 10:30am and the hunt for the 5 to 10 year old kids will take place at 11am. Big Al’s is located at 16615 SE 18th Street, Vancouver, WA 98683.

LifePoint Church Eggstreme Egg Hunt is Saturday, April 23rd at 9:30am and 11:30am. It is for ages 2 through 5th grade. They’ll have over 25,000 eggs with candy and prizes. LifePoint is located at 305 NE 192nd Ave, Vancouver, WA 98684.

Vancouver Farmers Market will be hosting an Easter Egg Hunt at 10am on Saturday the 23rd. It will be held in Esther Short Park. Bring your family down for a great time collecting Easter Eggs and afterward enjoy walking through the market and visiting our vendors. This year we will have two hunts for different age groups. For those 4 and under we have an area for kids and their parents to collect eggs in a more relaxed atmosphere. And for those ages 5 – 10 a larger field will be filled with eggs and a few special surprise treats as well.

SPECIAL NOTICE: The MCCDCT Easter Egg Hunt is the only one of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. The hunt is done at McKenzie Stadium behind Evergreen High School. This hunt is for physically and mentally challenged kids. Wheel chairs and walkers can cross this field easily. This hunt is Saturday, April 23rd at 5:15pm. It will be at McKenzie Stadium (Behind Evergreen High School). If you have any questions please call 360-513-8201.

SUNDAY APRIL 24TH, 2011 Easter Egg Hunts

Camas Parks and Recreation will host their Easter Egg Hunt at Crown Park in Camas. It is on Sunday the 24th at 1:30pm. This hunt is for children between 2 and 9 years of age. You’ll find over 10,000 candy and prize filled eggs at this hunt location. Crown Park is at NE Everett and NE 17th Avenue.

(Please remember, ALL children MUST be accompanied by adults at all these events.)

Thanks to my real estate pal Ines in Miami for the cool photo!

The Mission: February 17th, 2010 through February 16th, 2011 write one blog post each and every day highlighting something to do in Vancouver, WA (& surrounding cities).

Status: Task completed on schedule. Every single day one blog post was written. Almost every post included a video from on location as well as photos from each location.

All blog posts lived here on the Clark County Real Estate Guide. The permalink to each post was then placed on the 365 Things To Do In Vancouver, WA Facebook Page. Over the course of the year the Facebook page grew at a very steady pace. At the end of the 365th day there were over 14,000 “likes”. I’ve been so thankful for the wonderful reception this page got.

67% of the fans are women. The fan base spans over 19 countries all over the world. Approximately 75% of the fan base is from the Vancouver/Clark County/Portland area. The next largest group represented is in Seattle. 83% of the fans are between the age of 18 and 54.

Over the course of the 365 days 8,281,995 post views occurred on Facebook! A post view is defined by Facebook as “the number of times people (Fans and non-Fans) have viewed a News Feed story posted by your page”. This blows my mind!

Approximately 100,000 visitors stopped here at the Clark County Real Estate Guide throughout the year. The most viewed post of the year was Day 295: Magical Lights On 63rd Street with almost 1,200 visitors!

As I mentioned on Day 365, this “project” is not done! There are still lots of wonderful things to share about Vancouver and Clark County, WA. I will not continue daily but will continue regularly. I’ll also be adding content to the site that I believe will enhance and improve upon what is already here.

I’ll be announcing these changes on 3-1-11. Please stop in then to see what is coming and I hope you’ll either subscribe to get these posts via email or via an RSS feed.

If you have any stories of new places you’ve discovered or enjoyed during the first 365 days I’d love to hear about them. I’d love it if you’d leave a comment below. Please share this site with your friends and family who may not be aware of it. It’s a great resource from a native Vancouver guy whose family has been in Clark County since 1893. Remember, you can type anything into the search box on the top right side of the site and it’ll find all posts with whatever keywords you desire (i.e. pizza, wine, hike, theater, etc.)

Day 365 of 365!!!

Can you believe it? Today is Day 365! Yes, this is the 365th day in a row I’ve written a blog post about my hometown, Vancouver, WA. I’ve shared parks, trails, events, activities, restaurants, coffee houses, venues, wineries and countless other great things. It’s been a most amazing year. The business owners I’ve met. The wonderful people who call Vancouver and Clark County home. The people who used to live here and are enjoying reminiscing about Vancouver. Those who are considering relocating here. Everyone is wonderful.

If anyone would have told me what today looked like on February 17th, 2010 I’d have never believed it. I’ve had the opportunity to not only help encourage locals to “Get Out, Explore & Enjoy Our Community” but I’ve been able to help lots of small business owners set up and tweak their Facebook pages. I’ve also had the opportunity to share my experiences locally and nationally. I’ve taught classes, webinars, been on panels and loved sharing what I’ve done with the Clark County Real Estate Guide and the Facebook page 365 Things To Do In Vancouver, WA.

Everyone has been dying to know what the big finale is. What is Day 365? I’ve contemplated this for quite some time. As I pondered my different choices I kept coming back to the same conclusion. There really is no “finale”. There are 364 blog posts about great things to do in Vancouver plus TONS of things I didn’t get to these first 364 days. So, today I encourage you to keep exploring this site. Keep exploring Vancouver (& surrounding cities). The things to do in Vancouver, WA never ends. Even if you don’t agree with something I suggest, find the places you love and keep going back. All our small (and large) businesses need each of us. It takes us, the entire community to make our local economy grow.

The other thing I get asked all the time is “what’s next”? What happens after 365? I’ll not fully disclose this yet. Stay tuned for some changes here at the Clark County Real Estate Guide. Will I keep sharing the things to do? Absolutely! I’ll not be posting 7 days a week any longer. I’m thankful I committed to it and saw it through to its completion. I’m very proud of this accomplishment. It still amazes me I have completed it. I joked that I’d go to Disney World when I hit Day 365. I’m happy to say, I spent today at Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom all day today! What a great time it was. I’ll be taking the next week-ish off from here. I hope you’ll browse the site and go exploring some old posts. You know, on the top right is a search box. You may use it just like if you were searching Google. Type in any keyword or phrase and it’ll find anything I’ve covered over the last year. Have no fear, I WILL be back!

I hope you’ll keep coming back and I hope all of Clark County, WA (& beyond) love what is coming next. Thank you all again from the bottom of my heart for your support and love. I really do appreciate you all!

Special thanks to my wonderful friend Brian Copeland for the awesome Goofy photo! Thank you for sharing in the journey I’ve taken over the last 365 days. Also, thanks for spending Day 365 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom with me! If anyone ever needs Nashville real estate service Brian is your man!

Day 360 of 365…

Valentines Day will be here in a few days, so I thought why not share about a local florist with some real history. Since 1940 Garside Florist has been bringing beauty to Vancouver and Clark County. This family owned and operated business has been providing quality and service for all our floral needs. Whether you are simply wanting to pick up a simple arrangement or have a fully designed party they can meet your every need.

In addition to all the wonderful flowers they offer you’ll find a huge variety of baskets, plants, gifts and cards. It’s a fun store to wander around in and the people who work there are all so very friendly. When you go in make sure to look for their Orchid vines. They are awesome.

Garside Florist is located at 6610 E Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, WA 98661 and can be reached at 360-694-3331. You can also connect to Garside Florist on Facebook.

Day 356 of 365…

Big Band music of the 40′s and 50′s… Such a fun time in the musical world. This coming Saturday, February 12th, 2011 you can relive a little of those eras.

Aaron Meyer and the Vancouver Big Band will bring music alive here in Vancouver just in time for a Valentine Day date. Just a couple days early. Aaron Meyer is a local concert rock violinist that has toured the world. He was also in Pink Martini for a couple years too. You can connect with Aaron Meyer on Facebook too.

The Vancouver Big Band is made up of local Vancouver Symphony members as well as other local Vancouver musicians. You might even find a favorite local school teacher on stage. Shirley Nanette will also be performing with everyone. She’ll bring her special voice to the event. This will be a great event to attend.

You can click through to buy tickets for the show here. Aaron Meyer and the Vancouver Big Band will be playing at Skyview Concert Hall in Salmon Creek. It’s located at 1300 NW 139th Street
Vancouver, WA. The show starts at 7pm and is $15 for adults. 12 and under are free. Seating is limited so you might want to order your tickets in advance.

Day 319 of 365…

HAPPY NEW YEAR! You know, New Year’s Day. The day of resolutions… Lose weight, get healthy, get rich, get smarter, reconnect with old friends, learn a new hobby, and a myriad of other things. What are you going to change for 2011? How are you going to better your life? Better yet, how are you going to better someone else’s life? Make a difference!

I’m not a big “New Year’s Resolution” guy but I thought a little walk today would be nice. I headed down to the Evergreen Trail at Columbia Springs and enjoyed the nicely paved .8 mile path that snuggles along the Old Evergreen Highway. This trail is very level and has some nice wildlife lookouts along it. If you’re really feeling adventuresome head up Ellsworth and onto the trail that runs down the middle of the Glen Jackson Bridge (I-205). It’s just over 2 miles long and has some wonderful Columbia River, Mt Hood and Portland Airport views.

There is a very nice parking area for the Evergreen Trail directly west of the Vancouver Trout Hatchery. This whole area is part of the Columbia Springs Environmental Education Center. Click through to learn about all the things happening here.

The Evergreen Trail begins at 12208 SE Evergreen Hwy, Vancouver, WA 98683.

Day 314 of 365…

Did you know, there is a 2nd party at the Hilton Convention Center on New Year’s Eve? The Vancouver New Year’s Eve Gala is sponsored by the Greater Clark County Rotary Foundation which is a 501C(3) non-profit organization which does many wonderful things here in Clark County. A portion of this night’s proceeds from this event will go to YWCA Clark County.

According to the website, this event will feature:

• Patrick Lamb
• Arthur Murray Dance Instructors
• Martini Bar
• Midnight Champagne
• Balloon Drop on Dance Floor at Midnight
• Big Screen New York City Ball drop
• Gourmet Buffet
• Optional Wine Raffle
• New Year’s Eve Novelties

Doors open at 7:30 pm and festivities start at 8:00 pm. Arthur Murray Dancers will join the party between 8:00 and 9:00 pm followed by Patrick Lamb, playing from 9:00 pm to 1:00 am. If you have never seen Patrick play, you really need to! He is such a treat and has amazing energy.

This event is $100 per person if tickets are ordered in advance and $125 at the door. You can register here for tickets. The Vancouver Hilton is also offering $79 Room Rate special for using the code NYE for December 31st.

Vancouver Hilton is located at 301 West 6th Street, Vancouver, WA 98660.

Day 313 of 365…

wOw! It is now December 26th. Where did 2010 go? Now that Christmas has passed it’s time to gear up for the New Year. According to the website, THE place to be is the 2010 Mayor’s New Year’s Eve Ball. It takes place at the Hilton Convention Center downtown Vancouver, WA. According to the site:

Hors d’oeuvres, Party Favors, No-host bar, Silent Auction, Midnight Toast, Dancing, and Live Music featuring the award winning Sonny Hess, Lady Kat, and the Smokin’ True Blue Band. Keepsake photographs will also be available at an additional cost.

A portion of the proceeds from this year’s signature event will benefit the “Everybody Plays Scholarship Program with the Vancouver Clark Parks and Recreation Department“.

This event is $95 per person. You can register for the 2010 Mayor’s New Year’s Eve Ball here. The ball kicks off at 7pm and the festivities run until 1am. Ring in the New Year in style downtown Vancouver with Mayor Tim Leavitt.

The Mayor’s New Year’s Eve Ball takes place at the Hilton Convention Center, 301 West 6th Street, Vancouver, WA 98660.

Day 312 of 365…

I hope you all are having a wonderful day with friends or family. May you have a truly blessed day. Enjoy this little Christmas wish from me to you and also a little Christmas craziness in the photo below. Thanks to my buddy David Martschinske for the fun Christmas photo.

Looking for something to do? Call someone and tell them you love them. Give someone a (((huge hug))). You never know, they might really need it. Sing a song to your friends on Facebook. Do something kind for someone besides yourself. Give to those less fortunate.