Day 1
My sister (Leah) and I arrived into Vancouver late evening, so checked straight into Samesun hostel, which is located downtown. We made a couple of friends at the bar and went out to try our very first Poutine. Poutine is essentially chips ‘n’ gravy, common in Yorkshire, but also happens to be the local dish here!
Day 2
We walked around the local area and picked up a SIM card for me (internet addiction) before checking out Coal Harbour. We spent time watching all the seaplanes taking off and eyed up all the cute dogs out for their morning walkies. We then found a great food court by the waterfront selling all kinds of cuisines and tucked into sushi and noodles. In the afternoon we got a taxi out to the Commercial Drive area, where the family had booked an Air BnB. Leah and I arrived first and then our parents joined shortly after. They had started their trip in Vancouver, driven down to Seattle, and back up to Vancouver for a few days altogether. After we regrouped and exchanged travel anecdotes we headed out on Commerical Drive for a wander. We sat down for an Italian dinner at Sopra Sotto before watching the sunset at Grandview Park. #faminvan
Day 3
We shoved our hiking gear on for our trek up Grouse Mountain, known as the ‘grouse grind’. It’s basically 2 hours of stair master to the top and most of the time the steps were just rock formations that were super steep! There happened to be a race on another part of the mountain called the ‘knee knackerer’ which I would definitely not have been able to do – it was soooo steep!!! When the four of us made it to the top we were rewarded with and incredible view over Vancouver and were level with snow capped mountains. As we walked around the summit we witnessed a hilarious lumberjack show and carvings of bears. The real highlight came when we saw real full size grizzly bears – so magnificent!! After we descended using the gondola we drove to Deep Cove, a peaceful area with calm water and cute shops. We had some famous Honey Donuts and walked along the water. #kneeknackerer
Day 4
Up and out early for a day trip to Whistler! On route we stopped at Shannon falls which stands at 335m high, an impressive drop. When we arrived at Whistler we were instantly captivated by the cute ski chalet style shops and the fact that wherever you look are beautiful mountains. Of course, Whistler is known for hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics and this is evident from all the structures dotted around the village. After a mandatory ice cream we purchased tickets for the gondola ride up Whistler mountain. The impressive ride takes 30 minutes to get to the top, and on the way we were treated to views of bears, vast landscapes, and Forrest canopies. Once at the top there were several options of fun but our first activity was taking another gondola to black comb mountain (peak 2 peak). Once again, we had breathtaking views of snow capped mountains and glaciers. It was a popular destination for snowboarders and happened to be the last day it was open for them. Once we returned to base (top of whistler mountain) we took a ski lift even higher up to the suspension bridge. Something about riding a ski lift at this elevation was very calming and peaceful. The suspension bridge was slightly rocky but once you got past the fear it was actually just an unreal experience! Even when you think the good views are over, they’re not! The two hour drive home was super scenic and it was nice to see the sun set over the mountains.
“Just pull in and do a u-ie” ozzy lad helping us park
Day 5
We returned our hire car and hired bikes to go round Stanley Park. Leah and I had individual bikes and our parents rode on a tandem (cute). It took just over an hour to cycle all the way but we stopped periodically to take pictures and buy fresh fruits. Leah and I had planned a little surprise dinner for our parents wedding anniversary at the waterfront area. We enjoyed insanely tasty food at the Cactus Club Cafe as well as exquisite cocktails.
Side note: this was the day I was contacted by @canadalovesketchup
Day 6
It’s not a family holiday if you’re not up and out before 7am! Indeed, we went on tour to Vancouver island. Our bus took us onto the ferry and it took about 1.5 hours to get across. Once there we went directly to Victoria and had lunch by the water. After exploring the souvenir shops we were then taken across to Butchart Gardens, a place mum and dad had visited 20 years ago! We saw the beautiful Italian day Japanese gardens, as well as other flourishing exhibits. It’s a really beautiful place and how can anyone not love flowers!
Day 7
Our last day together consisted of a chill morning and visiting a popular coffee shop on commercial drive. In the afternoon we ventured out to a McArthur Glen outlet by the airport where we scoped out all the good deals. We continued our shopping further in the downtown area before eventually sitting down to dine there Bellagio, another Italian restaurant. To round off a great time as a family we necked a few IPAs at the local pub Charlatan. #thanksalatte
The next morning the fam flew back to the UK and I continued down to Seattle…