Getting There…
Last month Dan and I visited Vancouver together. It was actually my first time to BC so the trip was much anticipated for me! We flew out early in the morning (and nearly missed our flight after cancelling both of our alarms in our sleepy states!!!) and arrived ready for a full day to explore. We flew via WestJet who I really love flying with – their flight attendants are always so friendly. As a bonus this was my first time booking a flight using Visa Rewards points to travel! I can’t wait to book my next one because it is surprising how quickly points can accumulate.
Getting Around…
My favourite thing to do in a new city is drive through all the different neighbourhoods when we first arrive (if we have a car which we did this time). It’s a great way to see a city and then decide where we want to go back and spend time walking around. When we arrived it was pouring rain (typical Vancouver, so I’m told) so we were definitely thankful to have a car. We rented through Enterprise and kept the car for the whole trip as we travelled down to Seattle, then Portland and back up to Vancouver. PRO TIP: when renting a car, make sure you return it in the same location as you picked up. We thought about flying out of Portland and returning the rental car there but the cost was well over a thousand dollars to do that. Instead we flew out of Vancouver and returned the car where we picked it up – our rental for 10 days was around $300 – SUPER reasonable! Renting the car was such a breeze and we were really happy to have total freedom during our trip.
As soon as we arrived we had some time to kill before checking into our Airbnb so we drove around Kitsilano and stopped at 49th Parallell for some coffee to kick off the trip. Kitsilano was a beautiful neighbourhood and we had an instant connection there – we went back a few times during our stay to walk around, drink coffee, and my favourite – look at houses! My absolute favourite thing about Vancouver was how green and lush everything was – I couldn’t believe it! The rhododendrons were as tall as the houses and the lush greenery made me feel like I was in a totally different part of the world, I couldn’t believe it was still Canada!
Vancouver Cafes
As always, visiting cafes was high on our list so I have a good COFFEE round up for you (thanks to Dan!). Some of the spots we loved from our trip were: 49th Parallel Coffee (both the Main Street and Kilsilano locations), Revolver Coffee and in Gas Town, and Aubade also in Gas Town. Aubade was so quirky and cool – it is a tiny cafe set up within an antique shop. The owner is incredibly skilled and knowledgeable (and happy to chat with Dan about coffee for a good long time!) and the espressos Dan got from here were unique and some of his favourites. And for me? Well, I’m an ice cream gal. Soft Peaks in Gas Town had amazing ice cream (especially the honey comb!) and I’d definitely recommend there if you’re an ice cream lover like me!
Where We Stayed
Dan and I are big fans of staying in Airbnb and in Vancouver we chose 2 great spots to stay in – one in Gas Town and one in Yale Town. While our experience staying in these places was good, we quickly learned that in many apartments in BC short term rentals are not allowed. With our check in instructions to each home we were advised us not to interact with any residents or talk to the front desk people. We got our fair share of head shakes from residents in the apartment buildings who could smell our Airbnb status from a mile away (the luggage gave us away!). We found this quite surprising but we still enjoyed our stay in both homes and they were just as promised in the listings. Although our Vancouver experience had that one hiccup I still really enjoy staying in Airbnb and think it is a great way to travel. I always make sure to thoroughly read the reviews of places before we book them and then everything is always smooth from there!
What I Wore
Chicwish kindly sent me these 3 outfits to wear before heading away. I love their styles for being feminine, cute, and affordable. I chose these pieces because, like with many of their items, I loved the details. The big ruffle on the top was so fun, the delicate detailing on the shoulder and neckline of the dress above was just beautiful, and I can barely resist anything with a blue and white stripe…so the outfit below was a shoo-in! This was my first time receiving goods from Chicwish. I found their sizing to be true and the quality to be good, especially for the low cost of many of their garments.
VanDeusen Gardens
Being the garden lover that I am we visited VanDeusen gardens after recommendation from a friend. I love exploring botanical gardens and especially at the right time of year which, At VanDeusen, was the beginning of June! The laburnum trees were in bloom and the yellow drooping flowers made for such a beautiful experience when walking through this tunnel.
Vancouver, You’re Beautiful
Vancouver was such a beautiful place to visit. We enjoyed walking along the ocean and passing SO many people out and about after work. It was incredible how many people were outside and being active at any given time. The beautiful natural scenery of mountains and ocean could be appreciated from nearly every vantage point – such a unique backdrop for a city. After a few short days there I could totally understand why so many people choose to move out there. I can’t wait to go back for a bit longer next time and visit some more beautiful places in the city and just outside!
Outfit Details
Outfit 1: Chicwish Ruffle Gingham top c/o
Outfit 2: Chicwish Wildflower Crochet Dress c/o
Outfit 3: Chicwish Sweet Breeze Striped Set c/o
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