Day 3: Louie and I decided to branch out from the hotel for breakfast, to save money. We ended up at Olivier’s La Boulangerie, which was right around the corner from our hotel AND the reviews online raved about their almond croissants. It was a bit of a wait because only one poor woman was taking orders and filling orders–we assumed somebody was running late or something. But the coffee and pastries were good, so we were happy. Then Louie headed off to his conference and I headed to my tour: a walking tour called “Ancient Trees of Vancouver” which met at Third Beach in Stanley Park.
I took an uber or lyft to the park and then got there a little early. I wandered around first.
There were about 8-10 on the tour, and we met up easily and then headed out. We would be walking a few miles through the park learning about the trees. The previous year Louie and I had done a bike tour that went around Stanley Park so I was excited to do something a bit different.
The tour was great. I loved walking through the forest and learning about the trees, and the weather was amazing. I loved seeing the trees and the ferns, which are so different than we have here in St Louis. We learned a lot, and I gained a better understanding of the history of Vancouver and Stanley Park as well. I felt very educated afterwards, and wanted to save all the big trees!
After the tour, Louie asked me to meet for lunch, so I got an uber to Horin Ramen, which was a ramen place we had eaten at last year and loved.
We greatly enjoyed our lunch, and then we headed our separate ways again. I went to the Bill Reid Gallery to see his art and other art by native people. It was very well done, small but well curated.
Then I went back to the room to relax and regroup. I read a bit and rested my feet until Louie was done. We did have a little time then so we hit the hot tub to relax a bit before dinner.
For dinner we headed to Salmon and Bannock. It’s Vancouver’s only Indigenous restaurant and we were intrigued to try it.
And then we also had mains, so we were stuffed by the end.
Since it was still light after dinner, we decided to walk back rather than get a lyft, so we enjoyed a nice walk. It was the same bridge I’d walked over the day before, but I knew enough that we needed to be on the left side going towards downtown.
After dinner, we were pretty tired, so we just went to bed.
Day 4: This day I slept in just a tad, and had coffee in the room and Louie headed out without me, then I headed out to Granville Island when I was ready. I walked there and then took the Aqua Bus to the Island.
We had biked through Granville Island the year before, but we hadn’t explored it, so I wanted to give myself time to shop and walk around before an afternoon boat tour.
I found a really interesting book store and couldn’t resist buying a few things I hadn’t heard of. I also got some postcards and prints.
I wandered around quite a while, and then got lunch at a Thai restaurant called Sen Pad Thai that was in the food court area of the Market. After lunch it was time to meet my boat tour. I’d signed up for a Boat to Bowen Island on Unesco Howe Sound Fjord with Vancouver Water Adventures.
It was a fun ride. We drove about 1 hour or so, from Granville Island to Bowen Island, with a few scenic stops on the way, to look at some fancy houses and a little island covered in seals.
At Bowen Island, we had some time to walk around–there wasn’t much to see, but we got a coupon for a free drink or ice cream, and there were a few shops and a pier.
The way back we saw more seals, eagles, and cormorants. I had a new DSLR camera with a long lens to try out.
Anyway, after I got back, I took an uber back to the hotel to meet Louie again. I believe we may have gone to the hot tub again, but maybe not. My notes and memory are foggy and unclear.
And then it was time for the conference gala: a Night at the Aquarium!
We got there a little early due to a time confusion, but ended up chatting and getting to know one of Louie’s colleagues. Then we entered the Aquarium, which is also in Stanley Park. I expected there would be a dining room of sorts, but instead there were just a bunch of stations and tables throughout the whole park. This was good and bad: bad because the stations had huge lines and nobody really knew what was going on at first, but good because it was really fun to eat near the animals! We ended up outside near the seals and sea lions, and I had a nice time chatting with Louie’s colleagues, some who I already knew and others I met for the first time. I didn’t do any pictures for some reason, I think wanting to seem more professional and less touristy, so this is what you get:
Anyway, it was a fun night, and afterwards, we got an uber back to the hotel for our last night there. And that’s where I’ll leave you.