The historic boutique hotel is the venue for this festive July event.

Set your alarms for 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 13. As revelers fill Sorrento Piazza, consuming sinful amounts of gourmet food and swaying to live steel drum jams, summer will have truly arrived — rain or shine. The Sorrento Block Party may provide one of the most relaxing, fun-filled evenings of your sunny season — and best of all, it’s free to the public.

Attention movie junkies, this year’s festival stand-outs will be shown all weekend.

Even though the Seattle International Film Festival lasts nearly a month — showings this year ran May 19-June 12 — it’s virtually impossible to catch all the shows you want. With hundreds of titles to choose from, there are only so many long lunches and sick days you can take before your boss gets suspicious.

Located in the heart of the Cascades, this BC resort has something for everyone.

Just so we’re clear, Whistler-Blackcomb isn’t the only resort you can visit in British Columbia. Manning Park Resort, tucked away in the mountains near the town of Hope, has plenty of outdoor summer fun for the traveler who wishes to visit the beautiful province to the north — and, perhaps, bask in a more low-key setting than Whistler Village provides.