Discovering Vancouver + A Giveaway

Last Updated on April 28, 2021

This year we vowed to explore more of Canada. We usually always have opted for far off places, until we realized how much beauty was in our own backyard. It’s easy to take your surroundings for granted and not appreciate all the beauty that is around you. What we have discovered so far this year, is that Canada really can be that dream vacation you’re looking for.

 

Our favourite Canadian city, hands down, is Vancouver.

 

In all fairness, Vancouver is home, but we couldn’t picture having our roots anywhere else. We are so in love with the city and feeling like we never run out of incredible things to discover. It is one of the few places where you can go golfing, snowboarding and play on the water all in the same day. We also love how close of a drive it is to so many great places around Vancouver for a day trip, while you’re still able to not have to move to different hotels.

Here are our top eight picks of what to do when visiting Vancouver:

 

1. The Aquabus

A recommendation we always make to visitors is to get out on the water. A great way to explore Vancouver and get out on the water at the same time is to hop on a water taxi that provides frequent, daily service between the popular destinations along False Creek. All routes are wheelchair, stroller, bicycle and pet accessible, which is fabulous as we need a stroller, when possible, to make life easier on outings with our girls.

Granvilleisland02
The Aquabus is a cute way to get around False Creek without sitting in traffic, crammed in your car

2. Granville Island

One of the most popular stops on the Aquabus route is Granville Island. There’s so much history within Granville Island, along with a colourful artistic community and it really adds to its intrigue. No visit to Vancouver is complete without spending some time at Granville Island. One of the biggest draws to Granville Island is the Public Market, featuring a mixture of a farmers’ market, day vendors, and artists offering local Vancouver goods. Waking around the market, your senses will be in overdrive as you see just how delicious everything looks and how amazing the handmade crafts are.

granvilleisland01
Some of the delicious berries available at the Public Market

3. Kayak False Creek

Getting out on the Aquabus just isn’t enough. We love experiencing Vancouver from a kayak as well. We love staying active when we travel, and we love that even on easy waters, like those in False Creek, paddling improves your flexibility and strength, but at the same time is mentally relaxing. When you’re in the water, it gives you a sense of peace and openness in a busy, bustling and condensed city.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Views of False Creek don’t get better than this

4. The Seawall

The Seawall is one of the top attractions in Vancouver. Even a short walk along the Seawall and you’ll understand why it is so popular. In 2014, Vancouver’s Stanley Park was named best park in the world by TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards. Stanley Park even beat out New York’s Central Park and was the only Canadian park to make the Top 10 list. You’ll find joggers, rollerbladers, bikers and walkers all taking in the 8.8km of scenic beauty you’ll find along the seawall path.

vanseawall26
The Seawall has picturesque views all around

5. Grouse Mountain

Busy all year around, there’s plenty to keep you occupied at Grouse Mountain regardless of the time of year. There’s a Birds in Motion Demonstration, Grizzly Bear Habitat, the World Famous Lumberjack Show and Ziplines, to name a few of the activities. You can ride the Gondola up the mountain, inside of it, or on top of it (yes, you read that right). However, in the summer months, our favourite way to get to the top is to do the Grouse Grind, otherwise known as “Mother Nature’s Stair Master”, a challenging 2.9 Kilometer trail (2,830 stairs) up the face of Grouse Mountain. Snowboarding and skiing are huge in the winter months, as are the mountaintop ice skating pond and sleigh rides.

grousegrind7
Mother Nature’s Stair Master – The Grouse Grind

6. Whistler

Whistler is a town north of Vancouver, that’s home to Whistler Blackcomb, one of the largest ski resorts in North America. It is a short two and a half hour drive from Vancouver, making it easily accessible for a day trip (though a day trip will leave you wanting more). There is so much to do in Whistler, that no matter how many times we go, we always find something new to do “next time” while we are there. It’s a charming and compact, chalet-style pedestrian village at the base of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. Whistler is an adventure lovers paradise and we suggest you take the scenic drive along the Sea To Sky Highway and spend the day in Whistler before returning to your hotel in Vancouver. It’s more than worth the drive.

RZRWhistler2
Ripping around in a RZR is one of the great activities you can do in Whistler (not available in Winter)

7. Vancouver Aquarium

The Vancouver Aquarium is located in Stanley Park, just off of the famous Seawall we mentioned above. It is one of  top 10 Aquariums around the world that both successfully entertains and educates. Though we aren’t fond in any animals or marine life being kept in captivity, the kids really learn a lot when you go to the Vancouver Aquarium, and so do you.

vancouveraquarium
Jellyfish are so fascinating

8. Gastown

Gastown is a national historic site in downtown Vancouver. There’s great quirky shops to browse, a myriad of restaurants and bars to discover, and the famous Steam Clock to admire. One of the best ways to take in the sights of Gastown is to take advantage of one of the walking tours in the neighbourhood.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Gastown is beautiful, day or night

CONTEST HAS NOW ENDED

Win a free night at Radisson.

To build on the Discover Your Canada campaign, the great folks at Radisson have offered to give one of our readers a free one-night hotel stay at any Radisson location within North America. No purchase or payment necessary to enter or win.

We are totally thrilled to offer this giveaway because we love staying at Radisson hotels and highly recommend them to anyone traveling within North America.

Why we love Radisson…

We know that when we are staying at a Radisson hotel, we don’t need to worry about the quality of what we may be walking into. Radisson hotels have a great, consistent standard so that we know exactly what we are getting for our money.

 

radissonvancouver
Radisson Vancouver – Image courtesy of Radisson
raddisonvancouver
Radisson Vancouver – Image courtesy of Radisson

Entering couldn’t be easier

  • Like us on Facebook.
  • Visit the Stay Canada link where you can find out more about Radisson Hotels throughout Canada and get a discount on your stay.
  • Leave a comment on this blog post and let us know where in Canada you would like to explore and which hotel you would choose (don’t worry, your choice isn’t set in stone). Make sure your e-mail address is correct as we will be contacting the winner by email.

Contest Rules

  • One entry per person, 19+
  • Contest ends October 3, 2016 at 12:01 AM PST
  • Winner will be announced October 4, 2016
  • You must be a Facebook fan of World Adventurists
  • Winner will be randomly selected, contacted via email, and announced on our Facebook page
  • You must be a Canadian or US resident
  • Contest for hotel voucher only, no airfare or other expenses.
  • If winner cannot be reached within a week, a new winner will be chosen
  • Only open to those who have reached their age of majority
  • Winner will receive one (1) Radisson vouchers, each redeemable for one (1) night at any Radisson hotel in North America (some conditions may apply)

 

How is the Winner selected?

We will use a random number generator to select our winner, based on the number of comments left below. For example, if we randomly draw #12, whoever left comment #12 will win.

 

Explore your own Canada with Radisson and take advantage of savings of up to 20%.

 

This post is sponsored by Radisson but the content and opinions expressed here are our own.