One day in Vancouver.

August 17, 2013 6:43 PM

What should a person do with one day to kill in Vancouver?

Not yet sure where I'll be staying, I will be traveling by bicycle, will be arriving in the afternoon in late September, I am not weather adverse (though multiple options for the weather that time of year would be appreciated), incredibly active, not a barfly but can appreciate ONE drink.

Throw all the ideas out there, things everyone must see or do, or things no one gets around to but they really should. Thanks!

posted by maleru to Travel & Transportation around Vancouver, BC (13 answers total)

If you're a fan of twin peaks, Vancouver has a bar just for you.
posted by furnace.heart at 7:24 PM on August 17, 2013 [2 favorites]

Also, Zulu records is the best record store I've been to. It's amazing.
posted by furnace.heart at 7:25 PM on August 17, 2013

I was there for work in June, which meant that I really only got to roam when the group went on optional activities, but I loved the bike tour that we did from downtown Vancouver to Stanley Park. It offers great views of the city and the mountains, the Totem Poles are pretty cool and there is a bike path along the entire seawall, although I'd suggest venturing into some of the park trails/pathways if you visit the park.
posted by icaicaer at 8:07 PM on August 17, 2013

Walk the seawall. Visit Granville Island. Capilano suspension bridge.
posted by arcticseal at 8:08 PM on August 17, 2013 [2 favorites]

Bike the Stanley Park seawall. Nearby, Times Square Suites is highly rated, very comfortable, reasonably priced, and extremely central. Safeway and Whole Foods Market are just down Robson if you want to eat in your suite. Otherwise there are tons of good restaurants within a stone's throw.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:10 PM on August 17, 2013 [3 favorites]

I really, REALLY enjoyed Granville Island and the university museum of anthropology when I was there. There is also a crazy ice cream place (help me out here, locals?) in Chinatown with 88+ flavors, some of which are pretty unique.
posted by bitter-girl.com at 8:23 PM on August 17, 2013

Are you thinking of La Casa Gelato, bitter-girl? 218 flavors including Vegemite.

Stanley Park/Grandville Island/Museum of Anthropology are the classic recommendations. If its a nice day do the Grouse Grind and admire the view from the top. Find a good Chinese restaurant. Rent a kayak in Deep Cove.
posted by N-stoff at 9:17 PM on August 17, 2013 [2 favorites]

Seconding the UBC Museum of Anthropology. Housed in a magnificent Arthur Erickson building, it's a working museum for the UBC School of Anthropology. Glass cases and drawers filled with artifacts to discover. A hall of magnificent carvings and totem poles and a Bill Reid sculpture that will take your breath away.
posted by lois1950 at 9:19 PM on August 17, 2013

Definitely bike the Seawall. I am not a cyclist at all, but cycling around Stanley Park was one of the best things I did this summer.
posted by andrewesque at 10:25 PM on August 17, 2013

Museum of Anthropology is definitely worth the visit.

Are you thinking of La Casa Gelato, bitter-girl? 218 flavors including Vegemite

I learnt there that blue cheese and pear is not a good combination for ice cream. And I love me some stinky cheese.
posted by arcticseal at 4:28 AM on August 18, 2013

An incredibly active person might enjoy the Grouse Grind. Me, not so much.
posted by doublesix at 8:51 AM on August 18, 2013

If you're traveling by bike, check out the Seaside Bike Route.
posted by islander at 11:18 AM on August 18, 2013

Ok, 1 September day in Vancouver for an active, non-weather-adverse, non-barfly who can appreciate ONE drink:

1. If you can, stay around Granville Island. You can walk through the awesome market to get breakfast/lunch. My favourite stand right now there is Oyama Sausage, who makes 300 kinds of really amazing sausage/proscuitto. Lee's Donuts is also good if you've just biked thousands of kilometers to get there.

2. Then, take the aquabus to get across the water. $2-5, some of the boats are bike friendly. Head downtown, and bike the sea wall.

3. You'll wind up on the north side of downtown, where you should either go for amazing Ramen, or mind blowing gelato.

4. If it's raining and you're not interested in a bike ride, you could take a walk through Stanley Park. The aquarium is a good one if you're into that.

5. The Grouse Grind is super super busy, and I find it has a pretty high effort:scenery ratio. Also it's across the Lionsgate bridge, which is time consuming to cross by bike or bus. I think a better exercise-oriented choice would be to go kayaking or stand up paddling (you can rent these close to Granville Island).

6. The best places downtown to go for ONE drink (in my opinion) are:

the Hotel Georgia lobby (or to their semi-secret rooftop patio- ask the front desk to show you how to get there). This is close to Robson Square- if you're there around lunch on a weekday, there will be many food trucks if that's your thing.

one of the many establishments in Gastown (fancy neighbourhood on the east end of downtown). If you like beer, go to the Alibi Room. If you like cocktails, go to Diamond. If you like scotch, go to Irish Heather.

7. If you do wind up going to UBC to check out the Museum of Anthropology, be warned it is pretty far from the rest of the city, but easily accessible by the 99 bus (or there are really nice bike-friendly routes). While you're there, you could also go to the nudist Wreck Beach, or to the non-nudist Jericho beach.

8. If you're there on a weekend, take the Skytrain to the Richmond Night Market. Head straight to the food stands.

posted by beepbeepboopboop at 5:54 PM on August 18, 2013 [3 favorites]