Mini Vancouver Exploration

My boyfriend and I decided to drive from Portland, Oregon to Vancouver for a mini vacation. We spent about 2 1/2 days in the lovely city of Vancouver and absolutely loved it. Here is a breakdown of our trip.

Day 1: After leaving later than expected, we arrived in Vancouver at about 4. We stayed at the Days Inn on the east side of Vancouver, which was quite pleasant. The east side of Vancouver has its reputation, but we liked our little room and loved the price! (We also loved the complimentary breakfast provided.) We were somewhat tired from our drive and decided just to go to dinner and call it a night. We went to a great portuguese restaurant called "Senhor Rooster." The waiter was great and the food was delicious. They played some portuguese music while we ate and since we were the only people in the restaurant, it was quite romantic.

Day 2: We woke up EARLY to tackle Stanley Park. It is absolutely beautiful. We walked around the perimeter with the seawall walk. It was 9km and every corner surprised us with beautiful view of the city, mountain, beach, etc. We continued our walk to the English Bay beach, which was somewhat small yet charming. After walking the perimeter, we went inside the park and checked out the lost lagoon. It was so refreshing and calming.
In the afternoon, we headed to Lynn Canyon Park. We tackled the suspension bridge with nerves and excitement and headed to a little hike. We found the creek and once again it was beautiful. There was one especially beautiful area where the water became deeper and transmitted blues and greens. I would love to come back here one day during the summer so I can jump in.
For dinner that night, we went to Granville Island and ate at the Sandbar restaurant. The restaurant is located under the bridge that connects downtown Vancouver to Granville Island. It is located right next to False Creek and is decorated with a nautical style. We headed over to the Public Market after dinner, but were somewhat disappointed when it closed at 7 as we were in there for only ten minutes.

Day 3: Again we awoke EARLY and headed over to Kitsilano to visit the beach and the area. We took a nice stroll on the beach and were amazed at how many dogs were there! It was great. We then headed to Granville Island to explore a little more since we were so unlucky the previous night. We went to the Public Market again and got some yummy treats, including a mini mango cheesecake! We walked along the pier and saw the floating houses as well as the art school's campus buildings scattered throughout the pier.
We then headed into downtown Vancouver to visit some historical areas. We walked from Stanley Park to Gastown (since city parking was a little over our budget). We stopped by the Vancouver Convention Center, Canada Place, 2010 Olympic torches, and viewed Stanley Park from across the bay. We then went to Gastown and did some souvenir shopping as well as stopped to see the steam clock chime at the hour. I loved the vintage look at the town with the brick floors and buildings and the beautiful lampposts. It was a great day.
For dinner, we headed back to western Vancouver for some Thai food. We ended up at Montri Thai restaurant, which was great. We were the youngest people in the restaurant by atleast 15 years yet the service and food were superb. When we told them we were staying in eastern Vancouver, they were so grateful we had driven to eat at their restaurant. It was wonderful.

The trip was amazing and Vancouver is one of my favorite cities. I loved the fresh crisp air we felt each day and did not even mind the tiny bit of rain we encountered on Friday. I would totally recommend a trip to Vancouver for everyone who loves culture, water, nature, and fun.