British Columbia, Canada

Matt and I spent a fabulous week in British Columbia for our 10th wedding anniversary. This was one of our favorite vacation spots so far. It was such a wonderful mix of culture, adventure, relaxation and natural beauty. I did quite a bit of research before going on this trip and we decided not to rent a car. We walked to most spots in Downtown Vancouver and took a few guided tours along the way. It was a great way to feel connected to the city and experience its very diverse culture. We really felt like we were in a European city!
We spent one morning walking several blocks to Granville Island. It is a waterfront public market with great food, beautiful flowers and quaint shops. We walked across Granville Bridge and enjoyed the scenery of downtown. It was quite a popular family attraction!
One of our guided tour days consisted of a bus tour through Stanley Park and into the Capilano Salmon Fishery and up to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Our kids would have loved this! We walked across this giant suspension bridge would stands hundreds of feet above a river and ended up in these spectacular tree top bridges. It was a lot of fun and unlike anything we had ever done before. After the bridge adventure, the bus took us to Grouse Mountain. We boarded a gondola which took us to the top of the mountain. While on the gondola, we were amazed by the stunning views of downtown and the surrounding areas. Once up top, we watched a lumberjack show, visited a bear enclosure, did a little hiking and ate lunch.
We enjoyed our quick tour of Stanley Park so much, we decided to spend more time there on a different day. We rented mountain bikes and rode around the park, stopping for one of our many gelatos and reading the informative trail markers. While down by the water, we also stopped at the IMAX Theatre to watch a movie and relax.
Our two busiest days, but also most impressive, were our tours to Victoria, BC and Whistler.
We got up early, boarded a bus and headed to the ferry terminal for a day in Victoria. It was quite an experience sitting on the bus as it drove right on to the ferry. Once on board,we were able to exit the bus and head to the upper levels of the boat for lunch, sightseeing, and a few games of cards. After the 2 hour trip, we got back on the bus and drove into Victoria. The most breathtaking spot on the island is the Butchart Gardens. Words and pictures don't do them justice. They are the most well-manicured and beautiful gardens you will ever see! We also enjoyed time at the famous Empress Hotel, Parliament Building and waterfront area of downtown. This was an all day adventure, but worth every minute.
Our final tour was to Whistler by bus. It is a few hours from downtown, but is the most scenic drive I have ever been on! It was so nice having a driver/guide so we could both look around and listen, rather than focus on the road. Once in Whistler, we spent the afternoon taking pictures, having lunch and watching the mountain bikers race down the slopes. It was August, so there was very little skiing. However, we do believe there were a few snowboarders that headed to the glacier for a little summer snow. We vow to come back again in the winter. The village is really cool and the slopes looked amazing.
We were so impressed with the weather, people, cleanliness and tourism that British Columbia had to offer. It was an amazing and very memorable trip!