. . . only 15 minutes away from downtown Vancouver, located on the North Shore Mountains, Grouse Mountain is the only resort on the planet that sits at the doorstep of a major metropolitan centre, the beach and provides a thorough escape into winter.

Make tracks on the iconic Cut run at 3 A.M. as the lights of the city sparkle below, or snowshoe with your friends to the peak of neighbouring Dam Mountain for a bird’s eye view of sunrise over Vancouver. From the city’s only alpine skate pond to the top destination restaurant in town, Grouse Mountain’s winter paradise not only offers more activities than any other BC mountain. It will be accessible to everyone, 24/7during the games - from February 12 to 28, 2010.

Step onboard the famous Grouse Mountain Skyride (gondola), and experience a one-mile journey like no other. High above towering Douglas firs, breathtaking views of the city of Vancouver, sparkling Pacific Ocean, Gulf Islands, and snowy peaks unfold as you journey up the mountainside. For the faint of heights, close your eyes and be brave!

Grouse Mountain is also the location of a very popular hiking trail known as the Grouse Grind. It is an extremely steep and mountainous trail that climbs 853 m (2,799 ft) over a distance of 2.9 km (2 mi), with an average grade of 30 degrees. The trail, nicknamed "Mother Nature's Stairmaster", is notoriously gruelling due to its steepness and mountainous terrain. Hikers, who often time themselves on the trail, reach the top in approximately 90 minutes on average although some who are very fit can finish in 45 minutes.

. . . “With Glowing Hearts is connected and familiar to all Canadians through our anthem ‘O Canada’ and it also embodies what it takes to be an Olympic or Paralympic athlete,” said John Furlong, Vancouver Olympic Committee Chief Executive Officer. “It embodies the emotions every athlete will feel — no matter where they are from or what flag they stand under — when they have the honour to represent their own country on the world’s grandest international stage in 2010.”

After nearly a full week of non-stop rain in Vancouver (yes this is Winter!), today was the first day the sun decided to say hello. 12 degrees Celcius/ 54 degrees Farenheit, it is glorious here! 

It has been a busy first week of setting-up our offices which we will call home for the next 43 days and welcoming the arrival of some of the NBC Today Show production teammates. And despite the overcast skies, there is an energy brewing beneath the fog -- something magical is happening in Vancouver. It really is an exciting time to be here and be part of this Olympic experience. The City of Vancouver is ready. Fences and barracades have been set-up for security and crowd control. The NBC Today Show will begin to broadcast live on Friday, February 12, 2010 - Opening Ceremonies day.

Greetings from beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - home of the Winter 2010 Olympics. Banana PR has landed and we are set to kick-off our adventure with the NBC Today Show production team for the live coverage of this exciting world sporting event. Home base will be at the International Broadcast Center (IBC) - a temporary hub for broadcasters during major sport events - at the Vancouver Convention Center.

The IBC will provide workspace for some 7,000 accredited broadcasters and technicians who will produce live television and radio coverage of the 2010 Winter Games. Located on Vancouver’s urban waterfront with a dramatic mountain backdrop, the international award-winning building is an expansion of the existing convention centre facilities located within the Canada Place complex. The green convention centers most visual feature is the massive, six-acre green roof.  It is Canadas largest and the biggest non-industrial living roof in North America! Set directly on the waterfront of Burrard Inlet, the west expansion is 1.2 million square feet.

We will be posting live updates here at Banana PR "on location" so you can keep track of our exciting adventures in Vancouver.