This week in Northwest travel, our Friday Five is all about Vancouver, British Columbia. Six hundred travel bloggers and travel industry peeps are converging on our beloved metropolis of Vancouver this weekend for Travel Blog Exchange. I regrettably cannot go (waaa!) – read about why, as well as my Ode to Travel Bloggers – right here. Having attended last year, I know that it’ll be somewhat of a networking explosion. And, it’ll be a blast–these people know how to partay. (As if the Canucks win tonight won’t spill enough beer on Granville Street!)
1) Photo Friday: The Vancouver Aquarium. Isaac saw his first Beluga Whale here nine months ago and still talks about it. It’s rather stunning how close you can get to these amazing, smiling creatures from the underground viewing areas. The Pacific White-sided Dolphins are another charismatic attraction here. On the smaller side of things, the aquarium features eight galleries of sea life. “Treasures of the BC Coast” is my favorite – I love touching starfish! For a whole Photo Friday Ode to Vancouver, head over to DeliciousBaby.
2. WhyGoCanada went all out to provide travel bloggers attending this weekend’s TBEX with a Vancouver City Guide. Click through to read their diverse picks of sights, eats, sleeps and hidden treasures of Vancouver. Bookmark this site for future trips to Vancouver!
3. Do you ever find yourself dumbstruck in a new city by the dizzying array of restaurants? This happens to me every time I go anywhere because I want to try absolutely everything. Fortunately, Seattleite Sheri Doyle over at Pacific Northwest Journeys tossed together her top city picks, including best eats like lamb popsicle at Viji’s and of course, Japadog.
4. Vancouver being the family-friendly city that it is, it’s a favorite place of family travel blogger Lora Shinn. This week, Lora’s website, Cascadia Kids, featured Seven Funky, Must-Visit Vancouver Stores and Five Favorite Vancouver Hotels for Families: From cheap to posh.
5. While we’re focused on Vancouver, the Vancouver Sun is writing about Bellingham, Washington. Titled “Somewhere Beyond the Mall,” my hunch from reading the article is that a lot of Vancouverites head down Bellingham way for the I-5 corridor of outlet malls. This is fascinating to me, and makes me wonder just what the heck it is I’m missing when I cruise right past those factory outlet exits. Anyway, most of the praise is for the charms of Bellingham’s Fairhaven neighborhood. But get this – evidently, Bellingham’s Saturday Farmer’s Market has belly dancers!
3 Responses
Didn’t you see The Cove? The whales are NOT smiling. Even if they are relatively well treated here, please don’t perpetuate the myth that whales or dolphins are happy in captivity because they appear to be smiling. Thanks.
My comment was not on the Belugas’ state of happiness, but rather their anatomy.
Vancouver is the greatest city for a short visit – there’s a lot do see and do, but the list isn’t paralyzingly long. You can bike Stanley Park or bug the artisans on Granville Island or sun on Kits Beach or shop on Robson or Main or go out to QE Park or Vandusen or the Conservatory or the UBC campus . . . it’s the best walking town, the pubs are friendly and I could so go on and on . . .!
PS: I’ve bought 2/3rds of my shirts (Signum, from Germany) at either Staccato or Harry Rosen.
I ? Vancouver!