Sunday, August 19, 2012

Vancouver 2012

It was a bit of whirlwind but I did manage to fit in a bit of vacation into a summer that has been all about work.

When one of my very best friends - Shannon - invited me out to her intimate summer wedding to fiancé Joe, I didn't hesitate in confirming I would be there no matter what. And while I did only arrive in Vancouver early in the morning on the very day of her wedding, I still made it, and summoned the strength to fight through some exhaustion and jet-lag to enjoy a truly wonderful day with my friend. A truly wonderful,impossibly "sunny" day in Vancouver at that.

I had booked last minute and managed to secure an affordable room at the hipster-friendly hotel The Burrard. For $180 (tax-in) per night I scored a clean, stylish room on the third floor of a renovated classic 50's motel. A basic room design with modern touches and a big white duvet-covered bed. Free wireless, bottled water and an in-room espresso machine were wonderful touches. And while I didn't take advantage, the hotel also has free cruiser bikes that can be borrowed for the day to perhaps visit nearby English Bay or Stanley Park. I would highly recommend this hotel for its great location, awesome customer service and affordable prices. I'll definitely stay there again on my next visit.

So how did I spend my three day trip? Well, day one was all about the Bride and Groom starting with a most picturesque ceremony at the beautiful Hycroft Manor. This was followed by wines and nibbles in the private cellar at Salt, located on Blood Alley in Gastown.

The next day was a chill one with a ride on the Aquabus, a good hangover lunch of burgers at Cat Social House and a lazy walk around Granville Island market. All the out-of-town wedding guests met up for a delicious dinner at Central Bistro to close out the evening.

On my last day, I went for a great brunch at Acme Cafe before making my way back to the East Coast. Stay sunny Vancouver - I'll see you again soon.