Note to Kim and Micheal

Some Ideas for your trip to Vancouver.

From where you are staying you can easily visit Stanley Park.. take a walk around the slough if you can.. there are raccoons, and swans.. and it is awesome.  

But make sure you go to Granville Island.  That is where you can buy some gifts to take home.. the best markets ever! 

Just walk along Denman.. toward Davie and then Beach Avenue.  

When you get to Beach… turn left and go along the beach on the walkway.. until you see the little ferries.   These things are great.  For a few bucks you can take one over to Granville Island!

Grandville Island is located below the Granville Street bridge.  It is a huge, indoor market.. a great place to get real Canadian stuff.  Besides the main market area, there are lots of shops, and bars and restaurants.  Emily Carr Art School is located there.. you can watch as they make totems.. there is a brewery where they let you taste test the goods.... it has it all.  Some great restaurants, as well as a food court. 

Back at your hotel again, instead of heading along Denman, you could walk along Richards toward the main part of the city.  Check out Granville street.. lots of theatres and such, little bars, great shopping, and more great eateries.. this is the heart of the city.  Keep going though and take a look at the Vancouver Public Library, have a coffee there.. it is an amazing building.  Back downtown just off Granville at Hornby, is the Vancouver Art Gallery, always worth a look.  If you can actually get to see some of Emily Carr’s work, that would be awesome.  She captures some the landscapes you will see when you head north on your cruise.  When I was there last time though, a lot of her bigger works were out on tour.  Worth a try and they are sure to have some of her work on the top floor. 

The Bill Reid Museum on Hornby is small, but worthwhile too.  It is run by the Indigenous people from one of the northern coastal tribes.  Last time I went they had some crazy masks in there.. again, it will help you  get a feel for the landscape. Bill Reid is the artist that created the big one that looks like it is made out of Jade at the airport.

The Sky Train takes you to and from the airport right down to the Waterfront Station.  The Waterfront Station is near where you will get on the ship.. I think the ship will probably be docked by the building with the big sails.. Canada Place.  Sky Train has three legs.. not sure which goes where but they all take off from the same place.. right there at the Water front stations..

From that Train Station, you can also walk along Water Street.  I used to love it there.. they call it Gastown.. after some guy nicknamed Gassy Jack.. years ago.. it used to be a rough area.. then they fixed it up, but now it is getting run down again, and is a bit too touristy.  But Vas and I always go for a walk along there.. you never know what you will see.  To get there and back though, stay on Water Street, and only turn away from the water when you get to Granville Street.. I am pretty sure that area, once you get off the tourist bit, can be a bit rough.  You certainly don't want to be caught there at night. 

The Capilano Suspension Bridge is touristy.. but nice.  And Grouse Mountain (a local ski hill) runs the gondola in the summer..  you can see it from the city but it would be nice to visit as well. 

Lots to do and see.  You will have a blast! 

And as for a coffee shop.. besides the library, the best are always the books stores.  Have a hot dog from “Japdogs” .. I think that is the name of the hot dog carts on the street.  Some Japanese fellow combined the Canadian love of hot dogs, with Japanese food and voila.. Very Canadian!  Check out Tim Hortons.. if you must. Fast Food rubbish, but.. 

Vancouver

Wish we were there.  Perfectly wrong timing yet again!

Enjoy!  I love that city! 

Have a blast!