Vancouver/Whistler, British Columbia, Canada - Part III

We rented a car to drive the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler. On our way to the rental car office, we happened upon Occupy Vancouver which had set up a tent city at the Vancouver Art Gallery.





After picking up our rental car, we headed to North Vancouver via the Lions Gate Bridge.



The Sea to Sky Highway was breathtaking, and unfortunately I was ill-equipped to capture the beauty and majesty of the drive. We got some shots when we stopped at Shannon Falls.



Arriving in Whistler, we went into Whistler Village hoping to take a gondola ride up either to Blackcomb or Whistler Mountains, but all the gondolas are closed this time of year. It's the lowest of the low season. We were bummed to say the least, and I guess I should have called ahead of time, but we were glad to enjoy the scenery. Many of the stores in the village were open and gearing up for the start of the season.

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - Part II

On Monday morning, we began the grand neighborhoods tour of Vancouver by foot. We hiked over the Granville Bridge to Granville Island and got the best view of Vancouver.



Once we found ourselves on Granville Island (home of the Emily Carr University of Art and Design), we made our way to the Granville Island Brewery.



After the beer tasting, we found a entire artist collective on the island. One of the neatest artisans handcrafts brooms from broomcorn and manzanita.

We were getting hungry, so we went into the Granville Island Public Market to grab some lunch. It took a long time for us to decide what to eat, there were so many fantastic vendors, and our stomachs were grumbling.







I finally settled on a pita filled with piping hot lentils.



Andy made his own baguette sandwich with elk prosciutto, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

After lunch, we walked to the Kitsilano and South Main Street neighborhoods. We got a little turned around, but managed to hop onto a bus which took us to Yaletown. Yaletown is a bit like Vancouver's version of SoHo, with just as high of rent. Andy wanted to pick up some beer and was flabbergasted by the prices. Apparently alcoholic beverages are taxed at 12% making it so expensive.

For dinner, we went to Guu Izakaya. It was our first oden experience. I ordered the Mochikin (sticky rice in tofu bag) and Konnyaku (Japanese yam cake) oden, Crispy Vegetables Bean Curd Rolls, and Sata Imo (Panko-breaded taro potato croquette).







We were sitting at the bar, and Andy's neighbor to his left struck up a conversation with him about his ochazuke. Apparently the fellow had never ordered it in a restaurant, because his mother makes it at home.



We found that they were big snowboarders and go up to Whistler regularly. They've been attempting to surf, play a round of golf, and snowboard all in one day. They gave us some tips for our day trip to Whistler as well as Vancouver eating advice.

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - Part I

We left Victoria on Sunday morning by bus which took us to the Swartz Bay Ferry. After all the ferrying we did, it's really easy when you're a backpacking to buy a ticket from a kiosk and hop on, it looks like if you've got a car, you'll need to do a little more planning.



Making the crossing to Tsawwassen (the ferry terminal for Vancouver) takes about 1.5 hours via BC Ferries. At Tsawwassen, in order to pay your fare when boarding the bus (#620) that takes you to the SkyTrain into Vancouver, you'll need coins. Luckily the woman behind us was prepared and was able to help us out! Canadians are nice like that. From the bus, we transferred to the Canada Line SkyTrain (Bridgeport station) into Vancouver City Centre.

As we walked to our AirBnB condo, we came across JapaDog.

This was not a chance encounter, in fact, it was very much planned. Ever since we had seen the Vancouver episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations, we have been dying to try out JapaDog, and we couldn't wait a minute more. With backpacks still on, Andy and I each got a dog and devoured them before walking one more block to where we were staying. They have several veggie dog options, and I got the Veggie Terimayo.





Our AirBnB condo was just like it was described. Lili (the owner) welcomed us, and we settled into our digs for the next four days. This was our first experience with AirBnb, and it's a great alternative to staying in a hotel.





We figured we would take it easy on the sightseeing in Vancouver and focus on food. We walked down Robson Street for window shopping, and took Denman toward English Bay Beach. We stopped at a brand new store specializing in nuts called Ayoub's Dried Fruits and Nuts.



Then we continued on our way to English Bay Beach and encountered Beijing-based artist Yue Minjun's sculptures of laughing men called “A-Maze-in Laughter."





We decided to call it an early evening and walked up Davie Street and stopped in at a grocery store to stock up on breakfast items and Bob's Red Mill Vegi Soup Mix for dinner.

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

We said goodbye to San Juan Island and boarded the once-daily ferry from Friday Harbor to Sidney, British Columbia. After passing a rather gruff customs agent, we walked into the town of Sidney to catch the #70 Express bus into Victoria. We climbed onto the double-decker bus after paying with our "loonies". We got a nice taste of British Columbia residential architecture and infrastructure. Everything seemed like a bizarro version of America but distinctly better and more efficient.

After checking into the Magnolia Hotel and Spa located just a few blocks from the Inner Harbor, we went in search for food that was along our Frommer's walking tour. Yelp helped us find a vegetarian spot called ReBar, serving up modern vegetarian fare.

 
 
The interior reminded me of Cafe Sunflower, version 1.0. The menu was eclectic, and we settled on hot dishes to warm us up.

 
Andy's Monk Curry

 
My dumplings. I had serious entree envy after Andy declared that the curry was the culinary highlight of the trip so far.

After the late lunch, we did a modified version of the walking tour, visiting sites like: Trounce Alley, Bastion Square, Market Square, Fan Tan Alley, and Chinatown. One spot that wasn't mentioned in the guide was dedicated as Antiques Alley, unfortunately it was too late in the day, and the shops were closed.

Building up an appetite, we happened upon a gluten-free, vegan-friendly pizza place called the Joint.



Although it was good for my gluten-sensitivity and lactose intolerant stomach, I would say it was okay. I will have to give Victoria two thumbs up for being a gluten-aware city.



View from Thunderbird Park to the Empress.



Sunset in the Inner Harbor.



Our second day started with the deluxe continental breakfast at the Magnolia, then we caught the #72 bus to Butchart Gardens. The hundred year-old gardens are the crown jewel of the Victoria area. It's a collection of one family's Sunken Garden, Rose Garden, Japanese Garden, and Italian Garden. My favorite were the Sunken Garden and Japanese Gardens, and of course, the thousands of dahlias we encountered along the way.



After spending the early part of the day at the gardens, we returned to downtown Victoria, grabbed some food, and walked to Beacon Hill Park to see the Olympic Mountains across the Salish Sea in Washington State. This park is underrated, and we were lucky to get there before sunset to see the views.



On our way back to the hotel, we stopped for a pint at the Swans Brewhouse and ate dinner at the Lotus Pond Vegetarian Restaurant.

San Juan Islands, Washington

The San Juan Islands was officially our first stop in our journey across the Pacific Northwest. Since we're based in Atlanta, we took a Delta flight into Seattle, stayed the night at the Hilton Seattle Airport Hotel (booked through Hotwire), and rode the 6 AM Bellair Airporter Shuttle from the Seattle airport to Anacortes. Just in time to catch the westbound ferry to San Juan Island, Washington.

All the travel went according to plan, and we were able to admire the scenery along the way as the sun rose.

 
We were picked up in Friday Harbor, the main town on San Juan Island, by our B&B host, who provided a wonderful experience.

 
She made me vegan chocolate chip cookies that were to die for (and with a recipe that she came up herself)!

 
Both mornings we had a seated breakfast with the other lodgers, and it was simply divine.

 
The view from our room in the morning was refreshing and serene. Andy and I rented a little car on our first day and drove an entire loop around the island, visiting American Camp on the southernmost tip of the island. This became one of the highlights of our entire trip. In just a short span of space, one can go from prairie to rocky beach to deep evergreen forest.

From there, we drove in a clockwise direction around the island, stopping at Lime Kiln Point State Park, English Camp, and Roche Harbor. Useful maps and resources can be found at the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce.

We found that dining on the island was terribly expensive, so we stocked up at the Kings Market each day for snacks, lunch, and dinner. We were saving our dining dollars to spend in Vancouver later on in the week.

On our second day, we took the ferry at Friday Harbor eastbound to Orcas Island. We rented a car right in Orcas Village straight up the hill from the ferry dock, and continued our drive on Washington State's newest scenic byway.

We made our first stop in Deer Harbor, then to Eastsound Village (stopping at a grocery store for lunch), and drove into Moran State Park. Up the narrow, zig-zagging road to the top of Mt. Constitution, we went up over 2,400 feet to catch the spectacular view that extended all to way to Mount Baker.

We spent the evening back in at the Trumpeter Inn with our new Portland-based friends over some scotch and food from Kings Market. They gave us tips for the Oregon coast portion of our trip which would be the final leg of our journey.

Our next time to the San Juan Islands, I hope to visit Skagit County (on the mainland), Lopez Island (which is part of the SJIs), and Langley on Whidbey Island.

Dan's Wedding, Edgartown, MA - Part V

We arrived on-site of the wedding and reception and were immediately blown away by the location. The event took place in the neighborhood of Tower Hill, an exclusive enclave of residences. I didn't think it could get any more exclusive in Martha's Vineyard! Despite the exclusivity, the wedding and reception was understated and elegant much like the bride.

I really liked the cheery color combinations that couple had chosen. The food was thoughtfully chosen, and I was amazed by raisins still on the vine.

 
 
I loved the tulips that popped up in the occasional flower arrangement.

 
The bride arrived in a dramatic fashion. The "Man of Honor" and Groomsman set out into the harbor to pick her up from a catamaran and rowed her to shore.

 
The lovely Mr. and Mrs. Dan Heacock.

 
Hors d'oeuvres were plentiful, and my favorite were the figs and walnut gorgonzola.

 
Dinner was light and tasty. I had the vegetarian option of spinach salad with sliced peaches.

 
Green beans, israeli couscous, wild mushrooms, and parsnips rounded out the meal.

 

Touring Edgartown, MA - Part IV

As much as I like sitting around the house while on vacation watching football, we took advantage of the few hours we had prior to the wedding to take a closer look at Edgartown. Frommer's publishes some nice walking tours on their site, which we happily followed.

In front of the Dr. Daniel Fisher House.

 
Old Whaling Church.

 
Vineyard Gazette.

 

 
 

Edgartown waterfront.