Pictured above is Vancouver, British Columbia. Beautiful isn't it? Most travelers to the Northwest know Seattle, WA and Portland, OR. In the not-so-distant future Vancouver, BC is going to be on the World's radar in a big way. Host of the 2010 Winter Olympics, Vancouver is quintessentially "northwest" and yet, it is cosmopolitian, international and bursting with boutiques, restaurants and parks.
The Amtrak train station in Edmonds, WA.
My wife and I are spending this weekend in Vancouver with friends to do a little shopping and get away for some R&R (translate: the ladies are shopping). We took Amtrak from Edmonds, WA to Vancouver. The train trip takes a couple of hours and passes through some beautiful country. Along the way, the train travels right along Puget Sound, so there are some great views of the bay and islands.
You know, coming to British Columbia is fun, because even though we're only a couple of hours away from Canada, it's still a "foreign" country. You do need your passport and you have to pass through customs. You must use Canadian money (still prettier than ours......still worth less) and Vancouver is truly international. The popluation is a blend of Europeans, Asians, East Indians, American Indians and many other ethnic groups. In the two days we've been here, I've heard British English, French, Arabic, Farsi, Norwegian, Spanish and a few other languages I didn't recognize.
We have spent most of our time visiting shops and dining along Robson Street which lies in the heart of the city. Here are a few pictures:
One thing I must say about Vancouver, it's a big place. There is a lot of traffic and there is a lot of construction going on which makes it noisy and congested. There are some nice old buildings sprinkled around the city center, but Vancouver has a more modern feel. Personally, I feel Seattle has more charisma even though Seattle is quite a bit smaller. I have more to say about our trip, but we still have one more day of adventure. Stay tuned!
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