Next Stop: Vancouver

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Overview

Next Stop: Vancouver Photo - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Something happened in Vancouver–I fell in love with the city! When I travel, I am always humbled by my new surroundings and the unfamiliar environment I'm in, but in the end, I always long to go back to New York City, where I feel very much at home. After only 3 days in Vancouver, I sat in the airport waiting for my flight back and dreaded it! Maybe it's because Vancouver has been touted as the most livable city in the world. Maybe it's because, past the modern glass buildings, the evergreens and the snow-capped mountains become visible, or maybe because it's the biggest destination for Asian immigrants next to the United States. I still can't tell you how or why, but for the first time in my life, th...Read More

Something happened in Vancouver–I fell in love with the city! When I travel, I am always humbled by my new surroundings and the unfamiliar environment I'm in, but in the end, I always long to go back to New York City, where I feel very much at home. After only 3 days in Vancouver, I sat in the airport waiting for my flight back and dreaded it! Maybe it's because Vancouver has been touted as the most livable city in the world. Maybe it's because, past the modern glass buildings, the evergreens and the snow-capped mountains become visible, or maybe because it's the biggest destination for Asian immigrants next to the United States. I still can't tell you how or why, but for the first time in my life, there was a next stop for ext212 after New York City.

A few highlights of the trip:
- eating at Lumière and not remembering a thing the next day
- crossing the Lynn Canyon suspension bridge and breathing in Mother Nature's smell at 10 in the morning
- staying warm and sampling Granville Island's brews while it rained outside
- running along the Stanley Park Seawall

Quick Tips:

I forgot that Vancouver is all the way up north, and all I packed was a thin jacket. At the time, New York City was just getting over its mild summer. I didn't realize Vancouver was already going to feel like autumn! Pack a couple of sweaters with your light jacket for that unexpected misty rain.

Best Way To Get Around:

I never took the public bus, even though I heard they are very reliable. Every time I asked the hotel concierge for directions to a certain place, she would direct me to either take a bus or a cab. I'm a New Yorker, so I mostly disobeyed and walked. We stayed in the downtown area on Robson Street and were right next to the shopping boutiques and lots of Japanese noodle houses. To me, everything was accessible by foot. The Seabus to North Vancouver is a pleasant ride out of the city if you plan to visit Lynn Canyon Park. Read Less

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Pacific Palisades Hotel

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Hotel

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Pacific Palisades Hotel 1277 Robson St. Vancouver, BC 800/663-1815 www.pacificpalisadeshotel.com I stayed in a suite in the Pacific Palisades Hotel, which was all right, but I wasn't too sure of what style they were trying to accomplish with the interior. The room was orange and lime green (what I imagine a Miami hotel room would look like), but then the bathroom is peppered with oatmeal soap and fragrant candles, like a Vermont bed-and-breakfast. They bragged about spa services, but could not accommodate me in a short notice. They tell you about the Jacuzzi in the p...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on November 4, 2004

Pacific Palisades Hotel
1277 Robson Street
Vancouver, British Columbia V6E1C4
(800) 663-1815

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Cloud 9 Revolving Restaurant

Restaurant

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Cloud 9 Revolving Restaurant 42nd floor of the Empire Landmark Hotel 1400 Robson St. Vancouver, BC 604/662-8328 Cloud 9 is a really ugly restaurant in a really ugly building, but you tend to forget all that once the clouds clear up and you see all of Vancouver from the top. The revolution slowly takes place in under two hours. The selection of beers is, well, not a selection at all, which is very disappointing for a place that feats itself as a tourist spot. They did not even carry any of Vancouver's own brews from Granville Island! We did not eat here and I don't think I'll ever will, but it's a nice stop before you head out for dinne...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on November 4, 2004

Cloud 9 Revolving Restaurant
1400 Robson Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
(604) 662-8328

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Lumiere

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Restaurant | "Lumière"

Lumiere Photo - Lumiere, Vancouver, British Columbia

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Lumière 2551 West Broadway Vancouver, BC 604/739-8185 www.lumiere.ca I called Lumière before I even booked my plane tickets to Vancouver. Can you say that I was excited to eat at one of the city's best restaurants?I must admit that, in the beginning, I was reluctant to eat there precisely because of the Best Restaurant in Vancouver tag it inherited from the press, but how can you go wrong with beef carpaccio, barbequed Peking duck broth and red Kuri squash, and mascarpone ravioli? Check out the photos below to see for yourself. The scene lives up to the hype. We op...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on November 4, 2004

Lumiere
2551 West Broadway
Vancouver, British Columbia V6K 2E9
+1 604 739 8185

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Vu Le Vu

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Restaurant

Vu Le Vu Photo - Vu Le Vu, Vancouver, British Columbia

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Vu Le Vu Cuisine Emporium 1157 Davie St. Vancouver, BC 604/331-0051 Davie Street is so busy that I can bet you'd get lost in the area looking for Vu Le Vu. You can't find it online (until, perhaps, this journal entry), and it's not on most of Vancouver's restaurant lists. Maybe because Vu is not spelled as Vous or maybe because Graham, the head chef, does not care what food critics think. Whatever the reason is, you at least have to make one stop at this restaurant to give it a try. A friend in New York City happened to eat here when he was visiting Vancouver earlier this year. He met the chef, who made a huge impression on him. When ...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on November 4, 2004

Vu Le Vu
1157 Davie Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
(604) 331-0051

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Ezogiku Noodle House

Restaurant | "Ezogiku Noodle Cafe"

Quote:

Ezogiku Noodle Café #5-1329 Robson St. Vancouver, BC 604/685-8606 Shopping on Robson Street can take a lot out of a girl. Thankfully, there are numerous Japanese spots on the same avenue that sell reasonably-priced bento lunch boxes and bowls of ramen, udon, and soba noodles, both hot and cold. Ezogiku Noodle Café was my favorite because it was a haven for me after all three nights of drunken stupor. I might not have remembered my entire experience at Lumière (see separate entry), but I remember each whiff of hot broth, every strand of noodle, every bit of scallion, and every button of the nameko mushr...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on November 4, 2004

Ezogiku Noodle House
270 Robson St
Vancouver, British Columbia V6G 1C7
+1 604 685 4466

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Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre

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Attraction | "Lynn Canyon Park"

Lynn Canyon Park Photo - Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre, North Vancouver, British Columbia

Quote:

Lynn Canyon Park and Suspension Bridge 3663 Park Rd. North Vancouver, BC 7am to 7pm, up to 9pm in the summer 604/981-3103 Lynn Canyon Park Information How to Get There If you have to see and cross one bridge in Vancouver, go for the free one at Lynn Canyon Park. From Vancouver, we took the Sea Bus to Lonsdale Quay and transferred to the no. 229 bus, which dropped us off on Peters and Duval, a short walk to the park entrance. The bridge is short and will not scar...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on November 4, 2004

Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre
3663 Park Road
North Vancouver, British Columbia V7J 3G3
(604) 981-3103

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Granville Island Public Market

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Attraction

Granville Island Public Market Photo - Granville Island Public Market, Vancouver, British Columbia

Quote:

Granville Island Public Market Johnston Street on Granville Island Vancouver, BC 9am to 6pm www.granville.bc.ca When I travel, I have to stop by the public market no matter where I am. To me, this is where green grocers get together with the best butchers and the most irresistible bakers, resulting in the most special selection of eateries and cafés. The Granville Island Public Market did not disappoint. At Laurelle's Fine Foods, I bought three kinds of small-serving salads for my lunch: artichoke; celery, fennel, and tomato; and basil with boccioni on beefsteak ...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on November 4, 2004

Granville Island Public Market
1689 Johnston Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
(604) 666-5784

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Granville Island Brewing

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Attraction | "Granville Brewery"

Granville Brewery Photo - Granville Island Brewing, Vancouver, British Columbia

Quote:

Granville Brewery Granvile Island Vancouver, BC www.gib.ca It was raining all throughout our visit to Granville Island, but my eyes shone when I caught a glimpse of the Granville Island Brewey sign from a few blocks away. Inside, people were signing up for a tour of the brewery. I've been to enough breweries in my travels that, to me, a vat full of wheat and barley is all the same. All I care about is the end product. We sat at the bar and ordered a round of Granville's hefeweizen (my favorite, very summery), the Bavarian-style lager (smooth), the amber lager (fruity), and the honey lage...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on November 4, 2004

Granville Island Brewing
1441 Cartwright Street
Vancouver, British Columbia V6P 6G5
(604) 687-2637

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Coal Harbour

Attraction

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Coal Harbour
West End
Vancouver, BC

After I checked in at the Pacific Palisades Hotel (separate entry), I dropped off my bags and immediately took a walk with my camera to Coal Harbour. You can walk along the promenade or down the shore to see the docked boats owned by Vancouver natives and visitors alike. From here, you can see the downtown skyline on one side and, across the water, Stanley Park. Snow-capped mountains provide a dramatic backdrop during your most relaxing walk.

From downtown, walks toward the Stanley Park Seawall and stop by one of the cafés to warm up.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on November 4, 2004

Coal Harbour
Burrard Inlet
Vancouver, British Columbia

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Stanley Park

Attraction

Quote:

Stanley Park West End Vancouver, BC A run along the Stanley Park Seawall completed my stay in Vancouver. I read that the wall was built as a precaution to erosion in the 1920s and that it took almost six decades to complete. It gates the entire 1,000-acre park filled with evergreens, fir, hemlock, and cedar trees, which will make you forget that downtown Vancouver is only a few blocks away. The circular route of the seawall is almost 6 miles–I didn't run the entire loop of course, but I did pass by the Lost Lagoon, the Rowing Club House, and the Totem Park on the way to my finish line, the Brockton Point and Lighthouse. F...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on November 5, 2004

Stanley Park
843 Avison Way
Vancouver, British Columbia V5K 1A1
(604) 257-8400

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