Destination Spotlight: Vancouver

Totem poles in Stanley Park. Vancouver, BC. Photo: Rachel King. Aug. 1, 2009.

While the world spotlight won’t be turned to Vancouver until next February when it hosts the Winter Olympic Games, there’s plenty going on already. Just last weekend, the Canadian metropolis hosted the World Police & Fire Games, Pride Weekend and the Celebration of Light pyro-musical international competition. And that was just Saturday. There is plenty to see, do and eat in Vancouver. It might be a good idea to get there before the rest of the world pours in this winter.

Getting There: Air Canada is the the country’s largest and flagship carrier, which of course flies directly into Vancouver International Airport. Touting themselves as the “gateway to the Games,” many other domestic and international carriers fly into Vancouver. (For a full list, click here.) Like Seattle, Vancouver also hosts a number of large cruises in her harbor at Canada Place port. You can also get there easily by car (for example, US I-5 becomes British Columbia Highway 99), or rail on Amtrak from Seattle or Via Canada (Canada’s national rail) from other Canadian cities.

Canada Place. Vancouver, BC. Photo: Rachel King. July 31, 2009.

Where To Stay: Booking a room in Vancouver will not be an easy task. As the days count down to the Opening Ceremonies on February 12, hotels are filling up not just with visitors for the Olympics, but all of the other events Vancouver is hosting these days. When booking my own trip, I had no idea that the first weekend of August would be so busy. Along with the three events mentioned before, it was also a holiday weekend for the province of British Columbia. We ended up staying at the St. Regis Hotel in downtown Vancouver. A perfect location (right next to a SkyTrain station). For a luxe boutique hotel, it was quite a bargain, as low as $139-149 CAD per night for a queen room. Along with being in the center of town with easy accessibility to any of the local attractions and a Starbucks and two restaurants on site, a full breakfast is included with your stay and the beds are so comfortable you might just want to sleep in a tad longer.

What To See: Vancouver is one of those special cities with complete natural beauty. In the valley of the Coast Mountains and surrounded by several bodies of water, it would be a good idea to spend most of your time just walking around the waterfront. Vancouver is an ideal spot if you prefer enjoying the great outdoors, either by a side-trip to Whistler or just strolling Stanley Park. But if shopping is your thing, Robson Street is the ideal choice for commercial brands and Granville Island hosts a delightful public market under the bridge.

If you want a taste of Vancouver’s nightlife, the most up-and-coming neighborhood is Yaletown. Full of funky and trendy bars and restaurants, this neighborhood is the place to be after dark. One must-try spot is the Glowbal Grill & Satay Bar. This eatery takes a lot of traditional dishes and gives them an upgrade. For example, spaghetti and meatballs isn’t just a dish with ground beef and marinara sauce, but rather drizzled with truffle oil, tête de moine cheese and Kobe meatballs. For wine lovers, this is also a great spot to try out some local BC-produced wines, as they have an extensive list. But be warned the music inside might make you think you’re in a nightclub rather than a restaurant, so it might be better to sit on the patio or way in the back.

If you can’t wait until February to visit Vancouver, August is one of the busiest times of year, so it might best to hold off until late-September or October.