Hello, Vancouver!

Extreme empty nesting has commenced once again. Our destination this time? Canada! Before meeting our friends in Vancouver, Mark and I stopped in Seattle to spend the weekend with our niece, Jessica, and her three beautiful children, who live in nearby Olympia. We missed seeing her husband, Ramin, this trip, since he had required military training out of town.

We began our Sunday by picking up our friends, Nan and Jeff, at the airport, then made the scenic drive from Seattle to Vancouver. We met our friends, Karen and Bryan, at our condo rental in downtown Vancouver, minutes from the Gastown district. A quiet, early evening gave everyone a chance to acclimate to the time change.

Vancouver’s roots trace back thousands of years, as the land was originally home to the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh “First Nations” – indigenous communities that have lived along these coastal lands for centuries. Settled by Europeans in the late 1800s, the city officially incorporated in 1886, just days before a massive fire burned much of it to the ground. Rebuilt quickly, Vancouver grew rapidly thanks to its location as a key port and destination of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Today, it’s a vibrant, multicultural city that acknowledges its history and strives to honor its original inhabitants.

Monday, our first full day, greeted us with slightly overcast skies, mild temps, and a slight breeze that reminded us we were sandwiched between ocean and mountains. With only a short time in the city, we wanted to experience some of its most iconic outdoor spaces. We started our day at Stanley Park, Vancouver’s massive urban forest that’s somehow right next to downtown but feels completely removed from it. Think Central Park with more evergreens and ocean views. We drove along the park’s perimeter and made a few stops to explore some of its best-loved landmarks.

The Totem Poles within the park were our first stop. Beautifully carved and rich in symbolism, they’re a striking tribute to the First Nations of British Columbia.

We also took in views of the harbor, watched seaplanes take off, and even got a peek at the Vancouver Rowing Club, still active since its 1886 founding. The path around the park — known as the Seawall — is a favorite for walkers, runners, and bikers, and we can see why. The combination of forest, mountains, ocean, and skyline makes for a unique combination of scenery!

After a short drive across the Lions Gate Bridge (built by the Guiness family in the 1930s to transport vendors to their land) we arrived at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, a privately-owned park.

The main attraction is the suspension bridge itself – a 450-foot stretch that sways gently (okay, a little more than gently, and a little more than I was comfortable with) over the Capilano River, 230 feet below. If you’re nervous with heights (like me) consider this fair warning. But if you like your nature with a touch of adrenaline, you’ll love it.

Beyond the bridge, the park offers some pretty incredible experiences, including Treetops Adventure, a network of smaller bridges suspended between towering Douglas firs, and Cliffwalk, a pathway bolted into and suspended from the side of the canyon. It’s part playground, forest, cliffs, canyon, and totally unique. A must if you visit Vancouver.

Our next stop was to English Bay Beach, also called First Beach. We had fun with the nearby A-Maze-Ing Laughter sculpture park – a patinated bronze sculpture of 14 laughing men created by a local artist Yue Minjun to simply invoke happiness for those who interact with it.

We wrapped up our afternoon at Queen Elizabeth Park, perched atop Little Mountain — the highest point in Vancouver. The gardens are stunning, especially the quarry garden, which was once a rock quarry and has now been transformed into a multi-level floral explosion of color. This park had a different energy than Stanley or Capilano. It felt more curated, more peaceful, and the kind of place where you could sip tea, read a book, or simply sit and take it all in.

After saying goodbye to our tour guide Martin, we took a short break before making our way to the nearby Gastown district, Vancouver’s oldest neighborhood, for our afternoon foodie tour.

The area is full of cobblestone streets, brick buildings, and stories — all wrapped up in some seriously impressive food. Our tour started at Maple Tree Square, where Gastown was first founded (and yes, it’s named after “Gassy Jack,” who opened the first saloon here in the 1860s). You can still feel the old-world charm echoing through the iron lampposts and heritage facades.

One of our first bites was at Water Street Café, famously housed in the only building to survive Vancouver’s Great Fire of 1886. We were treated to a wonderful seafood gnocchi, featuring clams, prawn, and BC bay scallops. From there, we wandered past the iconic Gastown Steam Clock – a quirky landmark that whistles and steams on the quarter-hour – before heading to the Pourhouse, a former boot factory (originally the Leckie Boot Co.) turned warm, moody cocktail bar. Here, we tried a pear and prosciutto salad, followed by steak tartare.

A short walk through Blood Alley brought us to a hidden gem: Kosak Ukrainian Eatery. The husband and wife team of Arina and Sergei create a modern, elevated take on traditional Ukrainian dishes — and we’re still talking about the plate of varenyky (Ukrainian pierogies), stuffed with wild boar and topped with red wine and strawberry reduction, caramelized onions, and all the comforting flavors you didn’t know you needed. We also “created” a custom cocktail made with sea buckthorn berries, tequila, and plum bitters — slightly tart, slightly sweet, and totally unique. We even came up with some creative and interesting names for our drink!

We finished with the showstopper: a layered honey sponge cake (medovyk), paired with freeze-dried raspberries over creamy vanilla ice cream. It was delicate, decadent, and the perfect end to a flavorful afternoon.

Gastown gave us not just great food, but also a deeper appreciation for Vancouver’s layered history — old-world charm with a thoroughly modern, multicultural twist.

Until tomorrow’s adventures, goodnight!