At first glance, things seem different in
Vancouver. The sky is bluer, the harbor is livelier and the mountains are
closer. Beyond these physical attributes, however, is an additional appeal – best
described the Vancouver vibe.
Photo by Cynthia Dial
While the Canadian city is where to go to
slow down, draw a deep breath and hit the pause button, it is also a
destination for recharging your battery, renewing your interests and reinvigorating
your lifestyle. In short, Vancouver represents just about everything to
everybody.
An oh-so-stylish base from which to wind
down, rev up or both is Fairmont Pacific Rim. Greeted by a snappy looking
bellman sporting a black felt fedora and a yellow rose in his lapel, the
hotel’s fashionable stage is set from the moment of arrival (especially if it’s
courtesy of its BMW car fleet available to guests within the downtown core).
Photo by Cynthia Dial
Located at the waterfront, near the 2010 Olympic
Cauldron and within steps of Canada Place, this Fairmont’s setting alone places
it in an exclusive class. Add to the mix its Pacific Rim-inspired architecture,
fine collection of original art featured throughout the property and its
multitudinous dining options – from the see-and-be-seen Lobby Lounge with its timelessly
trendy RawBar (a mandatory stop for the sushi savvy) to ORU, the marble and
stainless steel open kitchen eatery of Executive Chef Nathan Brown, known for
its locally-sourced Pacific Northwest menu.
Photo by Cynthia Dial
In the food arena, this is a town where
favorite spots spill over. With such an abundance of restaurants, everyone has
a favorite and it would be remiss not to share recommendations, if only for one
day’s three meals. So here goes.
Photo by Cynthia Dial
Walk no further than the flourishing
Library District for one of the city’s most popular breakfast and brunch
venues, Café Medina. An alluring blend of Old World charm and a bustling
brasserie, its specialties include Belgian waffles (purported to be the city’s
best), one of its fricassées (a French stew, served with egg at the Café) and
the lavender latte (conceived for the most critical coffee connoisseur).
Photo by Cynthia Dial
Railtown Café, a favored lunch spot, is
situated in a former garage and located in a neighborhood bearing its name. The
baby of Chefs Dan Olson and Tyler Day, the restaurant is known for food
described as “treated with care and from scratch” – 50 handmade toppings for
its notoriously tasty salads, sandwiches and more. Bordering Vancouver’s
vogueish Gastown, the community of Railtown – long defined by its warehouses
and train tracks – is in a slow but sure conversion process toward becoming a
burgeoning “it” neighborhood.
Photo by Cynthia Dial
Diners need look no further than Blue
Water Cafe for dinner, a must-try for seafood lovers and consequent haunt of
such celeb clientele as Alicia Silverstone, Uma Thurman and Ben Stiller. One of
the restaurant’s most irresistible menu items is Chef Frank Pabst’s seafood
tower, a multi-tiered offering of fresh, chilled seafood.
For a nightcap, visit Opus Bar. Repeatedly
recognized by Zagat as Vancouver’s top nightspot, it’s found in the small,
boutique-style Opus Hotel, another magnet to high profile patrons including Justin
Timberlake and Reese Witherspoon.
Tasty tip: If there’s room for dessert, stop
in Fairmont Pacific Rim’s Bella Gelateria (whose owner was named 2014
International Gelato Master of the Year) for a toasted maple pecan or lavender
gelato – the perfecto meal finale.
Though comparatively small, Vancouver is a
self-confident kind of town that overflows with all the activities that come
with its geographic blessings. It is additionally enhanced by assorted means of
experiencing the city from land, sea and sky.
To get your bearings and the best lay of
the land, sightsee from a seaplane. As home to the world’s largest floatplane
network, with such options as Harbour Air Seaplanes, it’s possible to soar
above the city, head up the Sunshine Coast or even land on a mountain lake for
a private picnic.
This is an active town – for residents as
well as visitors. Every day of the week sea kayakers navigate Vancouver’s
variety of waterways, whether it’s paddling in the coastal fiord of Burrard
Inlet, through the placid waters of False Creek from Granville Island or along
English Bay for its metropolis mix with nature.
Photo by Saschie MacLean
Biking is the norm in this city of 280 miles
of cycle paths and bike routes, a city also known for its variety of negotiable
terrain – from Stanley Park’s flat and varied landscape to the North Shore’s challenging
mountain treks. For a taste of Vancouver’s cycling life, Cycle City Tours
serves up a diversity of options, including such routes as the three-hour
Stanley Park ride (a mix of trail riding and seawall cruising) and “Behind the
Brew,” a three-and-one-half-hour spin through the city with visits to three
breweries.
In a city with a patent on the pleasurable,
what better way to follow-up an active day than returning to the Fairmont
Pacific Rim to unwind in its Willow Stream Spa. Consistently recognized as one
of the world’s best, this fifth-floor enclave is a composition of two fireplace-adorned
relaxation lounges, a men’s-only lounge, a customized hydrotherapy experience
shower (fitted with 20 shower heads) and a skyscraper surrounded outdoor deck
with a Jacuzzi, infrared sauna, loungers, meditation pods and fire pits. The
treatments are too numerous to detail. However, to go indigenous there’s the
Coastal Mountain Retreat - a hydrating maple-sugar scrub followed by a replenishing body wrap with Bio-Maple Compound, cocoa and shea butter.
Photo by Cynthia Dial
Consistently lauded with accolades – “Destination of the year,” “One of the
world’s most livable cities,” “Top food destination” – just one visit to
Vancouver confirms that the winning streak continues and ensures that your
departing glance of this BC city won’t be your last.
#travel #traveltips #travelingcynthia #VeryVancouver #vancouver #travelpics
Wonderful post and beautiful photos. Thank you so much for sharing this lovely tour, and warm greetings from Montreal, Canada. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linda! As you might have noticed from the article, I have a special love for your country.
DeleteThank you, Linda! As you might have noticed from the article, I have a special love for your country.
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