This past weekend I fell in love with Vancouver, BC. I went up for a quick weekend trip with a good friend of mine. Crossing the border was painless and the other side pretty much just looks like the U.S. side, with the exception of speed limits being in Kilometers instead of miles.
Anyway, once we made it to the city we went straight to Gastown, Vancouver's "Fashion & Design District". Parking was a bit tricky. It was mostly street parking and the meters are coin only (we did find out later that there are some garages). We got lucky and a kind meterman put two hours on our meter for free. Gastown is the most adorable little neighborhood full of boutiques, souvenir shops, home decor shops, art shops, coffee shops, and restaurants. The first shop we went into, Orling & Wu, the shop clerk gave us a wonderful little map of Gastown and she was kind enough to circle some places she recommended for meals and going out at night. Everyone was so kind and friendly. We wandered around a bit, looking in shops and purchasing a few things. The prices in Canada are quite high compared to the states. We did find one adorable little boutique, Artemisia, that had much better prices and the ladies working were so kind. After walking around for a couple hours we ventured to a restaurant that almost everyone we talked to told us to go to. The name you ask? The Flying Pig. Traditional Canadian cuisine. When we got there they were still serving brunch (popular in Canada apparently). We each got our meals, which were quite tasty. The only complaint I had was that there was not a whole lot of flavor. But you can easily add some salt or pepper. The waitress was very friendly and the staff checked in on us just the right amount of times. When you are finished and ready to pay the bill they bring a card terminal to your table and you can add tip right there in a specific amount or by percentage. I found this extremely helpful, less math on my part! By this time it was getting quite cold so we decided to move on from Gastown and do some exploring elsewhere while warming up in the car.
HIGHLIGHTS OF GASTOWN:
Orling & Wu - https://orlingandwu.com/
Artemisia - https://www.artemisiaclothing.com
The Flying Pig - http://theflyingpigvan.com/
Gastown - http://www.gastown.org/
Our next stop was Stanley Park. We did not explore much of the park. We just drove through to where you can view the harbor and Lions Gate Bridge. It was a lovely viewpoint. I would have loved to explore more of the park, but it was cold and we were getting tired.
For more information on Stanley Park - http://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/stanley-park.aspx
We decided, being the old ladies we are, to head to the hotel, get checked in, and take a nap and relax for a bit before heading out for some night life fun. We found a nice hotel in the Granville neighborhood (Best Western). It has an amazing rooftop area with views of the city and the Granville Bridge. The room also had a nice view of downtown. It was fairly affordable and the employees were very nice. After getting settled in our room and getting a little rest and relaxation time in we prepared for a fun night on the town. Before leaving the hotel, however, we make a quick stop up to the roof to check out the view at night.
For more information on this hotel please visit their website - http://www.bestwesterndowntown.com/
Our hotel was located in the Granville "Entertainment District" so we decided to begin there. We were in search of a nice bar that was not too terribly loud and where we could find good drinks and fun bar tenders.
While walking through the Entertainment district we found most of the bars to be a bit obnoxious for our taste. The drinking age in Canada is younger than the states and we found a lot of young drunkards about. We decided to walk back down to Gastown since we so enjoyed it earlier in the day. It was a nice refreshing walk and definitely not too far. Once we got to Gastown we started exploring the bars. We finally went to one that had been recommended to us earlier in the day by the shop clerk at Orling & Wu. It was exactly what we were looking for, great drinks, great atmosphere and great bar tenders. The only problem? I am not allowed to speak about it. So...I will just say, Gastown is the place to go for a more relaxed, but still fun, nightlife experience.
Coming Soon....
Breakfast
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