My New Favorite City - Vancouver!

Can I just tell you how much we loved Vancouver? It was a beautiful city, everyone was friendly and it didn't hurt that we stayed in an absolutely gorgeous hotel in the heart of downtown. The Sutton Place.

After spending 4 days in Seattle we got up bright and early and caught the Amtrak to Vancouver. It was my first time on a train and it was an experience. I think I could get used to travelling by train! I loved that you could get up and walk around, the seats were comfortable, and it was so simple.

The view from our seats

We made ourselves at home in the dining car where we played cards.

The crew was great about pointing out all the landmarks. We loved that. There is a spot just after the Canadian border where there are flocks of bald eagles. It was amazing to watch  so many of them flying together that way. We had to act fast so the pictures weren't the best but we did get a shot of this big guy.

We finally arrived in Vancouver Sunday afternoon. After checking into our hotel we had to go get food and a beer before we started sight seeing. I always feel a little bit overwhelmed when I first arrive in a brand new city. There was so much to see and I didn't want to miss anything!

I did a lot of of research before we arrived so we had a game plan. Sunday afternoon was spent doing some sight seeing. We walked a lot that afternoon and by Sunday after we ate dinner I was exhausted. We love checking out the bar scene in new cities but we were SO tired we used our $50 credit at the hotel bar and hit the hay.

Day 2 started with a fantastic breakfast. We had a full day planned so we needed sustinence. I don't know how to spell that and I'm too lazy to look it up right now!

Isn't the view from our room gorgeous?

Our first stop of the day was at a  bike rental shop. We did the touristy (but incredibly fun and beautiful) ride around Stanley Park. It's a must-see in Vancouver. The weather was beautiful so there were lots of people out but it didn't ruin our time. MrHoppy got VERY good at snapping pictures while we were zooming along on our bikes.

After Stanley Park we walked down to Gas Town. It's a touristy area with lots of shops full of all things Canada. I couldn't leave without gifts for everyone at home! It was a cool area, we stopped for a beer of course and I spent some money. We also picked up a 6 pack to split in the room before we went out. It was our full day there and we planned to go have delicious seafood.

This ship was awesome. I was enthralled with how huge it was. When they blew the horn I could feel it in my chest.

We went back to the hotel and got ready for a night out on the town. The concierge recommended dinner at a restaurant called Coast. It didn't disappoint - it was amazing! We sat at the bar which is also a circular raw fish preperation type area. The bartenders were great, the food was amazing and we loved every minute of it.

After breakfast on our last day we walked to Granville Island. It's not really and "island" but we wanted to check it out anyway. There was a farmer's market, cute shops and lots of people watching to be done.

Being silly and taking "senior" pictures

Before leaving Vancouver for good we took the aquabus back to the city-side and did more shopping before hopping on the train.

Goodbye for now Vancouver. We will be back!!