Posts by: WantsToTravelMore

I received a call for non traditional, non chain restaurant recommendations in Vancouver. The audience is a newlywed couple wanting to be a little different. Since I have children, and have seen more grilled cheese sandwiches than I like, I reached out to a foodie friend. Here’s what he said: If you can get reservations … Kissa Tanto in Chinatown (Japanese/Italian). It sounds weird, but it works. Depending on how big their appetites are, you may need to order a few more dishes than you think. www.kissatanto.com Distance from downtown: 2.5 km Les Faux Bourgeois -French, in the Kingsway/Fraser Street […]

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It was a hazy day in Vancouver. Sadly it was not fog, it was smoke from horrible forest fires far north of the city. The air was smoky and I was in Yaletown for a mundane appointment and when I was done, the thought of regular transit back was unpleasant. Walking was my normal thought, but with the hot temps and bad air … why not ride the waves instead? Right at the foot of Davie Street is a small dock from which The Aquabus and False Creek Creek Ferries have tiny little boats that take you to Granville Island, […]

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Sophie’s Cosmic Café is always a treat for us. At 4th and Arbutus in Kitsilano in Vancouver. It can be relied for its great burgers (including a very satisfying vegetarian nut burger) plus other items including good perogies, a great nacho plate, falafel and more. Perhaps the standout item is the milkshakes. So far in experience, the milkshakes are the best in town. They had R&B Brewery products on tap that included a good lager and cream ale. The décor is always wonderful. It gives you the impression that starting in the 1960s the owners gathered up all their play […]

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Surrey BC is a community in the Greater Vancouver Regional District that is a rapidly growing city. It’s profile in the news is the home to some nasty gang violence. I think therefore those like me with less knowledge of Surrey will be wonderfully surprised by Crescent Beach, which is in South Surrey on the way to White Rock, BC. What fools you about Crescent Beach is that once you are there and have parked the car, the vibe is of an isolated beach town … the type where the population is about 40 in the off season and peaks […]

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I was cycling in Vancouver on a busy hot summer day with a young lad who was new to his larger bicycle. We wanted a ride that would be challenging at this level but not overwhelming. Another consideration was to stay away from vehicle traffic as much as possible. So we thought of going around the world, Science World, that is. We started in the Kitsilano area right near Museum of Vancouver and Vancouver Academy of Music. The objective was to take the road down to where the Coast Guard Station is and then turn right to sneak underneath the […]

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Kits Beach, which is located in Vancouver, on the south side of English Bay, across from the West End neighbourhood can be full of surprises. Yesterday morning at around 11 AM, I took a stroll to pick up a coffee from the Starbucks at Cornwall and Arbutus and then walked across the street, headed to the water and this was my view. Walking about 10 metres down the path I discovered that Volleyball BC was having a tournament. There was seating in the bleachers and I have never seen beach volleyball up close so I sat to enjoy my coffee. […]

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BC Ferries is a funny entity. My view has been if you offer reservations, it should be for most of the boat. I was travelling on a July Saturday and knew it was busy because I could not reserve from their online system. I wanted the 9 AM sailing and so I planned to be out the door by 7 AM, assuming a 45-minute drive to Tsawwassen where the ferry terminal to Victoria is. Traffic was light so I made in in 40 minutes and I subsequently was loading onto the 8 AM sailing. This was a surprise considering a […]

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You might be forgiven if you thought Oak Bay were in Victoria BC. On a bad day it’s 10 minutes from downtown Victoria, but despite its modest size, it has its own police department. Given that Oak Bay is 10.5 sq km and Victoria is 19.5 to sq km, it seems odd. I suspect that this jurisdictional isolation has allowed Oak Bay to retain its character and not be subsumed into the larger municipalities. Oak Bay is also home to The Uplands, a very swishy neighbourhood to the north-east. If you walk high street (i.e Oak Bay Ave) there are […]

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For context I’m on a ultra low sugar and refined carbohydrate diet that allows one cheat day per week. Now, if you’re going to cheat, you ought to do it correctly, so I chose Chocolate Arts on West 3rd Ave in Vancouver. They had a special ice cream sandwich with macarons for $4.50. As you can see from the teeth marks below, this confection did not last long! They also have a choose-your-own-chocolate for making hot chocolate. Despite being a chocolate freak, I don’t enjoy the regular hot chocolates you can have elsewhere. This one is like nothing else. And […]

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Pretend that you wake up and have a person who’s having a tough day, or it’s a rainy day, and you need a good proper hot chocolate to cheer yourself up. Chocolate Arts is for you. Located near Granville Island (1620 West 3rd Avenue) they make their chocolate treats in the back and serve them up front. In addition to chocolates by the piece, they have creative chocolate gifts. But of course, you wonder about the hot chocolate. This Rocky Road one pictured below is extremely tasty. The one thing with children however, is that it may be too rich […]

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