Day 1–Arrival and First Impressions:
“Ye got one of those fancy cards, do ye?”
This was how I was greeted by Canadian Border Services when I first arrived Vancouver, BC in February this year. It’s a rather mundane question when you flash a NEXUS card crossing the border (Field Guide Note: Recommend anyone in a border state get one, if able!), but now think about it being said by a border guard of East Indian descent with a….thick Scottish accent? After contemplating the Scrooge McDuck impression this civil servant can pull off, it did get me thinking that it was a refreshing microcosm of our neighbors next door in the face of strife over immigration and race relations in America.
I had spent much of my life within two hours of Canada, but much of my time was confined to Ontario and not the Western part of the country. I had never been to Vancouver before, but I’ve known for a while about its character and wanted a fresh backdrop for a Valentine’s getaway. The city is its own unique melting pot: steeped in Western explorer spirit and the active presence of a diverse immigrant population. It is important to acknowledge the First Nations influence of the Tsleil-Waututh people in particular, whose ancestral home is in Greater Vancouver. Following a familiar theme, the Canadian government’s relationship with First Nations were suboptimal to put it mildly. The formerly hostile environment has given way to reconciliation, but acknowledgement of prior generations’ work and sacrifices should also be considered beyond merely seeking out Totems as part of the journey. Change from the ordinary was most welcome, as I was going through some personal challenges at the time, but it was my first Valentine’s Day getaway with my girlfriend so it was time for equal parts fun and reflection.
So getting to Vancouver on a budget can be a little more high-maintenance than one would expect, but can also be rewarding. Airfare pricing for traveling to the Great White North directly is significantly more expensive than domestic flights, but fear not!…I have a hack for you. Enter the Amtrak Cascades service, which is a regional train service with breathtaking views and scenery of the Pacific on one side and the Cascade mountain range on the other, running from Portland, OR to Vancouver. I have mixed feelings about Amtrak (another topic for another day), but flying to Seattle and then taking the approximately four-hour train to Vancouver can save you hundreds of dollars compared to going direct.
Once arrived, we took an Uber to our hotel, the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver, which I would describe as affordable elegance and a quality splurge for our long weekend stay. The rooms were well-kept and modern, dining options featured a few diverse concepts–my personal favorite was Honey Salt, a new Canadian bistro featuring Italian / Mediterranean cuisine. The Chicken Shawarma and Savory Monkey Bread brought distinct, yet nuanced, flavor notes that pair well with a variety of artisan cocktails on offer. This first evening of our journey was nothing short of a miracle since after a long day of travel, my girlfriend and I rallied and visited the Parq casino downstairs. The atmosphere throughout the facility was welcoming and I was pleased to see that Americans were not generally painted with a broad brush because of certain…administrative challenges. Most importantly, I came away from the craps table with enough plastic, see through cash to largely finance what was left of our vacation…Yay!
Day 2–Bus on the Water, and Lots of Tasty Goodness
Our Valentine’s Day, was a pleasant surprise as it was one of a select few sunny days in Van City. We largely stuck to public transit, called Translink locally, due to its affordability and integration with the Transit phone app (get this app if you travel with public transport with any frequency!). What I hadn’t counted on was a boat showing up on our route. It turns out there exists a semi-public, vividly rainbow-colored ferry that goes up and down the Vancouver Estuary from downtown that offers breathtaking views of the city and surrounds, but also a pretty chill way to travel. We went to Granville Island to check out the local shops and public market. The location did not disappoint, with a diverse collection of food stalls, specialty retailers, and bar / restaurants in the area. After drinking too many cafe mochas from JJ Bean and inhaling Nanaimo bars from Northern Bars, we ventured out for dinner at Granville Island Brewing Company. The food was quality, but it was bar-food and pretty standard fish and chips. Perhaps the highlight of the meal was the surroundings–namely the speed dating event going on around my Valentine and me. The event was rather cringe, but it was a people watching gold mine. Our evening concluded with a romantic stroll among the old industrial buildings, rehabbed to give new homes for local businesses and people alike–very relaxing and lovely all told.
Day 3–Freeform Wandering
Our third day was devoted to free exploration of the city. The thriving public art installations across the city are something to behold, and the city’s commitment to towards reconciliation with First Nations toward visibility in new city projects will make that more prominent for future visitors. I’ll get out of the way that it typically rains in Vancouver–a lot. Pack an umbrella as you venture out into the city. My favorite was the Terry Fox Memorial near BC Place. I won’t go on a huge tangent here, but look up Terry Fox if you’re not familiar. It was very personal to me after the loss of my late wife, and represents how the city can be thought-provoking. We moved onto Chinatown for shopping and cultural immersion from there, wandering along Robson Street and hitting up some great finds in Daiso, the Hello Kitty Cafe, and Fuwa Fuwa. The latter needs further comment since I would be remiss if I did not offer this advice…Fuwa Fuwa is a must-try. While a smallish chain in Canada, their Japanese-style souffle pancakes are the stuff of legend (they’re in Toronto too if you can’t make it to BC). Finally, to end the day, we traveled out to the suburb of Langley for a Canadian major junior hockey game featuring the Vancouver Giants. I’ll try to devote a future blog post to this, but any American fan who loves hockey needs to see the Canadian junior leagues at least once. It is a very community-oriented aspect of the game that spurs young players development for the NHL, and showcases some local spots you wouldn’t ordinarily see. It was a great time and also introduced us to an amazing Japanese katsu house, known succinctly as The Katsu. This is one of many kinds of food you leave to professionals, folks. I’ll leave it at that, high marks.
Day 4–East Vancouver
Our last day in the city was spent in East Vancouver, checking out shops, cafe dining and visiting one of the most adorable places I’ve encountered in a long time–The Bunny Cafe. I’ve been to cat cafes before, and the owners indeed run one of those too, but these critters were so adorable and snuggly that I would want to adopt them all but for customs and quarantine regulations (imagine the import tariffs!). My companion and I fell in love with a little energetic yet blind rabbit called Weirdo, but there are so many residents that need love and play time so get down there. Brunch at the cafe Livia for an excellent breakfast sandwich, and the audiophile surrounds of Painted Lady Records are a couple other great spots along Commercial Drive, which has many other offerings we didn’t quite get to, but there’s so much to explore!
All told, our time in Vancouver was a delightful escape. We managed to leave the house, take the house and had the privilege of a diverse set of places and attractions that are a reflection of our welcoming and diverse neighbors to the north.
Key Takeaways / Hacks:
1) Stay curious about Vancouver, and be culturally-mindful of both the First Nations and immigrant contributions to the area during your stay.
2) Leverage flights to a nearby US airport (Seattle, Bellingham) and take Amtrak Cascades service to Vancouver if traveling on a budget.
3) Use transit where possible–It’s a low-cost option and travel times may be readily tracked using the Transit app.
4) Come hungry with an open stomach–Vancouver has a very broad variety of dining options, both in ethnic and local farm-to-table cuisine.
5) Know your limits and be ready to pivot–If you are time constrained over a few days, come to terms you are not going to see everything in the city. We want you to have fun and relax. If plans change, embrace it. You may be pleasantly surprised by a change in course.
6) Bring an umbrella. It rains a lot.