Vancouver, BC
Why go to Vancouver? Because Canaduh!
(Probably shouldn't be a comedian, right gang? OK. Moving along...)
Canada is probably the place Mother Nature herself would go for a vacation. The food, the forests, the people, the forests...you get the idea. We were there for a short time - sadly, during the terrible fires that have been going on - and got to experience just a tad of it's spectacularness. Here's a run down of some not-to-miss things in Vancity and Whistler.
Damn, guys. I don't even know where to start. While we were there multiple events were going on. There was an anime convention, the pride parade, the Celebration of Lights, and the mural festival. That, plus just the normal stuff to do, meant we had our hands full in the best way possible.
We stayed downtown right by the convention center, which was basically the perfect spot for walking to and from everywhere, plus getting shuttles to further away sights. Keep that in mind if you're feeling extra adventurous.
Stanley Park is a must. Rent a bike and ride all around the park. You will not be disappointed. We did a wee bit of hiking in the park to find something I'd read about called the godhead; a piece of art carved out of a tree. You know how you feel when you find something you've lost? That's how I felt when I found the godhead (or half a godhead, if we're being accurate). But how to get there?
It's easy:
- Go to Second Beach. Look for the concession stand and from there head right up Bridle Path. It will take you deeper into the trees and not too far in you'll swing a left onto Rawlings Trail.
- Go 200 feet or so. On the right hand side you will see a very large and distinct clearing. Go in the clearing and before you know it, bam: the beautiful Two Spirits/godhead tree. (There are technically other clearings near by, but there's really no missing this one. If you can't find it, you've gone too far down Rawlings Trail.)
Every website I visited on "things to do in Vancouver" told me
Gastown was not to be missed. Which I agree with, but with caveats. First, the steam clock is definitely worth checking out. There's only a handful of them left in the world, so seeing its little puffs of steam and hearing its little tunes is actually that cool. There are also plenty of stores to check out and endless options for dining. Not to mention how cool and funky this little part of town is in general. However, there is a down side (because I like to keep it real).
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| Gastown |
Gastown was a little...unnerving from a safety perspective. We were there during the day and at night and honestly, both times we saw some unsavory characters. It could've been that, due to all the events going on, there was just a lot of people coming out of the woodwork- I don't know. All I can tell you is there were syringes on the sidewalks, people openly doing drugs in large groups, and really, really scary looking individuals hanging out. I'm talking one guy who was flailing his body around as he walked down the sidewalk, another man hunched up in the corner of a restaurant eyeing everyone like he wanted to kill somebody while talking to himself, and then there was the lady who walked up to people and just stared them in the face looking as deranged as someone can possibly look. This is just
some of what we saw.
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| Steam clock |
After looking at more recent articles on the area, I discovered that other people had encountered much of what we had. I talked to a friend of mine who lives there and she said there is a specific drug (can't remember the name) that is out of control right now in Canada. That, plus a not-so-great part of town in general is right around the corner, so what you're seeing is overspill into Gastown.
I definitely don't want to put people down who need help or speak negatively of the good that Gastown has to offer, but I've been to a lot of places all over the world and I rarely feel unsafe. So - go check it out if you want, but be careful. Don't go alone and definitely don't go alone at night, that's what I was told. It's always better to be safe.
On to other things...
If you hop on the SkyTrain and head to the science world stop, you can check out main street, which is lined with amazing murals. Some are on the main drag, some are just off to the side down some of the alleys. If you love graffiti at all, you need to do this.
Granville Island is a must. Had I realized how cool it was, I would've planned more time there- it's that awesome. Shopping, sight seeing, food, and more graffiti art. What's not to love? Make sure you check out
Devil May Wear for some of the coolest jewelry ever made by a local artist. Definitely do not miss
Granville Island Soap Gallery. They have some of the most exotic bath salts I've ever seen, and I'm kind of a bath salt snob, guys. You need this in your life, trust me.
Capilano Suspension Park is pretty neat too. If you don't have a lot of time, I would honestly say you can skip this, but if you have plenty of time, go. It's not a very large park and there are only so many things you can look at before you're done. I was there 90 minutes, and at least 30 of those was me just browsing their store. It's just not that big. The free shuttle to the park is very helpful, so make sure you look into using it before you go.
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| The Cliffwalk |
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| Tree top bridges |
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| Suspension bridge |
Gluten Free Dining
It's pretty easy to dine GF in Vancouver. In fact, it's downright simple. Here are some of the spots you can (and should) check out.
Cartems Donutiere
- Donuts that are basically cake in the shape of donuts. You can't go wrong with this plan.
Steamworks Brewery
- Very hip location with quite the selection of GF items. (The kale salad was ah-maze-ing!)
The Fish Counter
- About a 10-15 min walk past where the murals end you'll find The Fish Counter. I almost never find GF fish and chips so I was hella excited to discover this place. Super delish.
L'abattoir
- While they don't specifically call out GF items on their menu, many items already are GF or can be adjusted with some slight changes.
SMAK
- Finding a place like SMAK that has all GF everything when you're starving is like finding gold at the end of a rainbow.
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| Before: Eyes bigger than stomach |
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| After...reality set in |
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| The Fish Counter |
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| Lost Lake |
Whistler, BC
Oh-my-holy-wow.
Whistler really is as beautiful as everyone says. Even with the smoke, it was gorgeous. Every turn had something new. Light turquoise water, various shades of green, sunlight and shadows and so much vibrancy and variation!
Since we had a few days in Vancouver and didn't want to rent a car, we booked round trip tickets through
Epic Rides. The drive to Whistler is just as pretty as Whistler itself. There are at least five different spots I wish the bus had stopped at so I could take pictures. For real, guys. The photographer inside of me slowly died a little every single time we passed yet another beautiful, picture worthy stop. *sigh*
Nature. DO NATURE. Hike, bike, walk, swim- you have endless options. We spent the morning hiking around Lost Lake. It was stunning. The plants, the lake, the everything! Serenity at it's finest and most beautiful. We almost rented bikes to get around, but I'm honestly glad we didn't. I would have hated to zoom past all the pretty without really taking it in. And again, Whistler just isn't that big. If you're planning a day anything like ours, save your money. Bikes are unnecessary.
After the awesomeness that was our hike, we explored all three villages, taking in the sights, getting some delicious and refreshing tea at David's Tea, and shopping at some of the stores. The Wanderlust Festival also happened to be going on this day, which was also pretty cool to check out.
Gluten Free Dining
Mogul's Coffee House
- Mogul's, hands down, has the best GF banana pecan muffins
and chai tea I've ever had. Ever. And I've had chai tea in India, gang. I've thought about the muffin at least once every day since going there. Why, oh why, didn't I buy more of them?! I'm seriously debating calling them and trying to get some shipped to me. We're not
that far away, are we?
Bar Oso
- We went here for lunch and it was legit one of the best things I did with my life that day. I had the shrimp sandwich with their special Cool Change drink and my taste buds were in heaven. One of the best sandwiches I've ever had for sure. I don't know what they're putting in the food up there in Whistler (Pixie dust? Love? Crack?) but it is excellent.
