Welcome back to part two of this trip report series! If you still haven’t read the intro and part one, you can do so here and here. I won’t wax poetic for too long, let’s get straight to it! Because believe me, we have a LOT of ground to cover.
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A Traditional Canadian Breakfast
I woke up at 6:30 am and got ready for the day. I packed everything I needed for the day, locked my door, and proceeded to walk to the bus stop. I waited about 10 minutes before a bus finally pulled up. My first stop of the day was Gastown, but the first order of business was breakfast. And I decided to go to the most Canadian place you can go to for breakfast: Tim Hortons.
We don’t get a lot of Tim Hortons in LA, so this was something I was very much looking forward to. It was years since I had last had Tim Hortons, so I was basically going to it for the first time, especially because the menus of the Philippine and Canadian Tim Hortons were very different.
I got off the bus stop at the Vancouver Lookout (which will make an appearance later in this trip report) and headed straight for Tim Hortons. It was about 7:20am, and much to my surprise, there weren’t a lot of people there. I was expecting to see a crowd of people eating breakfast before heading to work, but I was glad I avoided that. I ordered a bacon and egg biscuit and proceeded to devour it faster than it took to make. I had planned to stay there till at least 8am since the Vancouver Lookout opened at 9am but I finished at 7:40am. Not wanting to waste any time, I decided to head to my next destination early.
A Steam Clock…and Not Much Else
I headed east to hit my next destination: Gastown. I was very excited and looking forward to touring this area as I had read that it was basically the old town of Vancouver. It was the original settlement of the city and as such was the first neighborhood. The first town hall meeting was actually done in the neighborhood in Maple Tree Square (which got its name from the first town hall meeting for the city of Vancouver which happened under a maple tree in the square).
The neighborhood is named after “Gassy” Jack Deighton, a seaman who opened Vancouver’s first saloon. The saloon was actually built overnight after he enlisted the help of several men to build the saloon by promising them a shot once the saloon was complete.
Today, Gastown is known for its Victorian architecture, as well as its forward thinking fashion brands and boutique shops, cafes, and restaurants. It’s also known for its various galleries showcasing First Nations art. Oh, and one of the most iconic landmarks in Vancouver is here: the Steam Clock.
I approached the neighborhood and immediately, the buildings started to look different. Soon, all the buildings lining the street were designed in that Victorian style that’s made Gastown famous. After walking down the main street for a bit, I finally saw the famous steam-powered clock.
Built by Raymond Saunders and completed in 1977, the Steam Clock was made for $58,000 CAD at the time and was constructed to cover a steam gate. It’s supposed to chime the Westminster chimes every quarter hour and the large whistle every hour. The clock weighs over two tons and its center features a contraption that brings one ball-shaped steel weight from the bottom of the clock to the top.
I will admit it was pretty cool seeing the clock and the interior where the pendulum normally goes. The contraption with the moving steel balls was very intricate and it was very interesting seeing all the moving parts. One thing that annoyed me, however, was that the clock didn’t chime when it said it would. I waited over 30 minutes by the clock and nothing happened. So that was a bit of a letdown.
After (unsuccessfully) waiting for the clock to chime, I headed further down the street and ended up in Maple Tree Square. Unfortunately, the statue of Gassy was torn down in a protest in 2022, and without it, the square looked…kind of bare. There was the small raised sidewalk where the statue used to be, and Gastown’s famous “flatiron” building was across it.
That actually was everything you could do and see in Gastown. In that sense, Gastown disappointed me. I guess maybe I just visited too early so I didn’t see all the hustle and bustle of the neighborhood in full display with all the restaurants and shops open, but something about it just felt…empty. I thought for sure it would have a museum or two or more landmarks for me to check out, but if there were I never saw them. It was also located adjacent to the supposedly sketchy Chinatown, so I didn’t want to explore further for safety’s sake.
So yeah, all in all, it was a bit of a bust. Fortunately, this was the only neighborhood that I thought was disappointing, and I partially blame my high expectations for expecting something lavish and old given that it was the old town of Vancouver.
Looking Out the Vancouver Lookout
I finished touring Gastown at around 8:45am and so I made my way back the way I came from and headed for the Vancouver Lookout. Located in the Harbour Center building, the lookout was opened in 1977 and was opened by none other than Neil Armstrong. Its glass elevator takes you up 168 meters (553 feet) in about 40 seconds. Once you get up there, you get sweeping views of the entire Vancouver via a 360 degree air conditioned viewing platform. You can see everything from Downtown, the West End, and Gastown to the Lion’s Bridge and Grouse Mountain.
After exiting Gastown I made my way to the Harbour Center to find the ticket booth for the lookout. I was the first person in line and quickly bought my ticket. I was then ushered into the elevator with another family and up we went. The view from the glass elevator was stunning and it was so cool to see us rising to the top of the building.
Once we got up there, a lady told us that there was a free audio tour that we could access via a QR code. I scanned the QR code and saw that the whole audio tour was only 15 minutes and the stops along the viewing platform were marked with different colored tape. I decided to do the audio tour, which was very informative and gave some good background on the places you could see from up there.
After doing the tour I decided to also read the different plaques that they had set up by the windows for additional information. They have probably around 40-50 plaques set up with some pretty neat information about the surrounding areas and landmarks. They were all a quick read though and I was through with them in about 30 minutes.
I then did another round of the deck just to admire the view. Vancouver is blessed to be surrounded by so much greenery and yet still have that city vibe going for it. It’s undoubtedly one of the most unique locales for a city (at least that I have seen). I probably took more than 30 pictures of that view. It really was stunning and served as a great little overview introduction to the rest of Vancouver.
Tickets cost $20.26 CAD and honestly it was worth the price. My family likes to joke that I always have to include an observation deck of some kind into any itinerary I plan but I do so because I think it’s a great way to get introduced to the vibe of a place. While I wouldn’t consider it a highlight of the entire trip (because Vancouver has a boatload of other stunning attractions that beat this one) I feel like it’s still something I would do every time I visit.
Walking Around Downtown Vancouver
After taking in the bird’s-eye view, it was time for the Downtown Vancouver portion of my itinerary. I had purchased the Lonely Planet Vancouver guidebook and it suggested a route to see the main spots in Downtown Vancouver. I usually trust what Lonely Planet has to say so I decided to follow it. Take note that I modified it slightly to be more efficient so the order I saw things wasn’t the order that Lonely Planet suggested, but I did see everything in the route.
The first stop was the Olympic Cauldron. Vancouver hosted the Winter Olympics in 2010 and, once the Olympics were finished, they transferred the Olympic Cauldron to Jack Poole Plaza, adjacent to Canada Place.
The Cauldron was a lot bigger than I thought it would be. It looked like pillars of ice that formed a campfire, which I guess makes sense. I snapped a few pictures of it and then headed to Canada Place.
Built on the land originally allocated for the Canadian Pacific Railway, Canada Place is many things. It’s a convention center, cruise terminal, and hotel, as well as being the place where buses to Grouse Mountain and the Capilano Suspension Bridge depart from. It’s also where you can find Flyover in Vancouver, a motion simulator ride similar to Soarin at Disneyland or Walt Disney World. It’s a big white building with these white sheets on top of it that are supposed to resemble sails from ships. It was also the site of the Canadian pavilion during Expo 86.
I would go back to Canada Place in the coming days as, like I mentioned, it was the departure point for the free shuttles going to Capilano and Grouse Mountain. I wish I did Flyover in Vancouver but it was a bit pricey and I didn’t feel like paying for it. But for this day, I just took a selfie of myself outside of the building and proceeded to the next Downtown spot on this route.
I then walked a couple of blocks and ended up at the Marine Building. When this building opened in 1930, it was the tallest skyscraper in the world. Now it’s regarded as one of the most beautiful art deco buildings in the world, having an under the sea motif in its design.
I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by this building. The outdoor portal was under refurbishment so I didn’t get to see it, but I was able to get a glimpse of the lobby. It was amazing! The amount of detail and care that went into its construction was evident in just how grand the lobby was.
It had these ornate elevator doors that looked like they came straight out of the Great Gatsby. And the ceiling was just as glamorous. I wouldn’t call this a highlight but if you’re in the area it’s definitely worth checking out.
After admiring the Marine Building, I went to the Vancouver Art Gallery. I didn’t go inside, however, and just admired the Trafalgar Square-reminiscent design of the building. It was initially built as a courthouse before it was converted into a museum in 1983. It has these stone lions out front and the building honestly would have fit in great with Manhattan’s buildings. It had that old world feel to it, so it was jarring seeing it beside so many modern buildings. The gallery contains over 12,000 pieces of art.
I decided to skip it mostly because I had read reviews on the gallery on Tripadvisor and everyone who had gone recently was recommending that you skip it. It didn’t seem like they had a very interesting collection. A lot of them were even saying it was a waste of money and was the worst thing they spent money on while in Vancouver. I took their advice to heart and decided to skip it, which was fine because I would end up going to two other museums the next day.
After taking a peek at the gallery, I headed for Christ Church Cathedral. This Anglican church seemed very nondescript on the outside, but the inside was stunning. Officially dedicated in 1895, its construction was almost stopped because, similarly to Sagrada Familia, its construction was taking too long because of lack of funds and people thought it an “eyesore”.
It began a lengthy restoration back in 1995, which is why if you enter the church now it seems very modern. The steel buttresses on the ceiling still give the whole church a grand and modern vibe, contrasting greatly with the wood paneled ceiling. The stained glass windows on either side of the church, as well as at the back of the altar, were beautiful and meticulously crafted.
The highlight for me, though, was the huge organ located at the back of the church. I almost didn’t see it as I was transfixed by the stained glass. It’s a steel organ and is very sleek and modern. I would have loved to hear it play while I was there. Definitely visit this church if you’re in the area.
Now my next and final stop was the Vancouver Public Library and to get there I decided to walk down Robson Street. Robson Street is the main thoroughfare of Downtown and the West End. It houses a lot of stores and restaurants, and is the most happening place in Vancouver. At one point it was called Robsonstrasse after a plethora of European shops and restaurants opened in the area after World War II. The Street actually starts at BC place, which is Vancouver’s largest stadium.
I enjoyed window shopping as I was walking to my next destination. They had all the staples like Starbucks, Tim Hortons, and Lululemon, as well as other internationally recognized brands. So many people were milling about, enjoying their day in this picture-perfect weather. It was nice seeing the downtown core so alive.
After walking down Robson street, I finally arrived at the Vancouver Public Library. The library was huge, to say the least, and was designed to look like the Colosseum in Rome. This main branch opened in 1995 and has over 1 million books in its collection. Upon entering the atrium, which is this huge covered space, I couldn’t help but feel impressed by how grand it was and couldn’t believe it was a library.
I then went to the top floor as Lonely Planet said they had a very nice rooftop garden that was open to the public. So up I went and exited back into the sunshine. The outdoor garden was well-landscaped, albeit a little smaller than I thought. The one good thing about it though was that when I was there, there was barely anyone around. I had it all to myself. I had been walking around for the past hour so I thought I would take 15 minutes to sit down and appreciate where I was.
I always make it a point to do that whenever I’m on a trip. Sometimes we get overly preoccupied with seeing as much as possible that we forget to stop and appreciate where we are. So I took it upon myself to just soak in the view I had and appreciate the stillness of the moment.
After doing that, I headed to La Belle Patate to try, you guessed it, poutine!
A Plethora of Poutine
Even before arriving in Vancouver, I knew I had to try poutine. This Quebecois food is now heavily associated with Canada, and it’s frequently cited as the number one food you need to try in Canada. After asking around for recommendations from friends as to what place in Vancouver had the best poutine, one of my friend’s recommended a restaurant called La Belle Patate. I looked at its location and saw that it was near where I would be in Downtown Vancouver so I decided to give it a try.
I took a short bus ride from the public library to the restaurant. The bus stop was right outside the restaurant so that was convenient. Upon entering I saw that it was a tiny restaurant. I go up and prepare to order and look at the menu and see that there are over 30 different kinds of poutine available. I’m not kidding. Check out this picture.
And that’s only half of what they were offering. It was an insane amount of options. But I ended up getting the medium sized classic poutine as I had never tried it before and wanted to try the original.
The girl at the counter took my order and I sat down in an open booth with my order number. Within 15 minutes they brought it out to me. It smelled so good and it tasted amazing. The gravy mixed with the cheese curds was the perfect combination of flavors, with the fries adding a layer of texture to the dish. I was in heaven during the 20 minutes I was eating that poutine. I wish I had gone back to try another poutine dish, but as you’ll see in later reports, this isn’t the only time I had poutine this trip.
After downing that poutine like I had never had another meal in my life, it was time to keep moving. This time, to the West End!
West End (Without the Musicals)
There were actually just two things I wanted to see on the Lonely Planet route for this area of Vancouver: the A-maze-ing Laughter art installation at English Bay Beach and Barclay Square Park. Technically Stanley Park is part of this neighborhood but I consider it different from the city part of the West End. I started this route at Barclay Square Park.
As I was walking to Barclay Square Park, the busy streets soon melted away into residential communities. I thought that since this was the downtown area of Vancouver, there would be more offices but Barclay Square park seemed to be in a residential area.
Honestly, it was kind of disappointing. There wasn’t really much to see and it paled in comparison to Stanley Park. It was just a regular green space with some neat looking Victorian houses but nothing to write home about. Lonely Planet recommended a visit to one of these houses called the Roedde House Museum but when I passed by it looked closed. So long story short I walked 20 minutes for nothing. But such is life when traveling. You have to be prepared for the unexpected (or in this case, the unremarkable).
I then decided to head back west towards English Bay Beach. And just like how the busy streets melted into residential buildings, the exact opposite happened. The streets were now lined with shops and restaurants, and there was more activity the closer I got to the beach.
I arrived at the beach and the view that met me was way more interesting than the view of the park. This one was very pretty, even with the big cargo ships in the distance. Everyone was just out and about enjoying their time on the beach, sunbathing and swimming and playing different games. Seeing everyone just having a good time made me realize that Vancouver’s vibe is very different from most major cities.
What I mean by that is that it’s so “laid back”. The only other city I’ve been to that was as laid back as Vancouver was probably San Diego. Everyone just seemed so chill and so nonchalant. It was striking because I’m normally used to fast-paced cities that are always on the go. So it was nice getting immersed in a different kind of vibe.
I initially completely bypassed the art installation as I was walking to the beach and it took me a little bit of time to finally locate it. Nicknamed “The Laughing Men”, this art installation is “a legacy of the 2009-2011 Vancouver Biennale exhibition” according to the plaque that was located near the installation. Created by Yue Minjun, it was then purchased by Lululemon owners Shannon and Chip Wilson who then donated it to the city government so it could be permanently displayed.
I will admit, the statues were a bit…eccentric? I don’t know if that’s the right word. Maybe “creepy” is the better word. Their huge faces, hunched backs, and big smiles were a bit unnerving, but getting to walk beside and even under them while feeling the calm ocean breeze was very relaxing. There were a couple of tourists posing for pictures with the statues, and so I took a few selfies myself. I was surprised that the art stayed intact given how much it rains in Vancouver but I guess the artist took that into account when he made it.
I then sat on a log by the beach for about 15 minutes, soaking in where I was and feeling the ocean breeze on my face. I realized then that I already checked off everything I needed to do today. English Bay Beach was my last planned stop. I also knew that this would be the last day I had with sun, so a choice presented itself: do I continue touring and checking off places I wanted to visit to take advantage of the weather, or do I go home and rest.
I think it’s pretty obvious which one I picked.
So I got on a bus and headed for my next Vancouver neighborhood. If you want to know what it is, you’ll need to wait till the next trip report to find out! I’m going to end this report here since it’s getting long and we’re only halfway through. But stay tuned to learn about how this day became my most physically exhausting day of the trip.
Vancouver, Canada ‘24 Trip Reports Introduction
Vancouver, Canada ‘24 Trip Report Part One: Almost Denied Boarding & The Most Beautiful Park
Vancouver Canada ‘24 Trip Report Part Three: The Most JAM PACKED Day Ever Part 2
Vancouver Canada ‘24 Trip Report Part Four: Museums Galore!
Vancouver Canada ‘24 Trip Report Part Five: 200 Feet in the Air
Vancouver Canada ‘24 Trip Report Part Six: Climb Every Mountain
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