Nanda & Nathan The Travellers: Vancouver, Canada (Day1)

August 7, 2012 ---- Vancouver was on the top of our list when Nathan and I were planning our moving-to-PA side trip. After we spent some time in Seattle and Olympic National Park, we were ready to continue our journey and drive across the border to visit our neighbor country, Canada.

Port Townsend, WA, USA

We left our motel in Port Angeles early to catch the ferry from Port Townsend to Coupeville and continue driving to Canada. We had a ferry reservation at 10 a.m., but we got there a little early, so we just decided to take a little walk in the old town.

Port Townsend is a very interesting small town in the Olympic Peninsula. Most Victorian buildings were built in the 1880's, and there are many historical landmarks that Nathan and I would like to explore. Too bad we didn't know much about this town and had to hop on the ferry soon.

Deception Pass Bridge, WA, USA

Driving on WA-20 is such a scenic drive. We made a stop at the Deception Pass Bridge and took in all the fresh air and the beautiful view of the bridge and the ocean. The Deception Pass State Park is right at the bridge, but we didn't have much time to go out of the way, so we continued our drive to the border.

USA - Canada Border

As soon as we got to the border, we could see the difference between the Canada side and the US side. It seemed to be more built-up on the Canada side. I guess because the majority of the lands in Canada are covered with snow all year round, people tend to live down south along the US-Canada border line.

The wait for the immigration inspection wasn't bad at all. It took us about 20 minutes to get through. The Canadian officer didn't really ask us much, just how long we wanted to stay and where in Canada we wanted to travel too. She just noted that our car was a rental car and didn't ask for any proof of rental or insurance. There was no entry stamp on either of our passports. Things went pretty smooth and quick. ^__^

Capilano Suspension Bridge

Nathan and I drove straight to Vancouver's Downtown, but we were too early to check in our hotel, so we decided to drive on to Capilano Suspension Bridge in North Vancouver.

Capilano Suspension Bridge was built in 1889, and it's one of the most popular tourist attractions in Vancouver.It is 230 feet above Capilano River and stretches 450 feet across the river. There are many attractions in the park like the Treetops Adventure and the Cliffwalk. Most activities are good for kids.

The entrance ticket is $33.95 for adults and $27.95 for students. You also have to pay for parking across the street from the park. I felt like the ticket was overpriced.

Empire Landmark Hotel and Robson Street

Nathan and I stayed at Empire Landmark Hotel right in Vancouver's downtown. I got a good deal on this hotel from Hotwire.com, and I was very happy staying there. It's located in the middle of everything, and every single guest room in the hotel has a balcony, so we got a gorgeous view of Vancouver! The only downside about this hotel is that the parking and internet charges are very expensive.

Robson Street is one of the main streets in downtown Vancouver. Our hotel is located on Robson Street, and we could walk to Stanley Park and the harbor in about 5-10 minutes. There are a lot of Asian restaurants, especially Japanese and Korean restaurants, just a block from our hotel down the street. I felt like a lot of Asian people live/stay in this area because they can easily get access to the Asian restaurants, Asian markets, or a 7-eleven store that runs more like in Asia.

On our first night Nathan and I decided to have Japanese food, and we were so happy with the Japanese restaurant located a block from our hotel. The food price here seemed very reasonable and cheaper than restaurants in many big cities I have visited.

After dinner we just wandered along Robson Street toward Stanley Park. Nathan got a box of chocolate cake from 7-eleven, and I bought the biggest red cherries I have ever seen from an Asian supermarket for only $3.99 a basket!

The first night in Vancouver made me feel like living in Asia --- we were surrounded by Asian restaurants and shops and Asian people. Moreover, the thunderstorm that night made it even more like my rainy home country, Thailand. I love Vancouver!