Vancouver Vibes & Views

The way our flights worked out, we ended up with two full days to explore Vancouver: one before our cruise and one after. And honestly? What a win.

We stayed at the Pan Pacific Canada Place Hotel, which was not just convenient—it was comically convenient. Like, “there’s a boat outside my window” convenient. I’d recommend it to anyone staying in Vancouver who values things like location, views, and seal spotting.

Pre-Cruise Day:

Vancouver greeted us with a very Pacific Northwest “hello” in the form of nonstop rain. We embraced the drizzle by starting our morning at the ultimate Canadian institution: Tim Horton’s. There’s one connected to the hotel through a secret underground passage, which felt thrillingly covert even though it mostly just protected our hair from the rain. The kids devoured their Timbits, I had an excellent brown sugar latte, and we were off!

Our main adventure was the Big Bus Tour—a Hop-On Hop-Off bus I figured would help us see the city and stay dry. In theory: genius. In reality: meh. It did the job of getting us to Granville Island, but between traffic jams, minimal narration, and buses running on what I assume was “vibes and optimism” instead of a schedule, I wouldn’t rush to do it again.

Granville Island, though? Adorable. We ducked into the Kid’s Market first, which was pure sensory chaos. Then we explored the bustling public market, picked up a few different foods to bring back to the hotel (the indecision was real), and finally sat down at Tony’s Fish and Chips. Small space, big flavor: we had clam chowder and halibut and left happily full.

By the time we returned to the hotel, the skies had cleared! We made a beeline for the heated rooftop pool, splashed around with views of the bay, and soaked up the rare June sunshine.

After the kids went to bed, I met a friend in the hotel lobby for a quiet drink. The sunset over the water was peak vacation vibes.

Post Cruise Day:

Vancouver welcomed us back with sunny skies and warm temps. A good sign. We hopped on the free shuttle from Canada Place to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. And yes, the bridge is just as shaky as everyone says. I don’t usually get nervous with heights, but even I was a little wobbly. Scott and June bailed before the crossing (no shame), but Jamie and I pressed on.

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On the other side, there was a kid-friendly nature trail and educational talk about the local banana slug. I was delighted to learn they have 27,000 teeth. That’s either fascinating or nightmare fuel, depending on your perspective.

We reunited with the non-bridge-crossers, grabbed some poutine (as one must), and began for the exit where we found stamped postcards and “I Survived” certificates.

Next up: a bike ride around Stanley Park. We rented e-bikes from Spokes and hopped right onto the sea wall. Scott and the kids loved every second. I, on the other hand, spent the entire time calculating how many near-miss collisions I could handle before launching myself into the bay. Still, the scenery was stunning: lush forests, sparkling water, and cheerful crowds soaking up the sunshine.

Exhausted and sun-kissed, we headed to our final stop: the Fairmont Vancouver Airport. The kids loved the runway views from the room and got one last swim in the indoor pool. It was the perfect wind-down to a whirlwind trip.