GETTING TO VANCOUVER Vancouver is a comfortable flight from the West Coast of the United States. United, American, Alaska and Delta all fly to and from Vancouver International Airport. The airport is located just about 12 kilometers from downtown. Many people also enjoy the Pacific Northwest route on Amtrak Cascades that covers Seattle, Portland and Eugene on the way up to
Vancouver. Once in the city, you can use the SkyTrain rapid-transit system to get to many places for around $3 per ride. SkyTrain is especially useful if you’re plotting a way to get from a hotel downtown to the waterfront area. Downtown Vancouver is strong for familiar hotel chains. There are plenty of opportunities to use loyalty points at spots like Holiday Inn
Hotel & Suites Vancouver Downtown, Holiday Inn Vancouver-Centre Broadway, Hyatt Regency Vancouver, JW Marriott Parq Vancouver and Residence Inn by Marriott Vancouver Downtown. If you’re looking for something highly elegant, Wedgewood Hotel & Spa and Coast Coal Harbour Vancouver Hotel by APA are both excellent picks.
Top Things to See in Vancouver Where should you dive in with sightseeing in Vancouver? I couldn’t have been more impressed by my visit to Stanley Park. This lush space on the Seawall features a 5.5-mile route for walking and cycling that blows every other park of its kind in North America out of the water. Of course, talking about Stanley Park brings us to the topic of the Seawall. This gorgeous geological formation offers views of both the city and the water. I’m not sure you can say you’ve been to Vancouver unless you’ve visited it! Being unfamiliar with Vancouver, I mostly stuck to the “popular” attractions. My itinerary consisted of visits to the Vancouver Aquarium, Queen Elizabeth Park and the VanDusen Botanical Garden. A visit to Downtown Vancouver is
its own experience. Of course, you have to devote at least a little bit of time to Gastown. This neighborhood is famed for its Victorian buildings, art galleries, eclectic shops and great bars. I found it the perfect place to grab a seafood sandwich before staying a little later into the evening to wait for the bars to fill up. Be warned that the neighborhood does have a very hip, youthful vibe once the sun goes down if you prefer something relaxed. I really can’t recommend Vancouver without also recommending a visit to Granville Island. Granville Island is a peninsula that has evolved into the most vibrant shopping and culinary district in British Columbia. The easiest way to get there from downtown is to take the False Creek Ferry. Once
on the peninsula, you can visit the famed Granville Market. Exploring this market was indeed a once-ina-lifetime experience even though I’ve been to my share of markets around the world. This is an indoor market with a mix of produce, specialty foods, crafts and gift items. Of course, the highlight of this market is its seafood portion because you’re in the rare position to procure fresh catches from the Pacific Northwest. I was fortunate enough to receive a suggestion to take the brewery tour at Granville Island Brewing after getting into a chat with someone using the ferry to get to work in Granville. Opened in 1984, Granville Island Brewing is the original brewery that kicked off the microbrewery craze that is still growing in Vancouver.
Some Final Vancouver Observations
A visit to Vancouver requires a Stanley Park visit because getting to know this park will help you understand more about the interconnectedness of the city. After making the trip to Granville Island, I can also say that my vacation just||wouldn’t have felt “complete” 36 Terra Travelers without the experience. One thing
I am looking forward to during any future trips to Vancouver is a tour by seaplane. I didn’t realize that enjoying views of the city and surrounding shoreline this way was such a big deal until I noticed charter companies advertising all around the city. I did bump into a few out-of-town visitors who were
raving about their experiences on these chartered tours. The bottom line is that I don’t think any American who has enjoyed cities like Seattle and Portland can say that they know the Pacific Northwest until they’ve experienced it from the Canadian side in Vancouver.
