Trip To Vancouver

Over Easter and the following week we were on vacation in Vancouver! Such an amazing and beautiful city, I could see myself living there. Here is a little overview of what we did with our time. Maybe it will give you some ideas if you find yourself in Vancouver. 

Day 1 - April 19

• Walked around downtown and ended up exploring Granville Island
• We visited all the little shops, the market, and had lunch at Granville Island Brewery 
• We also visited my favourite tea shop, Murchies. I love their teas, and they have the best scones! 
• In the evening we met up with some friends, that had recently moved to Vancouver, for dinner and drinks at Craft Beer Market in the Olympic Village 

Day 2 - April 20

• This morning we set out for Stanley Park, which is a huge park set at one end of downtown Vancouver. One minute you are in the city and the next out in nature, amazing!
• We had lunch at a great little restaurant set right inside the park called The Teahouse. 
• We then had Easter dinner with family at Jeff's aunt and uncle's place.

Day 3 - April 21

• Today we met up with friends and went to North Vancouver for a hike at Deep Cove. This is such a beautiful area for hiking and a cute little town to visit, with amazing donuts! 
• Then visited their house in Burnaby. 
• In the evening we went for a walk along the harbour and had dinner at a seafood restaurant called Cardero's. 

Day 4 - April 22

• Today we rented a car and took a road trip to Whistler!
• We went skiing on Blackcomb mountain (the Whistler side was actually closed) and we wandered around the village. Lots of fun and we got to see some of the Olympic areas that were used in 2010.

Day 5 - April 23

• This morning we went on a family hike to Lynn Canyon, which starts with a long suspension bridge over a deep canyon. Pretty exciting to walk over, and this one is free! 
• In the afternoon we walked through Chinatown, and up to Gastown to browse through the shops. 
• For dinner we stayed in Gastown and went to place called Chill Winston, which had amazing tapas style dishes, and great atmosphere for people watching. 

Day 6 - April 24

• We visited the Vancouver Aquarium in the morning, which is also located in Stanley Park. I was quite impressed with the amount of marine life to see here. 
• We then walked back and checked out of our hotel, as we would be staying with family for the rest of the trip. 

Day 7 - April 25

• Today we visited the Museum of Anthropology, located at the University of British Columbia. I have nothing but amazing things to say about this museum, if you ever get a chance go and see it. They have their entire collection on display, and the public can access their database system to look up and locate any of their artifacts. So organized and incredible! 
• We also visited the Nitobe Memorial Gardens, which are the most traditional Japanese gardens outside of Japan. They were breath taking, especially since all the cherry blossoms were blooming. 
• In the evening we had a big family dinner at a Chinese restaurant that was one of first in Vancouver, called Flamingo Restaurant. 

Day 8 - April 26

• Today we had brunch with one of Jeff's brothers and a cousin at a neat coffee house in Kerrisdale called Bean Brothers. 
• In the afternoon was the event that was our real purpose in coming to Vancouver, Jeff's grandmother's memorial. It was a beautiful service and actually a really fun party afterward with the whole family!
• The whole trip was just wonderful, and it was great to see and meet so many of Jeff's family and friends!