Vancouver, Canada, City of a Dozen Faces

Vancouver became better known after the city hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, but you can find much more on a visit here than you saw on the television broadcasts. It's a city full of many cultures. Endless possibilities exist between the snow covered mountains and the Pacific Ocean so leave yourself with at least a few days to explore it all. Vancouver is a melting pot of cultures, even in its own history. This British Columbia city certainly still carries influences of the Englishmen that first discovered it, but it also comes under the French influence of Canada. You will find examples of this throughout the area, in everything you eat, drink and see.

Getting Here

Vancouver International Airport went through an expansion in conjunction with the Olympics and flights here are available from all over the world. For something different, take a floatplane from one of the nearby islands. Vancouver is also a stop for 80 Pacific Coastal and Alaska bound cruise ships which do both roundtrip and one way voyages from the city. You can drive to Vancouver from three U.S. crossings in Washington State. Seattle is only a three hour drive. Since many new hotels were built for the Olympics, you won't have any trouble finding accommodations. If you are looking to splurge on something special, check out the Wedgewood Resort & Spa, a Relais Chateau property, or the Fairmont Waterfront.

Food & Drink

From fine restaurants to food carts, Vancouver will not leave you hungry. Stop for an organic lunch with local ingredients at West Restaurant or freshly caught seafood Blue Water Café. Wash it down with some British Columbia wine. You will find quite a bit in Vancouver, or you can also take a short flight (or a 100 mile drive) to the Okanagan Valley, where they make some of the best wines in Canada. Before you leave Vancouver, though, stop by the Wedgewood Hotel & Spa for some unusual cocktails at Bacchus Lounge. Then take a ride down to Gastown, where you will have no problem finding live music at the clubs or new age food and cocktails at L'Abbatoir.

Don't Miss

Take some time to explore Stanley Park, on foot, by horse drawn carriage or in one of the trams. The park itself is a site to see, but it also gives you a nice look at a good part of Vancouver as you go along the waterfront. Granville Island is one place that visits many at once. You can easily spend a day here just going through the Public Market. Within those covered blocks you can find fresh and prepared foods from local vendors that represent Italy, France, and China, to name a few Take a tour with the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts so you can really get a feel for it all. The best idea is to get a Tourism Vancouver Experience Pass. This will get you admission into many of the attractions as well as rides on the trolleys that go throughout the city.