Travel: June 2013

Vancouver, British Columbia

Having been to Vancouver once before in winter and falling in love with it, I have always wanted to return and visit in a warmer time of year. The air is so crisp, super blue skies, no smog, lush trees line the skyline and coastal, what more could you ask for? It i definitely a walking/cycling friendly city and they built the roads around people, not automobiles. This does create traffic in the metropolitan areas as there are no expressways going through or too near the downtown areas, but this makes public transit easy and with the majority of the downtown being residential there is plenty to do in all the boroughs. Here is my trip itinerary and reviews from June 2013. Enjoy!

Lodging

We found an amazing deal for the Four Seasons on Expedia and having wanted to stay at one of their hotels for many years now, it was a simple decision. The location is excellent, the concierge is phenomenal, we got upgraded to a king suite, it felt like we had a penthouse apartment overlooking the city. They have all the amenities a five star hotel like an indoor/outdoor pool and gym and a very highly reviewed restaurant.

http://www.fourseasons.com/vancouver/

Restaurants

Kitsilano Daily Kitchen- Really liked this place, super friendly, very intimate, and I felt that the head chef is really doing his passion. We tried the 6 course tasting menu, which came with 5 savory and one sweet dish. What I love is that this place's menu really changes everyday based on what they pick up from local and regional markets. They are walking distance from Granville Island which I will get into more later, but it houses much local produce and proteins. Ordering the tasting menu is quite the adventure, you are asked about any allergies and how you prefer your meat cooked in case it applies. Then you are treated to beautifully arranged dishes ours of which ranged from octopus and squid, to quail and the most amazing pork dish I have had in quite a while. Highly recommend!

http://www.kitsdaily.com/

The Teahouse- Nestled right in Stanley Park, it used to be used for military purposes during WWII and afterwards became a place that did high tea for the affluent. It closed for a couple years and reopened in 1978 to what is still is today, an oceanfront and woodsy plantation style locale with the goods to match. I loved the ambience and glass roof, let you appreciate the views all around. We booked a sunset dinner and shared the stuffed mushrooms (fantastic), clam chowder manhattan style (it was ok) and for my entree I had the duck confit (delicious). For dessert we shared the chocolate mousse cake with mascarpone center (amazing). This is definitely a place to share a romantic or special dinner and to really get to see all the natural beauty of Vancouver. Very highly recommend.

http://www.vancouverdine.com/teahouse

Tavola- Loved the ambience of this place, it felt like an old diner they refashioned into a swanky hangout. Loved the buzz of the patrons, the 1960's design, very Mad Men-esque. Love that they had non alcoholic drink selections and they were yummy. For starters we had eggs and anchovies, they were delicious! Hard boiled and dressed, super good. I had one of the specials of the night which was Linguini with crab and I enjoyed it, but wasn't wowed. My partner had one of their main dishes on the menu, the Pulled Pork Pacherri Ragu and it was very good.

http://tavolavancouver.com/tavolavancouver.com/welcome.html

Goldie's Pizza- This place defiantly can hold its own against NYC pizza. Loved the thin crust, and the pizza by the slice selection. There is something for everyone here, and you can eat there, takeout or delivery and they do deliver to hotels as well. Super delicious! It was recommended by our concierge as a local hangout and where you go for just excellent pizza.

http://www.goldiespizza.com/

A La Mode on Granville Island- Loved this place. I ate here the last time I visited and it still is delicious! I had the clam chowder pot pie, there are so many to choose from and it really hits the spot. They are located right in the public market and a snack like this is just what you crave after seeing all the desserts, teas, and produce they have fully stocked in here. A definite must see.

http://granvilleisland.com/directory/la-mode

Tony's Fish & Oyster Cafe- The best thing about this place is its location and there wasn't a wait. I had clam chowder, it was ok and we shared the fish and chips. They were flaky, but it was just a meal to get us through our walking around the city. Nothing too special and if you're on Granville island, just go to one of the public markets for a snack or meal.

http://www.tonysfish-granvilleisland.com/

Milestones- We had breakfast here, I tried their Prime Rib hash, and it was good. Tasted a little too sweet rather than salty which I am used to with a hash. My partner had their Shrimp Eggs Benedict and he loved it... so much so that by the time I was going to sneak a bite, it was all gone! That is a great sign. They also have a good selection of non alcoholic drinks so I do appreciate that. It's a standard restaurant overall though, not a must go to.

http://www.milestonesrestaurants.com/

Caffe Artigiano- Ok so this is more of a coffee spot, but we had their breakfast wraps a couple of times en route through the city and they do not disappoint. Its definitely not your Starbucks pre made food, nor its prices, but the difference in cost is well worth. The coffee was good too, so much so that I did a repeat trip which i rarely do in my travels as I want to cover as much ground as possible. They have a few locations throughout the city.

http://www.caffeartigiano.com/

Sightseeing

Cycle City Tours- I highly recommend a cycling tour of the city. We did the Grand vancouver which was 5 hours, and the pace was great. The city isn't too hilly so it makes for a nice ride. You hit up so many of the historical and scenic areas and get the background on them as well. I love how much a cycling city that Vancouver is and continues to be more and more, so much that they have lanes on major streets throughout the city. They also offer outdoor art tours, foodie tours and private tours among others. a great way to get familiar with the city. You can also just rent your own bike through Spokes, which is right at the opening to Stanley Park and they offer maps and suggestions as to where to go.

http://cyclevancouver.com/

http://www.spokesbicyclerentals.com/

Museum of Vancouver- This museum offers the history of the city and I must say its a bit sleepy. If you are really looking to learn more about it, like I was, then yes check it out, I do find that sort of thing fascinating, but maybe its not for everyone. I do wish they had more on the FIrst Nations, which is how they refer to their Native Americans, but I understand that a lot of the history was passed on orally so it has been lost. There are a couple of changing exhibits and at this time they were Neon signs of Vancouver, Sex education of Vancouver and Fonzie's Fotos, who was a street photographer for decades documenting the fashions of the street.

http://www.museumofvancouver.ca/

Stanley Park- A definite must see. It is the largest urban park in the world, it is an actual temperate rainforest, houses many animals such as salmon, beavers and cougars. It has a lake hidden at its center, 800 year old cedar tress, moss growing off the bark of other trees, ferns, wildflowers and a seawall that encompasses the entire 5+ mile circumference. On the northern most part, the Lionsgate Bridge takes you over to North And West Vancouver. Truly breathtaking.

http://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/stanley-park.aspx

Totem poles or "Story poles" as they are called here, welcome you into Stanley Park. These are recreated ones that are now housed either in museums or on First Nations properties.

The Seawall is a popular place for cyclists, joggers and dog walkers.

Beaver Lake

A tree grows out of a logged dead Cedar remains signaling that the forest reuses all of its resources.

Granville Island- A man made island right across from the downtown area, it houses the public market, which is a like any farmers market but on steroids. Fresh fish, bakeries, coffee, tea, art, all of the cities best offering can be found here. The city doesn't allow any corporations to lease any space on the island, only local businesses. It has a great vantage point of the city's skyline.

http://granvilleisland.com/public-market

The view of the West End from Granville Island

Victoria and Butchart Gardens- Victoria is the capitol of British Columbia on Vancouver island. It is about a 90 minute ferry ride over from the port which is about 40 minutes away from downtown Vancouver. The best way to get there is to do a tour which will pick you up at your hotel and take you over, to the gardens and bring you back. It does take an entire day to do that and you can shorten that by taking a biplane to and fro but that is more pricey. Now having done it, I don't think I will ever need to do it again unless I am going with someone who has never been and really wants to go. The town is pretty sleepy and kind of a tourist trap. The main streets are souvenir shops, and basically miniature sized versions of what they have in Vancouver. Since we were there we decided to really do it up and had high tea at the Empress hotel which is covered in ivy and looks like huge Vegas hotel in comparison to its surroundings. They have a place called Miniature World that makes dollhouses and tiny sceneries out of famous novels, historical events and circuses. It was actually pretty neat. Afterwards we headed over to Butchart Gardens and it is spectacular. You are surrounded in natural beauty of the hills and are in a manmade miracle of flowers, ponds, greenhouses, Icannot even do it justice by explaining in words. It is a must see. The Butchart family found wealth in concrete production in the late 1800's and this was the woman of the houses' passion. It has been passed down through the family and is maintained now by the admissions and city. The real breath taker is the sunken gardens where she actually was told she would never be able to garden, but she created a sort of hanging swing to drop into the canyon and make use of all her land. So well worth the entire trip over and I just felt in awe and at peace there.

http://www.victoria.ca/

http://www.fairmont.com/empress-victoria/

http://www.miniatureworld.com/

http://www.butchartgardens.com/