Vancouver Travel Diary

{My Outfit: Gap Plaid Shirtdress, H&M Tribal Print Dress (shown below), J. Crew ‘Jackie’ Cardigan, Coach ‘Swagger’ Bag, Forever 21 Sunglasses, Burberry Sneakers}
{Eric’s Outfit: Brooks Brothers Shirt, Uniqlo Jacket, Obey Hat, J. Crew Sunglasses, Vineyard Vines Pants, Cole Haan Shoes}

Earlier this month, Eric and I jaunted off to Alaska for the adventure of a lifetime! I can’t wait to tell you all about our journey in the coming week, but first I want to start off with the time we spent in Vancouver before embarking on our cruise. This was my first time venturing off to the West Coast of Canada, and I can’t wait to return to explore it properly. Nevertheless, we managed to cram A LOT into our short 36-hour stay, and hopefully my experiences can serve as a guide as you plan your own Vancouver travel itinerary.

My breath was taken away before we even landed at our destination. There was barely a cloud in the sky as we flew over the rugged Canadian landscape and enjoyed stunning views like this. Living in Manhattan for the past 15 years, I’ve grown so accustomed to city life, and nothing really prepared me for all of the natural beauty I was about to experience during this trip. This was only a taste of what was yet to come, and I could barely contain myself!

After landing in Vancouver, we got a bit of shocking news…

We had a very tight connection in Toronto, and no one told us we had to pick up our luggage and recheck it for the next flight! For the past 10 years, I’ve been a carry-on-only traveler, but there was just no way to get around checking luggage for a two week stint where the weather could range anywhere from 78  degrees and sunny on land to 30  degrees and snowy on top of a glacier! This situation could have really turned into a bad one if our cruise were leaving that same day. But luckily, we were able to make arrangements for our bags to arrive on the next flight and be dropped off at our hotel later on that evening.  After checking in to our hotel and hoping for the best as far as our luggage was concerned, Eric and I hopped into a cab to go sightseeing.

Our first stop landed us at Canada Place where we soaked up views along the waterfront and purchased tickets for FlyOver Canada which turned out to be a wonderful introduction to this part of the world and really helped get us excited for our journey ahead.

Next, we ventured over to Gastown to explore some shops for a bit and take a gander at its famous Steam Clock.  After a while, Eric and I both realized we were starving, so following a quick Yelp search to find the best restaurant in the vicinity, we settled on Meat & Bread.  This turned out to be one of the best decisions we made during our time in Vancouver! We split 1 porchetta and 1 meatball sandwich along with a kale and orzo salad, and everything was phenomenal!

Fully ignoring the fact we had jetlag because we were so excited to be on vacation recharged and refueled, we rented a couple of bikes and spent the rest of the day riding around Stanley Park. The views and scenery were stunning, so we stopped a million times to take photos like this one of Vancouver’s famed Lions Gate Bridge.

We were pretty much beat after that, so we headed back to our hotel to unwind. And thankfully, our luggage was waiting for us upon our arrival.

We were up bright and early the next morning. And since our cruise didn’t leave until 5pm that evening, I booked us on a tour of Vancouver’s North Shore. Our first stop was Capilano Suspension Bridge Park where we had tons of thrills, including…

Our very first bear sighting!

But seriously, the park was really cool, and we had ample time to explore all three of its main attractions, including walking across the Suspension Bridge which stretches 450 feet across and 230 feet above Capilano River. I’m generally not afraid of heights, but I do exhibit a healthy bit of caution towards them. The first few feet were a little daunting as I got used to the sway of the bridge, but I enjoyed myself once I got the hang of it. This excusrsion definitely isn’t for the faint of heart, but a worthwhile experience for sure. Just be sure to wear proper footwear! I was fine in my sneakers, but Eric wore leather-bottomed loafers and lost his footing a few times. He was fine of course, but my heart was probably racing about 100 miles per hour for a few seconds there.

After leaving the park, we then headed up to Grouse Mountain, the peak of Vancouver. There’s so much to do here, so I definitely plan to go again in order to experience it all. But during our visit, we especially enjoyed the 14-minute chair lift ride which took us up 4100 feet above sea level to the very top of the mountain. The view of the city from this vantage point simply can’t be beat.

After leaving Grouse Mountain, our tour guide took us back into the city and dropped us off at Canada Place where we boarded our cruise ship and waived one last goodbye to the beautiful Vancouver skyline to embark on our journey to Alaska!

Stay tuned as I bring you tales from the next leg of our trip!