Ain't No Mountain High Enough (With A Chair Lift) in Vancouver

We took the long bus back from Tofino and then across a ferry to make it to Vancouver, the west coast city our friends have been flocking to for the past several years. 

Where we stayed: We stayed at the Sheraton Wall Centre, downtown Vancouver. With the exception of the location, it was the opposite of the Maquinna Hotel – plushy carpet, pristine furniture, a king sized bed with fluffy pillows, fast internet, and working AC. It also had a pool – which Ash was super excited about – until she tried to go there at 9 pm. Warning: hotel pools at 9 pm are what parent’s use to entertain their kids at the end of a long travel day. She swam with the kiddos for 10 minutes (with several near miss kicks to the head) and the two spent the rest of their at-hotel time enjoying the room with a view. 

What we ate: We did an Asian food tour enjoying Japanese, Chinese, Malaysian, and Thai. The food tour was facilitated by multiple recommendations, sushi by Jenna and Denis, new Vancouver locals, Chinese with Alice’s parents and brother, who not only took us to a great place but filled our plates and stomachs over and over, Malaysian as recommended by our bus tour guide, and Thai recommended by our hairstylist. When we wanted to give our stomachs a break we ate pizza at Pacifico. We had a delicious picnic in Stanley Park (also compliments of Jenna and Denis), a beautiful dinner in the UBC botanical gardens (compliments of Kenny and Grace at their wedding), and brunch in a trendy restaurant (amazing suggestion and company from Scott). We even managed breakfast in bed one day (vacation is hard)! We tried as many craft beers as we could, also checking out a local brewery called Bomber Brewing. 

What we did: All the things Vancouver has to offer: an awesome city tour compliments of Alice’s family (the Zhao’s), to Granville Island, Chinatown, Gastown, and Canada Place, an outside city tour compliments of Land Sea Sky Tours to the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain. We didn’t do the Grouse Grind (a 2000+ climb), but had our own adventure up the chair lift to the peak of Grouse. We also visited two co-habitating grizzly bears named Cool and Grinder. Even though they were downright cute, we both decided we wouldn’t want to come into contact with a grizzly in the forest. We attended a gorgeous intimate wedding under the Arbor and on the lawn of the UBC botanical garden. We did have a wild night, reminiscent of Britt and Grace's Queen's Days, but we all managed to get up the next day and continue on our adventure. We biked (yes, us! yes, biked!) around Stanley Park with Jenna while Denis jogged, and Ashley went into the Pacific one last time on the second beach. We explored the Davie Village, checking out the local LGBTQ life, and Ashley even squeezed in a school work meeting on Commercial Drive. 

Most ridiculous food seen in a restaurant: A whole roasted chicken topped with a burger topped with a pulled pork slider, with chicken wings, onion rings, a hot dog, and a piece of cake with whipped cream, all stuck together perched on top of a Caesar. This can be yours for only $60 and a double bypass! 

Our next adventure is… well… we don’t quite know yet! But we’re already craving the next adventure. 

Stay tuned!