Two years ago in September, I flew to the Northwest for a trip that changed the game, although I had no idea at the time. Jared and I road tripped to Vancouver, BC, camped and hiked in Squamish, and journeyed over to Tofino on Vancouver Island. It was my first trip to the Northwest and I was smitten for the raw natural beauty that surrounded me. Jared confessed his growing smitten feelings for me and I left Washington confused on my own emotions, but clearly understanding there was something special about this geographical spot on Earth. A few weeks ago, I was excited to finally get back up to BC and explore even if it was only for a short 48 hours. We’re getting quite good at packing in experiences in a short amount of time. Staying with a friend near Stanley Park, getting recommendations from a friend ( & Van City native) Rosalyn plus relying on our own spontaneity, we set to maximize our weekend travel in British Columbia.
Hiking Mt. Seymour, Vancouver BC
EAT
Twisted Fork Bistro: Expect a little wait and plan to share meals. We went for brunch on Saturday and gorged ourselves on banana stuffed brioche French toast with vanilla whipped cream, eggs benny and asparagus scrambled eggs. Word to the wise, get a solid workout in before you get here.
Local Public Eatery: Right across from Kitsalano Beach, we stopped here for lunch and left happy with bellies full of fish tacos + chips and guacamole that they mash fresh at your table!
photo borrowed from Local – I ate my fish tacos too fast to take a picture.
DRINK
The one coffee shop we managed to get to was tucked away in China Town right between the busy fruit and produce markets. Matchstick Coffee Roasters delivers single origin-coffee in their simple and modern space dedicated to community and working towards their goal of serving the absolute highest quality coffee. They sell some pretty amazing chocolate chip cookies too.
MOVE
Stanley Park is a fantastic spot for activity…. a 1000 + acre park that is almost entirely surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. We ran the famous Seawall in the early morning past bikers, walkers and run groups all enjoying one of the last weekends of summer.
To keep making room for all the food and drinks we were consuming, we took a class at Y Yoga , a 10,000 sq. ft posh yoga studio downtown complete with a sauna and tour of the space. Thankfully, otherwise I would have gotten lost on my way to the changing rooms.
HIKE
Located in North Vancouver, Mt. Seymour is a popular hike that is a local ski hill in the winter. The 8k up and back climb is both busy and challenging, scrambling over peaks before reaching a panoramic view of the city and the Coastal Mountain Range. By the time we reached the top, I was a pretty happy lady.
The top of Mt. Seymour, Vancouver BC
With our time being so short and Vancouver being so close, I know we’ll have many more trips across the border to discover more gems. So Canadians, feel free to throw out your best suggestions! 🙂
