For our winter holiday, we ventured into western Canada and visited Vancouver. Vancouver is an excellent family destination.
It first piqued my interest during the winter Olympics and later while watching the Twilight Series.
Let me be honest, it was the Twilight Series that made me want to see all those big beautiful trees that the Cullen’s were flying through. My kids are now 11 and 9 and can handle longer plane rides.
Arrival
Our trip started with a literal bang because our Toronto departure plane was somehow nicked in the top and had a hole in it. This hitch affected our ability to fly. We waited two extra hours for a new plane. If this were a morning flight to a place with extended daylight hours, the plane delay would not be a big deal. But since Vancouver has shortened days in the winter; sunrise is close to 8 am and sunset is before 5; a two-hour delay is a freaking big deal. Unfortunately, we arrived at 5:30 pm and it was dark.
Fortunately, we aren’t afraid of the dark. After checking into our tiny downtown Airbnb we immediately went hunting for Korean Food.
A car is not necessary, but we rented one to visit areas outside of downtown Vancouver.
Our host recommended Sura Korean Cuisine. We walked to the restaurant and on the way there I became excited because none of the signs were in English!!! You know the food is going to be authentic when you can’t read anything other than the English version of the menu. The food did not disappoint. This was New Years and for the past few years, Vancouver has had a central downtown near the convention center. My daughter and I walked to watch the fireworks and eat some food truck donuts. She had her first disgusting porta potty experience. Poor baby, having to experience a porta-potty with layers on puts an extra g in gross. The crowd was festive with a great outdoor DJ. There is an indoor celebration area that requires payment for entry. Vancouver winters are moderate when compared to Eastern Canada therefore, we opted to save our coins.
Day 1
Evening Arrival
Eat Korean Food
Visit Concord New Years Celebration
Enjoy three-hour time difference by sleeping 😊
When visiting Vancouver in the winter you must take weather into account. One day it may be misty, rainy and or cloud-covered, and the next day filled with sunlight. The weather forecast looked clear, so we went to visit Stanley Park.
Stanley Park is stunning. After arriving we and couldn’t wait to get out of the car. We parked in front of this massive seawall surrounded by mountains, beaches, trails, and trees. We planned to stay there for one or two hours but the park ended up taking most of our day.
It was refreshing to go from urban surroundings into this natural wonderland. After exploring the park and hiking beautiful trails with fantasy sized trees we then went to visit the very affordable Mount Seymour Ski Resort. The kids have now gotten a taste of snowboarding and skiing. We finished off the night with dinner at a wonderful BBQ restaurant.
Day 2
Walk to local market go grocery shopping
Visit Stanley Park
Visit Mount Seymour Resort
Eat BBQ
My husband and I had a major discussion about not visiting Whistler because we were only in Vancouver for a short period. We finally said forget it, we are only here for a short time so let’s do it! We booked a snowmobile tour in Whistler and it was fabulous. The two hour Sea to Sky drive up to Whistler from downtown Vancouver is awesome.
It is probably even more phenomenal in spring or summer when the skies are completely clear.
Whistler truly is a beautiful town and whisking through the trees on a snowmobile was a great way to see it.
We are not the greatest skiers and have two children who are not going to spend a full day on a trail. Whistler is a world-renown trail with prices to match. It was not worth it for us to ski but the three-hour snowmobile tour fit what we needed and allowed us to explore the rest of the town. We ate dinner at a locally-sourced restaurant in Whistler. It began to snow.
The snow hitting the Whistler stones only added to its beauty but didn’t allow us to see some of the surrounding waterfalls. We headed back to downtown Vancouver and went to visit the Granville Island Public Market. One word OMG! The market had so many great food options. If you love food and looking at local market vendor fare you will love this place. Everything looked fresh and tasty. Across the street is a kids market selling trinkets, books, and any gift imaginable for children. We went to a hockey game and packed our luggage It was a great day.
Day 3
Seat to Sky drive up to Whistler
Snowmobile trail in Whistler
Explore the town of Whistler
Eat locally sourced food at a restaurant in Whistler
Drive back
Tour Granville market
Go to a hockey game
Vancouver was quick but packed a punch. I love the diversity. Diversity in food, activities, scenery, and people. This is a place I will return. Most likely in Spring or Summer for longer days and to see all the imagery that the clouds blocked out.
Day 4
Yay Maman!