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To say that the sky is the limit when it comes to experiencing the city of Vancouver would be a gross understatement. From the rich history to the current flavorful culture, Vancouver is above and beyond the typical vacation spot. The amazing fact that most of the population naturally speak other languages as their first, other than English, attests to Vancouver’s colorfully diverse culture.
Thanks to the discovery of gold on the Fraser River in 1858, Vancouver quickly became flooded with American travelers looking to strike it rich. Settlement began soon afterwards in the 1860s with the production of the first newspaper, hospital and first transportation service via stagecoach. And today Vancouver has flourished into a massive tourist and service industry as well as the third-largest hub for film productions right behind Los Angeles and New York City -- Vancouver is also known as “Hollywood North.”
The massive array of attractions to go to and adventures to have is incessant. For the adventurer, Vancouver is split up into several mini-neighborhoods depending on who lives in the area. Areas vary from Little Italy, Chinatown, Greektown, Japantown and the Punjabi Market exhibiting so many facets of each colorful culture. Each town has a variety of locations to visit and explore, there’s Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden located in Chinatown, downtown Vancouver, the famous Punjabi Market that spans six blocks of Main Street.
Vancouver’s natural wonders are definite must-sees. Kitsllano Beach is like Venice Beach to the locals -- also known as “Kits Beach” -- making it one of, if not the most popular beach in Vancouver. Besides Kitsllano Beach there’s also Jericho Beach, perfect for fishing and a picnic at the pier, Spanish Banks, the skimmers hot spot for skim boarding, West End Beaches, houses the English Bay and Sunset Beach -- two very attractive urban environments among others.
Take in the natural sights via boating, eco-tours, the trolley and Cruise Vancouver. Be sure to check out the Vancouver Aquarium where you can visit over 70,000 animals from beluga whales to Steller sea lions, and the VanDusen Botanical Garden with live plant collections from all over the globe.
And what’s Vancouver without the festivals? The Vancouver International Children’s Festival celebrates the youth of BC with storytelling, puppetry, music & dance and the Vancouver International Jazz Festival is boasted to be “the hippest jazz festival in the world” by the Seattle Times; both are only two of the many festivals and events to be hosted by the city.
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