February 08, 2010 | Tips from Us >
Vancouver, Sightseeing Tours
Find more information about Vancouver - Sightseeing Tours
View a larger image on flickr.com
Yes, it rains here. Not as much as some people would have you believe (we’re not the number one rainiest city in North America), but enough to formulate a game plan for embracing the elements. Hiding inside when it rains is a waste of a perfectly good day in Vancouver.
First thing, be prepared. The Umbrella Shop will have you literally covered. This local company has been making umbrellas in Vancouver since 1935! I finally shelled out for a decent umbrella here, because they’re well made and there’s an incredible selection of colours and patterns. Forget basic black! (Although they have that, too.)
For your feet, head to Gumdrops, which I’m sure does its best business in puddle season. They have lots of practical yet cute soggy weather footwear.
Once you’re geared up, you can tackle pretty much any activity. But, if you’re unprepared (or just like staying very dry), here are some of my favorite Vancouver specific rainy day activities:
Vancouver Aquarium: Some like the belugas, but I like “sea” creatures – sea otters, sea stars, and especially the room of sea jellies (like my leggy buddy in the photo above).
Museum of Vancouver: Awesome exhibits lately! Bikes, taxidermy, crafts – what’s next?
Yoga: I love being in a cozy studio when it’s raining.
Stanley Park: The canopy of giant trees does a surprisingly good job of keeping the trails dry(ish). There are less people in the forest when it rains; watch for woodpeckers, owls and Douglas squirrels.
Public Market on Granville Island: Mangosteens, espresso, butternut squash ravioli, birch syrup... the list goes on. Yum.
The Umbrella Shop: Granville Island, 526 Pender St, and 1106 W Broadway; Gumdrops: 2029 West 4th Ave
February 07, 2010 | Tips from Us >
Vancouver, Shopping
Find more information about Vancouver - Shopping
View a larger image on flickr.com
Like most Vancouverites, I’m a big fan of exploring the local mountains. I’m also a fan of staying warm, dry, well-fed and not-lost. So, before I gallivant into the forest, I head to the stretch of outdoor supply stores clustered around the intersection of Broadway and Manitoba Street.
Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) tops my list, as it has everything from bird identification books and dehydrated food to bicycle lights and wool socks. In addition to the oodles of stuff they have for sale, they also have rental gear, such as snowshoes, kayaks and ice axes.
If MEC doesn’t have what I’m looking for, I venture into one of many other outdoor shops in the area. This is often the case when I’m shopping for a specific item (such as hiking boots or bike gloves) or are looking for popular rentals (such as snowshoes on a powder day). Tip: 3 Vets, just a few blocks from MEC (at Yukon St. and 6th Ave), is jam-packed with inexpensive outdoor goods.
If you're an outdoor gear geek, you could spend many hours and dollars in this part of town. Don't say I didn't warn you. :)
February 07, 2010 | Tips from Us >
Vancouver, Dining
Find more information about Vancouver - Dining
View a larger image on flickr.com
How does a city get a “new” neighbourhood? I’m not too sure, but it appears to have happened in Vancouver with the creation of the Crosstown neighbourhood.
Is this a marketing gimmick? Maybe. But Crosstown is certainly developing its own personality and is worth a visit. Here’s where to find it and three of my Crosstown highlights:
Where is Crosstown?South of Gastown, East of Chinatown; bounded by Expo Blvd, Pender, Main and Cambie.
HighlightsT&T Supermarket: A fantastic Asian supermarket with walls of baked goods, fresh seafood, produce, and imported goodies (they have an entire aisle of Pocky). I love the egg tarts and the frozen shrimp har gow (shrimp dumplings) from Hon's.
Medina Café: Pros: Best Belgian waffles in town; best waffle toppings in town (raspberry caramel and fig orange marmalade are my picks, as seen above); and the silkiest, milkiest lattes with yummy flavours (try the raspberry caramel).
Cons: Everyone else knows this too, which means the early-bird gets the table on weekends. Aim to be there at 9am, when they open, and you're golden. Or be the really-lazy-bird and show up 2pm and it may have cleared out by then.
Chambar: Your search for the tastiest mussels in the city ends here. The mussels at this Belgian restaurant are whoppers; I like mine in their white wine butter broth, which is extra tasty when generously applied to pommes frites. A good selection of beer, as well, including lambics, tripels (my fav), and trappiste.
T&t Supermarket at 179 Keefer; Medina Cafe at 556 Beatty St; Chambar at 562 Beatty St
February 01, 2010 | Tips from Us >
Vancouver, Art Galleries & Artists
Find more information about Vancouver - Art Galleries & Artists
View a larger image on flickr.com
Art’s popping up all over the place in Vancouver lately. Here are a few of my favorites:
A-Maze-ing Laughter: There are always people imitating these giant bronze sculptures’ poses while snapping pics. It’s so popular that the grass couldn’t handle the crowds and was recently replaced with bark mulch. A mystery fan even made Santa hats for the sculptures at Christmas.
Location: Corner of Davie and Denman, near English Bay
Monument for East Vancouver: It has people talking – isn’t that what art’s all about? A recognizable cross-shaped East Van symbol has been upgraded to giant public art status. Most impressive at night, when it’s lit up and tough to miss.
Location: At Clark and 6th Avenue
We, 2008: Nice in daytime, but incredible when darkness falls. That’s when it’s illuminated to create a glowing man made out of all the letters of the alphabet. It’s huge, too – step inside for a unique perspective (like my friend Jonathan Sparks did for the photo above).
Location: At Beach and Thurlow, near the Vancouver Aquatic Centre
Artificial Rock #143: Not everyone is a fan (I’ve heard it described as “God’s filling”), but I like it. It’s shiny, lumpy and outer-space-y, and contrasts with the straight lines of the downtown buildings.
Location: Corner of Granville and Georgia, near the Vancouver City Centre Canada Line station
Woodward’s W: Is this considered public art? It’s definitely a Vancouver icon – the neon Woodward’s W lit up the sky from 1944 to 1993, and now it’s back (with energy efficient bulbs).
Location: Woodward’s building, look up from Woodward's plaza near Abbott and Cordova
February 01, 2010 | Tips from Us >
Vancouver, Spas & Wellness
Find more information about Vancouver - Spas & Wellness
View a larger image on flickr.com
Yoga pairs nicely with Vancouver’s laid-back West Coast vibe, and this city has fully embraced the idea of stretching, breathing and oooohhhmming in a room of like-minded people.
Studios are popping up everywhere, and all types of yoga are available. You name it, Vancouver’s yoga scene has it (yes, even nude yoga). Where to start? Here are some suggestions:
YYOGA: The downtown Flow studio is huge, has a ton of classes, and feels like a spa thanks to organic hair products, peppermint soap and an infrared sauna. That being said, there’s also something special about the small, cozy room at their Yaletown studio. Big wooden rafters and candles make it my favourite space for an evening yin class.
Yoga for the People: A friend of mine loves this Gastown studio. What makes it unique? It’s all donation-based to make yoga accessible to everyone – pay what you can. Incredible! It’s a small and intimate space that offers a variety of styles. Wade’s vinyasa and Elle’s yin classes are my bud’s recommendations.
Semperviva Sea Studio: This relaxed studio reminds me of doing yoga in someone’s living room (maybe it’s the carpet?) – albeit a living room with a waterfront view. It’s on the second floor in a refurbished industrial building, and two walls of windows overlook False Creek, houseboats, and gently swaying boat masts. Stress, begone.
Lululemon: In Vancouver, it may seem as though the road to inner peace is paved with lululemon clothing. Lululemon was founded in Vancouver, so they have a huge local following. They also offer free in-store yoga classes – great for any out-of-town yogi, as they provide the mats.
Free Yoga: During the Winter Games, YYOGA and lululemon are offering free yoga at any of YYOGA’s studios (6 locations, including Vancouver and Whistler) – an awesome way to stretch your cheering muscles!
Sometimes, though, the urge to zen-out can happen any time, any place. That’s me above striking an impromptu pose on a sunny summer day at Third Beach – no studio required. (Photo by Vanessa Griffiths).
February 01, 2010 | Tips from Us >
Vancouver, Ferry
View a larger image on flickr.com
I worked on Granville Island for a few years, and one of the best things about it (besides the food) was commuting on the little ferries that bob along False Creek.
After a long day in the office, I’d walk down to the docks and watch the ferry’s lights get closer before hopping in. The evening rides were always my favorite: quietly gliding across the water in the dark was an instant de-stressor.
Daytime rides, though busier, gave me the chance to watch kayakers, cormorants and harbour seals (it’s neat to look a seal in the eye from water level). These ferries are by far the coolest form of transit in the city, and they make an awesome harbour “mini-cruise” rain or shine. Plus, they're pretty darn cute.
Both False Creek Ferries (the blue boats) and Aquabus (the rainbow boats) offer the same relaxing ride. The differences between them are: only False Creek Ferries will travel to Maritime Museum/Space Museum/Museum of Vancouver, and only Aquabus can handle bicycles – they even have a special Cyquabus for that purpose.
January 28, 2010 | Tips from Us >
Vancouver, Dining
Find more information about Vancouver - Dining
View a larger image on flickr.com
I couldn’t get that donut out of my mind.
Ever since a friend brought over some Chinese baked goods, I’ve had black bean filled sugar donut on the brain. So, I did the logical thing and went on a donut field trip to New Town Bakery in Chinatown (158 East Pender St.).
So what does a black bean filled sugar donut taste like? The dough portion is pretty standard donut fare, and the sugar surrounding it is granulated (not icing) sugar. The black bean filling is what makes it special. It’s a thick paste, almost the texture and colour of dates, and sweet tasting, but not as sweet as jam or custard. Totally unique as far as donuts go.
I also picked up a few more Chinese bakery goodies to go: a buttercream filled coconut bun, a regular coconut bun, apple tarts, a buttercream horn, an egg tart, a winter melon tart and a mystery white blob with coconut and red bean filling. I think all the items were under a $1 a piece.
Steamed buns fans: I haven’t had them here, but I’ve heard they’re amazing.
January 25, 2010 | Tips from Us >
Vancouver, Gardens
Find more information about Vancouver - Gardens
View a larger image on flickr.com
I’d been to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden in Vancouver's Chinatown before, but this time was different. By chance, I entered the garden just as a guided tour was starting. Since I love factoids – especially factoids that are free with admission – I joined the group.
The tour guide was a pleasant volunteer that knew his stuff. He pointed out some neat aspects of the garden, most of which I’d never noticed on my previous visits:
- The hallways and walkways were put together without using any nails, screws or glue – just preciseness.
- Some of the pebble mosaics on the ground have pieces of the craftsmen’s rice bowls embedded in the pattern.
- The oddly-shaped rocks come from a special lake in China called Lake Tai. One of the rocks looks like a dragon, and another looks like the profile of George Washington!
- Traditional beliefs say that evil spirits can only travel in straight lines, so the large double corridor is zigzagged to prevent any nasty spirits from travelling along it.
- One part of the garden acts as a natural air conditioner.
If you’ve never taken a tour of the garden, I strongly encourage it. While the garden is pretty when you wander around on your own, it’s a whole different experience having an expert point out interesting features.
(Tourism BC/JF Bergeron photo)
January 25, 2010 | Tips from Us >
Whistler, Winter Activity Tours
Find more information about Whistler - Winter Activity Tours
View a larger image on flickr.com
On a recent trip to Whistler, I visited the tube park for the first time and had an absolute blast. We arrived a half hour before the tube park closed, so we managed to go down the hill three times.
The tube runs were very, very fast. There wasn’t much between me and the snow (just a thin layer of plastic), so I felt every bump… and even caught air in spots. On each of my runs down, I was laughing so hard that tears were flying off my cheeks, and I could barely see because the falling snow was zinging past (and into) my face.
If you have a strong stomach, the snow tube lifties can give your tube a spin at the top. I politely declined their offer to spin me, as I was mindful that my stomach was full of après nachos and a couple of mojitos.
I’d recommend the tube park as a great way to spend a couple of hours with friends or family. And of course, since you’re paying to tube downhill – not trudge back up – a magic carpet carries you and your trusty tube back to the top.
January 25, 2010 | Tips from Us >
Vancouver, Dining
Find more information about Vancouver - Dining
View a larger image on flickr.com
Have a sweet tooth? Head to Denman Street in Vancouver's West End. The six block section of Denman between Davie and Robson is known as “Dessert Row”. Here are a few of my favorites, as determined by intense product tasting (all in the name of research, of course).
Cupcakes: The cupcakes at Cupcakes aren’t so much delicately iced – they’re positively slathered. A giant swirl of buttercream icing tops each cake (enough to sink your teeth into), which have fun names like Diva, Lava Flow and Koo Koo. Try the Lemon Drop; it comes garnished with a citrus candy.
Creampuffs: When Beard Papa’s moved in, I had no idea what they sold but I was hooked by the name. Turns out they specialize in freshly made creampuffs. How fresh? They inject the cream into the puff when you order. Classic vanilla is my choice.
Cookies: Cookies by George’s slogan is “Because you can’t eat flowers,” and they have great cookie gift tins along with individual cookies for sale. I recommend the Reverse Almond Chocolate Chunk or the Cappuccino Chocolate Chunk.
Frozen Yogurt: Qoola has the healthiest dessert option on Denman: fat-free, gluten-free, probiotic, Kosher-dairy frozen yogurt. Try the green tea flavour – it’s only 140 cal per small serving. Of course, that’s before you load it with some of the 40 toppings available, like Oreos or organic bee pollen.
Also on Denman Street are: Dulcinea, an all-chocolate café; True Confections, the “date place” that serves cake slabs so big they could double as dinner; Delany’s, the locals’ coffee shop with great cinnamon buns; Dairy Queen, for Blizzards and Buster Bars; and Mondo Gelato, with dozens of creatively decorated flavours to choose from.