‘Cause if you like the way you look that much
Justin Beiber
Oh baby you should go and love yourself
Our day in Vancouver is half over, but we’re back at the hotel for an early wine hour and a bit of relaxing before we head back out this afternoon, so I decided I might as well get a jump on the day’s update. We slept in just a bit this morning – 7 o’clock. My first waking action was to make two cups of espresso at our in-room espresso machine. Kimpton take note, lobby coffee is good, but room espresso might be even better. Once Molly and I each had a couple cups and everyone was showered we headed downstairs to the coffee shop connected to our hotel where I had what might be the best crossiant I’ve ever tasted. It was billed as almond raspberry and it was perfectly both. Coated in thinly sliced almonds, and filled with a raspberry concoction that defies words, this treat alone is worth the trip to Vancouver.
Last night as Molly and I were sitting at the fire in the courtyard we met a couple from NW Washington state who filled us in on some of their favorite things to do here in Vancouver. One thing they mentioned was riding bikes around Stanley Park. We’ve often talked about riding bikes in cities, but it makes Molly nervous so we haven’t done much of it. After looking at a map we realized that we’d only actually be on city streets for about 6 blocks before we’d be able to be on bike paths for the rest of the day so we gave it a go.
We’re all so glad that we did. The trip to and around Stanley Park was the perfect way to spend a morning. We got to see the entire city, we watched seaplanes landing and taking off, saw the massive cargo ships coming and going from port, and took in the sights of the park itself.
After finishing our first lap we rode back to The Cactus Club, a place which had been recommended by a friend. We enjoyed a cocktail and Ellie’s favorite dish, calamari. While having our lunch we decided that the ride had been so fun that we should take another lap around the park. The second lap was as great as the first. The air was crisp and we were able to once again take in views of the entire region.
We finally decided that we should head back to the hotel where we had some snacks and drinks waiting for us. We’ve been here for an hour or so resting, playing ping-pong, and of course doing a bit of writing. We’re planning to head out a bit to explore the city more on foot and find dinner, so I’ll update again tonight when we get back! . . .
. . . We’re back! We ended up hanging out at the hotel for most of the afternoon. I think after Portland and Seattle we’ve seen enough shops we didn’t feel a need to wonder too much. We did go out for another awesome meal. The same people who suggested the bike ride for today also told us about Ramen Danbo. We haven’t had a lot of ramen, but there are a ton of places here in Vancouver and this one is supposed to be there best and it didn’t disappoint. I don’t want to rehash their whole story when you could just click that link I dropped in. It’s worth a click to read about them!
We’re back at the hotel wrapping up some tasks before an early morning tomorrow. We have a big hike planned at North Cascades. It’s another backpacking night so we’ll probably be offline tomorrow.
