Travel Destination: Vancouver, British Columbia

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A very nice place to visit that probably isn’t in the tip of the tongue for most Americans is Vancouver, located in the province of British Columbia.  It’s one of the most beautiful and cleanest cities in the world, and has so many sites and things to see that it was also named as the home of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Vancouver is literally surrounded by both water and mountains.  It’s a relatively dry city by Canadian standards, although the temperature is reflective of a Northern city.  It’s chilly in the winter time, although warmer than most Canadian climates, and very nice and warm weather in the summer.  The mountains protect the city from extreme weather patterns.

One of its top tourist attractions is called Granville Island.  It’s across the bridge from downtown Vancouver, and offers many events, shopping, and restaurants for its visitors. There’s a large public market that offers items at discounted prices, and it’s known for street performers in the early and late evenings.

There’s Science World, a large golf-ball shaped edifice known as one of the top science museums in the world for both children and adults alike.  It has a 400 seat IMAX theater which is also one of the largest in the world.  It has five permanent exhibits, as well as special events every once in awhile.

The Museum of Vancouver is one of Canada’s largest museums, and highlights much of the history of both Vancouver and Canada.  It also offers many natural history exhibits from time to time, including many species of animals via taxidermy.

Right now everything begins and ends with BC Place Stadium, which will be home for the opening ceremonies of not only the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, but the 2010 Paralypic Winter Games as well.  Nightly victory ceremonies and the closing ceremonies will also be held there.  It holds around 55,000 people, and is also used not only for many musical concerts, but some of the top acts in the world like to rent it out as a rehearsal space before going on world tours.

We started out talking about the mountains and the water.  The North Shore Mountains actually almost surround the city in every direction except north, and on a clear day one can see the peak of Mount Baker in Washington State.  There’s a lot of skiing and hiking in these mountains, along with neighborhoods that are near the mountains.  The water consists of the Burrard Inlet, the Strait of Georgia, and the Fraser River.  It’s also a port town, as cruises come in and out from the port of Vancouver.

If you’re looking to stay in luxury, Vancouver has more luxury hotels per capita than any other city in Canada, and some of them have been awarded world class status.  This is a glamorous city to visit, including area such as Robson Street and the Gastown District, known for both shopping and restaurants, that you won’t want to miss in your lifetime.

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