Vancouver

I'm pretty lucky. Last year my aunt did really well at work, so she was awarded with a trip to a conference in Vancouver for her AND a guest, and she picked me as her guest! So I spent all of last week in Canada.

We arrived Saturday afternoon, and after checking into the hotel we hit up a restaurant for Dim Sum. Then we took a nap. After the nap we walked and walked and walked, until we got to a beach on the other side of downtown, where everyone and their mother was headed to watch fireworks. We knew we'd be too tired to stay up for fireworks, however, so after some quality people-watching at a park by the water we headed back in the opposite direction of the crowds. On the way we found the perfect little Italian restaurant in a cute secluded courtyard, where we enjoyed a nice meal. Then we hit the hay.

Sunday I got up and grabbed some breakfast, then ran 7 miles along the seawall at Stanley Park. Next we went to Church downtown, then grabbed lunch just in time to catch a shuttle to Richmond (BC). That's where we got on a boat and went whale watching!

Our whale watching boat.

We were one the boat for a total of 5.5 hours. That's a long time to spend on a speed boat. For a long while all we saw were bald eagles.

Bald eagles! The only animals I saw for a long time.

It was pretty cold on the water, mostly because of the speed-boat-caused wind, but luckily they gave us stylish yellow rain suits to wear to help keep the chill off.

Lookin' good in my rain suit and cap.

Once we were really far south, I think surely in the US, we finally had a whale sighting!

That spray of water was from a whale!

Usually on these whale trips they see orcas (killer whales), but we didn't see any. Instead, we saw two humpback whales!

See the whale? Or at least the hump? It's that dark spot in front of the boat in the center at the top.

After we made it back to land we had time for a quick bite and glass of wine, then back onto the shuttle to Vancouver. There we ate some more at the hotel restaurant, and then went to bed exhausted.

Monday we got up and after breakfast headed down by the water to the airport. That's where we caught a seaplane to Victoria.

A paddle boat in Vancouver, seen from the airport.

The airport!

Our ride to Victoria.

Downtown Victoria and Stanley Park. And ships.

Me. In a seaplane.

A pretty picture.

Getting ready to land in Victoria.

Post-flight photo-op.

In Victoria we were picked up by my aunt's former bass teacher. He took us back to his place for lunch. It was very nice. Then we had about an hour left to hang out downtown, so I walked around.

Cute topiary.

To get back to Vancouver we took the ferry. That meant first taking a bus, then 1.5 hours on the ferry, then more time on the bus back to Vancouver and our hotel. We spent the ferry ride eating at the buffet.

Our ride back to Vancouver.

Tuesday morning I went for another run. Then we went to the aquarium. We walked back to the hotel from there, which was along the same seawall that I always ran along. It was so beautiful.

A view of downtown from the seawall. I ran here four times.

I'm glad they kept pedestrians and bikes separated. It could be crowded.

See the cute houseboats?

Tuesday night was the opening of her conference. There was a big banquet outside at the convention center by the water, next to the Olympic torch. Wednesday morning I went with her to the opening session, which included an award ceremony and a few talks. Not the most exciting part of the trip, but it was okay. After the talks we had sushi for lunch, then I went for a run. After that I walked around a little.

Me and a departing cruise ship.

Wednesday evening we went back to Richmond (BC) for dinner. Back on Sunday when we went whale watching my aunt had chatted with the shuttle driver. They got onto the subject of salmon, and to make a long story short, we went to their house for a salmon dinner. Kinda crazy, but the driver and his wife were very nice and the food was delicious!

Dinner.

After dinner they drove us to Granville Island for gelato. Then they drove us back to our hotel.

The nice couple who made us salmon.

Thursday I got up and took a train to a different part of town to visit a big sporting goods store. I bought a cute little backpack for hiking (plus a hydration bladder so I can use it on long runs). Then I grabbed a bite to eat and a snack for later. After taking the train back downtown I changed clothes at the hotel and packed my new backpack. Then I took a seabus and a regular bus until I arrived at Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver. That's where I proceeded to hike up the mountain, also called the "Grouse Grind."

That funny-looking boat is the seabus!

The hike is 1.8 miles, with an elevation gain of 2,800 feet. It's basically stairs the entire way up.

Nothin' but stairs.

I was already way sweaty by this point.

Halfway there!

More stairs.

Still going straight up.

At the top!

I made it up in about 70 minutes. The record is something crazy like 25 minutes (by a man; 31 by a woman).

The view from the top.

They don't let people walk down (and your knees wouldn't want you to anyway), so you have to take the tram down.

My ride back down the mountain.

By the time I got back to the hotel it was just in time to get ready for the evening's activities. Those involved drinks at my aunt's boss's suite, dinner with her peeps at that hotel's restaurant, and more drinks back in the suite. Those people sure like to party.

Friday I crawled out of bed in time for breakfast, hung out in bed a little more after that, and then managed to run 4 miles. Then my aunt and I had lunch in Chinatown and visited a Chinese garden.

Beautiful gardens and pond.

I don't think I've ever seen a real frog on a real lilly pad before.

Neat windows. Every one was different.

Idyllic Chinese garden with skyscrapers in the background. And a big bird (maybe an egret?) in the tree.

Friday evening was the closing banquet back outside (and inside) at the convention center by the water. Lots of food and live music.

Enjoying our last night.

Beautiful sunset!

Banqueting around a fun sculpture.

The night ended with a fireworks show for us over the water. Then it was time for bed so we could head to the airport at 6am the next morning for our long travel day back to Richmond (VA).

Perfect ending.

I'm ready to visit Vancouver again. It was pretty awesome.