BY CLAY LARROY
Leisure
travel is
a wonderful experience that everyone should have in their lifetime. Even
business travel can be made enjoyable. There are some aspects of travel that
can detract from your enjoyment. When
planning to fly for a trip, don't forget any frequent flier miles you might
have racked up. It does you no good to hang onto those once you've already gone
on your big vacation. Even if you don't have enough miles to cover the whole
trip, many airlines will allow you to discount your rate using your miles. When you want to
plan a vacation contact me!
Things to do in Vancouver
Activities
Cycling
and mountain biking
If Vancouver has a must-do
activity, cycling along the seawall might be it, and it's an exhilarating way
to appreciate the city's remarkable natural beauty. Many visitors stick to the
9km (5.5-mile) section looping round Stanley Park, but the scenic 22km (14-mile)
route continues along the English Bay and False Creek shorelines as far as
Kitsilano Beach. Downhill hurtlers head for the North Shore Mountains, where a
series of well-maintained technical trails present plenty of challenging
obstacles to mountain bikers.
Whale
watching
The ocean surrounding the
Gulf Islands and San Juan Islands to the southwest of Vancouver is one of the
best spots in the world to catch a glimpse of orcas. It's common to spy pods of
resident killer whales, sometimes as many as 100 at one time. Wild Whales
Vancouver (tel: 604 699 2011; www.whalesvancouver.com)
runs whale-watching tours from Granville Island, lasting from three to seven
hours. Vancouver Whale Watch (tel: 604 274 9565; www.vancouverwhalewatch.com)
offers trips from Steveston, on the southwestern tip of Richmond. The season
usually runs from April to October.
Kayaking
Come summer, skiing is out
and paddling is in. British Columbia is a kayaker's dream, with its intricate
coastline and multitude of islands awaiting exploration. In Vancouver itself,
you can paddle in the shadow of skyscrapers, renting kayaks from Ecomarine
Paddlesport Centres (tel: 604 689 7575; www.ecomarine.com)
at Granville Island, English Bay and Jericho Beach or joining a sunset or full
moon tour. Beyond Downtown, Deep Cove Canoe and Kayak Centre (tel: 604 929
2268; www.deepcovekayak.com)
runs guided tours of Indian Arm, looking out for eagles, seals and salmon.
Hiking
Vancouver is on the
doorstep of the great outdoors and tantalisingly close to pure wilderness. The
city and its surrounding mountains and parks are crisscrossed with a network of
excellent hiking trails from easy ambles to challenging climbs. A popular day
hike is the eastern section of the Baden Powell Trail from Deep Cove to Lynn
Canyon, which passes through spectacular canyons and verdant forests of Douglas
firs and western cedars (www.vancouvertrails.com).
Go to a
Canucks game
Ice hockey (just known as
hockey here) is practically a religion in Canada. Local NHL team the Vancouver
Canucks (tel: 604 899 4600; http://canucks.nhl.com)
have an enormous and passionate following and have reached the Stanley Cup
Finals three times, losing on each occasion. In 1994 and 2011, so aggrieved
were the fans, the losses led to rioting in downtown Vancouver. Catch the
Canucks in action at the Rogers Arena, which was also the ice hockey venue
during the 2010 Olympics.
Skiing
and snowboarding
The anticipation is
palpable as the first snow envelops the North Shore Mountains in early winter.
You don't have to travel far to enjoy winter sports, with three local mountains
within spitting distance: Grouse Mountain (tel: 604 980 9311; www.grousemountain.com),
Cypress Mountain (tel: 604 926 5612; www.cypressmountain.com)
and Mt Seymour. The west coast is blessed with huge quantities of snow and on a
clear day, skiing or riding with views across the city can be sensational.
Beyond Vancouver, the world-class ski resort Whistler Blackcomb is just a
couple of hours away.
Vancouver
Nightlife
Vancouver's diverse
nightlife is a steadily increasing blend of stylish lounge bars, neighborhood
pubs, hip clubs and high-quality arts and live music venues. Vancouverites are
just as likely to hang out in a late-night coffee bar or cool art gallery as in
the pub however. Popular areas for going out include Gastown, Yaletown, around
Granville Street and along South Main Street. The largest cluster of
Vancouver's gay bars is on Davie Street west of Burrard Street.
You can find entertainment
listings in the free weekly paper, The Georgia Straight (www.straight.com).
Information on the city's gay and lesbian scene is available in the free weekly Xtra West (www.xtra.ca).
Tickets are available
directly from the venues or from Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.ca)
and Show Time Tickets (tel: 604 688 5000; www.showtimetickets.com).
You can buy half-price tickets on the day of the performance from Tickets
Tonight, at the booth in the Tourism Vancouver Visitor Centre, 200 Burrard
Street (tel: 604 684 2787 for recorded information; www.ticketstonight.ca).
Keefer
Bar
·
On sultry summer weekend evenings, when the vibrant Chinatown
Night Market is underway, the patio of this hipster hangout is a great spot for
people watching. Along with gawping at the eclectic range of passers-by, you
can slurp on inventive apothecary-style cocktails and nibble on peanut chicken
skewers, duck sliders or Chinese churros. If you're feeling a little unsteady
later on, soak up the booze with a late-night Keefer hot dog.
·
135 Keefer Street
Vancouver
Canada
Vancouver
Canada
·
604 688 1961.
Cory
Weed’s Cellar Jazz Club
·
Owner, musician and producer Cory Weed has ensured this intimate
venue is the top spot for jazz in the city. The club aims to promote Vancouver
and Canadian jazz acts and has played host to an incredible array of musicians.
It also regularly invites renowned international artists to perform.
·
3611 West Broadway
Vancouver
Canada
Vancouver
Canada
·
604 738 1959.
The
Portside Pub
·
New in 2013 and spread over three levels in a historic Gastown
building (think exposed brick and timbers), this pub is set to become one of
the city's busiest drinking and music venues. Pub-goers can expect a selection
of 24 local and international draught beers, a suspended bath doubling up as a
Jameson Irish Whiskey tap, North American pub grub, plus live bands and DJs.
·
Address:
7 Alexander Street
Vancouver
Canada
Vancouver
Canada
·
Telephone:604 559 6333.
Chan
Centre for the Performing Arts
·
The cylindrical, zinc-paneled exterior of the Chan Centre is
striking, but it's the stellar acoustics of the 1,400-seat Chan Shun Concert
Hall that has thrilled Vancouver audiences since it opened in 1997 on the UBC
campus. The Chan is probably the best place in town to listen to classical
music and you can also expect a diverse program of jazz, folk and world music
performances.
·
Address:
6265 Crescent Road, UBC
Vancouver
Canada
Vancouver
Canada
·
Telephone: 604 822 9197.
·
Website: http://www.chancentre.com
Orpheum
Theatre
·
A designated National Heritage Site, The Orpheum Theatre was built
in 1927 as a vaudeville house and refurbished in 2009. The theatre hosts choral
concerts and is a great place for live rock shows thanks to its acoustics. It
is also the residence of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Bach
Choir and the Vancouver Chamber Choir. Regular tours of the theatre are
available and last one-and-a-half hours.
·
Address:
601 Smithe Street
Vancouver
Canada
Vancouver
Canada
·
Telephone: 604 665 3050.
REFERENCE
SITES:
It's just a fun time going up to Vancouver.
Nicholas Gonzalez
Travel to experience
life!
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