• about
  • City Guides
    • Europe
      • Czechia
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Iceland
      • Italy
      • Scotland
      • Slovenia
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
    • Canada
    • Caribbean
    • Middle East
    • New Zealand
    • USA
      • Atlanta
      • Chicago
      • COMO
      • Dallas
      • Destin
      • Kansas City
      • Los Angeles
      • NYC
      • Orlando
      • San Francisco
      • Seattle
      • St. Louis
      • Waco
      • South America
  • Tips + Tricks
  • Lifestyle
    • Blogging
  • shop

round trip travel and lifestyle blog

City Guide to Vancouver, Canada

August 22, 2018
Pin
Share3
Share
Tweet
3 Shares

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 this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
Pin
Share3
Share
Tweet
3 Shares
0
2 Comments

My Fave Finds

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

Related Posts

A Trip to Mauhaus Cat Cafe

Celebrating 5 Years of Round Trip

5 Places to Visit in Orlando

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 teaching English in southern France. I'm all about exploring new places, practicing my French and sharing blogging tips. Allez-viens!
learn more about my story

Ad

Top Posts & Pages

  • My Weekend Trip to Bordeaux, France
  • 50 Most Used French Verbs to Know + Free Flashcards
  • bonjour
  • 40 Things to Do in St. Louis
  • The Beginner’s Guide to Universal Studios

About

Hi, I'm Kristin. I'm a content creator teaching English in southern France. I'm all about exploring new places, practicing my French and sharing blogging tips. Allez-viens!
learn more about my story

Want free access to my 30-minute travel budgeting course?

A staycation truly isn’t the worst thing when yo A staycation truly isn’t the worst thing when you live in southern France🙈😂

☀️This weekend I had a college friend come visit me in Marseille. I showed her some of my favorite spots for walking, biking and obviously ice cream-eating🍦 We hiked to one of my favorite spots, la calanque de Sugiton. Can’t recommend it enough!

⛴And together we explored some spots I’d never been to either. We took a boat to a nearby island, it’s casual💁🏼‍♀️ And we tried an Asian food spot I’d passed countless times but hadn’t gotten around to trying. It was life-changing tbh😋

I’ve had lots of people ask me, what are you doing with your 2-week vacation in February? And I said, hanging near home. And that ain’t a bad thing! The past week of nearby exploring, sleeping in, submitting my taxes (super sexy right?), taking walks along the beach and living life *even* more slowly — this is exactly what I needed🥰
Let's talk crushes😍Ever been somewhere that giv Let's talk crushes😍Ever been somewhere that gives you butterflies in your tummy and a warm sensation in your heart? Truly all the signs of a crush, but it's a place, not a person.

🛤️This weekend I visited Bordeaux for the first time, and let me tell you, I am ~CrUsHiNg~ This charming city sported a vibrant attitude, and its cobblestone streets leaked hints of modernity and irreverence. @ToriHantak and I strolled the streets, and we just looked at each other and said, "I am in love with this place."

💗From the kindest wine shop owner who was eager to chat about our move to France to the cute, old man at the boucherie who jokingly invited himself to our charcuterie night, Tor and I were smitten.

🍷We drank wine in our jammies, ate ice cream in a bubbly square and sauntered along La Garonne. For a few moments, life felt normal. Two young twenty-something gal pals running around southern France, giggling endlessly and getting impromptu piercings.

💟Ever have those moments in crush-worthy places that send you into an enchanting trance? I will cherish this dreamy Bordeaux weekend with a sweet college friend.
__
#bordeaux #bordeauxcity #bordeauxfr #bordeauxfrance #bordeauxwine #citycrush #countrycrush #francophile #francophone #microinfluencer #microinfluencers #tapif #tapifusa #assistantsdelangue #assistantdelangue #teflteacher #chaseyourpassion #doyourthing #bloggersunder2k #bloggersunder5k #bloggersunder10k #vivelafrance #franceprofonde #lafrance #crushing #crushinghard #loveisintheair
Do we have any adrenaline junkies here?🙋The one Do we have any adrenaline junkies here?🙋The one who loved the thrill of the high diving board growing up? The human who loves being thrown every which way on a rollercoaster? The person who wants to skydiving for their birthday?

💥Sometimes I like that adrenaline rush, but when it really comes down to it, I like being comfortable. It's so much easier to stay in the familiar: the same routine, town, friends, furniture arrangement.

😐It's really hard to step outside your comfort zone and do something hard, even if you know it's good for you. But that's where growth and discovery happen!

Last year, I moved to France to teach English. Yes, during a global pandemic🙈 

😶The months of waiting and preparing were tough. Would I still get to go? Would my dream of living in France come true? Would I be able to make friends in a pandemic? Was I crazy to move 4,000 miles from home during a pandemic?

And when I finally boarded my flight, I still wasn't sure how it would turn out. It could've been une catastrophe, truly. But even with the bumps and bruises, I have reaped a much bigger reward than if I'd stayed in the comfortable + familiar.

⭐It ain't perfect, but I'm living my dream. And that is worth the leap of faith!

 #blogginglife #dametravel #dametraveler #blogger #girlswhotravel #travelquotes #quotes #inspirational #bloggerunder5k #bloggerlifestyle #bloggersofinstagram #bloggervibes #bloggersgetsocial #travelblogger #instablog #microinfluencer #microinfluencers #quotable #antibes #antibesfr #francetravel #france #tapif #assistantdelangue #tapifusa
One year ago, @torihantak and I were in a freezing One year ago, @torihantak and I were in a freezing cold queue line to get into crowded, sweaty bar👀 Just a few weeks before the world turned upside down.

We’d taken several French classes together and recently submitted our TAPIF applications to teach English in France.

We dreamed that night with our fun French exchange pal @manon_salgues about all the amazing adventures we’d have in Europe together over our hard apple ciders and vodka Sprites.

Wow, a lot can change in a year🙈 A year later, Tori and I find ourselves in Bordeaux eating ice cream, eating charcuterie + cheese, and soaking up the southern French sun. 

Sure, this year hasn’t looked the way we expected, but what a sweet privilege it is to look back and see how our leap of faith has allowed us to follow our dreams.

Je suis trop reconnaissante pour les amis comme Tori avec qui je peux rêver et vivre la vie française✨
Say YES more💯A few weeks ago, I was bopping aro Say YES more💯A few weeks ago, I was bopping around LinkedIn, which isn't too typical these days. I happened to notice that there was a connection recommendation for a girl I went to high school with. I didn't know her too well in high school — I can't recall any specific conversation or even a certain class we had together — but her title was English Teaching Assistant.

🤔Intrigued, I popped onto her profile and saw she too was doing the #TAPIF program. I slid into the LinkedIn DMs and said, hey it's been a minute, but I think we're doing the same thing!

💬We quickly connected on WhatsApp and decided to meet up in Lyon this past weekend. We drank good wine, ate amazing Thai food, saw the sights and froze our lil booties off in the snow.

🌎Quel petit monde ! The world is a lot smaller than we give it credit for. Don't be afraid to say yes and to slide into someone's LinkedIn DMs because you might just make a new friend, or rather reconnect with an old acquaintance.

#lyon #lyonfrance #lyonfr #slakecoffee #slake #france #quelpetitmonde #smallworld #itsasmallworld #blogeuse #dametraveler #snow #assistantsdelangue #assistantdelangue #tapifusa #highschool #bloggersunder2k #bloggersunder5k #bloggersunder10k #microinfluencer #microinfluencers #sayyes #americansabroad #americanabroad #americansinfrance #americaninfrance #ouioui
How has travel grown you as a human?🌏 Travel h How has travel grown you as a human?🌏

Travel has introduced me to people from literally all over the world. I think about the summer I spent in Toulouse, France, where I lived in a « foyer » , which is basically a long-term hostel.

🇺🇸I was the only American. It was hard at times when it came to feeling at home, language and culture wise. But it was unbelievably cool to have neighbors from all👏over👏the👏world👏

I lived, dined and block partied with people from Poland, Syria, Uzbekistan, China, Spain, Germany, Comoros, Guinea — the list goes on and ON!

It helped me understand that my way of life was not everybody's way of life. And that's not a bad thing! It was so special to make friends from all over the world, and that experience gave me perspective. Stepping out of your comfort zones through travel + cultural immersion is truly one of the best ways to grow💯

 #blogginglife #dametravel #dametraveler #blogger #girlswhotravel #travelquotes #quotes #inspirational #bloggerunder5k #bloggerlifestyle #bloggersofinstagram #bloggervibes #bloggersgetsocial #travelblogger #instablog #microinfluencer #microinfluencers #quotable #nice #nicefr #francetravel #tapif #assistantdelangue #tapifusa
Home decor pro tip: Repurpose what you already hav Home decor pro tip: Repurpose what you already have💯

🌴When I traveled to Nice, I picked up a map of my French department, and it just sat in my armoire for months. I just didn’t know what to do with it, until I got my shelf. 

🗺️I had this inkling of an idea to put the map behind the open shelf. And I immediately fell in love with its muted yet classy touch to my shelf. I simply taped my map to the back of the shelf; consider layering another if it’s not long enough. Subtle yet chic (*queue the track of the Grinch saying "ooh, ahh, mmm" iykyk)

✅Styling tip: Pick a road map, any road map. And simply use clear tape to create a backdrop for your open bookshelf.

Link in bio has other ways to decorate your home with maps + where you can find similar shelves to create this look✨

#homedesign #homedecor #wanderlustinspo #interiordesign #shelfdesign #shelfideas #maps #map #roadmap #roadmaps #designidea #designideas #bedroom #bedroominspo #livingroom #livingroominspo #globe #traveladdict #travelhome #microinfluencer #microinfluencers #bloggersunder2k #bloggersunder5k #bloggersunder10k
Copyright © 2021 round trip
Theme by SheShoppes
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.