‘GLOBAL EDITION’ CANADA

YEAR VISTIED:
2000-Victoria, British Columbia
2006 & 2018-Vancouver, British Columbia
2012-Banff, Alberta
2016-Toronto, Ontario

———- VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA ———-

EXPERIENCES: We have ventured to Vancouver B.C. twice, eh. The first time was in 2006 for a couple of nights in December. Jill and I traveled with my parents and my oldest daughter, who was two at the time. The combination of having a little one in tow, with the fact we weren’t in town for very long, meant we really didn’t explore much of the city. Our second visit came in April in 2018 where we spent a full week. While it rained a majority of the time we did feel like we able to get out and see the city. The green landscape, water, and mountains make Vancouver one of the prettiest cities we have ever visited.

On both visits we drove and crossed the border in Blaine. Lines were exceptionally long – the best advice we received regarding crossing the border was plan to travel Monday-Thursday and no matter when you travel always allow extra time.

Both times we visited Vancouver the main stop was Stanley Park.

This park is 400 acres in size and provides amazing views of water, mountains and trees.

There are hiking trails, bike trails, and even an aquarium. In 2018 we rented bikes and rode around the entire park.

Our favorite locations were the Totem Poles, views of Lions Gate Bridge, Siwash Rock, and the Girl in a Wetsuit statue.

As previously mentioned, the Vancouver Aquarium is also located inside the park. It is Canada’s largest aquarium and definitely worth the price of admission.

On their website they advertise they have entertained over 40 million visitors since they opened in 1956.

When traveling to Vancouver, Stanley Park is an absolute must experience.

HOTEL / RESORT: In 2018 we stayed at the WorldMark Vancouver – The Canadian. The Canadian is a high rise hotel located in downtown. Our room was floor to ceiling windows and I often found myself in a sort of hypnotic state simply sitting on the couch staring out at the city.

Across the street is the Wall Centre (a health club) which offers pool access to hotel guests. While we wished the weather would have been better, we absolutely adored our hotel room and the girls spent a ton of time in the pool.

ADVENTURE(S) AND/OR NOTEABLE DESTINATIONS: Granville Island Public Market is a great place to go for fresh produce, boutique style gifts, or to grab a snack. When we went we ordered an assortment of macaroon’s and enjoyed people watching.

The area around the market is also a fun place to shop and there are many quality restaurants in the area. The Capistrano Suspension Bridge Park is roughly 30 minutes north of Vancouver.

The main suspension bridge is over 450 feet long and hangs over 200 feet above the Capilano River. There are a series of hiking trails, many with bridges and canyon overlooks.

Also in the park is the Treetops Adventure, which allows visitors to walk along elevated paths amongst the tops of trees.

The day we visited it rained exceptionally hard, but we still had a great time exploring this unique destination. The Vancouver Lookout offers a 360 degree view of the city from the viewing deck which stands over 500 feet in the air.

A glass elevator takes you to the observation deck. Seeing as I don’t love heights I was a bit weak in the knees on the way up. However, once we arrived safely I loved peering over beautiful Vancouver.

Again, this is one of the prettiest cities in all of North America.

RESTAURANTS: I do not remember specific names of specific restaurants. However, I do remember the areas of the city we ate in. The north side of Granville Island (Johnston Street) has many options for food and we enjoyed our experience there. Also Granville Street (a main thoroughfare) also has many great options that I believe we frequented.

STADIUMS AND/OR SPORTING EVENTS: We have not attended any sporting events in Vancouver, BC.

———- TORONTO, ONTARIO ———-

EXPERIENCES: In 2016 Jill and I spent a week in upstate New York. The trip centered around Cooperstown and Ken Griffey Jr’s MLB Hall Of Fame induction. However as I was researching the area for additional outings or things to see, I discovered that our hometown Seattle Mariners were playing the Toronto Blue Jays. Even though the drive from Cooperstown to Toronto is nearly nine hours, and involves crossing an international border, we decided to go for it. I justified the trip to myself rationalizing the long trip by saying, “when else will I be this close to seeing a game in Toronto’s MLB stadium?” So, we went for it. The drive was long and traffic began to grind to a halt as we got closer to the city, but we managed to enjoy ourselves. Upon arrival we parked at the base of the CN Tower and headed to the ballpark.

STADIUMS AND/OR SPORTING EVENTS: The Rogers Centre is located in downtown Toronto.

I look forward to returning because the night we attended we didn’t particularly enjoy ourselves. The stadium was absolutely packed, making it difficult to move around the concourse. Food lines were long, exceptionally slow, and we found food choices to be minimal. I remember making the comment, “it feels like we are watching baseball in a mall.” Leg room was definitely at a premium, but we did have seats close to the field along the first base line.

I have heard they have since remodeled and made many upgrades. As a result I would love to someday return. Plus I am extremely intrigued by the hotel in centerfield – what an awesome touch to a stadium!

———- BANFF & CANMORE, ALBERTA ———-

EXPERIENCES: In the summer of 2012 we made the 12-ish hour drive from Longview, Washington to Canmore, Alberta. Canmore is a resort city outside of Banff National Park which was our ultimate destination. In an attempt to break up the long drive, our first stop was Couer d’lene, Idaho and the Silverwood Theme Park. After a great amusement park visit we finished the 6-hour drive to Canmore. We crossed the international border in Idaho and enjoyed the beautiful scenic drive north up highway 95.

HOTEL / RESORT: We stayed at the beautiful WorldMark Canmore-Banff. Our kids were the perfect age to enjoy the pool, which is where we spent the majority of our time.

While I can’t find any photos I do remember seeing a full size moose cross the road in front of our hotel room. We were all blown away with just how big this beautiful creature was. This property is an absolute gorgeous location just outside of downtown Canmore. Besides swimming, we also enjoyed exploring downtown Banff as well as Canmore. Both areas are touristy, offer restaurants, souvenir stores, and various boutiques.

ADVENTURE(S) AND/OR NOTEABLE DESTINATIONS: The reason for our trip was to explore Banff National Park and we were not disappointed. In fact when we were making the return trip home Jill and I agreed this is the prettiest “non-tropical” location we have ever been. Our first stop in the National Park was Lake Louise.

We parked near the historic Fairmont Chateau and walked around the Lake. While Maddie was a little unsure, we ultimately decided to rent a canoe. For the next hour and a half we explored the breathtaking turquoise water of Lake Louise by canoe.

Our second adventure was to hike to the Lake Agnes Tea House. Jill had discovered this fun destination in a magazine and we decided to go for the 4.4 round trip hike. Again, I am so glad we did as we passed by beautiful waterfalls and had amazing views of the Lake Louise.