Vancouver Vibes Only

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We traded the Texas heat for Vancouver’s cool, fresh air, and we have zero regrets. Between e-biking through Stanley Park, soaking up the waterfront views, staying in the cutest floating home Airbnb on the marina, and eating our way through some amazing restaurants, this trip checked every box. Vancouver, you officially have a piece of our hearts – we’ll definitely be back! 💙🇨🇦

Sue and Mike by the Stanley Park bridge.
Us underneath the Lion’s Gate Bridge

One week after flying from Vancouver to Tofino aboard a Harbour Air seaplane, we returned the very same way to kick off week two of our anniversary celebration. The flight was just as smooth, scenic, and breathtaking as we remembered, with incredible views the entire way. Experiencing a seaplane for the first time was such a memorable part of this trip, and we’re so happy we finally checked it off our bucket list!

View of the sea from our Harbor Air flight.
View from the seaplane on our return trip to Vancouver (from Tofino)

Planner-in-Chief

One of the things that made this trip so special was knowing how much love and thought went into every detail. Mike (my hubby of 37 years ❤️) planned it all – from the flights and unforgettable seaplane experience to both Airbnbs, our sailing adventure, and the e-bikes. Every choice was made with such care to make sure I could fully enjoy the adventure.

With my bum foot still making walking a challenge at times, traveling takes a little more planning these days. Mike never complains – he simply figures it out, making sure everything is as comfortable and accessible as possible so we can keep exploring together.

I get emotional thinking about the time, effort, and love he pours into making these memories possible. I’m so grateful for this amazing man and all the adventures we continue to share.

Floating House Airbnb

Staying in a floating house in North Vancouver was more than we hoped for. We enjoyed the views, the seals swimming by, but mostly, the gentle rock of the house throughout the day – even like a rocking chair at night rocking us to sleep like babies!

The house itself was a very modern newly constructed float home right in the Mosquito Creek Marina in North Vancouver, steps from Lonsdale Quay, restaurants and the SeaBus (15 minutes) to downtown Vancouver. We didn’t need a car as we had our e-bikes and the Sea Bus close by.

The row of floating homes where we stayed.
Front view of the floating homes.
The back of the row of floating homes.
Back view of the floating homes.
The bed in the floating home.
Bedroom on the bottom floor.
The kitchen in our floating home.
Kitchen on the top floor.
Mike on the deck in our floating home.
The deck is where we spent most of our time while at the floating home.

E-Biking

Renting e-bikes was one of the best decisions we made in Vancouver! We picked them up from Reckless Bikes in the Shipyards, and they were fantastic – easy-to-use pedal assist, super comfortable seats (which definitely matters a little more these days… 😂), and perfect for exploring the city.

Mike arranged for us to keep the bikes all week, and we even charged them right inside our floating home. We rode them everywhere – to Stanley Park, around the city, to dinner each evening, and even to the grocery store. It quickly became our favorite way to get around, and it made exploring Vancouver so much more fun. We’d absolutely do it again!

Here are some of our riding adventures:

  • to Stanley Park and then to Granville Island (24 miles)
  • to Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge (14 miles) – plus a little hike to the fresh water pond
  • to Jericho Beach Park for sailing via Stanley Park, then Gastown and SeaBus home (18 miles)
  • to Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver (22 miles) – plus a little hike to the sea
  • to Granville Island via Stanley Park again and back (28 miles)

Stanley Park and the Lions Gate Bridge

One of the highlights of our week was riding our e-bikes across the iconic Lions Gate Bridge to Stanley Park. I’ll admit, I was a little nervous at first – the idea of biking across such a big suspension bridge felt a bit intimidating! But the bridge has a protected pedestrian and cycling pathway, so once we got going, I quickly relaxed and was able to enjoy the experience.

The views of Burrard Inlet, the Vancouver skyline, and the North Shore Mountains were absolutely incredible. Crossing the bridge by bike and arriving at Stanley Park’s beautiful seawall and scenic trails ended up being one of my favorite memories from the entire trip.

We ended up riding through Stanley Park several times during our stay because we loved it so much. The scenery was absolutely beautiful, and cruising along the seawall and shaded trails never got old.

The only challenge? Sharing the path with lots of other cyclists – many of whom looked like they were riding for the very first time. 😂 Between riders weaving across the lane, stopping without warning, and groups spread across the path, you definitely had to stay alert. Mike took the lead, and I’m pretty sure he wore out his bike bell while politely saying “on your left”…which happened more times than I’d like to admit! Thankfully, everyone was friendly, and it all became part of the adventure.

The view of the Stanley Park bridge from the park.
The Lion’s Gate Bridge
A view of the biking lane on the bridge.
The bike/pedestrian pathway over Lion’s Gate Bridge
Sue and Mike on e-bikes at the Light House park.
We rode to a lighthouse park on our journey through North Vancouver.
Mike on his e-bike with a backpack of groceries.
A backpack full of groceries (and some tequila). 😁
Sue bringing groceries home tucked into my biking shirt.
We squeezed a few things in my biking shirt.

Suspension Bridge at Lynn Canyon

One of our favorite e-bike adventures was riding to Lynn Canyon in North Vancouver to visit the famous suspension bridge. Tucked inside a beautiful forest, the bridge stretches high above the canyon and rushing water below, offering incredible views in every direction. Best of all, it’s free to visit and surrounded by hiking trails, waterfalls, and lush rainforest.

The funny part? Mike is terrified of heights! 😄 Even though he planned the adventure, I think he was a little second-guessing that decision once he stepped onto the swaying bridge. He made it across, though, and I’m so glad he did because the scenery was absolutely worth it.

Mike crossing the suspension bridge in Lynn Canyon.
Sue on the suspension bridge.
View of the trees in Vancouver.
Mike and Sue in Lynn Valley with the beautiful trees.
The valley beneath the suspension bridge.
Mike by the trees with huge sprawling roots.

A Little Sailing Adventure

One of the most relaxing afternoons of our trip was spending a few hours sailing along Vancouver’s beautiful coastline aboard a stunning 40-foot yacht. Seeing the city from the water gave us a completely different perspective, with incredible views of the skyline, mountains, and waterfront.

Captain Maren kept us entertained with stories from his many sailing adventures and what it’s like living in Vancouver. He even trusted us to take the helm for a little while, which made the experience even better!

Sue and Mike driving the sailboat.
Sue driving the sailboat.
Mike sitting on the back of the sailboat.
The sailboat before the sails were up.
Sue on sailboat.

Beautiful Vancouver

One thing we loved about Vancouver was how much natural beauty surrounded us everywhere we went. The cooler weather was such a welcome change from the Texas heat and made it even better to be outside exploring. From me stopping to smell the beautiful hydrangeas blooming around the city to Mike giving a giant juniper tree a little hug (because of course he did 😂), we found plenty of little moments to enjoy.

The beaches, mountains, greenery, and waterfront views made Vancouver such a beautiful place to explore. It’s a city where nature is always right there, and we loved taking it all in.

A view of the beautiful hydrangeas.
Sue smelling some white hydrangeas.
View of the tall trees in North Vancouver.
Mike hugging a Juniper tree.
A weeping willow tree above some watery lillies
Sue sitting on the sea wall in downtown Vancouver at the beach.

Food

Of course, we had to make time for some amazing food during our Vancouver adventure! We enjoyed everything from fresh fish tacos, classic fish and chips, and delicious grilled cheese to some more memorable dining experiences at Orto and Elem.

With all the miles we were putting on our e-bikes, we were often too tired to head out for a big dinner at night. A few times, we rolled straight into a restaurant still wearing our bike shorts – and honestly, it was perfect. 😂

All in all, Vancouver’s food scene was the best reward after all our exploring and gave us plenty of delicious memories to add to an already amazing trip.

  • Perfecto Coffee – lattes and pastries
  • Tea House in Stanley Park – shrimp omelettes and mimosas
  • Joey Shipyards – fish tacos and poke bowl
  • King Taps – truffle fries, pizza, and beer
  • The Galley Patio and Grill (sailing) – fish tacos
  • Isetta (on ride to west) – fish and chips, grilled cheese and tomato soup – plus lattes
  • Grandville Island Brewing – bang bang shrimp and halloumi bruschetta plus beer
  • Nuba – halloumi salad, chicken skewers, lamb kafta
  • Orto Artisan Pasta – summer panzanella salad, wild mushrooms and goat cheese risotto, parpardelle bolognese
  • Elem – crab toast, lamb skewers, white lotus fried rice, grilled bavette, and Chicago mix popcorn (for dessert)
  • groceries from Fresh Street Market
Sue and Mike at Elem with our anniversary dessert.
Sue and Mike at Orto in Vancouver.
Sue by the Tea House sign in Stanley Park.
  • Sue and Mike clinking our mimosas together.
  • Our lamb skewers at Elem.
  • Our popcorn dessert at Elem.
  • The crab toast with curry sauce at Elem.
  • The bolognese at Orto.
  • The shrimp and bruschetta apps at a brewery in Gastown.
  • Our summer panzanella salad at Orto.
  • Our hazy IPAs at Granville Island brewing.
  • A grilled cheese and tomato soup at Isetta in North Vancouver.
  • Chicken skewers at Nuba.
  • Our fish and chips at Isetta.
  • Sausage on a plate with sauce at Nuba.
  • A halloumi salad at Nuba.
  • Our fish tacos at the Galley Patio.
  • A poke bowl at Joey in Vancouver.

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