Vancouver Friends...I need vacation advice

[jundp 191]

Hi all,

Well, P bought his one-way ticket into Vancouver airport and we're ready. He won't be here till July 16th, but we've been thinking about what to do.

Our house is going to be over-run with out of town guests for the wedding (14 people in all...OMG!) and since we really can't afford a honeymoon at this point, we figured that when I drive up to Vancouver to collect him, we'd stay a couple of days before he enters the US and do a "pre-honeymoon."

I've only been to Vancouver a handful of times, mostly to the airport, once around the city, but I got lost. Since we'll have two days with no kids and no stress before the madness of the pre-wedding begins, I was hoping someone would have suggestions of places to see or things to do.

We love to walk around outside or bike if that's available, but I'll have my car so that's not a problem. We love museums, but that's not a must. We've looked online for hotels, but I welcome suggestions for that as well.

This may be the only "honeymoon" we get for a few years so feel free to suggest sappy romantic stuff too

Thanks in advance.

[Krikit 1,163]

I Vancouver.

Flames had a good thread going last year with things to see and do in Vancouver. Maybe he still has a link to it. I'll do a search and see if I can't find it.

Edited April 27, 2008 by Krikit

[Krikit 1,163]

Here it is!

[PlatyPius 5]

Go to West Vancouver. Spend the day wandering around Lighthouse Park, then stop for dinner at the Red Lion. ( http://www.dinehere.ca/restaurant.asp?r=1626 )

The Red Lion was THE best restaurant we visited while traveling across the continent doing an IT contract.

[Krikit 1,163]

Go to West Vancouver. Spend the day wandering around Lighthouse Park, then stop for dinner at the Red Lion. ( http://www.dinehere.ca/restaurant.asp?r=1626 )

The Red Lion was THE best restaurant we visited while traveling across the continent doing an IT contract.

We went to the Red Lion last St Paddy's Day! No wait. I was trapped in the US last year. It was the year before! Here I am with my cousins. Some people at another table had sent us over a jug of Guinness.

[PlatyPius 5]

Isn't it the best place EVER? We were there the first year they were open. One of the partners (the Chef) gave us a free pitcher of Guinness. We complimented him profusely on the quality of his food and he gave us business cards that he scrawled "free dinner" on. Unfortunately, we were flying out the next morning.

We were in the room toward the back. The manager (I can't remember her name!) was our server. She was hilarious. I absolutely fell in love with West Vancouver when I was there...

[Krikit 1,163]

Isn't it the best place EVER? We were there the first year they were open. One of the partners (the Chef) gave us a free pitcher of Guinness. We complimented him profusely on the quality of his food and he gave us business cards that he scrawled "free dinner" on. Unfortunately, we were flying out the next morning.

We were in the room toward the back. The manager (I can't remember her name!) was our server. She was hilarious. I absolutely fell in love with West Vancouver when I was there...

That is awesome. Too bad you didn't get to use it. A couple of years before the above picture we were in Stanley Park and kept running into this same guy on our walk. He was running the seawall and we were walking, but we were taking shortcuts so we kept meeting up. Finally, the 3rd time we ran into him we all started howling because he couldn't figure out how we kept getting in front of him. Turns out he was opening a Caribbean restaurant in the city the following week, and he invited us all for dinner. Unfortunately, we had to leave the day before it opened so we never got to go there. That was a fun trip.

Oh Jun! I highly recommend the Monte Grouso's at the top of Grouse Mountain.

[Autumnchik 6]

I especially love the Vancouver aquarium and strolling through the park on the way there

[jundp 191]

Isn't it the best place EVER? We were there the first year they were open. One of the partners (the Chef) gave us a free pitcher of Guinness. We complimented him profusely on the quality of his food and he gave us business cards that he scrawled "free dinner" on. Unfortunately, we were flying out the next morning.

We were in the room toward the back. The manager (I can't remember her name!) was our server. She was hilarious. I absolutely fell in love with West Vancouver when I was there...

That is awesome. Too bad you didn't get to use it. A couple of years before the above picture we were in Stanley Park and kept running into this same guy on our walk. He was running the seawall and we were walking, but we were taking shortcuts so we kept meeting up. Finally, the 3rd time we ran into him we all started howling because he couldn't figure out how we kept getting in front of him. Turns out he was opening a Caribbean restaurant in the city the following week, and he invited us all for dinner. Unfortunately, we had to leave the day before it opened so we never got to go there. That was a fun trip.

Oh Jun! I highly recommend the Monte Grouso's at the top of Grouse Mountain.

Platy, send those cards our way One of my friends here in Seattle mentioned Red Lion, too. So that's three nods for it!

Thanks for all the ideas (and Flames' link). Since we've only ever been to Victoria together, this will be nice.

[TheATeam 0]

I really loved Stanley Park when we were there for our interview. I only regret that we didn't get to spend more time there. As for hotels, we had quite a time with those so I can't really recommend one. If you're downtown though, Urban Fare is a great place to eat. It's a gourmet grocery store that has a cafeteria style restaurant. It's all prepared already and you just pick what you want. Lots of salads, different chicken, ribs, pot pies. YUM! That was by far the best find of our trip. I wish I had known about the Red Lion when we were there though, sounds great!

[Marilyn. 340]

i always like going to Granville Island...

http://www.granvilleisland.com/en/node

http://www.seegranvilleisland.com/

Edited April 28, 2008 by MarilynP

[Krikit 1,163]

i always like going to Granville Island...

http://www.granvilleisland.com/en/node

http://www.seegranvilleisland.com/

Two thumbs up for the Granville Island. Aw, heck. Let's give it three.

P.S. If you go there, Jun, would you mind picking me up one of those handcrafted wooden bowls, please? I hemmed and hawed and have regretted it ever since. Oh! And have lunch at the market there! That was awesome.

[Marilyn. 340]

i always like going to Granville Island...

http://www.granvilleisland.com/en/node

http://www.seegranvilleisland.com/

Two thumbs up for the Granville Island. Aw, heck. Let's give it three.

P.S. If you go there, Jun, would you mind picking me up one of those handcrafted wooden bowls, please? I hemmed and hawed and have regretted it ever since. Oh! And have lunch at the market there! That was awesome.

in high school I took cooking classes and our teacher was awesome.. once a year we would go on a field trip to Granville Island.... she would always tell us to make sure and go through the market and look at the food to make the trip educational but then we were free to go wherever we wanted..... I loved the caramel apples that had smarties stuck to it... yum yum!!

[Krikit 1,163]

wanted..... I loved the caramel apples that had smarties stuck to it... yum yum!!

That made me laugh. I have no idea why. I guess just the vision of smarties stuck to a caramel apple. Oh, and as long as they are Canadian and not American Smarties.

My teeth hurt.

Edited April 28, 2008 by Krikit

[Marilyn. 340]

wanted..... I loved the caramel apples that had smarties stuck to it... yum yum!!

That made me laugh. I have no idea why. I guess just the vision of smarties stuck to a caramel apple. Oh, and as long as they are Canadian and not American Smarties.

My teeth hurt.

you never saw those in the market? they have that one booth where they make the candies, fudge etc right there....

Edited April 28, 2008 by MarilynP