So I was supposed to spend last New Year's Eve in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. But those plans never materialized. Then I was supposed to go there this summer. But work stuff with my travel buddy Qball pushed our trip to the first day of Fall, which was fine by me. It was 100 degrees in LA, but a nice 50-70 over four days in Vancouver... we even felt wet stuff falling from the sky on Friday. (I'm told this is called rain, and apparently they get it a lot in Vancouver, which is why their trees are pretty and green not brown and dead like the ones in LA).
Here's how we spent last Thursday through Sunday (minus the food.. I'll have a separate post of food photos). Big thanks to my Canucklehead Friend Juanita for a great list of stuff to do and see!
Homebase: The Burrard
Qball's friends recommended The Burrard, a centrally-located, retro-chic, boutique hotel in Downtown Vancouver. It's across the street from St. Paul's Hospital, which is its main con... I did hear ambulances in the middle of the night a few times. It also has supertiny bathroom sinks (washing my face without getting water everywhere was impossible). But there is a Starbucks right across the street, which is a HUGE plus in my book. It's also halfway between False Creek (where Granville Island is) and Coal Harbour (where Stanley Park and other touristy stuff is), so we were able to walk everywhere easily, including to restaurants and shopping in the nearby City Centre and Yaletown neighborhoods, where we also caught the Canada Line to/from the airport. And the staff was super-friendly and the place was just fun... "lyrics of the day" were posted in the elevator every day and cool quiet music played in the central patio and lobby. There was free bottled water, cable TV and phone calls to North America.
Our welcome candy and info cards about the hotel and the 'hood.
View from our 4th floor room of the hospital ER driveway (con) and the Starbucks on the corner (pro)
Thursday: Granville Island
Thursday after we settled into the hotel, we went to lunch then went exploring. We ended up near the water at False Creek and decided to hop on an Aquabus and go across the bay to Granville Island. The island (really a "sandbar") is home to the Granville Public Market, an Art School, restaurants and a bunch of shopping with local artists and vendors. There were also a lot of local musicians playing on corners and squares around the Public Market. It was a gorgeous day and a fun afternoon. I bought Christmas ornaments from a local artist named Darla Zary, locally-made skincare products from Cascadia Soap Company and cute presents for my nephew and niece-to-be.
Boats in Broker's Bay
The Public Market below Granville Bridge
Inside the Public Market
Part of the Vancouver Biennale Open Air Museum, this is called "Giants" by Osgemeos. These artists turned ugly cement cylinders on Granville Island into giant murals. Learn more here.
View of Downtown Vancouver apartments from Granville Island
Burrard Bridge looking towards the Stanley Park end of the island.
Friday: The Waterfront
Friday was going to be a rainy day, which we knew before we left. Originally I wanted to go whale watching, but decided we'd go do touristy local stuff instead. We headed to tourist-central: Coal Harbour and Canada Place, which two days later would welcome the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who landed at the Float Plane Terminal for their Sunday in Vancouver.
The Float Plane Terminal. It was fun watching planes take off from the water as we wandered the waterfront.
View across Coal Harbour, looking at the Lions Gate Bridge we'd cross on our trek to Capilano the next day.
Fly Over Canada at Canada Place is Canada's version of California Adventure's Soaring ride, but a bit longer and obviously just about Canada. No photos allowed inside, so this hanging maple leaf sign will have to do.
Totems are everywhere in Vancouver. This giant one is inside the Pan Pacific Hotel, which is part of Canada Place and attached to the Cruise Ship terminal.
Friday: The Marine Building
After Flying Over Canada, we went to lunch at a natural food place called Tractor. It was, we realized, in a historic building - the Marine Building. QBall used to work for real estate developers in DTLA, so she was fascinated by it. I liked the cool photo op ;)
The entrance on Burrard St.
Interior of the lobby looking in and out. Beautiful stained glass.
The elevators, with gorgeous brass doors and mosaic tiles above.
Close-up of the elevator doors and maildrop
The astrological floor
Looking up a the 2nd Floor landing and the ceiling moldings.
Saturday: Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
While wandering the touristy waterfront Friday, we discovered that there were FREE shuttles to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. Qball wanted to go to this bridge more than anything, but since we weren't renting a car, we'd ruled it out. Well, once we found out one of the shuttle stops was practically across the street from our hotel (and did I mention it's FREE?), this adventure was back on! We took off to explore nature and get over my fear of falling off a swinging bridge into the gorge below.
Kia’palano means “beautiful river”
Fun Facts to reassure you as you're waiting in line to walk across the suspension bridge.
Heading across the bridge. Qball is so excited; me, not so much.
Beautiful nature. The Cliffwalk is top right near those orange trees.
We made it across (almost) and survived
I even got a sticker to prove it!
The Treetops Adventure on the other side of the bridge lets you walk across bridges and landings connecting all the 300+ year old trees in the rainforest. After the swingy suspension bridge, this was a piece of cake!
Video of pretty nature on the path between the Treetop Adventure and Raptors Ridge
Looking up at a 400-800-year old Douglas Fir, and coming eye to eye with an owl that weighs only two pounds
but could decapitate a turkey with its talon.
The trees have eyes.. or hidden cameras under their birdhouses. And watching walkers on the bridge.
Heading back across the suspension bridge to do the Cliffwalk... "I'm not even holding on. Don't look down."
Me on the Cliffwalk, stuck in a photo-taking traffic jam.
I "found fall" from the top of the Cliffwalk... and a hidden waterfall and little lake up the river.
Saturday: Biking the Stanley Park Seawall
Our original Saturday plan had been to bike around the Stanley Park Seawall. We decided to still attempt it after spending the morning at the Suspension Bridge. And luckily, the FREE shuttle driver was awesome and dropped us off at an unscheduled stop, right near the bike rentals, where we learned it only takes about an hour to bike around the seawall, which is a one-way bike and walking path (two lanes) that spans a 9.5km loop. We stopped in the middle for lunch at The Teahouse.. more on that in my foodie post.
View of Coal Harbour
A big rock, with a tree growing out of the top of it, with a bird nesting on top of it in the harbour, dwarfs two fishermen in a rowboat.
Vancouver Aquarium
After returning our bikes, we walked back through Stanley Park to the Vancouver Aquarium and did some dolphin, sea and whale watching without having to get on a boat. Also saw lots of pretty fishes inside the aquarium... you'll be seeing these photos as my FB cover photos soon ;)
This dolphin reminded me of the dolphin pod I saw going to Santa Rosa Island last month... and made me sad cuz it was all alone in a pool, just swimming in circles and playing with a ball vs. flying through the ocean at full speed :(
They have two rescued harbor seals and two beluga whales, a mom and her daughter, who was born at the aquarium.
Sunday: Relaxation & Travel Day
After brunching, we split up. Qball went to go get stretched at a Thai Spa in Yaletown. I went to get massaged and pampered (and watch the World Cup of Hockey in the cafe) at Absolute Spa at the Century Plaza Hotel across the street.
Signs That Made Me Smile...
A building on Granville Island
We stayed on this floor of the Burrard ;) The 3rd floor was for rock stars and the 2nd for models.
