Moonlight from Iona Beach
For as long as I can remember, Vancouver has been the quick and easy getaway for my family. It’s pretty much the fastest trip you can take from Edmonton to see the ocean and mountains all together while still enjoying the feel of a laid-back yet big city.
When I was younger, we would road trip all the way there and back; the numerous hours on the highway were an adventure to me. Now that I’m grown, I don’t think I can sit through such a long drive. What was once seen as fun has become daunting. That’s not to say that the scenery along the way won’t be beautiful and worth it, but it also depends on who’s willing to travel with you and vice versa. Pick the wrong person or group and count yourself in for two to three days of stress filled travel.
Thank goodness for airplanes! With the commute cut down immensely, Vancouver is actually the perfect weekend holiday for us landlocked Albertans. When I visit, I’m usually there for at least four days to a week, but back in April, I went to visit my friend and some of my relatives for a two day jaunt. Surprisingly, you can fit quite a lot into such a short time frame.
That particular weekend included a catch up with my aunt, uncle and cousin, birthday celebrations with my friend, strolls around Granville Island and Queen Elizabeth Park, shopping along Main Street (Front & Company and Barefoot Contessa) and Robson Street, and copious amounts of food from Burgoo, Lucky’s Doughnuts, Sala Thai, Joey Burrard and Kaya Malay Bistro.
Here are some photos from that trip!
Other recommendations from my past visits include: the historic fishing village of Steveston, a walk along the narrow jetty of land at Iona Beach Regional Park (particularly gorgeous at dusk) and the Seawall, the Vancouver Aquarium (those famous hand-holding sea otters!), the Vancouver Art Gallery, and running the 10 km Vancouver Sun Run with almost 60,000 other people (the year I ran, anyway).
Fa(shion).Fi(lm).Fo(od).tography 