Saturday, October 12, 2013

Summer in Vancouver - Part 1

I can't believe that we are in the month of October already. I guess I wasn't the only one. Last night, we had a dinner with the in-laws and my MIL for a sec believed that we are still in September and said that Oct is just upon us. It's kind of funny because her birthday was on Oct 3rd.

I thought I share with you what we were up to in August and September, in case you were wondering where was I and there is no single blog post here.

Vancouver is such a beautiful place. There are so many outdoor activities you can do such as kayaking, hiking, camping and biking to name a few. We loved to do these when there were only the two of us (hubby and I) and hopefully we can do it again as of next year now given the fact that our little one is not so little anymore.

Strolling the city of Vancouver and its surrounding, or better known as Lower Mainland, is gratifying.

Canada Place is one of the main tourist attractions. It is located in downtown Vancouver, only minutes away from the apartment we used to live. It's the cruise ship terminal that can service up to 4 large cruise ships.



Located just a few blocks from Canada Place is Coal Harbor, where the home of Olympic Cauldron. It fills with new restaurants, shops and sights. This was one of our favorite places to go on Sunday, when the hustle and bustle has died down. Enjoying the fresh air and breathtaking view, Vancouver certainly one of the best places to live. 



Coal Harbor is also a floatplane hub connecting downtown Vancouver to Victoria, Nanaimo and many more destinations along the coasts of British Columbia. I had to fly a few times back in the days when I worked as an HR professional, and I must admit that it's not a pleasant ride. When I was pregnant, I chose the 3-hours commute by a ferry/bus than this 30-mins plane ride (one-way). 30 mins would felt much longer than 3 hours if you have motion sickness. I'd bet my DH and son would enjoy the float plane ride though.



Deep Cove is located in North Vancouver. It's a place to go if you want to do some kayaking. Canoes and kayaks are available for rent.



This cute shop grabbed my attention. It has such an adorable display: the pretty heart garland, the whimsical fonts, and a stack of timeworn vintage suitcases. It's too bad that the shop was closed when we were there, otherwise I am pretty sure I would find some handmade items there.

 
 There are a few more places we went to and things we did that I'd love to share. Stay-tuned! In the meantime, do share your experience if you have visited Vancouver. Or what would be the place you live in or have been that has similarity to what Vancouver has to offer?

10 comments:

  1. Brings back great memories of Vancouver. When we lived in Canada, Vancouver was always a favorite place to spend time. I remember the first time flying in, looking at the amazing scenery and thinking "This is a close to heaven as you can get on earth". Haven't been there in quite a while, though. Your post has given me the wanderlust . . . (: Thanks for sharing, Nat.

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  2. Looks like you have a great time! Vancouver is on my list of places to visit someday! Such beautiful scenery with the mountains and water.

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  3. Looks like you had a great time. I visited Vancouver a few, guess it's more than a few as I think about it, years ago. Unfortunately many of the plants at Buchart Gardens weren't in bloom as we were there in April. We had gone to Whistler first to do a little hiking.

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  4. What a pleasant visit to Vancouver. I like that part of North America very much. Travel by water is so easy and pleasant. I used to visit my son and his family on Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands. With binoculars, I could see cars driving on the streets in Victoria, B. C. The sea life is very interesting in the Georgia Straits.
    Thanks for sharing the lovely pics and describing your stroll in Vancouver.
    Anna

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  5. I loved visitng Vancouver when I lived in Washington. I Especially enjoyed a couple of visits there on our boat. We stayed near Stanley Park at the Vancouver Rowing club, and another time in Coal Harbor. I attended workshops often on the campus of UBC. I'm glad you shared something from the Olympics, since I have not been there for many years now. Neat to see. Thanks for sharing.

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  6. Very nice. A beautiful place for a vacation or to live.

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  7. Lovely! I did not get to Vancouver this last trip to that area - something about a pesky passport - but I did stare longingly in that direction from Port Angeles. Very pretty area, and we will go back with papers in hand. Thank you for sharing the photos. Give me something to look forward to.

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  8. Beautiful photos and great narrative. It's on my list of places to go.

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