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September 4, 2020 In Travel

Vancouver Trip

When did we go….

  • Aug 30 – Sep 4, 2020

 

Why did we go…

  • we originally booked a two-day stopover on our way to Tweedsmuir Park Lodge, but when the aboriginal leaders in the Bella Coola area decided they didn’t want to allow Albertans into the area, we decided to spend the whole time in Vancouver

 

How did we get there…

  • 1.5-hour direct flight from Calgary on Westjet

 

Where did we stay…

  • Westin Bayshore in room 911 (even though it wasn’t an emergency)
  • nice view overlooking the pool, Stanley Park, and the harbor
  • we had a seagull (Gully for short) that came and visited us on the ledge outside our patio window every day
  • this is our go-to location as it’s on the inner harbor, the edge of downtown, and bordering Stanley Park

 

 

Where did we eat…

  • 6 Degrees Eatery (across the street from our hotel, casual breakfast spot overlooking Coal Harbour, good selection of food and beverages, fun people and dog watching location in the morning sun)
  • Lift Bar Grill View (right beside our hotel, great views of Stanley Park, the harbor, and the mountains in North Van, very nice meals with excellent service, nice sunny start to our trip as well as a final lunch before our departure)
  • Cardero’s (two-minute walk from our hotel, 34th wedding anniversary dinner, excellent service from Charles, stellar food, nice ambiance looking at all the yachts, watched the Canucks lose to Vegas in the bar after dinner)
  • Sandbar (great location on Granville Island and False Creek, excellent service, great seafood, sat on their outdoor deck overlooking all the various watercraft going up and down Falls Creek, love the heated floor)
  • Viji (Cambie Street, 20 minute Uber from our hotel, Indian food, we had high expectations/referrals so we were a bit let down by the limited menu, simple décor, and having four different people serve us was a bit awkward, overall the three dishes we shared were quite good)
  • Miku (beside Canada Place, sushi and sustainable seafood, beautiful décor, excellent food, and service, recommend making a reservation to sit outside for the view)
  • Blue Water Café (Yaletown, one of the best dining experiences we have ever had, amazing sushi/seafood, beautiful décor, fun and attentive service sitting at the sushi bar)
  • Rocky Mountain Flatbread (Kitsilano location, visited with the owner and long time friend Dominic which was nice, excellent chow and service as always)
  • Tavola (West End, 10-minute walk from our hotel, quaint spot, sat on the patio, great modern Italian food including a fantastic heirloom tomato and burrata cheese appetizer that was ‘to live for’)
  • Cioppino’s (Yaletown, Mediterranean Grill, beautiful spot, pricey but amazing food, and decent service)
  • Giardino’s (Hornby Street, historic Tuscan inspired restaurant that caters to an upscale crowd, very nice décor, great food and service, our waiter went to great lengths to try to straighten a painting high on the wall with a magnum bottle of vino)

 

 

What did we do…

  • walked through the West End checking out all the historic houses and buildings as well as English Bay
  • checked out the shops on Granville Island and there were some really cool ones that we hadn’t been to before (Granville Island Broom Co., Daniel Materna Ceramics – bought some beautiful mugs, BC Blacksmith – amazing iron sculptures)
  • hung at the pool, including doing a pool yoga class with Hailey (fun class on a big water mat and she called me Ben, which I quite liked, so I might change my name;  great pool service by long time server Lucinda from Slovakia)
  • roamed Water Street and perused our favorite furniture store (Parliament Interiors) and discovered Coastal Peoples Fine Art Gallery that has some amazing authentic First Nations art
  • walked into Stanley Park to check out the Totem Pole exhibit
  • had a Thai massage at Sabai Thai Spa which was a block from our hotel (great stretch)
  • hiked the Grouse Grind in 64 minutes which disappointed me as I wanted to do it in under an hour (challenging hike straight up the mountain, beautiful views at the top)
  • enjoyed a spectacular sunset on English Bay followed by an outdoor patio drink at the Sylvia watching all the locals glide bike on their bikes and longboards
  • drove Marine Drive out to Whytecliff Park and through Horseshoe Bay (beautiful foliage, scenery, and amazing properties)
  • watched parts of three Canuck vs. Vegas games in the lounge at Cardero (series was tied 3-3 when we left town)

 

 

What did we not do that is on the agenda for next time:

  • day trip to Bowen Island
  • drive to Squamish and Whistler
  • hike the trails in the Cyprus, Lynn Valley, Deep Cove, and Mt. Seymour areas
  • floatplane ride over the Islands and/or mountain ranges
  • dine at Beach House Restaurant in West Vancouver and Kissa Tonta in Gastown

 

Final thoughts:

  • we had spectacular weather, and there was nothing that prevented us from doing anything we had planned
  • Vancouver is a fun city to explore with lots of unique neighborhoods and great food venues

 

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