I’m back from Vancouver/Alaska. It was a wonderful trip and I’ll try to recount each day of my trip over the next week or so.
Day 1:
We flew into Vancouver International last Friday and took a limo (where my wife’s sister barfed) to the Hyatt in downtown Vancouver. We got an awesome price at the Hyatt using Priceline and the hotel was only four blocks away from Canada Place (where the cruise ships dock). We had a corner room (ending in 18 or 19) which was nice because it had an extra long hallway and two sinks instead of just one. It had one inside the bathroom and one outside. It was overcast our entire stay in Vancouver but it was nice that it wasn’t to hot or cold. After arriving checking in, we walked around the Pacific Mall which was just two blocks away. The Pacific Mall is very different in that it is connected underground to many other shopping centers. I can see how it can be beneficial when it is very cold or raining because you could walking from one area to another underground instead of walking around the streets of Vancouver. We had dinner at the Victoria Chinese Restaurant in the Hyatt hotel.
Day 2:
On Saturday we took the Vancouver Trolley for a tour. It had a stop right behind the Hyatt which made it convenient. We only got off at 3 of the 23 stops and enjoyed the scenery and commentary. Our driver kept making jokes at the expense of the people on the street. Our first stop was the Vancouver Aquarium. The Vancouver Aquarium’s star attraction were the beluga whales. The whales are very friendly and put on a decent show. The are not as exciting as the orcas at Sea World but what you expect from animals also known as “Sea Cows.” Also of notable interest is the Amazon exhibit. When you walk through the doors you seemingly feel the swealtering heat of the Amazon and are greeted to some of the largest fish you have ever seen. As you continue deeper into the exhibit you are treated to an awesome butterfly area. In this area you will see beautifully colored butterflies flying all around you. It was a treat to be able to examine live butterflies up close. Our second stop was in Chinatown. We had to see what the second largest Chinatown in North America was all about (The first largest is in San Franscisco). It was crowded, noisey and dirty …everything one would expect if you have ever been to any other Chinatown. We had dim sum and it was decent, but not as inexpensive as it is back home. Our last and final stop was back at the Hyatt where we ate at the Bar and Grill. I thought it was overpriced but what would you expect from a hotel restraunt. I had the rack of lamb which I thought was pretty good but the rack of lamb I had on the cruise was much better.