We had postponed our trip to Vancouver so often and for so many reasons. I finally told my husband we would be going no matter what. We went.
Vancouver's stunning beauty captivates visitors, and the warmth of its residents adds to its charm. We were pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of Canadians; every time we sought information, we encountered helpful individuals eager to assist us.
The weather, however, was against us. It was cold! I mean, it was freezing. The damp ocean breezes were chilling at a high temperature of 27F!
At the airport, we took the train to the hotel. The information desk lady told us that going around with the buses and trains would be fine. We bought the day trip pass (Compass Card). The train was comfortable and clean.
Unfortunately, emerging at Civic Center Station (three blocks from the hotel), we zigged when we should have zagged. Walking away from the hotel on near-empty streets, we finally gave up and called Uber. Even Google Maps was too cold to load, and very few people were outside. We stopped at a coffee place and decided to take Uber. We were just six blocks from the hotel! But a warm car and an understanding driver were worth twice the fare.
We stayed at the Downtown Hilton, which was an excellent choice since it is close to the train station and has restaurants, tourist areas, and shopping. Our room was a corner suite with impressive downtown views. It was awesome!
After warming up with a glass of wine at the hotel, we went sightseeing. Since we came early in the morning, we decided to go around downtown and see the famous Gastown area and its highlight: The Steam Clock.
We walked for a while, found the clock that is powered by steam, and waited—and waited . . . in the cold. Luckily, across the street is Lee’s Doughnuts. What an excellent way of warming up with something sweet and a cup of coffee. This shop is clean and bright, with delicious rounds of happiness and the best hot coffee we could have hoped for. Deciding it was too cold to be out, we gave up on the clock for today. Back to the hotel to regroup and reheat our core.
At the hotel, the concierge told us we shouldn’t miss the opportunity to go to the Lynn Canyon Bridge. Most tourists go straight to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. But since we were concerned about the weather, we didn’t want to pay around $60/per person and be unable to enjoy the place. So, we hoped we could go the next day.
The sun was slightly higher in the sky in the early afternoon, and we were more prepared. We boldly ventured onto a bus headed north of the city towards Lynn Canyon Park. One transfer using our day pass, and we were a couple of blocks from the entrance.
Lynn Canyon Park is best known for the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge, which towers 50 meters (160ft) over the canyon. The park has several hiking trails, a cafe, and an ecology center. We loved everything.
The ecology center was open, and it was a great break from the cold outside. The staff was very friendly and gave us lots of information about the place and how to avoid freezing. We spent a reasonable amount of time reading about the animals and historical data.
Stopping at the Café was a nice warming station. Serving sandwiches, sweets, and hot beverages on such a freezing day made it seem like a small ski lodge with a crowd around the fireplace.
The suspension bridge over the canyon was not as long as the Capilano bridge (Theme Park prices). But Lynn Canyon is deep and way far below, with an icy stream cascading downhill. Lynn Park is very picturesque, with its deep forest snuggled up against a suburban neighborhood.
The next day, we went to Granville Island. This is a man-made island on False Creek. You could drive to it, but a better experience is taking the Aqua-Bus water taxi. After taking Lyft to David Lam Park, it was only one stop (zone) to the island. These small put-put ferries can handle about twenty passengers at a time, but there were only five when we rode. All that fun for only $6.50 round trip!
I have to say that this was my husband’s favorite part of the trip. This public market has all kinds of food one can imagine. He shopped and tasted everything he could see. It was a Sunday, and we heard this was the preferred place to go on weekends in Vancouver.
Although it was freezing outside, we walked around and enjoyed the busking performances of musicians, people playing on the ice of frozen ponds nearby, and the food market.
By noon, we stopped at a restaurant and had a classic lunch. The combination of thick chowder, fresh fish, and chips was Just the refuel we needed to keep us warm from the cold. Returning on the same ferry (they run every 5 minutes), the same Lyft driver picked us up for our return to the hotel. (It is a small city)
Our next trip was to Stanley Park. Stanley Park, Vancouver’s largest park, is home to the famous Seawall (8 km), the Vancouver Aquarium, multiple beaches, and dozens of running and biking trails. It’s a vast (1000 acres) park. Despite the cold, many locals were exercising, biking, and enjoying the views. Most tourists we saw were brought in by hop-on/hop-off buses. We used Lyft.
Unfortunately, some parts of the Seawall were closed for annual slope stabilization and maintenance work. But it didn’t stop us from seeing beautiful landscapes, animals, and water views.
I want to go back to Vancouver. We enjoyed going around and experiencing the Canadian way of life. It’s a city where you don’t need to rent a car to visit places. This is important because parking is limited/expensive, and an Uber/Lyft to anywhere you need to go downtown will be under $10.00 Canadian. There are many attractions, and people are friendly to tourists.
