Hellobee

We got back from our vacation to Seattle and Vancouver last week and the girls are still waking up later because of the time difference (no complaints here). I have wanted to visit the Pacific Northwest from before Lil’ Pizza was born and was so happy to finally make our way out there last week.

Our vacation was split between our time in Seattle and Vancouver. Seattle was a mix of doing touristy things and meeting up with several friends who live there. When we were in Vancouver, it was just our family so we had the flexibility to explore the vibrant city at our own pace. We only had about 48 hours though to enjoy and see what Vancouver had to offer. We drove to Vancouver from Seattle right around noon; I was dreading the 3 hour drive, but the girls did great. During the last hour, Mr. Pizza started singing songs with the girls to keep them entertained and somehow I fell asleep as they belted out “Old MacDonald Had a Farm.”

Upon entering Canada, the girls just had to show their birth certificates, which worked out well since we haven’t had a need to get their passports made just yet. It was rainy when we arrived, so we changed our plans a bit and started off with lunch at Sura Korean Cuisine. The lunch set was so good; Mr. Pizza and I were eating as quickly as possible to keep up with all the food that was coming out while checking that the girls were eating too.

With full bellies, we checked in to where we were going to stay for the next two nights. After we settled in, we walked around the seawall at Coal Harbour. The seawall extends for 13.7 miles along Vancouver’s waterfront and is perfect for walking, cycling, jogging…great for a leisurely walk with the double stroller. There are different idyllic spots along the seawall, and I’d like to think we spotted a good one going to the Coal Harbour seawall. The girls enjoyed spotting the seaplanes overhead.

Afterwards, we had dinner at Sushi Itoga. We were ready to do a take-out order since they only have one long communal table, but we were able to snag enough seats and enjoy the fresh sashimi and sushi at the restaurant. The girls often have miso soup at home, so it was a win for all of us. Lil’ Pizza, who has become more picky with her food, even decided to take a tiny bite of the salmon sashimi.

We then walked back to the condo to get the girls ready for bed.  Mr. Pizza and I were open to having a late night meal to try to squeeze in all the food that we wanted to try (Mr. Pizza was going to do a carryout order), but we passed out soon after we put the girls to bed.

The next day we woke up and got ready to have breakfast at Medina Cafe, a restaurant that I kept seeing on lists of recommended places to eat. Two of my friends said they have yet to go because the lines are always too long, but we got there five minutes before it opened at 8am and got in without a wait (a perk to having kids who are early risers). It was a delicious start to the day.

We then drove to Sea to Sky Gondola which is located in Squamish, over 37 miles away (about an hour) towards Whistler. The Sea to Sky Gondola has a suspension bridge and it was the activity that I was most looking forward to during our trip.

There are three suspension bridges that are often mentioned in the Vancouver area; Capilano Suspension Bridge, Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge and the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge. The Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge is the only one that is free, while the other two bridges are $40/adult (the girls were both free) with additional activities available with the fee. When comparing the types of views we would be seeing, the Sea to Sky Gondola seemed to have breathtaking views that far surpassed the other two parks.

The drive to Squamish was so beautiful. The highway along the mountain and waters made for quite the scenic drive. When we got to Sea to Sky Gondola, we hopped on the gondola for a 10-minute ride up the mountain. We continued to be wowed by the views from the gondola. We had a majestic view of the Howe Sound, the forest, and the surrounding mountains. We loved the breathtaking views from the viewing decks, the walk on the suspension bridge and the trail that was easily doable with a 4-year-old and an almost 22-month-old. We also enjoyed our lunch while we were overlooking the mountains. Despite the rain the day before, it was a beautiful day to spend outdoors.

When we drove back to Vancouver, we went to Stanley Park, one of the city’s main tourist attractions. We walked along the seawall there and played mostly at the playground. We quickly ate some sandwiches at Hubbub for dinner before heading back to the condo for the night.

The next day, we drove through Gastown, Vancouver’s oldest neighborhood (picture cobbled streets) to pick up coffee at Revolver and donuts at Cartems Donuterie.

We wanted to spend some time in this town but we ran out of time due to the switching of plans on our first day in Vancouver. Our main stop on our last morning before heading back to Seattle was Granville Island. We walked along the waterfront, spent time being amused by the pigeons, and strolled through the market. Most of our time was spent at Kids Market, a place made just for kids. We did some window shopping and played some arcade games and with way too many hand puppets. We fed the girls lunch before we got into our car to quickly grab food at Go Fish and ate fish n’ chips, fish tacos, and a fish burger in our car overlooking the docks (can you tell food makes us happy?).

via vancouvermom

Although our time was short there, we loved what we were able to experience in Vancouver and hope to go again. I would love to experience the city when the weather is warmer. I envision time at the beach, a ride on the Aquabus (a ferry service), more time at Stanley Park – perhaps renting bikes next time to do a longer stretch around the park, and definitely enjoying even more food along the seawall. I also read wonderful reviews on the Science World at Telus World of Science and the Vancouver Aquarium (options for us if we had more rainy days) which would be great indoor spots for the kids.

When it comes to going on vacations, we are still figuring out the type of vacation we want to have as a family of four. When it was just Mr.Pizza and me, we made sure to eat at all the favorites of the city (often eating at multiple places for one meal) and be more adventurous. I think it can still be about enjoying good food and being adventurous but adjusting the pace to make it enjoyable for the whole family. It also helped that most of our activities were spent outdoors.

We hope we can experience more of the Pacific Northwest again.  It was such a beautiful and enjoyable trip for our whole family. Have you been to Vancouver with kids? If so, what were some of your favorite places and activities?