The interior of British Columbia, Canada experiences the full spectrum of seasons; with temperatures climbing into the high thirties and low forties in the summer, and then crashing well below zero in winter. However, while the changing of the seasons tends to become a blur of mixed conditions (at the moment we are experiencing crisp mornings and warm, sunny afternoons punctuated with the occasional rainy write-off), the seasons themselves are incredibly defined. And honestly this is one of the reasons why we love where we live so much.

Which segues wonderfully into a talk about summer – or winter really, but let’s not even talk about it yet for fear it will hear us and bump up its arrival. Each day that takes us closer to October brings with it the very clear realization that winter is indeed coming, and we don’t have any immediate travel plans to outrun it this year.

Summer in the BC Interior is full of sun soaked days at the beach, water-skiing and swimming at the lake, slow floats down the river on an inner tube with friends, afternoons spent parked comfortably in a lounge chair under a cloudless sky with a cooler full of local craft beer, and evenings toasting marshmallows and laughing around a campfire or at a backyard barbecue. It’s also the season of outdoor events and concerts, sporting events, and road trips – with mid-thirties temperature for almost three months, there really isn’t a good reason not to enjoy every bit of summer possible.

It’s pretty awesome.

However if my words aren’t convincing enough, please let our Instagram account provide some visual support. From a festival solely dedicated to sweet, smoky, saucy bar-b-q pork ribs to the turquoise waters of Kalamalka Lake in the BC Okanagan, to the movie-set-esque wooden trestles of Kelowna’s Myra Canyon, Travis and I packed our summer vacation full of every event and daytrip we could manage between long weekends spent relaxing at Shuswap Lake.

People taking time to relax and watch some live music in the village of Sun Peaks

The unbelievably coloured Kalamalka Lake – the colour comes from the calcite in the water

Beachgoers cool of at Riverside Park in Kamloops, BC

Ribbers take their job seriously at Ribfest – a celebration of all things ribs, and an annual Kamloops tradition

The Ribfest crowd taking some time to enjoy a Fleetwood Mac cover band at Riverside Park in Kamloops

A rainbow appears after a freak summer storm at Shuswap Lake

The beautiful Canada Place on Burrard Inlet in Vancouver.

One of the trestle bridges at Myra Canyon just outside of Kelowna, BC

A young deer eats some ripe cherries in our backyard in Kamloops, BC

Hungry people set off for more scrumptious ribs at Ribfest in Kamloops, BC.

Sun Peaks famous Alpine Blossom Festival takes over the world famous ski resort in the summertime

One of the chairlifts takes hikers and bikers high above Sun Peaks village even in summer.

Little Shuswap River, surrounded by thick forest, near Scotch Creek, BC

A cabin at high-water on Shuswap Lake

One of many neglected shops and garages in the Shuswap

An intricate Art-Deco style doorway found on Vancouver’s Granville Street

A stenciled reminder to put safety first, Riverside Park in downtown Kamloops, BC

Not since Magenta-hued Crush Cream Soda was my beverage of choice (complete with pink-stained tongue, lips, and chin) has my summer been so fun-filled and completely void of all responsibility.

What did you do this summer? Any amazing memories made or exciting adventures? Let us know what you got up to in the comments below, and be sure to connect with us on Instagram if you haven’t already!

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Therefore we’ve created our Vancouver Visitor Guide series to impart all the wisdom and information we’ve picked up, sometimes the hard way, from the hundreds of visits we’ve made to the city over the last decade. We’ve also sourced some great information from friends and family fortunate enough to call this beautiful city home – all with the hopes of making your visit easier and more enjoyable.

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Today we are going to tackle all your accommodation-related queries about visiting Vancouver. With thousands of hotels, the options may seem endless; however for those on a small travel budget the options may in fact be extremely be limited. No matter your budget, everyone deserves the same chance to explore Vancouver – we may be biased but it really is one of the prettiest cities we’ve ever visited.

What part of Vancouver should I stay in?

When it comes to choosing accommodations in a specific area or neighbourhood in any city, Travis and I like to look at the public transit system situation and how spread out or condensed the sights and attractions are that we want to visit. As a general rule, good public transit and spread out attractions are a sign that we can sacrifice location to save some money on accommodations. However when the public transit system is non-existent, hard to navigate, overly expensive, or the attractions we want to see are all centralized in one area, booking accommodations in that specific area saves both time and headaches, and is usually worth the extra money.

In Vancouver, most of the culture, shopping, and attractions visitors want to see are centralized in the downtown core. Although the surrounding cities that make up Greater Vancouver also offer lots to see and do, most of these areas can be easily reached via public transit or explored via a rental car – think Whistler, Victoria and Vancouver Island, or the ever popular road trip through the BC Interior and Rocky Mountains to Jasper and Banff in Alberta.  For all your Vancouver themed vehicle questions see the first part of our visitor guide. We will talk about specific Vancouver attractions downtown and in the surrounding area in a later edition of this guide.

Which one of these towers will you call home for a few days? (via)

Finding accommodations in downtown Vancouver

Although we’ve narrowed the scope somewhat by recommending visitors focus on accommodations in downtown Vancouver, there are still numerous neighbourhoods and thousands of hotel options to choose from. Luckily, the downtown core is relatively easy to walk and the decision to stay in Gastown doesn’t cut you off from easily accessing Yaletown or the waterfront.

When it comes to booking a hotel in downtown Vancouver, Travis and I try to stay on a main street like Robson, Granville, Howe, Seymour, etc… This not only makes finding our hotel for the first time much easier (we drive into the city) but also helps us find our way around on foot. If you are arriving in the city with a car, you will likely want to use parking as a means to narrow down your accommodation choices. Parking in Vancouver is hard to find and even harder to afford. Meanwhile those that plan on utilizing the city’s public transit system will want to look for accommodations within walking distance of a Sky Train Station. Whichever method you employ, narrowing down the selection will make finding the perfect accommodations much easier.

Vancouver is home to some pretty luxurious hotels – that budget conscious travelers like us will sadly never see (via)

One quick note about staying in downtown Vancouver: Homelessness has become an issue in Vancouver and something visitors will likely run into. As such, the presence of homeless people around the outside of your accommodations isn’t really a clear indicator of how good or bad a hotel it. It’s simply a part of Vancouver.

What if staying downtown isn’t possible?

If, for whatever reason, you opt to stay outside of the downtown core during your visit don’t panic. It’s likely you’ve chosen to stay in a particular area for a reason so let’s embrace it.

If getting downtown for a day or two is still something you want to do, I’d suggest finding a hotel close to a Sky Train Station. This makes zipping downtown easy and stress free and is a tactic Travis and I use frequently. Cheap or free parking for your vehicle should still be a priority when searching for hotels outside downtown Vancouver. Unfortunately parking availability is still a struggle even in Greater Vancouver. On a positive note, staying outside the downtown core gives travelers a bit more wiggle room on hotel prices and access to some awesome international cuisine.

What are some money savings tips for staying in Vancouver?

Vancouver is an expensive city to visit – it’s also an expensive city to live in, with the 2nd highest housing prices in the world – however with a few tricks and tips a week in Vancouver is doable for even the smallest travel budget.

Accommodations will eat up the largest chunk of your travel budget so choose wisely before booking. We always try to look for accommodations that offer free cancellation in the event that a better deal comes up closer to our visit. Looking for little extras included in the price – free parking, airport shuttle, or breakfast – will also help you save some money in other areas of your visit.

Less luxury, more affordability – the downtown core contains only a few hostels (via)

Alternative accommodation options like Airbnb or couch surfing are a great option for travelers looking for a unique visit or to save money. Although we have yet to use Airbnb in Vancouver – we have some friends with couches we call on from time to time – we have used the service extensively through Europe and have nothing but wonderful things to say about it. Unfortunately, hostels are few and far between in Vancouver. There are three hostels downtown, that I know of, offering typical dorm style rooms. This may be a great option for budget travelers as the cheapest hotel room in downtown Vancouver will run you upwards of $100 CAD per night.

As mentioned above, staying outside the downtown core can help visitors find more hotels in a lower price range (think $65-$130 per night), as will visiting the city midweek, in the off-season or shoulder-season, or avoiding large events/festivals when hotels are in high demand and can therefore charge higher rates. Finally, book early before the lower-priced hotels fill up. If you have free cancellation and a great deal comes up closer to your visit you can always make a change.

For something a little different, The Vancouver Aquarium offers sleepover packages (via)

Just last night Travis and I were online trying to book a hotel in downtown Vancouver for next weekend – in contrast to every single one of our recommendations above. Being the last minute, at the end of June, on a weekend, with a big-name musical act in town for a concert and a jazz festival going on, the best price we could find was $209 per night. Needless to say we are pushing our visit to another time.

Hopefully this information will come in handy during your next (or first!) visit to Vancouver. We’ve got more information on travel in BC here, and will be back throughout the summer with more Vancouver Visitor Guides.

Have any tips for staying in Vancouver? If so we’d love to hear them!

The post Vancouver Visitor Guide: Where Should I Stay? appeared first on Have Blog Will Travel.

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For us, making the most of a visit to Vancouver comes down to a few key factors; the accommodation we choose, the means by which we get around the city, and striking the right balance between sightseeing and down time. Vancouver is a bustling city and it will run you ragged if you’re not careful. Therefore we’ve created our Vancouver Visitor Guide series to impart all the wisdom and information we’ve picked up, sometimes the hard way, from the dozens of visits we’ve made to the city over the last decade. We’ve also sourced some great information from friends and family fortunate enough to call this beautiful city home, all with the hopes of making your visit easier and more enjoyable.

Today we are going to tackle all your vehicle related queries about visiting Vancouver – a popular question on Trip Advisor message boards for the city and rightfully so. Canada and the province of BC are so vast, especially compared to other parts of the world, that renting a car seem necessary. Here is our take on having a car in Vancouver.

Do I need a car to see Vancouver?

Travis and I always travel to Vancouver in our personal vehicle. Living so close it’s the cheapest option for us. However as soon as we reach our destination, be it a hotel or friend’s house, we try to park the car and leave it for the duration of our visit – the reason being that Vancouver, like most major urban centres, is not particularly car friendly.

With over twenty bridges, numerous construction projects going on at any one time, and thousands of commuters hitting the road each morning and afternoon, driving in Vancouver can be a hassle. It only takes one stalled vehicle or minor accident along a main artery to completely shut down the city’s roads and back up traffic for hours. In addition to these traffic woes, the price of gasoline in Vancouver is ridiculously expensive, even compared to the hefty prices paid in the rest of the province. And don’t even get us started on parking.

I feel stressed out just looking at this picture (via)

The light at the end of Vancouver’s traffic-jammed tunnel is that the city is very walkable. During my last visit three weeks ago I managed to crisscross a large portion of the downtown core in just a few hours. From Yaletown to the main shopping district around Granville and Robson Street, to Canada Place on the waterfront – walking is definitely the best way to explore Vancouver.

Bicycling is another excellent way to explore the city as there are dedicated lanes to protect cyclists from traffic as well as cycling and walking paths that follow the waterfront and circumvent the world-renowned Stanley Park.

For those looking for a less strenuous way to get around Vancouver, the sky train metro system is fast and efficient, although it’s pretty crowded during rush hour. While it’s not exactly cheap, a single 1 zone fare will run you $2.75 at the moment, riding the Sky Train eliminates the stress of driving and can actually be quite fun. The new(ish) Canada Line even stops at the Vancouver International Airport.

Vancouver is very walkable, with many pedestrian pathways along the waterfront as well as downtown

Therefore, if you find yourself without a car in Vancouver don’t panic. For exploring the downtown core a vehicle is an unnecessary expense and a stress that you can do without.

What happens if you DO find yourself in Vancouver with a car?

For Travis and I this is a common problem. When booking our accommodations in Vancouver, we always look for hotels that offer free and secure parking. Sadly this is a rarity, however if you do enough searching far enough in advance, you can sometimes find good deals online that include parking. We’ve also found some hotels that offer affordable parking rates (think $8-10 per night).

Booking a hotel in Vancouver that doesn’t offer guest parking (paid or not) when you plan to travel with a vehicle is utter madness. It’s also a near guarantee that your first few hours in the city will be spent searching for parking and paying through the teeth instead of sipping a cold pint on a sunny restaurant patio with your feet up.

Hard to find but beautiful to photograph? Parking garage in downtown Vancouver  (via)

If you find yourself in Vancouver with a rental vehicle I’m going to flat out recommend returning the car immediately. While you will definitely need a rental if you plan on exploring other parts of the province – notably Victoria and Vancouver Island to the west or Jasper, Banff, and the Canadian Rockies to the east – you do not need a car in downtown Vancouver. Even some of the surrounding neighbourhoods of Greater Vancouver including New Westminster, Burnaby, and Surrey can be accessed by the Sky Train and public bus. Save yourself some money and only pick up your rental car after exploring Vancouver for a few days. Or, if Vancouver marks the end of your trip, return the rental before exploring the city.

What are some money saving tips for driving in Vancouver?

As I mentioned above, driving in Vancouver can be costly. From parking prices to inflated gas prices to fees for crossing toll bridges, costs can add up pretty quickly. While not having a car in Vancouver is the best way to save money, here are a few tricks Travis and I use to pinch pennies while visiting the city.

Fill up with gasoline before reaching Vancouver. From past experience, gas prices in Abbotsford and Chilliwack, towns to the east of Vancouver in the Fraser Valley are much cheaper than those in Greater Vancouver. If you are driving to Vancouver, always fill up before reaching the city. A full tank will get you in and back out of Vancouver and you can avoid paying a premium to fill up in the city. To ensure you’re really getting the best price per liter download an app like Gas Buddy. It will display all the gas prices in a geographical area ensuring you are paying the lowest price.

Vancouver’s gas prices are reportedly the highest in Canada (via)

When it comes to saving money on parking, finding a hotel with free parking is the best. However if that isn’t possible and you’re willing to walk a few blocks, look for free street parking in residential neighbourhoods. It isn’t secure and there is normally a time limit for how long you can park in one spot, meaning you’ll have to play musical chairs with parking spots, but it sure beats the $19/day for parking I saw advertised at the  Canada Place convention centre downtown. Another great spot for parking is at the River Rock Casino in Richmond – the Casino is attached to Bridgeport Sky Train Station and costs just $2.50 per day!! This is a great option if you are just heading into downtown for a daytrip or for a concert.

Finally, write down any directions you will need ahead of time or bring along a GPS if needed. Getting lost in Vancouver is stressful and annoying as well as expensive as you’ll waste gas driving around in circles or crisscrossing toll bridges accidentally. Don’t be afraid to stop and ask for directions – Canadians are notoriously helpful and eventually someone will get you pointed in the right direction.

These streets can be confusing but a GPS will get you through it

Hopefully this information will come in handy during your next (or first!) visit to Vancouver. We’ve got more information on travel in BC here, and will be back throughout the summer with more Vancouver Visitor Guides.

Have any tips for driving in Vancouver? If so please share in the comments below!

The post Vancouver Visitor Guide – Do I need a Rental Car? appeared first on Have Blog Will Travel.

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I couldn’t help myself today. Perhaps the near end of the A to Z Challenge has me overconfident but today we are going to tackle two related yet separate attractions in BC – Vancouver and Victoria’s historic Chinatown neighbourhoods. Both are a huge tourist draw in their respective cities, and home to some of the best restaurants in the area, but which one is best? As it turns out this is a question impossible to answer.

Vancouver Chinatown

Canada’s largest Chinatown, Vancouver Chinatown is also one of the largest in all of North America. Each year thousands of tourists crowd the neighbourhood’s streets in search of  authentic Chinese restaurants, unique shopping experiences, and the chance to explore the area’s collection of historic heritage buildings.

Tales of life as an early Chinese pioneer in Vancouver bring the area to life for participants of one of the many walking tours through this historic neighbourhood. As one of the earliest communities in BC, thousands of early Chinese immigrants settled in the then named Shanghai Alley between the years 1890 and 1920. Today the neighbourhood is centered around Pender Street, surrounded by Gastown, the downtown financial district, and the downtown eastside.

Tourist attractions of note in the area include the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden, one of Vancouver’s most popular attractions, as well as the China Gate, used in the China Pavilion at Expo ’86, the Chinese Cultural Centre Museum and Archives, and the Jimi Hendrix Shrine –  Housed in a restaurant once owned by the famous musician’s grandmother, Hendrix spent a large portion of his childhood here.

However the biggest draw in Vancouver’s Chinatown neighbourhood is the food. A balance of traditional favorites and exciting modern creations, the area is home to over 35 restaurants, bars, and bakeries.

Wah Chong family outside laundry business on Water Street, taken 1884 (via)

Victoria Chinatown

Victoria Chinatown is the oldest in Canada, and while it may not be as large as it’s Vancouver counterpart, it is the second in age in all of North America after San Francisco.

With the 1858 discovery of gold in BC’s Fraser Canyon, a sudden surge of people made their way to BC from California. One third of these immigrants were Chinese. Further famine, drought, and war brought more Chinese immigrants from China across the Pacific to BC.

Victoria’s Chinatown began as a crude collection of wooden huts and rapidly grew into a dense neighbourhood of businesses, theaters, schools, temples, and even a hospital. However it also gained a seedy reputation due to its abundance of opium dens, gambling halls, and brothels. At the neighbourhood’s peak in 1911, Chinatown covered six city blocks and was home to 3,158 residents. This is almost more people as the entire populations of downtown Victoria (including Chinatown) in 2001.

From the 1920s until the 1970s Victoria’s Chinatown was in a state of decline, shrinking dramatically in both size and population. However revitalization efforts began in the 1980s and continue to this day. Located in the 500 and 600 blocks of Fisgar Street, Victoria’s Chinatown is home to the popular Fan Tan Alley, a historic passage only five feet wide, as well as the historic Old Chinese School.

Victoria’s Chinatown neighbourhood was declared a National Historic Site of Canada in 1995. It has also appeared on tentative lists of Canada’s nominations for UNESCO World Heritage Site Status but has yet to be officially nominated.

The Gate of Harmonious Interest, or Tong Ji Men, erected 1981 (via)

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With over eight millions visitors annually, Vancouver’s Stanley Park is one of the most visited sites in BC – and for good reason. Designated a National Historic Site of Canada, the 1000 acre park (404.9 hectares) is located on a peninsula on the northwestern edge of the city’s downtown. As a result the park is almost entirely surrounded by the waters of the Pacific Ocean, letting visitors feel far away from the noise and energy of downtown and providing stunning views of the city’s skyline from nearly every vantage point.

Vancouver’s first park, Stanley Park was established in 1886 and is unique in the fact that it is not the  creation of a landscape architect. Unlike many public park spaces, Stanley Park has grown out of an evolution of the natural forest and urban spaces over many years, meaning that even many of the man made structures within the park are a century old. Visitors to Vancouver are in for a treat with Stanley Park. To shake up the structure of today’s A to Z post a bit, here are five reasons to visit Stanley Park during your next trip to Vancouver.

The Seawall

Loved by jogging locals, spandex clad cyclists, and tourists alike, the Seawall is a stone wall that runs for 8.8 kilometers around the entire 1,000 acre park. It was originally constructed to protect the park’s shoreline and prevent erosion. While the majority of the wall was constructed between 1917 and 1971, the entire wall was not completed until 1980. Sine this time the wall has continued to expand, with the entire stretch now totaling 22 kilometers. Starting from Coal Harbour, the Seawall pedestrian path runs around Stanley Park, along Sunset Beach and the neighbourhood of False Creek, through Vanier Park, and finishes at Kitsilano Beach. On sunny days, nothing in Vancouver can beat a walk along the Seawall.

Autumn along the Stanley Park Seawall (via)

The Vancouver Aquarium

The largest aquarium in Canada, the Vancouver Aquarium is home to 70,000 animals and 6,000 different species including dolphins, sea otters, eels, and beluga whales. It opened in June of 1956 and at the time was Canada’s first public aquarium. Forty years later, the aquarium successfully bred the first Beluga whale born in captivity in Canada, a female names Qila.

The aquarium has seen its share of controversy of late, with some notable public figures calling for an end to the practice of breeding and holding dolphins and whales in captivity. Yet the Vancouver Aquarium emphasizes the educational aspects of captive animals which set it apart from others that focus on public displays and spectacle. The Vancouver Aquarium has created and operates Ocean Wise, a program that promotes sustainable seafood in restaurants, as well as the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup Program, and Marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation program.

This commitment to environmental conservation, as well as the Aquarium’s location within Stanley Park, make for a wonderful afternoon outdoors. This is also one of Travis’ favorite things to do in Vancouver.

The Gardens

Stanley Park is well known for its gardens, which are in bloom year-round. Of note, the Ted and Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden features 4,500 hybrid breeds of Rhododendron and Azalea. While the Rose Garden, established in 1920, contains 3,500 rose plants as well as numerous beds of perennials, annuals, and bulbs. The gardens are best visited during the peak blooming months of May to August and make a great subject matter for photographers. Don’t miss the nearby Pavilion, the most distinguished building in the park. The Pavilion was built in 1911 and is now used as a restaurant and event venue.

The Beaches

While a string of beaches line the Seawall, only two are accessible for swimming. The Second Beach features the popular Second Beach Pool, a heated freshwater pool with views of English Bay and the Western Mountains, while Third Beach is a secluded sand beach with stunning sunset views. There are also many rocky beach areas along the Seawall that are accessible only during low tide. These rocky areas often house small saltwater pools that are home to starfish, shellfish, and other marine life.

Sightseeing Spots

Due to Stanley Park’s unique positioning in the waters off the coast of downtown Vancouver, the park is full of wonderful lookout points and photography opportunities to capture the city’s skyline. Of note, Brockton Point offers views of Burrard Inlet and the Lions Gate bridge.

The Totem Pole display at Brockton Point is one of the most famous sites within Stanley Park and the city of Vancouver as a whole. Beginning in the 1920’s, the display features wonderful examples of local First Nations Totem Poles.

Lions Gate Bridge at Night (via)

In a 2013 poll of it’s users, Trip Advisor named Stanley Park the Best Park in the World. New York’s Central Park took second place. There are very few large cities with such a large expanse of dedicated park land, and even fewer with park land as valuable as that in Vancouver. Stanley Park is a wonderful attraction just outside the downtown core that allows visitors to “escape” the city for a few hours. It’s also one of my favorite attractions in BC.

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