"Urban convenience in spectacular nature " a Vancouver Travel Page by susiederkins

Vancouver is my home, and it is near and dear to my heart. I've spent 25 years exploring my city, and feel there are unknown depths still to explore.

The eating here is all about variety. You can have Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Malaysian, etc. Or you can have Indian, Persian, or Italian. You can even have a burger or a steak if you're so inclined. You can be very happily vegetarian here, or revel in a meaty Brazilian barbeque. Take your appetite and a sense of adventure with you, and you'll have enough to do to keep you happily sated while you're here.

In between all that eating, it's a good idea to work some of it off. Vancouverites in general are quite active and healthy, and you can see loads of us jogging/walking/rollerblading/cycling the seawall or around the myriad parks. Drive 15 min. and you're at the base of Grouse Mountain, where you can hike up the "Grouse Grind" (or just take the gondola if you must), and relax at the top with some nibbles, a drink and a spectacular view of the city.

Interested in wildlife? You can take whale-watching tours, or you can just hop on the ferry to Victoria where you could catch a look at a killer whale for a fraction of the cost of those tours. Or go see the black bears that currently call Grouse Mountain home (a few baby bear cubs lost their mother, and were adopted by the good people at Grouse Mountain).

There at the right time? Go catch the lumberjack competitions, the Symphony of Fire, the Pride Parade, the Jazz Festival, the Film Festival, or (if you're a bit off-centre), Spike & Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation.