jent103

Thanks to all the Fodorites who helped me plan this somewhat unexpected trip! Hopefully my report will be helpful to others later on. (We also went to Banff after Vancouver, but I’ll include that as a separate report.)

Taking full advantage of a paid-for plane ticket for an early August conference in Vancouver, I planned some sightseeing around town and in Victoria. I flew up on Friday, July 30, stayed in an airport hotel Friday night, took the Pacific Coach Lines bus and ferry to Victoria Saturday, and returned to Vancouver Sunday, staying until Thursday morning. I’ll do a quick rundown of restaurants, transport and hotels first, for those just interested in the logistics, then get into the details for anyone who wants them. If you’re interested in pictures, all of the sets can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenthom...7624595634483/

Hotels:
<b>Sheraton Vancouver Airport</b>: (Note that this is NOT the same as the Sheraton Four Points near the airport.) I “bid” on Hotwire for a 3* hotel in the YVR area with a shuttle and got the Sheraton for about $80. I was really pleased with this hotel. The shuttle, shared with the Hilton and Marriott, isn’t fast but is reliable. The front desk staff was very helpful and the room was large, clean and comfortable. I ordered room service Friday night and had a good burger and salad. Overall good experience.

<b>Marketa’s b&b (marketas.com)</b>, Victoria: I read great things about Marketa’s on Fodor’s. If you don’t want/need a lot of interaction with staff and are looking for a comfortable, clean, relatively inexpensive place to stay, this would be great for you. I had a “budget” room on the lower level with a queen bed and ensuite bath. The room was comfortable, shower was nice, and internet was free and reliable (though, being downstairs, I didn’t get much of a cell phone signal). It’s about ten minutes’ walk from the Empress hotel, through a residential area. Breakfast was good. At least downstairs, I could hear everything happening in the hall. It didn’t bother me because I always travel with earplugs, and nobody was obnoxious or banging doors at 3am, but if you’re the sort who needs absolute quiet, the budget rooms are not for you (I’m not sure about upstairs). When I arrived, Marketa had left an envelope with my name clipped beside the front door with my keys and instructions (where my room was, internet password, etc). I didn’t see Marketa until after breakfast the next morning, when I asked to pay and leave my luggage. She was efficient and businesslike. So, if you want a super attentive and very friendly owner/staff, I might look elsewhere, but if you just want a nice room and good location at a good price, this fits the bill.

<b>Blue Horizon Hotel</b>, Vancouver: The only negative to this hotel was the decor. I’m not sure when it was built, but it looks like it hasn’t been redecorated since about 1992 (pink bathtubs, blue wallpaper...). That said, I liked everything else about it. It was cheaper than the hotels very close to the convention centre (all the “official” hotels for my conference were at least $220/night, and most were closer to $300; the Blue Horizon was under $200 with taxes). It’s located on a busy part of Robson Street (but noise was not a problem for me), and was about a ten-minute walk to the convention centre. The front desk staff was very helpful, including receiving the poster I was to present at the conference when Air Canada lost it and delivered it two days later. My room was large, shower was fine, flat-screen TV with good channel selection, and a great view over the harbor. The free internet was wired, but there’s a desk in the room so it’s pretty easy to deal with. Overall, definitely recommended.

<b>Restaurants:</b> I am a picky eater who would rather spend money on things besides really nice restaurants. So if you’re looking for a special place for fine dining, my trip reports are probably not going to help you very much. If you’re looking for a list of generally inexpensive places, here you go. Pretty much everything was more expensive than the equivalent at home (Nashville), just as a comparison point.

<b>Victoria</b>:
Liberty Cafe, on Island Highway, just down from the bus depot. I had a tuna melt on flatbread, chips and a Coke for about $11. The sandwich was actually better than I expected - good choice for a quick bite.

The Joint pizza (eatatthejoint.com). Pizzeria on Wharf Street. I’d recommend it overall, and especially if you need gluten-free or vegan options. They have whole wheat, white and gluten-free crusts, GF and vegan desserts, and salads and other things. I had a Coke and a personal ham pizza on whole wheat. It wasn’t the best pizza I’ve ever had, but I enjoyed it.

Salad Loop (saladloop.com): I was in need of veggies and this delivered. Pretty straightforward salad bar chain - good for a quick, healthy meal.

<b>Vancouver</b>
Breakfasts were at Tim Horton’s or Starbucks. I am a girl of simple tastes.

New Asahi (Japanese): I really liked this dinner. It was directly across from my hotel, and I wanted something that was takeout my first night, being tired and by myself. The restaurant was packed. It took awhile for the hostess to take my order, and took another while to get my food. But it was really tasty and cheap as well - dinner was about $8.

Natural Fare, in the Waterfront food court near the convention centre: I had the salmon teriyaki rice bowl. This place is good if you want healthy food; lots of juices, brown rice, etc. My rice bowl had tons of veggies and was topped with plain yogurt and teriyaki sauce. Rice bowl, apple and Coke Zero were about $11.

The Keg steakhouse (Thurlow Street): I got a teriyaki steak with baked potato and Caesar salad, all of which were good. All together it was about $27.

Umi Sushi, in the Waterfront food court: Teriyaki chicken today. (I ate lots of teriyaki.) It was fine. Packed at lunch, so it took awhile. If I’m not mistaken, this is a chain?

Red Robin on Robson Street: I know. Some of y’all are rolling your eyes. My brother arrived that day after being up since 3:30am, so we wanted something simple and fast. It’s what you’d expect - fine, not fine dining. Burger, fries and a soft drink were about $18 with tip.

La Petite Crepe, Pender Street: On the last day of my conference, I was tired of the food court and had seen this place the night before. I really liked it. It’s completely a one-man operation, seems like; just one guy cooking, running the register and doing everything. I had a tuna melt; I forget what my brother had, but we both enjoyed it. I also had lentil soup, which was good. And I succumbed and got a dessert crepe - cinnamon and sugar. A little overpriced at $5, but tasty. With that included, lunch was about $16.

Water Street Cafe, Gastown: We wandered around Gastown looking for somewhere and this looked like our best option. It was okay. It took a really long time to get our food. I thought it was fine but not great. I was glad work was paying for it; my Caesar salad and pesto pasta was $32 with tip. I would ask for the half order next time for sure.

Next up: Actual report!

jent103

I flew Air Canada from Nashville to Vancouver, connecting in Toronto. After landing at YVR around 7pm and filing a lost luggage report with nice AC staff member (they had lost the poster I needed to present at my conference - stress!), I took the hotel shuttle to the Sheraton. Once there, I asked the front desk worker about the bus to the Tsawassen ferry. He mentioned the Pacific Coach Lines bus, which I had seen but thought looked overly expensive, so I thought I’d worked out how to get there via regular public transit. I clarified that I meant a city bus, and he just looked very confused. I thought, “Oh, is this one of those cities [like Nashville] where technically they have a bus system but most people have never used it? My brilliant plan is perhaps not so brilliant!” At that point, when I was stressed and tired, saving money lost out to not having to figure out an unfamiliar transit system and letting someone else deal with my suitcase. So the next morning I took the shuttle back to the airport and caught the PCL bus to Tsawassen and Victoria. It cost me about $80 round trip, but it was so much easier and less stressful than it would have been otherwise. There were several locals making the same trip, so I gather it’s a fairly common way to go even for those used to the transit system. I met several really nice people on the trip, including a lovely couple from Australia who were really fun to talk to, and an 87-year-old pancreatic cancer survivor who was traveling back solo from seeing her family on the Island. I think people are a lot friendlier to people traveling alone... or maybe it’s just Canada.

The bus drops off in Victoria at the bus depot, on the corner of Belleville and Island Highway. From there I had a rough start, completely walking the wrong way on Government Street to find Marketa’s. By the time I realigned myself and got into my room, I was again stressed, tired and hungry. While wandering around downtown Victoria, I had seen signs for the Grayline shuttle to Butchart Gardens. Again, I thought I’d found how to get there via public transit before I left, but again, saving money lost to less hassle and stress! After getting settled and checking on my lost luggage (no luck yet), I headed back to the bus depot and bought a round trip ticket for $15 (plus cost of admission to the Gardens). There were about 30 minutes left until the next bus left, so I asked the Grayline staff member where I could get a sandwich or something quick. Her recommendation of Liberty was great - right down the street, fast and good.

The ride to Butchart took about 20-30 minutes, I think, and I was ready to leave the Gardens in about 90 minutes to two hours. I really enjoyed it; I think if I were into horticulture I would be amazed. There really are so many varieties of things there. I wandered around, taking pictures. Lots of people were coming in for the fireworks show that night, but I didn’t want to stay that late. (The last Grayline shuttle leaves at 6:15pm during the day, but they do run one more after the fireworks show on Saturdays - not till 10:15 or so.)

When I got back to downtown Victoria, I wandered for awhile, looking at things and taking pictures before stopping for dinner at The Joint. After dinner, I wandered back to the Inner Harbour area, where I saw something going on in front of the Parliament building. I had had no idea that it was a holiday weekend when I booked this trip. On our flight from BNA to Toronto, our flight attendant had wished us a happy holiday weekend, but I still had no clue which holiday it was until I got to Victoria. Come to find out it’s BC Day, which in Victoria involves military demonstrations of some sort outside Parliament. It was fun to watch. Apparently I wasn’t the only one unaware of exactly what was happening - I asked a few people in the crowd next to me if they knew, and they would say “No, we’re from Montana,” or “Something about BC Day, but we’re from England.” Pretty funny, actually. Anyway, it looked beautiful at dusk with the buildings all lit up. After the festivities were over, I walked back to Marketa’s, hoping to find a cup of hot chocolate somewhere on the way, but no luck. Our Southern summer had had about two months straight of 95-degree (F) heat, and 60 degrees + wind meant I was very chilly, even with my jacket!

Sunday morning I ate breakfast at Marketa’s with a very nice couple from Seattle, then checked out and headed over to the Royal BC Museum. I really enjoyed it, especially the First Nations exhibits. A couple hours in the morning was about right for me. Whale watching was on my list, but got nixed due to time, money and weather.

When I left the museum, I called Air Canada once again to ask about my poster. Hallelujah, it has been found! I knew if they hadn’t found it by the time I got to Vancouver, I’d have to be in a mad rush to reprint it that evening before all the Kinko’s around (and, I assumed, other print shops) were closed for BC Day. So this was a huge source of stress relieved. Jubilant, I walked over to the Salad Loop, picked up some lunch, and went back to Marketa’s to get my luggage before heading back to the bus depot to catch the 1:15 bus back to the ferry. (One thing I didn’t realize before my trip was how long it takes to get from Vancouver to Victoria, or vice versa. The ferry is only 90 minutes or so, but getting to and from the ferry means that it’s a half day trip.)

(Pictures from Victoria: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenthom...7624720014918/ )

Cruiseryyc

What was actually going on at the Parliament Buildings in Victoria was Symphony Splash - too bad you didn't stay to enjoy it. The Victoria Symphony plays from a barge afloat in the Inner Harbour. This year they were saluting the Canadian Navy which is why there was a "military" presence there.

jent103

Hi Cruiser - thanks for all your input in the planning process! I actually did see the barge the next day (Sunday) and wished I could stay another night, but I had to be in Vancouver early Monday morning. It makes so much more sense now!

Daniel_Williams

Enjoyable trip report!

Vancouver to Victoria IS longer than some people realize. I know you originally found it overly expensive, but I find $40 on Pacific Coach Lines each way doesn't seem like such a bad deal when you think you're getting a 3+ hour journey and that includes one of the loveliest ferry rides I've seen from the North American continent.

Best wishes, Daniel

jent103

Thanks, Daniel! The bus ride just seemed expensive when comparing it to Vancouver public transport. Once I got a better idea of what all was involved when going "on my own," $40 one way seemed like a better deal. This was really my first solo trip, and among the things I've learned about myself is that sometimes it's better to pay a little extra in return for less anxiety or hassle.

jent103

I got into downtown Vancouver (the PCL bus drops off at the art gallery and Waterfront Station) and checked into the hotel, where they had my poster (described as a “long white stick,” which I thought was hilarious and, in hindsight, may have helped the luggage employees find it) waiting for me. After I settled in, I did a little shopping on Robson Street, picked up my teriyaki takeout, and headed back upstairs to watch Mad Men.

The next three days I was in conference activities most of the day. Monday after the conference, I took the bus to Stanley Park (not getting dark till 9:30 was great for sightseeing!). I walked the seawall from the bus stop up to the lighthouse at Prospect Point and back, detouring to see the totems. I took the bus back to Pender & Thurlow and stopped at the Keg to pick up my takeout order that I’d called in - I didn’t get back to the hotel till after 9.

Tuesday afternoon I wandered over to Gastown. I wandered down Water Street, taking pictures and window shopping. After awhile I saw a sign for a bakery advertising gelato, only to follow the signs through a building and find out they had none. (Bakery employee: “Yeah, I don’t know why we haven’t changed those signs!”) But she did point me to Maple Delights, where I got a delicious scoop of chocolate hazelnut. Gelato in hand, I walked over to the Vancouver Art Gallery, in hopes of seeing the exhibit there from the Musee d’Orsay. However, tickets were over $20, and with some time constraints, I decided not to spend the money on paintings I’d been fortunate to see before. (Clearly, I am an art liker, not an art lover.) I did check out the gift shop and got a book for my nephew - I love museum gift shops - then went back to the hotel to meet my brother, who was on his way in to join me for the rest of the trip. He was exhausted, having been up since the wee hours of the morning to make two connections, so we went to Red Robin for dinner and called it a night.

Wednesday after the conference, brother Adam and I went to Granville Island. The bus is a straight shot from Waterfront Station (and I’d like to pause here to give props to the people at the information centre at Canada Place, who were always very nice and helpful, including giving bus information). We were confused about where to get off for the market, but kind co-passengers directed us. We walked around awhile, taking pictures and marveling at all the food we couldn’t buy since we were leaving the next morning. Adam got some gelato and we listened to one of the buskers - I wish I remembered his name, because I really enjoyed it. (We actually heard several while we wandered the island, and I enjoyed almost all of them.) After an couple of hours, we caught the bus back to Waterfront Station and wandered around Gastown to find somewhere for dinner, ending up at Water Street Cafe. From there we walked back through a not-so-touristy part of Gastown to our hotel, ready to pack for Banff the next day.

Thursday morning we walked to the train station near the art gallery and rode the Canada line all the way to the airport - easy as pie. Checked in for our flight to Calgary, found a “Timmy Ho’s” (as the security officer who directed us called it), and had a cramped but uneventful Westjet flight to Calgary.

(Pictures from Vancouver: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenthom...7624617891757/ )

cmcfong

Fun report, Jen. I like your style.

jent103

Thanks, cmcfong! I'm about to start the Banff portion... I have a feeling you may find it remarkably familiar.

camelbak

Great Vancouver pics! It's hilarious but I have been to Canada Place and the convention center multiple times this summer and I STILL haven't seen the giant tear drop and whale. I must be on the wrong side or something....he he

jent103

Thanks, camelbak! If you've only been to the Canada Place building I could see how you could miss the whale - it's on the opposite side of the other building. You should check it out, though. Looks like Legos.

SOCALOC

This was really my first solo trip, and among the things I've learned about myself is that sometimes it's better to pay a little extra in return for less anxiety or hassle.
__________________________________________________ ___________
So worth it, isn't it? I used to drive my husband nuts looking for the bargain.
There must be something about very nice people on Granville Island. We had asked a gentleman walking his dog, for a recommendation where locals eat. He literally walked us to the restaurant's front door! That's some hospitality!
Thanks for your wonderful trip report and really glad your poster arrived in time. Whew!

jent103

Socaloc, I was pretty glad the poster arrived too! I didn't realize until after they found it how much that had been stressing me out. I think I would have been able to enjoy Victoria more if I hadn't been worrying about it.

You're right on the bargain vs. hassle question. I do try to not spend money unnecessarily - my philosophy is that the cheaper I keep trips, the more I can go on! - and I think it's different when you're traveling with a few people. You've got a few of you to figure things like transit systems out, and any additional expenses add up. But sometimes it's just worth it!

annetti

Loved your photos. Thanks for the report.

jent103

Thanks, annetti!