First time in Vancouver - single traveller
 

Hi everyone.
Fodorites have been a fantastic help planning my US trips, so please could you help my sister?
She's in Vancouver on business next week, and is staying on afterwards at the Holiday Inn on Howe Street for 7 days.
She'd like to know
1.How safe she'll feel walking around on her own?
2. Your 5 hot spots in the city, or around, not to be missed?
3. Is it possible to take a day trip flight to the Rockies?
4. Is the end of March a good time for Whale watching?
(Sorry of they're vague questions, but that's what she asked me to find out!)
Please show her what a fantastic site this is - she thinks I'm over-rating previous successes!
Thank You.

Regarding your question #3 - there may be other ways to do this, but if you take a commercial flight from Vancouver to Calgary (under 1.5 hours flying time depending on the type of airplane), you still have to rent a car, drive through Calgary, and then on to the mountians (estimate another 2 hours from time of arrival in Calgary), without even considering the time it takes to get to the airport in Vancouver and the wait for your flight, just to get to the Rockies will probably take you half a day.
The return trip will take another half day.
Your sister would be better off if she planned to spend at least two days in the Rockies, otherwise it isn't worth the time or the cost of the flight.

For a day trip, forget about the Rockies, the Coast Mountains are right at hand in Vancouver.

1) Vancouver is very safe, generally speaking, although there are the normal street folk that one finds in most big cities. At night, she should not go too far east of her hotel nor to Stanley Park but she should otherwise be fine.

2)
-Granville Island for urban renewal, food and crafts
-Shopping on Robson Street and in Yaletown
-Dinner at the bar at Lumiere (best food in city and good for a single traveller with no reservations needed) and also at Hapa Izakaya (neat Japanese pub-style tapas - also ok for singles
-a walk through Stanley Park
-a little water taxi tour along False Creek,
-trip to Grouse Mountain and/or Whistler.
ps - sorry I guess that is 6 things...

3) Day flights to the Rockies aren't really possible - too much travel time. Whistler is very impressive as long as it is clear and she can take the gondola to the top even if not skiing.

4) End of March is very early for the whales. She'll likely have to get over to Victoria on Vancouver Island and take a tour from there if they have started.

Hope that helps.

#1 - very safe. I was walking around alone, and not only in the usual tourist areas.