My household is going on vacation! As I exit my current job I’ll be drawing down all my remaining vacation, so it only seemed polite to share it with the rest of the family.
We have a preference for city vacations. Shopping around for air fair we discovered we could fly to Seatle for around $230 round trip from Boston. So it’s off to Vancouver.
I’ve been involved with the Liberty Alliance Project over the last few years. Liberty is a industrial standards alliance and one way such organizations attract sophisticated labor and keep the lower classes out is by having the meetings in lots of exotic locations all around the planet. I hate that, but I really liked Vancouver the time we went there. Good food!
I’m reading a very nice book about Vancouver written by a Canadian humorest. It reports that while some people call Vancouver the “Evergreen Playground” since it has only rarely fallen below freezing there. Others refer to it as the “Everpiss Grayground” since they get a hell of a lot of rain. He assures me that July is the driest month; unless you plan you vacation visit in July. So we are going late in August. The mountain range that rises next to Vancouver catchs all that rain. The closer to the mountain the more rain. So one side of Vancouver gets about a 160 inches a year while the otherside only get a small fraction of that. I wonder why none of the pictures of Vancouver on the net seem to show clouds or rolling banks of fog.
We will only be there for a week, but send in your suggestions for fun stuff to do. We still need a place to stay as well.
Things to do in YVR:
– go to Horseshoe Bay – have a latte and watch the ferries from Vancouver Island come in
– go to Horseshoe Bay – rent a power boat visit the many islands
– walk around Stanley Park – twice!
– go to Ambelside beach in West Vancouver – find “Bean around the world” and have a latte there + banana bread
– granville island is a must!
– go to wreck beach 🙂
– have a meal at Earls
– have a mea at bread garden
– have a pizza at fly wedge pizza company
– rent some kayaks and go kayaking
have a ton o fun – I am so jellies
Hi Ben, Glad to hear that you will be visiting our beautiful city. It was 35 here yesterday, which is obnoxiously in comparison to our regular 30s-ish type temperatures. But it has been a wonderful summer. Some additional activities: If you are fit, hike up Grouse Mountain (about 60-90 minutes and bring a litre of water with you – not fit for kids under about ten) and then enjoy the views from the top and take the gondola down. Go out to Deep Cove for a quick visit (on the north shore) and enjoy the little neighbourhood out there and the ocean; eat some of the best sushi in the world – we have sushi restaurants every ten feet here – Kamei Sushi downtown is a mid-priced one that is very good; contradicting Karim’s posting, I would say ignore Earls and Bread Garden, particularly Bread Garden – it is a rather uninspired cafe; go for coffee at Delany’s coffee shop down in English Bay and watch the sunset there one night; when you get to town, look for a Georgia Strait newspaper and review all of the cultural, artistic, and theatrical performances that are happening; watch Shakespeare in an outdoor theatre called “Bard on The Beach”;
Regardless, I hope that you have a fantastic time here in our city.
Troy
Hi Ben:
For dining recommendations, check out our Vancouver food blog, VanEats
In particular some recent recommendatins (assuming you are staying downtown):
http://www.vaneats.com/2004/05/04
If you need a restaurant recommendation but you can’t find a suitable one on VanEats, please don’t hesitate to email roland AT streamlinewebco.com
As for a place to stay, it depends on whether you have kids (and how many) and your budget and travel lodging preferences.
Assuming you have kids:
1. if you have lots of money the Pan Pacific has a great pool and a great location and is air conditioned but expensive
2. more moderate budget, Kits Cottage:
http://kitsilano.net/kitscottage/files/home.html
My brother stayed there during our wedding in 2001 with his 3 year old and wife and loved it!
It’s not right downtown but it’s an easy bus ride or cab or car ride to downtown. And it’s in the middle of the very nice shopping and trendy area of Kitsilano
3. Arbutus House (only takes kids 12 and over!)
http://www.arbutushouse.com/
moderate, again not in downtown but an easy car/bus ride and in a great neighbourhood
4. Other B’nBs that take kids
Must be a few!
WARNING:lots of the old B’nBs and apartment hotels don’t have air conditioning which is a bit of a nightmare if the heatwave is still on when you get here!
Moving on to attractions:
There is a new treewalk at Capilano in North Vancouver where you can walk in the sub tropical rainforest canopy. Haven’t done it but friends have and said it was cool.
As for sushi, it is great here. I would recommend Tojo’s if money is no object (great splurge, you can have a fantastic meal for $CAN 100/person (go on a Monday – Thursday in a small group (say 2 or 3) and sit at the bar and order omakase, chef’s special) or Ajisai in Kerrisdale if you have a more normal budget)
Finally, I agree with everything Troy said!
Have a great stay in Vancouver!
…Roland
Hi Ben:
Some more great places to go are:
Horseshoe Bay- very good for walking
Stanley Park- v. big n beautiful
North Shore, Capilano Bridge-very nice, scenic
Other food places are… hmmm (all the good ones have been said already)..
Hope you enjoy your holidays because Vancouver is one of the most beautiful places in the world! (according to me- of course)
Listen to Troy and Roland! They know what they`re on about!
–Laura–