Here comes the sun

When you first cross the border into British Columbia there is a welcome sign which describes itself as "the best place on earth" I know Canada is pretty great, but this kind of self touting is a tad off putting. It was probably an addition for the Olympics, as was the new visitor center which used to be a trailer, but is now an obnoxious building with a waterfall flowing off it. Despite ridiculously high expectations of having reached the best place on earth, British Columbia welcomed us with torrential rain and memories of a trip we cut short when the skies would not let up.

Our first stop was Granville Island, not only is it a great place for people watching, lunch and local color, but just about the only place where you can find free parking in the city. After enjoying the crowds, live music and a light lunch we hopped abroad Aquabus for a scenic boat tour. The skies were dark and the buildings reflected the ever changing shades of blue and grey.

I enjoyed snapping photos through the rain covered Aquabus windows.

After a boat ride, we came across a group of women from The Red Hat Society. Cameron had never heard of them, but I have run across them before. There was a gaggle of them and I found them too adorable to not snap a photo of.

Upon leaving Granville Island, we headed out to West Vancouver to visit Point Atkinson. The dark skies broke way to sunshine and the rest of the day was picture perfect weather.

A cruise ship heading up to Alaska.

One thing we love about Vancouver is how quickly you can reach the mountains. It is a mere 20 minutes to a ski run or a hike.

For dinner we ate at Havana on The Drive and had one of the best meals we have had in a long time. Everything was so flavorful that I am recommitted to cooking with more intense flavors. There vibe is eclectic and everyone has scratched either their name or a brief message on the walls.

We ended the evening at La Casa Gelato. This place is sheer madness, aside from offering 218 different gelato flavors, they were packed to the gills at ten o'clock at night.

Vancouver is much like Portland to us, there is a young hip vibe to the city and a great place to escape for a long weekend.