Vancouver, Canada

Vancouver – Canada

I have been to Vancouver more times than I can count. It’s a wonderful place to spend a few days before taking a train trip, or an Alaska Inland Passage cruise. I’ve done an Inland Passage cruise nine times, each time on a different ship/cruise line so I can make sure I put the clients on the right ship for their needs and budget. I’ve gone there for a long weekend, and it’s a great destination no matter what time of year. It’s amazing that a hundred years ago it was forest, and is now one of the world’s most vibrant and beautiful cities. It has over 150 parks and gardens. It’s a town I could live in. Love the scenery, the people, the food, the climate, and the way of life. It used to be a place that British people emigrated to but today, there are umpteen foreign nationalities and it’s a great destination for skiing, golf, fishing, and the great outdoors. I was told that today, there are over 117 different languages spoken in the town. Donkeys years ago I took the exams to be a Canadian specialist, and have been to every Province more than once. I must confess that British Columbia is my favorite, although I have loved heli hiking and skiing in the Bugaboos of Alberta.

Vancouver is said to be one of the top four prettiest harbors in the world, and one of the top twenty harbors for shipping traffic. The population is now around 600,000 and seems a very happy place to live.

My husband and I went a few days ahead of our itinerary, to take a Rocky Mountaineer Train Trip and stayed at a different hotel this time. I usually recommend a hotel on the waterfront, or near Stanley Park, and have four favorites I put clients in before taking an Alaskan cruise. We stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel, which is in the center of town, a good location, and our arrival was three hours late so it was nice to be welcomed and shown to our lovely room in the middle of the night. I had written and asked the hotel if they could give us a room close to a lift since my husband was on a walker and we laughed with delight – our suite was three steps from the door of the lift.

The highlight of our two days at this hotel was the Yew Tree Restaurant. I would stay there again, just for the restaurant. Absolutely amazing. We didn’t go out of the hotel, the food was so outstanding. I found out that the hotel has won the Restaurant of the Year title three years in a row, so no wonder it was sheer bliss. Wonderful staff, and it was a pleasure to see my husband Roy enjoy his meals after being very frail for so many months.

There are so many places of interest in this town. Granville Island Public Market is fun to wander around, a tour of Stanley Park which has over 1000 acres to see the First Nations Totem Poles, Grouse Mountain, and the Capilano Suspension Bridge. The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia is a must to see the collection of North West Coast Indian art and its seven First People Nations. I like taking the Royal Hudson steam train up Howe Sound from North Vancouver to Squamish, then take a boat back. This only operates May to September. A lovely day out.

One place I always make a beeline for, is the Hudson Bay Department Store. It is I think the oldest in the country, and I always find something I can’t live without. Shopping is world class outstanding in this town, and you will find unique items whether you go to a market, Chinatown, or the little boutiques you will see all over the place. The Four Seasons Hotel is located next to a wonderful large mall which you can explore without going out of the hotel, just down to the ground floor and walk thru a door.

Vancouver is a great place to visit.

Maureen Jones

All Horizons Travel/Frosch

825 Santa Cruz Avenue

Menlo Park, CA 94025

650-961-2340 direct

www.froschvacations.com