• about
    • City Guides
    • Tips and Tricks
    • Work with Me
    • shop

    round trip travel and lifestyle blog

    City Guide to Vancouver, Canada

    August 22, 2018

    My brother recently moved to Seattle, and we decided to make the 3-hour drive to tour Vancouver for several days.  Before this trip, most of my travel aspirations were in Europe and maybe Asia, but visiting Vancouver made me realize how much I have to explore closer to home!  Today I’m sharing my city guide to Vancouver.

    If I’m being honest, I hadn’t really thought much about our neighbor up north.  My knowledge of Canada consisted of the following: Their books were always more expensive that American ones; they ate maple syrup, had funny accents and said “sorry” a lot.  (Much of my Canada facts came from How I Met Your Mother, whoops.)

    But after my recent trip to Vancouver, I know I have to return to this beautiful country.  Its lush greenery, busy yet quaint quality, deep blue ocean views and French influence are just a few things I love about Vancouver. Here’s my city guide to Vancouver:

    Lynn Canyon Park

    You know you’ve always wanted to walk on a suspension bridge hanging more than 160 feet over a canyon.  Hiking in Lynn Canyon Park was one of my highlights from Vancouver.  I worked up a good sweat from all the stairs, jumped from rock to rock in the creek and craned my neck in hopes of seeing the tops of the tall trees.  And the fact that it’s free never hurt anyone.

    Lynn Canyon Park North Vancouver CanadaLynn Canyon Park Trees Canada

    Granville Island

    Also another highlight for this trip, Granville Island is home to a huge market of fresh fruit, soaps, jewelry, sweets and other vendors.  My absolute favorite was Our Little Flower Company.  I just couldn’t get over how quaint this shop was with its hanging dried flowers, mason jars, wreaths and fresh bouquets in the fridge.  I bought a hanging pot for my succulent and spent a crazy amount of time taking photos.

    The fam spent time perusing the shops, and I bought my obligatory postcard for my bedroom wall.  We dined at the Sand Bar, which boasted a classy atmosphere and windows overlooking the water.

    Version 2
    Dried Flowers OLF Co Granville Island
    OLF Co Granville Island Vancouver Canada
    • Granville Island Flower Shop OLF Co
    • Granville Island Market Vancouver Succulents
    Berries Granville Island Market Vancouver
    Granville Island City View Vancouver

    Robson Street

    We stayed in downtown Vancouver in a skyscraper of a hotel with big floor to ceiling windows.  Even better than the cush crib was the location.  (My House Hunter‘s watching experience tells me that’s important.)  That meant Robson Street, a hub of Vancouver, was just a hop, skip and jump away.

    Here our crew strolled through the racks of gowns in Nordstrom, sipped on root beer in glass mugs at A&W, bought authentic Canadian clothing at Roots and savored gelato at D’oro.  

    (Oh, and while we’re on the subject of gelato, it’s not on Robson Street, but Bella Gelateria is nearby and its storefront is sprinkled with awards.)

    • d'oro gelato robson street vancouver
    • Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

    Sea-to-Sky Highway with a pitstop in Squamish

    If I had a dime for every time I said “Oh my gosh, it’s soooo pretty!”…  I already love road trips even if the scenery is just grass fields, but holy cow, this is one of the most beautiful things my eyes have taken in.  The Pacific runs along the Sea-to-Sky highway with mountains as the backdrop.  I couldn’t stop taking photos, and I’m absolutely in love with those views.

    We stopped in a small but mighty town called Squamish along this route.  Flower-lined sidewalks, local shopping, live music and mountains framing it all make this town idyllic at the very least.

    Processed with VSCO with c1 preset
    Canada Place Vancouver Pacific

    I barely tapped into the surface of Vancouver (and even more so, of Canada as a whole), but its beautiful outdoors and bustling activity make me crave more. Save the graphic below for my city guide to Vancouver.

    city guide to vancouver british columbia round trip travel

    Author Signature

    Share with a friend & save for a future adventure!

    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
    • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
    • Click to print (Opens in new window)
    2 Comments

    My Fave Finds

    Previous Travel Thoughts Journal is on the market!
    Next Round Trip Roundup: AUGUST

    You might also like:

    9 Travel Gift Ideas for Her

    Caribbean Vacation in St. Martin

    11 Best Travel Apps

    Reader Interactions

    Trackbacks

    1. My Lifetime Bucket List – round trip says:
      August 7, 2019 at 9:10 am

      […] countries, but I often forget that the U.S. has a francophone country up north. And after a brief trip to Vancouver, my interest is […]

      Reply
    2. Q&A: Miss Missouri 2019 on Her Best Travel Tips and Baton Twirling – round trip says:
      January 15, 2020 at 9:17 am

      […] to competitive twirling, Simone has traveled to Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, Canada, Peru and beyond, and although she has phased out of competitive twirling, Simone has kept the […]

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Bonjour

    Hi, I'm Kristin. I'm a content creator living and working in southern France. You can find me planning my next weekend trip, sharing my best expat trips and sipping iced coffee.
    learn more about my story

    Ad

    Bienvenue

    Hey there, I'm Kristin, a Missouri girl living and working in southern France. I love planning weekend trips, sharing my best expat tips and sipping iced coffee.

    Categories

    Copyright © 2023 round trip
    Theme by SheShoppes
     

    Loading Comments...