Vancouver is a city of spring. Even now, in mid-February, when most Canadian cities still feel the ice of winter’s bite, this nook between the ocean and the mountains has enough warmth to make T-shirt wear possible.
The Olympics has brought the world’s eye to Vancouver just in time for those who didn’t come for the Games to plan a trip and catch Vancouver at its best.
What Makes Vancouver Enjoyable
Vancouver isn’t an overly large city. That might be one of the nicest things about it. Vancouver itself only has a population of a bit over half a million. But this jumps to two million if you count surrounding cities like Burnaby and New West Minster that merge seamlessly together with it.
The small size means the city does not overrun its spectacular surroundings. Hiking trails and mountain parks are just a quick drive away, and day trips to surrounding islands can add an adventure to any trip here.
I sit typing this from a friend’s apartment, which overlooks False Creek where little blue ferries take passengers on cheap trips to Granville Island, a fun collection of handicraft shops, vendors, fresh foods, and street entertainers. It is a great place to grab a bite and see the sites, with kid-friendly attractions waiting for the wee ones.
Vancouver has been careful with its waterfront around False Creek, scaling buildings so they grow outward from the water’s edge, joining the natural contours of the land.
And that land is what defines this town on the ocean, with views of snow-topped mountains and ski resorts in sight of Stanley Park, an outcrop temperate rainforest attached to the northern tip of Vancouver like a pompom on a toque.
A Walk Around the Park
Stanley Park is a must-see. Outlined against the ocean by the sea wall, this pocket of pristine rain forest is a visit to another world. At its southern edge, towers of glass give way to towering stands of green, and the energy of the city turns into the tranquility of the forest.
The sea wall around Stanley Park is a fantastic walk, 5.5 miles (8.8 km) from end to end. You can do a wonderful stretch in an hour and catch enough scenic megapixels to blanket your living room with 8x10s of trees, sea life, ocean vistas and totem poles. There are parks for children, tennis courts, and park paths through the quiet of the woods.
Also within the park is Vancouver Aquarium, a wonder of fish and foliage that can keep adults or kids entertained for an afternoon at least.
A great thing about the sea wall is that it extends well beyond the park. To the east, it will bring you to Canada Place, Vancouver’s main convention center before the Olympics prompted the construction of the Vancouver Convention Center. Taking the sea wall west brings you to some of the areas best beaches like English Bay and Sunset beach, where warm ocean winds and huge stretches of sand make for a great place to relax and spend a day. There are pockets of beach where rocky outcroppings leave tide pools of fascinating ocean critters, making for an aquatic adventure that fascinates youngsters.
But the wall goes further yet, all the way around to False Creek and to Kitsilano Beach, another great spot to spend a sunny day.
Grouse Mountain is a short jaunt from the city, where great hikes make for excellent summer exercise and skiing does the same during the mild winter. A stunning two-hour drive along the Sea-to-Sky highway brings you to famed Whistler Mountain, a site in itself, but just the drive is worth it. In many spots, the highway hugs the mountain and drops off the other side to the ocean below, leaving a spectacular view of the islands that dot British Columbia’s coast.
Vancouver in the Spring
Vancouver can be an expensive place to visit, if you don’t look for the deals. Downtown hotels can be costly, but the city has a fantastic transit system that makes it easily accessible from any place near a SkyTrain station in Richmond, Burnaby, or elsewhere. The SkyTrain is Vancouver’s light rail system that mostly runs on a track three stories in the air, giving riders a beautiful view of the city, especially when they come into downtown along False Creek. Rush hour traffic can make the train crowded, but that just gives you a chance to meet some friendly Canadians.
Vancouver has more gems than this article can capture—from one of North America’s largest Chinatowns, to historic Gastown, and the Pacific National Exhibition in the summer right beside Playland amusement park with its roller coasters and cotton candy.
But it is the freshness of the air here, the feeling of clean that seems to permeate the city’s core with that fresh ocean air that strikes me the most as I write this. Vancouver is a city everyone must see at least once. Consistently ranked by Economist and others as one of the world’s most livable cities, it is also a fantastic place to visit.
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