vancouver: what to pack.

1. Waterproof foot wear. You'll see a lot of rubber boots in Vancouver, for good reason. Especially in winter. (I have Hunter's which recently developed a hole in them so I'm not sure how I feel about them.)

2. Based on the first one, this should go without saying, but a rain coat.

3. Sunglasses, Because the weather changes on a dime, here.

4. Earplugs because there's a lot going on in the city, even at night.

5. Bus tickets! Okay, so you can't actually pack these, but here's a money-saving tip for you. If you arrive in Vancouver by plane, go to a drug store or convenience store in the airport and buy a pack of one zone bus tickets. Not only will they come in handy during your trip, but they will also save you paying the airport tax on the Canada Line into the city. Use one ticket to get anywhere on the the Line after 6PM on weekdays and on weekends and simply use the ticket machines on the platform to put a one zone AddFare on your ticket if you arrive any other time of the day. A regular ticket bought from the platform will cost you more than $7. Using bus tickets will cost you about $2.10.

vancouver: weekend trips.

Vancouver is a wonderful jumping off point for quick trips on the West Coast. You can get to plenty of places without a car. Many of the places around Vancouver are great to visit even in the winter and we all know a quick weekend get away can make the rainy winter weather seem much more bearable.

vancouver: day trips.

Steveston is accessible by both bus (take the Canada Line to Richmond/Brighouse and then take the 407 bus to Gilbert) and bike from Vancouver. If you can, definitely bike. The Canada Line bike/pedestrian bridge over the Fraser River is worth it (mostly for the smooth biking and industrial views it offers). Steveston itself, is the site of a historic village centred around it's salmon cannery. It is now a picturesque suburb with a lovely wharf. The also have the good frozen yoghurt: You know the kind where they press frozen fruit through a bar of youghurty-frozen goodness? If you want to go full BC, pick blackberry or blueberry, or if like me you prefer the prairie berries (say that out loud, it rhymes!), try raspberry. Just don't miss it.

vancouver: what to do.

Vancouver has a million things to do! Here are a few of my favourites. None of them require a car so they're easy for you to get to no matter where you're staying. Many of them are free too!

vancouver: where to eat.

{The burger at La Brasserie. Oh yes.}

The most obvious place to start in a guide to Vancouver is food! There's A LOT of good food in Vancouver! My list won't even come close covering all the amazing choices in there are in the city but here's a comprehensive list of my favourites. As a side note: Dineout Vancouver starts this week and many of the places on my list are participating.

{I've given the restaurants a one to three dollar sign rating to signify approximate prices. Most of my choices fall into the medium cost category, though.}

guide to vancouver.

As I mentioned last week, I thought it would be fun to write a guide to Vancouver. From my point of view, anyway! First up, later today, where to eat. Because that's the most important thing, of course. Following later this week: what to do. And next week: day trips and weekend trips from Vancouver. Lots of things to do for free or for cheap and most without a car 'cause that's just the way I roll.

I hope you enjoy!