Alaska and the Pacific Northwest: Vancouver

Dan and I had an incredible two-week adventure traveling to Vancouver, Alaska, and the Olympic National Park. The first and last parts of the trip were just us, but we got to spend the middle section with my parents, sister, and cousin! I can't wait to tell you all about it. Here are the first few days in Vancouver:

Day 1:

We got an early start in the Capital One Lounge (my happy place) before our flight to Vancouver. How fun is this Bees Knees?

The Vancouver airport is stunning! So many cool water features and sculptures. We took the train downtown to our hotel (shoutout The Victorian!) and walked around the city, ending at Granville Island.

We ate a million samples at the Granville Market (pickles, pastries, alcoholic boba pearls) and settled on a fantastic soup from Chow Atchau. I wasn't feeling great, so I took the aquaboat back while Dan stayed and explored Granville Island.

I rallied for a quick ramen dinner and some of the best drinks I've ever had. I highly recommend the Radio Saigon at Prophecy Bar, listed as one of the top 50 bars in North America!

Day 2:

Today was a big day--we completed the Grouse Grind, which is a 2 mile hike straight up Grouse Mountain! But first, breakfast at Cafe Medina (delicious!). 

I was intimidated by this climb based on my research. The official signs didn't make me feel better. It was clear this was a hike for serious climbers. And while it was challenging, Dan and I were prepared for the challenge, finishing in 90 minutes and feeling great! 

It was cold and rainy at the top of the mountain, but we still made the most of it by watching the Lumberjack Show and meeting the rescue Grizzly bears (adorable and adorable). 

After taking the cable car down the mountain, we caught the bus to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. It was a little pricy but so worth it! The bridge itself is so fun (almost 500 feet long and 230 feet in the air), but I was surprised how great the rest of the park is. 

We walked the tree tops, took a nature tour, met a banana slug, and saw a bald eagle. We capped the day off with a gorgeous and tasty dinner at Botanical. 

Day 3: 

Today we biked 17 miles through the city. We rented bikes from Spokes (highly recommend!) and went through Stanley Park along the Sea Wall. We saw the Totem poles, the light house, beautiful lakes, and gorgeous scenery. We continued past the park around Granville island, past the science museum, and back over the bridge. The path is paved the whole way with dedicated bike lanes. I loved it! 

We grabbed some veggie soup dumplings for a post workout snack before heading back to the hotel to clean up. We had a terrific dinner at Folke, an upscale vegan restaurant. We did the 5 course chef tasting, which came with a few extra snacks and a dessert course. My favorite was the potato rosti bite with scape aioli. Dan loved the flowering cauliflower with congee. 

We wrapped up our time in Van City with drinks at Keefer Bar. I loved the weird medical vibes of this place. Drinks were called prescriptions and had funky components. Not nearly as good as Prophecy, but lots of fun.

The next morning, we took a bus from Vancouver to Seattle to meet up with the rest of the family!