False River Ferry Tour?

This kind of relates to my Bard on the Beach question...but I was hoping to grab the attention of anyone that has done one of the False River Ferry tours. I see there's a 25 and a 45 minute tour available. Just wondering about these little tours...

Thinking about our day and how we will likely be going to the Public Market on Granville Island prior to going to Bard on the Beach...and thinking about other touring opportunities in the area. Ferry seems like an easy add on, but wondering if it even worth the time?

Any help for building a possible touring plan around these ideas would be appreciated!

False Creek Ferries (or Aquabus - though since these don't go out to Vanier you're definitely better buying from FCF to get to BotB) 'tours' are not actually tours - they're just a brief or less-brief pootles around on the regular water taxi route (45mins gets you a full loop, 25mins is a one-way from end to end). Better to buy a Day Pass and use it to cover the whole route as often as you like, then head out to Bard. It's a good way to experience the whole Seawall around False Creek without doing much walking - you can go on a False Creek Booze Cruise by getting off at each stop and hitting the nearest bar (several have great patios) before continuing on the next leg. Skip the Casino stop though - since it moved there's just the empty shell of the building left, which is being used a lot for filming but doesn't have any booze or food sales any more.

Other than booze, you can go check out the old Athlete's village from the 2010 Olympics (NB: no actual olympic memorabilia is here) and the resident Beavers (best around dusk or dawn, but sometimes they show in day time too); Science World; some nice public artwork (the Davie Marina stop is well worth getting off at to see several nice pieces); Chinatown may be more walkable than from your hotel depending where that is; Granville Island you're already aware of - but perhaps not their resident harbour seals that hang out at the back, away from the public market, feasting on scraps from the fishing fleet; and the Maritime Museum/Museum of Vancouver/Space Centre out in Vanier Park are also totes worth visiting.

False Creek Ferries (or Aquabus - though since these don't go out to Vanier you're definitely better buying from FCF to get to BotB) 'tours' are not actually tours - they're just a brief or less-brief pootles around on the regular water taxi route (45mins gets you a full loop, 25mins is a one-way from end to end). Better to buy a Day Pass and use it to cover the whole route as often as you like, then head out to Bard. It's a good way to experience the whole Seawall around False Creek without doing much walking - you can go on a False Creek Booze Cruise by getting off at each stop and hitting the nearest bar (several have great patios) before continuing on the next leg. Skip the Casino stop though - since it moved there's just the empty shell of the building left, which is being used a lot for filming but doesn't have any booze or food sales any more.

 

Other than booze, you can go check out the old Athlete's village from the 2010 Olympics (NB: no actual olympic memorabilia is here) and the resident Beavers (best around dusk or dawn, but sometimes they show in day time too); Science World; some nice public artwork (the Davie Marina stop is well worth getting off at to see several nice pieces); Chinatown may be more walkable than from your hotel depending where that is; Granville Island you're already aware of - but perhaps not their resident harbour seals that hang out at the back, away from the public market, feasting on scraps from the fishing fleet; and the Maritime Museum/Museum of Vancouver/Space Centre out in Vanier Park are also totes worth visiting.

Hello, I have a question about FCF as well, hope it's ok with OP to ask it here. We are planning to book Hop on Hop Off tour for Thursday, May 10 ( latest Friday, May 11 th). I think, I have read that we can get off one stop before Granville island and get on FCF to take that to the island instead of proceeding on HOHO over the bridge. My question is whether once on the FCF we can do a full loop (45 min you said?) with return to Granville island? If yes, do we just stay on the ferry untill it returns to Granville or do we have to disembark at the last stop and reboard? If reboarding, can we use the same ticket we have as a part of HOHO?

Thank You.

Sorry, one more question. What does it mean full loop vs one end? One end from where to where? Thanks.

Thanks for the information martincath! Your info helped the website info click for me. To the PP, here is the ferry website:

http://granvilleislandferries.bc.ca

If you dig through the site, you can get to the page that lists all the fares:

http://granvilleislandferries.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/FCF_2017_FARES.pdf

I now understand that the "sight seeing" for the ferries listed on the website is just a call out of a "roundtrip" ticket, what the website appears to refer to as a "return" ticket. Checking out the route map:

http://granvilleislandferries.bc.ca/plan-your-trip/

I'm guessing that end to end is from the Maritime Museum dock to the Village/Science World dock and that takes 25 minutes. Doing the full loop would be going back to the Maritime Museum OR just going back to whatever dock you originally boarded, and that would take 40 minutes to go all the way around.

I saw that for the Grayline HOHO that it does say free one way to Granville Island, which I'm guessing to be the route from the Aquatic Center to Granville Island. I think you would have to pay more to ride a longer route on the ferry.

Thanks for the information martincath! Your info helped the website info click for me. To the PP, here is the ferry website:

 

http://granvilleislandferries.bc.ca

 

If you dig through the site, you can get to the page that lists all the fares:

 

http://granvilleislandferries.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/FCF_2017_FARES.pdf

 

I now understand that the "sight seeing" for the ferries listed on the website is just a call out of a "roundtrip" ticket, what the website appears to refer to as a "return" ticket. Checking out the route map:

 

http://granvilleislandferries.bc.ca/plan-your-trip/

 

I'm guessing that end to end is from the Maritime Museum dock to the Village/Science World dock and that takes 25 minutes. Doing the full loop would be going back to the Maritime Museum OR just going back to whatever dock you originally boarded, and that would take 40 minutes to go all the way around.

 

I saw that for the Grayline HOHO that it does say free one way to Granville Island, which I'm guessing to be the route from the Aquatic Center to Granville Island. I think you would have to pay more to ride a longer route on the ferry.

Thank You.

Hello, I have a question about FCF as well, hope it's ok with OP to ask it here. We are planning to book Hop on Hop Off tour for Thursday, May 10 ( latest Friday, May 11 th). I think, I have read that we can get off one stop before Granville island and get on FCF to take that to the island instead of proceeding on HOHO over the bridge. My question is whether once on the FCF we can do a full loop (45 min you said?) with return to Granville island? If yes, do we just stay on the ferry untill it returns to Granville or do we have to disembark at the last stop and reboard? If reboarding, can we use the same ticket we have as a part of HOHO?

Thank You.

Sorry, one more question. What does it mean full loop vs one end? One end from where to where? Thanks.

AnitaLatte pretty much nailed it above - the free ticket included on HOHO is a single use for the route from beside the Aquatic Centre to Granville Island.

I'm 99% sure the 25 min 'tour' is not locked down to any specific route, it's just limited by how many stops you are allowed (so if you board at Science World or Maritime you can get to the opposite end, but boarding right in the middle would let you go to one end and back to the middle; 45 min is basically a 'visit all the stops' version).

If you plan to use the ferries to go anywhere else, but NOT to visit the Vanier Park area (this is the one downside to using the 'shortcut' FCF ticket on HOHO - you miss their Vanier Park stop so if you want to do any of the three museums of BotB you need to go all the way around again on HOHO loop or else find your own way to the parks) then Aquabus has more boats - while the pricing model is very, very slightly different it only makes a difference for us locals who use 'Aquabuck' type tickets (e.g. for me I save money on FCF, as they have different zone boundaries so a 2 zone fare gets me everywhere I want to go whereas I'd need a 3 zone on Aquabus). Day passes cost the same for both companies, so choosing Aquabus means slightly less waiting at stops; cash fares are pretty much identical too, so just get on whichever boat comes first at the shared docks.

NB: there is no Grayline HOHO. There is only one HOHO now that WestCoast and Vancouver Trolley are running as one (and WestCoast rolled up all the other competing HOHOs a couple of years before that, including the Big Bus, Pink Bus & Gray Line). It's silly to book through anyone else as at best you pay the same but have another layer of people to go through with any problems - you absolutely will not save money by going through a reseller as there is zero competition now and thus no incentive for the company to offer any deals (and even when there were up to five companies running, the best discounts were 20% off coupons in Pay For Books Of Coupons, or a token $1-3 coupon in free leaflets available in hotels, Tourist office etc.)

This year is iffy - simple fact is they've jacked up pricing by 20% already, while not actually doubling Summer frequency as they did over Winter. Whether this will balance passenger load and reduce wait time at stops/full bus incidents, make it worse, or be about the same as with 2 separate companies... we need to wait for some brave guinea pigs like you to try them out and report back! HOHO still remains a bargain compared to traditional 'drive around for 3-4 hours' bus tours in price and in number of stops of course, but we'll need to see whether Joe Q Public feel the new pricing is pitched correctly for the combined service.

Since the Summer frequency only begins in May you can assume no changes Olya, and even July might remain untweaked until 'kids are out of school' super-peak season data can be gathered, but there may be some discounts later in the summer if demand drops - I'd definitely pay attention if I were visiting in August or later

Vanier Park? I should research it.I have not come across any info about it on this board. We are in Vancouver two full days. I was planning to go to Queen Elizabeth Gardens on one of the days and do Fly Over Canada on the same day. The other day HOHO with Stanley Park and Aquarium there, Granville Market and other neighborhoods close to the hotel. We are staying in LeSoleil in Downtown. I feel that if we were to do things at leisurely pace and just take time to internalize the experiences we would not be able to do much more then that. As much as I would love to see Capilano bridge and/or Grouse mountain, I feel we will be rushing around. I feel we would need an extra day for that. Please, correct me if I am wrong.

What's the easiest way to get to Queens Gardens from our hotel? Taxi? I would like to experience Vancouver Train System . Is it an easy way to go to the gardens from LeSoleil via Sky train? Thank You both for your detailed responses.

Vanier Park is a much smaller park that is located across the bay from Stanley Park. The Maritime Museum and the Space Center are there. As well as Bard on the Beach, which is the annual Shakespeare Production. It doesn't have nearly the interest that Stanley does, but it looks to have some lovely views of downtown Vancouver, is close to Granville Island and the whole False River area, and right close to Burrard Bridge. I don't think it's really the destination park that Stanley is.

Stanley is a huge park. Just huge. And as my Mom said in a recent email, "Stanley Park is huge. When you start walking around the park there’s an area where literally the public transportation ceases to exist. You’ve committed to the experience and you’ll be walking for hours." So I would recommend that you really have an agenda there and know what you want to see. I think we're going to skip Stanley Park ourselves, but don't let my decision influence yours.

When will you be in Vancouver? We arrive noonish June 20 and board June 22. Vancouver is my last thing to plan. One thing we do in a new city is visit used book stores and used cd stores. There are several around Gaslight. Going to make our way to have dinner in Chinatown. Then thinking about a guided walking tour that night. That's our half day arrival.

Our full day is still up in the air. We're planning waffles for breakfast. (There appears to be a nice waffle scene in Vancouver and DH is a huge waffle fan). Not sure about the afternoon...planning Granville Island and then the theater. So much will depend not the weather!

We come to Vancouver late Wednesday night, May 9 th and are staying total of three nights till Saturday morning boarding to sail to AK. So we have two full days, Thursday and Friday. I wanted to board HOHO on the first day, get off by the Aquarium at the Stanley park, figured aquarium will take couple of hours. I'll have to look into it some more, but I think there are Totem poles close by. So, want to see those and then continue HOHO to that stop where we can get on FCF. I want to spend few hours at the Granville market, then reboard HOHO all the way to Gastown. Walk around there. If DH and DS hungry, eat at Pasta Factory I believe the name is. I'll look it up. Looks like an interesting place for 13 year old we are tagging along;). If everyone is full from grazing at Granville, then walk to our hotel as we are staying in downtown, few blocks from Canada Place. The hotel has Indian restaurant inside. We like Indian food. So that is the plan. The reason I want to visit Queen Elizabeth Gardens is that I read it's a mini version of Buchard gardens in Victoria. Been there twice and loved it. Actually, if I had more time in Vancouver I would do a day trip to Victoria, it's beautiful! What stops are you doing in AK ,( I am assuming you are in Vancouver for AK cruise as well?) BTW, thank you for being such a gracious host on your own thread answering my questions. I appreciate it.:)

Vanier Park? I should research it.I have not come across any info about it on this board. We are in Vancouver two full days. I was planning to go to Queen Elizabeth Gardens on one of the days and do Fly Over Canada on the same day. The other day HOHO with Stanley Park and Aquarium there, Granville Market and other neighborhoods close to the hotel. We are staying in LeSoleil in Downtown. I feel that if we were to do things at leisurely pace and just take time to internalize the experiences we would not be able to do much more then that. As much as I would love to see Capilano bridge and/or Grouse mountain, I feel we will be rushing around. I feel we would need an extra day for that. Please, correct me if I am wrong.

What's the easiest way to get to Queens Gardens from our hotel? Taxi? I would like to experience Vancouver Train System . Is it an easy way to go to the gardens from LeSoleil via Sky train? Thank You both for your detailed responses.

Very few people mention Vanier - it's not much as parks go, but it contains three nice museums and BotB so the individual places get mentioned quite often (e.g. FCF call their stop here the Maritime Museum stop, rather than the Vanier Park stop).

LeSoleil to QEP is not difficult by transit, but unless you transfer to a bus or take a cab from the nearest SkyTrain station (King Edward) it's a bit of a schlep up a relatively steep hill. 1 regular transit ticket, single zone so $2.85 regardless of day or time, will get you to the park. Getting back is slightly more complicated as while you can transfer TO a bus, you cannot transfer FROM a bus without paying again - so it's twice the cost to come back unless you have gotten yourself a Day Pass.

I always point people to Google Maps - it has all transit integrated, and frankly their algorithms are superior to Translink's own trip planner when it comes to walking and transferring (Translink does not apply differential walking speeds for uphill vs down, number of controlled intersections as Google does so often they have a trip time that is a whole bus frequency interval longer). Google also integrates bike lanes and driving routes, plus show elevation for bikes so it's a much better 'one stop shop' for all of your routing research.

I noticed you have a few more details on your next post - totems are indeed close to Aquarium (I'd get off at Aquarium, then walk from there to Totems to reboard HOHO - since totems are free they are a popular stop whereas the Aquarium is among the priciest tickets in town so fewer folks disembark the HOHO there. More folks off means more seats for you!)

Old Spaghetti Factory is the pasta place - the food is as bland as you'd expect for somewhere that offers lots of 'all you can eat' pasta, but if it's for the kid then the entertainment value of the decor does need factored in (plus a ghost!) and it's certainly cheap!

There are other Stanley park HOHO stops that you should consider too though - Prospect Point is the highest part of downtown, great views of Lions Gate bridge and the North Shore, plus ships coming & going. Rose Garden is good if you're a fan of roses. A 13 year old likely won't love the little train or the kiddie water park, they are aimed younger than that. Other stops are less big-hitting, depends how much of the Seawall you want to walk on or just drive sort-of near (the roads do not closely follow the Seawall in most of the park, they are set further in and higher up among the trees).

Copper Chimney resto is Indian in the same way that Chipotle is Mexican - it's a seriously 'gringo-fied' approach suitable for little old white ladies (the local Noodle Box chain does the same thing, takes out all the interesting spices. As a Brit I can confidently say that there's no such thing as truly great curry in Vancouver, but we do have some excellent regional Indian cuisine outside the downtown core. Near your hotel the closest thing to a tolerably authentic Indian curryhouse is India Gate on Robson - it's their 40th anniversary so they're doing something right! Personally I'd rather hit up a Malay resto downtown for a curry fix though - there are a couple of branches of Banana Leaf around downtown.

On the way back from QEP you could do a lot worse than having dinner along Broadway which has much better-value 'ethnic eateries' in general than the downtown core. Get off SkyTrain at Broadway/City Hall and you'll be just across the street from the original branch of Peaceful (authentic Northern Chinese dishes - as seen on Diners, Driveins, & Dives), another Banana Leaf plus the fancier Kaya Malay, the truly unique Salmon & Bannock for First Nations cuisine (bannocks are like really thick, fluffy naans), a great Peruvian spot (Chicha) and a ton of other Chinese, Thai etc. as you work your way along from the Cambie to Granville intersections.

If more 'Indian inspired' than 'authentic Indian' food is your thing, Vij's is hands-down the place to go - their new location is on Cambie, walkable on a nice day from QEP (downhill this way, bang on a mile from the main entrance). This is the kind of food that Copper Chimney wishes it could do - there's a reason that Vij's has won every award for 'best Indian' going for decades (even though it's more French than Indian in some of the cuts of meat, presentation, and even techniques used).

When will you be in Vancouver? We arrive noonish June 20 and board June 22. Vancouver is my last thing to plan. One thing we do in a new city is visit used book stores and used cd stores. There are several around Gaslight. Going to make our way to have dinner in Chinatown. Then thinking about a guided walking tour that night. That's our half day arrival.

 

Our full day is still up in the air. We're planning waffles for breakfast. (There appears to be a nice waffle scene in Vancouver and DH is a huge waffle fan). Not sure about the afternoon...planning Granville Island and then the theater. So much will depend not the weather!

Fewer and fewer bookstores - and none actually inside Gastown, though a couple close by (MacLeods and the Paperhound on Pender). A few record stores inside the border, but all at the far western end on Hastings.

Waffles downtown means Medina, unless you literally just want waffles in which case Nero should also work (they do both Brussels and Liege) - but nobody beats Medina's Liege waffles, not even the Belgian guy who runs Patisserie leBeau on 2nd Ave (admirably enough he uses local products and unbleached flour and has reduced butter and sugar content a little to improve the health factor - but that just ruins the quality of his waffles IMO!) It's not just that Medina's waffles themselves are superb - their accompaniments are also delightful (the lavender chocolate MUST be tried) and the full breakfast dishes make this still THE best breakfast spot in town for the last ten years. We also have many Asian waffle joints, which are universally disappointing in the actual waffle-part compared to proper yeast-raised Belgian varieties - way lacking in butter & egg yolks they're most akin to American 'Belgian' waffles raised with baking powder instead of yeast, missing both richness and texture. Anyone who enjoys real choux pastry should also avoid Beard Papa's ghastly cream puffs despite the interesting flavoured toppings and fillings available.

Martincath, Thank You for your excellent suggestions. Definitely " Indian inspired", not authentic Indian for us;). It sounds like a great plan to have lunch in Viji's after visit to QEP. And of course we would love to walk there rather then taking a train or a bus. I read that the neighborhood around QEP is older, established neighborhood with nice homes and lawns to look at, green area with mature trees. Would the road down to Viji be along such streets? Also, what do you think about overall plan for Vancouver over two days? I am reading other people's posts and can't help but feel we are not going to see a fraction of what could be seen in that time frame, but I truly just want to appreciate the city, get a feel of it, enjoy it, not just mark things off " not to be missed" list. Maybe you have alternate plan to satisfy above criteria? Thank you again for taking your time to answer. Olga.

 

Old Spaghetti Factory is the pasta place - the food is as bland as you'd expect for somewhere that offers lots of 'all you can eat' pasta, but if it's for the kid then the entertainment value of the decor does need factored in (plus a ghost!) and it's certainly cheap!...

Ooo, actually - yum. :D Spaghetti and spicy meat sauce is my favourite. Not authentic Italian by any means but good value for the buck as every meal comes with a side salad, a loaf of bread with two butter options, a scoop of ice cream, and coffee or tea.

martincath...the two used book stores you mentioned are the two that I was wanting to hit! MacLeods is literally around the corner from our hotel...and the used music also appears to be in our neck of the woods.

Medina is indeed our destination for waffles! We are seriously excited to eat there. I have never even heard of Liege waffles before reading about waffles in Vancouver...I don't even recall how I came across the information but I somehow hit an article naming all the great waffle places in and around Vancouver.

I haven't sorted dinner or lunch for our arrival day. I had thought that it might be good to grab something in Chinatown but I have been reading that Chinatown may not be the best area? That there's more of a Chinatown around Richmond now? Info also said that Chinatown was undergoing a renewal as the other neighborhoods are/have been. Would you agree with that information? We happen to love Asian food of all sorts and my uneducated self just thought that finding some good Asian in Chinatown seemed like a no brainer. We going to do a guided walking tour from Chinatown to and through Gastown...that starts at 7pm, so thought food in Chinatown seemed logical. Now I'm wondering if we'd be better off eating in Gastown? (I do that with names! Thanks for correcting me!) We prefer local restaurants to chains...do you have a suggestion? We love ethnic food and would love to eat somewhere that was unique to Vancouver...

Martincath, Thank You for your excellent suggestions. Definitely " Indian inspired", not authentic Indian for us;). It sounds like a great plan to have lunch in Viji's after visit to QEP. And of course we would love to walk there rather then taking a train or a bus. I read that the neighborhood around QEP is older, established neighborhood with nice homes and lawns to look at, green area with mature trees. Would the road down to Viji be along such streets? Also, what do you think about overall plan for Vancouver over two days? I am reading other people's posts and can't help but feel we are not going to see a fraction of what could be seen in that time frame, but I truly just want to appreciate the city, get a feel of it, enjoy it, not just mark things off " not to be missed" list. Maybe you have alternate plan to satisfy above criteria? Thank you again for taking your time to answer. Olga.

Vijs is dinner-only I'm afraid so it would have to be an afternoon in the park (if you stick to a morning visit, for lunch you can actually do a lot worse than Seasons in the Park - while the prices are jacked up for the quality like all the Sequoia Group, this one unlike any of the rest actually justifies the pricing because the view is superb - QEP has the highest point in all of Vancouver and Seasons sits right near the top, with sweeping views across downtown. Brunch is the best-value option IMO, as it's hard to get eggs & bacon wrong!)

Walking to Vijs (or just back to King Eddie SkyTrain to avoid the bus transfer hassles) Cambie itself has a few condo developments filling in these days and many businesses rather than homes from King Eddy north, but even a block each side is still heavily made-up of nice single-family homes. From the park you're also looking over people's homes, especially on the south side where the boundary fence literally butts up against many back yards.

There's a lot of things to do in Vancouver - with lots of daylight it's tempting to schedule yourselves for 12 hours days and try to hit all of the well-known sights! Your 'two big things a day' sounds like a sensible pace, and allows for spending longer than planned in a given location without derailing other plans. As to whether what you're choosing is the best - I don't know what you like well enough to suggest alternatives that might be better! What you're listing is all good - frankly QEP is more Vancouvery IMO than Grouse or Capilano, since they're in a different municipality over the water, and while it's the second-most-visited site in the city (after Stanley) most of those are us locals and folks visiting us we take there rather than cruisers who tend to stick to downtown core attractions.

Things you might consider adding... if QEPs Quarry gardens don't satisfy your fill for plants, you're also only a few blocks from Van Dusen Botanic Garden - this does have a fee, but if you were going to go inside the conservatory at QEP you can get a combo ticket with both. Good sized place, has a traditional Hedge Maze that's rather unusual these days and extensive floral displays. You might also consider Dr Sun Yat-Sen garden downtown - it's a HOHO stop - as this is quite spectacular and recently renovated to restore it to original condition - at the very least pop into the free park next door, which is also Chinese style and shares the same pond, to see if you like the vibe. The guided tour is fascinating, so I find the value for money high for the <$15 entry fee to this, the most authentic traditional Chinese garden anywhere outside China itself.

In general I like the simplicity of checking Tripadvisor - for all popular attractions it gives a very reliable sense of the relative enjoyment of each by Joe Q Public, so starting with the 'big hits' and moving down the list, reading up on each a little to see if they are for you or not, is a solid way to prep. There are also handy lists like 'Vancouver in 48 hrs' where folks have put together itineraries - if you find a poster whose taste you share these can be great shortcuts to give you a base touring plan. Things like restos require a pinch of salt - as do any new operations without a large number of reviews - but for all the big hit sightseeing choices that have been around for years I find TA very reliable.

What stops are you doing in AK ,( I am assuming you are in Vancouver for AK cruise as well?) BTW, thank you for being such a gracious host on your own thread answering my questions. I appreciate it.:)

We are doing an AK cruise. We're taking the Millennium up to Seward. We stop in Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, Juneau and Skagway. We're so excited! Last summer was our 20th wedding anniversary but we moved during the summer. We didn't really celebrate. So we're celebrating our 21st!

I wouldn't worry about thinking that you are planning too little. I am a big believer in picking just a couple things that you really want to do and being open to whatever else the day may bring. I think about what it will be like to think back on a trip. I frame my days so that I can remember the thing or two that I really wanted to do. Otherwise...the days and times just blend together in my memory. It sounds like you are similar. Travel vacations are exciting and fun, but there's no need to have stressful days and push yourself hard to see a lot. See what you see well, which is the way that you enjoy it. While some enjoy packing in a lot...others, like myself, can just enjoy soaking in the new locale at a different pace that may not see quite as much. It's all good. Don't stress about your vacation. Totally counter productive IMO.

What ports are you visiting?

You might also consider Dr Sun Yat-Sen garden downtown - it's a HOHO stop - as this is quite spectacular and recently renovated to restore it to original condition - at the very least pop into the free park next door, which is also Chinese style and shares the same pond, to see if you like the vibe. The guided tour is fascinating, so I find the value for money high for the <$15 entry fee to this, the most authentic traditional Chinese garden anywhere outside China itself.

Thank you for offering this info! I was wondering about the garden but concerned that it would be cheesy. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and have visited the Japanese Tea Garden there multiple times and think that it's lovely. At least, it used to be, it's been years. I was wondering about the Chinese Garden...especially considering what I was saying earlier about touring around Gastown and possibly Chinatown.

martincath...the two used book stores you mentioned are the two that I was wanting to hit! MacLeods is literally around the corner from our hotel...and the used music also appears to be in our neck of the woods.

 

Medina is indeed our destination for waffles! We are seriously excited to eat there. I have never even heard of Liege waffles before reading about waffles in Vancouver...I don't even recall how I came across the information but I somehow hit an article naming all the great waffle places in and around Vancouver.

 

I haven't sorted dinner or lunch for our arrival day. I had thought that it might be good to grab something in Chinatown but I have been reading that Chinatown may not be the best area? That there's more of a Chinatown around Richmond now? Info also said that Chinatown was undergoing a renewal as the other neighborhoods are/have been. Would you agree with that information? We happen to love Asian food of all sorts and my uneducated self just thought that finding some good Asian in Chinatown seemed like a no brainer. We going to do a guided walking tour from Chinatown to and through Gastown...that starts at 7pm, so thought food in Chinatown seemed logical. Now I'm wondering if we'd be better off eating in Gastown? (I do that with names! Thanks for correcting me!) We prefer local restaurants to chains...do you have a suggestion? We love ethnic food and would love to eat somewhere that was unique to Vancouver...

When it comes to waffles I say 'go Liege or go home' - Belgium has given the world very little useful, but those and 'French' fries almost make up for their shameful breakdown of government rendering them second only to Somalia in duration!

Chinatown downtown is indeed much, much less Chinese these days - and while there are many great dining options, actual Chinese places don't even come close to the best available. Personally if I were looking for Asian food in Chinatown I'd ask myself if I wanted modern or old-school; if the former, hit up Bao Bei for a very interesting cocktail and food menu, mostly Taiwan/Shanghai style spice palettes but with a serving style more akin to Tapas (many small and some large 'share plates'); if the latter then go to Phnom Penh for crowd-pleasing Cambodian/Vietnamese/Thai creations that still has a queue outside for dinner every day after 30 years (and finally a website, after years of having to post Yelp links)!

A couple of other modern Asian restos have opened recently - Sai Woo and Torafuku (technically just outside Chinatown) - which both do nice food, but do not replace the likes of Foo's HoHo which I still sorely miss. All the older places are closing or have already done so as the population ages, folks move out to Richmond etc. (which does indeed have a much more 'Chinese vibe' than downtown Chinatown and has for years). Otherwise it's casual noodle-focused restos that have opened on the Asian front - and several good Euro/US spots like Besties for bratwurst or Mamie Taylor's for Southern.

Some of the absolute best Chinese restos are downtown rather than in Richmond these days though - the last few years Dynasty Seafood on Broadway has been dominant in several categories of the local Chinese Food Awards, Sun Sui Wah started in Vancouver and invented King Crab Feasts here before spinning off their Richmond branch, and Kirin (another high end Cantonese) has 2 Vancouver branches including one right in the heart of the downtown core. On the cheaper end, Peaceful has three downtown branches now; ChongQing and Wons and Dinesty Dumplings all have outlets on Robson; and none of these actually have a Chinatown location (Wons did, but it closed a year or so back)!

If the environment is more important than the food, you may also enjoy dim sum at Floata - I've never found the food more than adequate, but it is unique in that it is the largest Chinese resto on the continent (over 1,000 seats) and it feels like you are dining in a movie set resto where Indiana Jones is going to run through being shot at by goons! They also do dim sum by trolley, which is definitely fun even if it makes your meal somewhat random.

Hotel-location-wise (I assume it's the Ramada from your description?) you are indeed close to the record stores. Also Albion Books, just up Richards. If you need to stretch your legs getting out into Chinatown for dinner is certainly feasible (I'd stick to Pender as it leads right to the gate, don't miss the Sam Kee building and Shanghai Alley off Pender). Cut through Sun Yat-Sen park to get to Keefer, as there are no businesses until east of Columbia on Keefer, and the park is very nice as well as a handy way to cut the corner a little.

Gastown has some great eateries - there are several we visit frequently. Unique to Vancouver cuisine isn't really a thing - so many common crops and animals and seafood that everywhere in the PNW shares. But general 'PNW locavore' dining will probably offer many differences from what's served on your side of the continent.

On the fancy end, L'Abattoir continues to be the most consistently-good Gastown kitchen - French techniques, local seasonal produce, but a few staple dishes like Sweetbreads year-round (we are not the only regulars to threaten to burn them to the ground if they ever stop offering these!); Bauhaus never quite lived up to their potential (high end German food), and now that their Michelin-winning chef works for Tacofino(!) they never will - but they're still pretty good, and German cuisine is definitely underrated in my book!; Tuc somehow still flies under the radar but never disappoints - they often have a couple of game meats on; Wildebeest is where to go if you want protein, fat, and as many bits of dead animals as you can manage with maybe a bit of salad for roughage; Sardine Can is a very decent Tapas joint; Salt is perhaps the closest to a uniquely Vancouver sit-down we have - it's a locavore charcuterie joint accessed from Blood Alley (which rarely has blood flowing but always has rats, often junkies, and occasionally hookers - seriously, watch where you are walking in sandals as discarded needles are all too common). Best sherry selection in the city if you can tolerate getting to them, and a tremendous selection of local and imported meats & cheeses & condiments.

As you can see we have an extensive dining scene... if none of those fit the bill, gimme some more details on likes/dislikes/budget and I'll find something for you.

Thank you for offering this info! I was wondering about the garden but concerned that it would be cheesy. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and have visited the Japanese Tea Garden there multiple times and think that it's lovely. At least, it used to be, it's been years. I was wondering about the Chinese Garden...especially considering what I was saying earlier about touring around Gastown and possibly Chinatown.

Not remotely cheesy - hand built by Chinese artisans who came over long before Expo 1986, with literally every single component flown in from China and assembled using centuries-old techniques. Even the smashed shards of teacups that make up some of the flooring was brought in! Every other Chinese garden I've visited is like a Disney version in comparison... The free park uses local materials to capture the general vibe, but without the ridiculous degree of authenticity - but the gazebo is still a great spot to eat lunch and watch the carp swim around the lillies.

martincath...you are FUNNY! I love the way you talk! Very entertaining and informative all at the same time. I thank you so much for all the help you are offering. I will spend some time looking up the restaurants you have mentioned here and then let you know if I would like more help.

We are staying at Delta actually. Very excited! It will be the nicest hotel that my little family (DH, DS17 and myself) has ever stayed at...all thanks to the accumulation of Marriott points from DH traveling for work.

Vijs is dinner-only I'm afraid so it would have to be an afternoon in the park (if you stick to a morning visit, for lunch you can actually do a lot worse than Seasons in the Park - while the prices are jacked up for the quality like all the Sequoia Group, this one unlike any of the rest actually justifies the pricing because the view is superb - QEP has the highest point in all of Vancouver and Seasons sits right near the top, with sweeping views across downtown. Brunch is the best-value option IMO, as it's hard to get eggs & bacon wrong!)

 

Walking to Vijs (or just back to King Eddie SkyTrain to avoid the bus transfer hassles) Cambie itself has a few condo developments filling in these days and many businesses rather than homes from King Eddy north, but even a block each side is still heavily made-up of nice single-family homes. From the park you're also looking over people's homes, especially on the south side where the boundary fence literally butts up against many back yards.

 

There's a lot of things to do in Vancouver - with lots of daylight it's tempting to schedule yourselves for 12 hours days and try to hit all of the well-known sights! Your 'two big things a day' sounds like a sensible pace, and allows for spending longer than planned in a given location without derailing other plans. As to whether what you're choosing is the best - I don't know what you like well enough to suggest alternatives that might be better! What you're listing is all good - frankly QEP is more Vancouvery IMO than Grouse or Capilano, since they're in a different municipality over the water, and while it's the second-most-visited site in the city (after Stanley) most of those are us locals and folks visiting us we take there rather than cruisers who tend to stick to downtown core attractions.

 

Things you might consider adding... if QEPs Quarry gardens don't satisfy your fill for plants, you're also only a few blocks from Van Dusen Botanic Garden - this does have a fee, but if you were going to go inside the conservatory at QEP you can get a combo ticket with both. Good sized place, has a traditional Hedge Maze that's rather unusual these days and extensive floral displays. You might also consider Dr Sun Yat-Sen garden downtown - it's a HOHO stop - as this is quite spectacular and recently renovated to restore it to original condition - at the very least pop into the free park next door, which is also Chinese style and shares the same pond, to see if you like the vibe. The guided tour is fascinating, so I find the value for money high for the <$15 entry fee to this, the most authentic traditional Chinese garden anywhere outside China itself.

 

In general I like the simplicity of checking Tripadvisor - for all popular attractions it gives a very reliable sense of the relative enjoyment of each by Joe Q Public, so starting with the 'big hits' and moving down the list, reading up on each a little to see if they are for you or not, is a solid way to prep. There are also handy lists like 'Vancouver in 48 hrs' where folks have put together itineraries - if you find a poster whose taste you share these can be great shortcuts to give you a base touring plan. Things like restos require a pinch of salt - as do any new operations without a large number of reviews - but for all the big hit sightseeing choices that have been around for years I find TA very reliable.

Of course, Dr Yat- Send garden! I ment to go there and totally forgotten about it! Yes, definitely. Seasons in the park sounds good too. I will look them up to check the menu. We live in NYC, so all sorts of ethnic food is easily accessible to us.

Not remotely cheesy - hand built by Chinese artisans who came over long before Expo 1986, with literally every single component flown in from China and assembled using centuries-old techniques. Even the smashed shards of teacups that make up some of the flooring was brought in! Every other Chinese garden I've visited is like a Disney version in comparison... The free park uses local materials to capture the general vibe, but without the ridiculous degree of authenticity - but the gazebo is still a great spot to eat lunch and watch the carp swim around the lillies.

Lovely!

We are doing an AK cruise. We're taking the Millennium up to Seward. We stop in Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, Juneau and Skagway. We're so excited! Last summer was our 20th wedding anniversary but we moved during the summer. We didn't really celebrate. So we're celebrating our 21st!

 

I wouldn't worry about thinking that you are planning too little. I am a big believer in picking just a couple things that you really want to do and being open to whatever else the day may bring. I think about what it will be like to think back on a trip. I frame my days so that I can remember the thing or two that I really wanted to do. Otherwise...the days and times just blend together in my memory. It sounds like you are similar. Travel vacations are exciting and fun, but there's no need to have stressful days and push yourself hard to see a lot. See what you see well, which is the way that you enjoy it. While some enjoy packing in a lot...others, like myself, can just enjoy soaking in the new locale at a different pace that may not see quite as much. It's all good. Don't stress about your vacation. Totally counter productive IMO.

 

What ports are you visiting?

Happy coming up 21 St Wedding Anniversary!!! We also went to AK for the first time in anticipation of our 20 th wedding anniversary three years ago. We are on an 8 day cruise to Juneau, Icy Straight Point, Haines, Ketchikan and Glacier Bay. We have been to three of the places before, but not in ISP and Haines, so also very excited. In ISP we booked a ship combination tour Whale Watch and Wild Life Search. Of course, we are too early for wildlife, namely bears, but the search includes walk through the forest and to Spaski river ( I think that's the name) to observation platform. That sounds good to me. If we see wildlife- bonus. What are your plans for ISP? What about Ketchikan? And Juneau? In Juneau we booked a ship tour to Glacier Gardens which also includes Mendelhal Glacier and Salmon Hatchery. We have been to Mendelhal twice before and both times did Nuggets trail. So this time I would like to do different trail ( shorter one) and spent more time in the visitors center ( there is a movie they are playing there which we never got a chance to watch. I assume it's like one of those National Geo productions about glacier, should be interesting). What are your plans for Juneau?

What a coincidence! Alaska is something DH and I have talked about for years...since we first met, it's been something we have wanted to do. I guess when you start to hit that 20th year mark...if Alaska is something you want to do...then you decide you better do it then or it might never happen. LOL.

In ISP, we're going whale watching with Glacier Winds. We're doing the 2pm run so we'll have some time before and after to explore.

In Ketchikan, we're going with a local guide on a walking tour. I found him on toursbylocals. He is a Scot that has lived in Ketchikan for 30 years and is married to a Tlingit woman. Her father is a master wood carver and he also does some wood carving. I just thought that the idea of touring around and listening to someone with a Scots accent talk to me about Alaska sounded like a good time. I do like to make a local connection if possible. We always enjoy talking to the tour guides as much as the tour itself in other places we've been.

In Juneau, I resisted the idea of renting a car for the longest time, but we are renting a car. There were two excursions I wanted to do. The first was canceled way back in October or November? The other, also unavailable now. Sigh. We are actually going to go fishing! Not a tour. Just shore fishing. DH really enjoys fishing and that was something we wanted to cover in Juneau. We'll be there for the end of the King run. We've scoped out two different locations. I think we'll hit one in the morning hours. Then we'll go to Mendenhall. Then we'll hit up the other fishing spot. Yes, we are bringing our own fishing poles...;p

In Skagway, we're going to do a ranger led tour around town. We're going to hit a local place and grab a picnic lunch and head on up to Lower Dewey Lake. We're going to enjoy that area. Have a picnic. Do some fishing! LOL. I recently read that you can have a fire in one of the fire rings there if you have a burn permit from the local fire department...so considering that as well...IF the weather is cooler. I think that sounds so great! My parents are also coming on this tour and sitting around a campfire with them sounds lovely. Great talks around camp fires.

If you are doing Glacier Bay, does that mean you debark in Whittier? We're doing Hubbard so we get off in Seward. We're doing a DIY land tour post cruise. Are you spending any extra time in Alaska post cruise?

What a coincidence! Alaska is something DH and I have talked about for years...since we first met, it's been something we have wanted to do. I guess when you start to hit that 20th year mark...if Alaska is something you want to do...then you decide you better do it then or it might never happen. LOL.

 

In ISP, we're going whale watching with Glacier Winds. We're doing the 2pm run so we'll have some time before and after to explore.

 

 

In Ketchikan, we're going with a local guide on a walking tour. I found him on toursbylocals. He is a Scot that has lived in Ketchikan for 30 years and is married to a Tlingit woman. Her father is a master wood carver and he also does some wood carving. I just thought that the idea of touring around and listening to someone with a Scots accent talk to me about Alaska sounded like a good time. I do like to make a local connection if possible. We always enjoy talking to the tour guides as much as the tour itself in other places we've been.

 

 

In Juneau, I resisted the idea of renting a car for the longest time, but we are renting a car. There were two excursions I wanted to do. The first was canceled way back in October or November? The other, also unavailable now. Sigh. We are actually going to go fishing! Not a tour. Just shore fishing. DH really enjoys fishing and that was something we wanted to cover in Juneau. We'll be there for the end of the King run. We've scoped out two different locations. I think we'll hit one in the morning hours. Then we'll go to Mendenhall. Then we'll hit up the other fishing spot. Yes, we are bringing our own fishing poles...;p

 

 

In Skagway, we're going to do a ranger led tour around town. We're going to hit a local place and grab a picnic lunch and head on up to Lower Dewey Lake. We're going to enjoy that area. Have a picnic. Do some fishing! LOL. I recently read that you can have a fire in one of the fire rings there if you have a burn permit from the local fire department...so considering that as well...IF the weather is cooler. I think that sounds so great! My parents are also coming on this tour and sitting around a campfire with them sounds lovely. Great talks around camp fires.

 

 

If you are doing Glacier Bay, does that mean you debark in Whittier? We're doing Hubbard so we get off in Seward. We're doing a DIY land tour post cruise. Are you spending any extra time in Alaska post cruise?

Our cruise is round trip Vancouver to Vancouver. We did Habbard glacier last May. I found it much more impressive then Glacier Bay. It's majestic! Truth be told, we did Glacier Bay on our first trip to AK, and in my mind's eye I was going to Antarctica, so my expectations were set accordingly. It was booked on a whim, less then a month to sailing and I didn't do much research. I am looking forward to seeing Glacier Bay again. I wonder if I will appreciate it more now. No, we aren't spending any time in AK post cruise. This will have to be next trip;). Your travel plans sound very interesting all around. I made no plans for Ketchikan yet. I will check out the place you referring to above. Anything "Scot" never entered my mind till 2017, but I just finished Outlander series.... If you are familiar with it, I don't have to explain...