A POCKET GUIDE TO VANCOUVER AND WHISTLER
During the week of July 4th my family did the most patriotic thing we could possibly do: we went to Canada. What makes it even more ironic is that we flew in on Canada Day a.k.a. THE Canadian holiday, and then we left on the Fourth of July.
I hadn’t been back to Vancouver since I was about 5 years old. I’m so glad I got to revisit this incredible city with fresh eyes and a few more years behind me. We only spent three days in Vancouver, and we also took a day trip out to Whistler. Despite the briefness of our vacation, we had such a nice and relaxing time wandering around the city and seeing all of the natural beauty up north in Whistler. Since this trip was all about taking it easy, we spent most of our time wandering around and eating lots of good food. You could even consider this post a "foodie's guide" to Vancouver and Whistler. I’ve also included a few must-see sights, so keep reading to find out more!
Stay in Vancouver –
The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver - If you want the all-star treatment in this city, look no further than booking a stay at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Honestly, I think this city is run by the Fairmont group because they have about four hotels in the area alone. If you book a room here expect top-notch amenities, a kind staff, and exceptionally comfy beds
See in Vancouver –
Gastown – This sweet neighborhood in Vancouver is full of cobblestone streets, adorable shops, great food, and tons of history. The name of this neighborhood comes from a musical steam-powered clock in the middle of town that takes you back to the Victorian era, but turns out it was built in the 70’s. It's still by far the most popular attraction in the area.
Gastown is a lovely area to walk around on a nice afternoon when all you feel like doing is looking at pretty architecture and wandering into a few nice shops. And that’s exactly what we did.
Granville Island – Technically Granville "Island" is still a part of Vancouver, and it has become a popular site for locals and visitors alike. The most popular place on the island is the Public Market, which is a bustling indoor marketplace full of stalls selling local produce, baked goods, fresh seafood, and even beautiful handcrafted art. The island is also peppered with a few theatres, art galleries, and souvenir shops.
Stanley Park – New York has Central Park, Philadelphia has Fairmount Park, and Vancouver has Stanley Park. To say the national park is huge would be an understatement. It gets about 8 MILLION visitors a year!! Come here for a long walk, a ride on a horse drawn carriage, or even just a stroll along the waterside path: however you choose to get around the park will take you somewhere beautiful.
Shopping on Granville Island –
Food –
Maison Coté – This local spice shop has all kinds of interesting flavored seasonings from smoked espresso sea salt to raspberry and rosemary pepper. Naturally they had a variety of maple flavored spice combos because this is Canada afterall.
Bon Mono Bon – We came across this booth immediately when we walked into the marketplace. I am a lover of freshly roasted nuts and dried snacks, so I was in heaven when the friendly salesman kept giving me samples of everything. I couldn’t resist taking something home. I wish I had bought bulk bags of the maple-coated pecans and chocolate almond crunch because those were the real winners.
Stuart’s – This bustling bakery in the middle of the marketplace sold all kinds of deliciousness. We wanted just about one of everything, but we settled on a small assortment of cookies and some of the most amazing granola bark I’ve ever had. When I crack the recipe, I’ll be sure to write a post.
Art -
Dundarave Workshop and Gallery – Just a block up from the marketplace is a sweet shop that sells beautiful prints by local artisans. The store doubles as a workshop where the artists make all the prints sold up front. I love how you can see right into the artist’s creative space where all the magic is made! I bought two adorable fruit prints: one of a basket of strawberries and one of an avocado for Hannah. :)
Eat in Vancouver –
Dynasty Seafood Restaurant – It’s pretty much a fact that you can’t walk a block in Vancouver without hitting a Chinese restaurant. The popularity is so extreme that here many people tend to grab dim sum in lieu of brunch. Going to Vancouver without getting dim sum is like going to Rome and not eating pasta. The lovely concierge at our hotel recommended us this particular restaurant. We were warned that the place has had a track record of both good and bad service, but we decided to take our chances for the sake of excellent dim sum. Unfortunately, the rumors were true, but we still ended up having really delicious dim sum despite the lack of customer service.
Nightingale – My aunt always sends us a list of recommendations for whatever cities she has been to that we’re plan on visiting, and this restaurant was at the top of her food recs. I personally think we had the best meal of the whole trip here. Each of the seasonal ingredients stood out in the modern Canadian dishes we ate that were also perfect for sharing. The menu changes based on the time of year, which included delicious fried chicken and great roasted veggies. In general, you know you’ve hit the jackpot when every dish that comes out is a standout and Nightingale certainly accomplished that.
Vij’s – Alongside Chinese food, Indian cuisine is Vancouver’s other big culinary favorite. Vij’s takes Indian food to a whole other level in the best way possible. We had to wait 45 minutes to get in since there are no reservations, but we were kept happy with yummy appetizers like chickpea fritters. By the time we got our table, we were revved up and ready to eat anything and everything. The ricotta garlic stuffed naan and lamb popsicles were both crowd-pleasers, but honestly everything we ordered was incredible. Definitely worth the wait!
See in Whistler -
Sea to Sky Gondola- One of the days on our trip we rented a car and headed up to one of the largest ski resorts in North America. Of course in the middle of summer skiing is not the sport of choice, but mountain biking is super popular in the warmer months. On the way up to Whistler, which is about a 2-hour drive from Vancouver, we stopped at the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish. This 10-minute ride takes you 885 meters above sea level to see a sweeping view of Howe Sound and the surrounding mountains. Once you reach the summit, there are a variety of ecotourism activities to choose from including, a suspension bridge, hiking paths, rock climbing, and even mountaintop yoga. Quick tip: look out for mini waterfalls that are hidden within some of the mountains!
Whistler Blackcomb – During the winter this sweet town is a bustling ski resort, but in the summer and early fall it converts into a just as busy mountain biking destination. There are also lots of other outdoor sports available during every season like white water rafting and zip lining, but if you’re more in the mood to chill out and explore a cute town then you can do that here too! We only stopped by for the afternoon, but if we were here longer I would’ve loved to spend some time in a spa at one of the many resorts in the area.
Eat in Whistler Blackcomb –
Beacon Pub and Eatery – While wandering around the stone streets of Blackcomb, peeking our heads into a shop here and there, we came across this great pub. You can either go really wrong or really right with pub food, and fortunately we had the latter. The “Angry Chicken” sandwich had just enough of a kick to it without blowing your socks off, and the truffle fries were pretty addictive.
Cow’s Creamery – Even though we were stuffed at lunch from Beacon’s, we decided to get ice cream anyways. We saw a long line coming out of a small ice cream and chocolate shop, so we decided to investigate. Turns out it was Cow’s Creamery. The critically acclaimed small chain Canada is known for their rich ice cream that doesn’t skimp on the milk or sugar. Just the way it should be made. ;)
Sometimes short but sweet trips are the best trips. It felt so nice to spend quality time with my family, especially since we were celebrating my grandma’s birthday. I’m so glad that I got to catch up on some much-needed R & R with the people in my life that I love the most. Who could ask for better? Vancouver is such a diverse city with so many different things to do, places to see, and food to eat. ;) It was so nice really nice to be able to experience the city as a (slightly) more mature person. ;) It also felt great to spend an afternoon getting some fresh air and seeing some natural beauty up in Whistler. I can’t wait to come back for another hopefully longer trip soon!
xoxo,
Emma