Vancouver’s Split Personality

If you watched the 2010 Winter Olympics, you have an idea of Vancouver’s magnificent beauty. TV footage frequently showed sweeping vistas of mountain peaks, icy glaciers, a sparkling ocean, and dazzling skyscrapers set in the middle of it. Perhaps you wondered, “Who’s the lucky dude that gets to go in an airplane and film that jaw-dropping beautiful scenery?”

As I recently discovered, that lucky dude can be you. Set your digital camera to “movie” mode, climb aboard a Vancouver float plane, and prepare to dazzle your friends when you post your video to Facebook. Nothing I had seen on TV quite prepared me for the real thing.

From my seat in a 1957 DeHavilland Beaver float plane, I watched in awe as we lifted off from sea level, cleared the Lion’s Gate suspension bridge by a few hundred feet, and climbed to over 5,000 feet. We turned toward the imposing Coast Mountains and began weaving between rocky peaks and soaring above icy glaciers before eventually touching down on a glacial lake where we fished for small trout, and had a gourmet picnic lunch. After about 40 minutes at the lake, we returned to the sky, crossing back over the mountains, and dipping down to buzz over the Vancouver city skyline before splashing down next to the iconic “five sails” of Vancouver’s cruise ship terminal.  At about $300 per-person, this Vancouver air tour is an experience few travelers (and even fewer locals) take advantage of. Believe me: skimp on fancy meals or spa treatments if you must, but if the weather is clear, this air tour is worth every penny.

Vancouver’s split personality makes it ideal for couples and families.  Vancouver is a city with endless urban options—shopping, dining, arts, sports, and culture. But what makes Vancouver a top travel destination and dramatically different from other major cities is geography. Vancouver is literally in the middle of one of the world’s most magnificent wild settings, which means it has plenty of options for active travelers. This means the girls can hit the spa while the guys play in the ocean and the mountains, or maybe it’s the other way around…

Granville Island Surprises is a fascinating collection of farmers’ market vendors, artists and artisan shops and galleries on Granville Island. Most tourists don’t venture beyond the food market area (fresh produce, fish mongers, butchers, pies, bakeries, bagels, cheese, wine), but you will! A map of the island will help you find unique artisan workshops and galleries. The Artisan Sake Maker evokes Vancouver’s rich Japanese immigrant heritage, and for a few bucks you should do a tasting. Just a few steps away at Alder Bay Boat Co. you can run your finger across the polished keel of whatever wooden boat friendly David Bradford has recently completed. It’s like stepping back in time.  At Granville Island Broom Co., two young sisters carry on a family tradition—creating gorgeous brooms that are as beautiful as they are practical.

In addition to downtown Vancouver where you’re likely to stay, the city has many great neighborhoods worth exploring. Highlights: The West End, technically part of “downtown Vancouver,” where you can easily walk tree-lined streets when strolling to English Bay Beach. The gay-popular West End claims to be the second most densely populated neighborhood in North America, and is an interesting blend of urban professionals and senior citizens. Near Stanley Park, Denman Street has over 50 unique “mom & pop” restaurants. At the intersection of Denman and Robson Streets you’ll discover a large cluster of student-focused Korean and Japanese restaurants; all are excellent!   Also part of downtown, Yaletown is a combination of sparkling new high-rise condos and repurposed warehouse lofts. It’s trendy, hip, and can feel expensive. There is funky shopping along Mainland Street, and many high-end, very good restaurants are clustered in the area. The rest of Canada thinks Vancouver is a bunch of hippies and bohemians, and no neighborhood confirms that more than Commercial Drive where dreadlocked skater dudes sip gourmet coffee alongside elderly Italian immigrants. It’s a fascinating street to stroll, people watch, and shop for antiques and funky finds. You’ll need to take public transportation or a cab to the area. The city’s very best sandwiches are the paninis at La Grotta Del Formaggio.

Don’t be fooled by the clinical sounding name of this museum—the Museum of Anthropology is an astonishing place focused on the First Nations peoples of western Canada (First Nations is Canada’s equivalent term to Native Americans). The soaring main gallery features a variety of totem poles, and the museum’s great showpiece is a large carving by renowned artist Bill Reid. The museum is at the University of British Columbia, and is a fair distance from the city center. It’s worth it! Bonus for naturalists: North America’s most famous, legal nude beach, Wreck Beach, is nearby. Any local will explain how to get there.

Vancouver has some good shopping, but like most cities, the majority of products are the same as in shopping malls across North America. Yoga fans pay attention: Vancouver is the birthplace of popular yoga clothing company Lululemon Athletica. The original store is located in the neighborhood of Kitsilano. True yogis might also enjoy a morning stretch on nearby Kits Beach.   At Dayton Boots in the Commercial Drive area you’ll find unique styles that are, believe it or not, made in Canada. Owner Stephen Encarnacao saved the company from transferring production to China a couple of years back. For shoe lovers, don’t miss John Fluevog Shoes showroom filled with expensive couture footwear, also locally made.

For the more adventurous hike the trails among 600-year-old trees in Stanley Park. The 1,000 acre temperate rainforest is Vancouver’s much-loved soul. You’ll find a lot to do there but nothing beats taking a stroll among the park’s huge cedars and firs. The trails are well-maintained, and a great option is a walk from the Rose Garden up South Creek Trail and around the Beaver Lake. Downtown Vancouver sits on a peninsula, and the city’s oceanside bike and pedestrian path is called the “Seawall.” It’s easy to find. The path is paved, and runs along all of the city’s waterfronts: False Creek, Coal Harbour, and Stanley Park. A stroll from downtown all the way around Stanley Park is about 12 kilometers, and provides some stunning scenery.  Keep your eyes open for bald eagles, sea otters, cranes, and the occasional seal. There are many bike and blade rental shops around the city.  One of the mountains you see across the water from downtown Vancouver is called Grouse Mountain. A tram takes visitors to the top for absolutely breathtaking views of the entire Vancouver region (second best choice if you can’t do the float plane flight). On top of Grouse Mountain you’ll also find Grinder and Coola, a pair of adult grizzlies that live in a large, wild, multi-acre enclosure. The bears were orphaned as cubs and can’t be released into the wild. While Vancouver’s grizzlies have plenty of places to get away from people, they seem to enjoy being celebrities and you’re almost guaranteed a bear sighting. A bus and ferry combo makes Grouse incredibly easy to reach.  Like Grouse Mountain, Cypress Mountain is also visible from downtown Vancouver. If you’re a winter visitor, Cypress is your chance to board on the same slopes as Olympic snowboarders! Hopefully you’ll have better snow (you may recall Vancouver had a severe shortage of snow during the 2010 Olympics).The generally calm water almost completely surrounding downtown Vancouver makes it a popular place to rent a plastic sea kayak and go for a paddle. Kayaks come in one or two person versions, and you’ll likely prefer the two person version as you share the work. The calmest waters are in False Creek, which allows you to paddle past Granville Island, the Olympic Athlete’s Village, Yaletown condo skyscrapers, and the iconic sphere of Science World. More adventurous kayakers might enjoy paddling in English Bay.