Bon Voyage! I'm off to explore strange mysteries, eat waffles, and watch curling in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
American school children: It's just north of Seattle and that's in Washington (no not Washington DC) which can be found in the upper left of any map of the United States.
If photos, Dean Allen, and MacGuyver do it any justice, Vancouver is a beautiful modern city with old traditions working inside wonderful, new architecture.
Home to Neuromancer author William Gibson, Vancouver is what Anchorage, Alaska wishes it could be. It's what Seattle should be, a clean city with friendly people who aren't trying to beat the yellow light at intersections.
Another wonderful feature about Canada is that it' mostly harmless and thus out of the scope of wicked people who would seek to do mass destruction. Indeed no one would ever here the cry, "Canada is the great white Satan" for everyone loves our neighbors in the North.
Hell we kept giving them gold medals in the Olympics, we liked them just that much! Well, okay they did rock our world in Hockey and their team uniforms were way cooler than ours.
So my fellow American's have fun this Labor Day Weekend with your Budwiser, Pre-Season Football, and traffic jams inspired by people too afraid to fly, I'm off for adventure, relaxation, and a maple bar.
Join the fray by reading through and commenting at the end.
Aw, man - must be nice. Vancouver is one of the cities on my "must-see-before-dying" list. Tell William I said hello. Oh - Highlander (the series) was also filmed there, if I'm not mistaken.
X-Files, Best In Show, there have been a lot of movies and television shows created in Vancouver.
No doubt the Vancouver Chamber of Commerce puts it at the head of the list: "Vancouver - we're film-friendly!"
Enjoyed our time together in California. Have a good time in Canada. Keep in Touch.
As a long time resident of Vancouver, I advise you not to think of our city as crime-free. Your car will be broken into and ransacked almost definately if you are parked downtown, especially with American plates.
Also, check out the intersection of Hastings and Main (aka Downtown East Side) for a glimpse of an eye-opening skid road. Vancouver is indeed beautiful, but understand that it has more than its share of crime, addiction, HIV and poverty.
The doctor is __OUT__
Now Marshall, don't scare away poor Greg!
But seriously, Greg, you'll have a great time. I moved away from my birthplace to Montreal a few years back, but Vancouver will always be my home.
I don't know where you're staying, but may I make a few recommendations:
1. Sushi, good and affordable, is everywhere; enjoy it since I can't. And make sure to sample other asian delicacies; they say Chinese-Americans drive from miles around to Vancouver because it has the best Chinese food on the continent.
2. Don't let anyone drag you to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Lynn Valley, with its own breathtaking suspension bridge, is nearby, doesn't charge admission and has fewer competing tourists.
3. If the weather is fine, head to Locarno Beach or Spanish Banks to relax on some sand and wade in the water.
4. Waffles? Curling? Uhh...okay. I lived there 20 years and never noticed either in great quantities. I'd prefer smoked salmon and watching a Canadians game (the local minor-league baseball team -- the stadium is rustic but pretty).
Enjoy!
Don't forget to have a beer! Canada is proud of it's brew! Try the Kokanee it's made from glacier water. Or just have a good ol' Molson Canadian. I AM CANADIAN!