On July 6th, we traveled from Bellingham to Vancouver for the day. Funnily enough, this was our first time traveling out of the country together. We’d both previously been to Toronto separately before, but never to the Western side of Canada. Since Bellingham is only around an hour away from Vancouver, we had packed our passports with us on the road trip in case we decided to dip over into B.C. I was hype when we decided we were definitely going to Canada for a little excursion. We spent a long day across the border, and we loved it.
Trip Diary Begins:
July 6, 2025
First Stop: The Market
We got up and got ready to head to Vancouver for the day. It didn’t take too long to cross the border when we arrived at the station.
After entering B.C., we made our way to Granville Island to check out the Market. This area is so cute! It had a great view of the water, where we saw some boats, houseboats, and the city skyline. There are various shops and stands, inside and outside, selling their goods. We ended up purchasing a variety pack of Nanaimo bars and some candied salmon, all of which we munched on later. The Nanaimo bar variety pack included classic, berry, maple, and apple cinnamon. They were delightful little bites!
The Best Park Ever
Stanley Park was up next on the itinerary, and let me tell you, this park is fantastic! We sauntered along the seawall loop and were treated with a lovely breeze. If you love the smell of saltwater like we do, you will love this park. It was so refreshing and beautiful. We saw tons of people biking and running as well. I wasn’t up for a run at the time, but it seemed like the perfect place for it! The whole seawall loop around the park is 10 km. What a lovely 10k! There are other areas of the park to explore as well, but we mainly stuck close to the water. Overall, I’d rate the park an 11/10. My only qualm is that you have to pay for parking, but it’s worth it.
Biking and Hiking Time
We headed to a trailhead after our time at Stanley Park so Jon could go for a bike ride. I ended up going on a little stroll in the forest myself. At one point, I sat down on a rock and listened to the birds chittering around me. I tried to focus more on that than the nearby noises from the road/civilization, where it sounded like someone was mowing their lawn or something. Hikes in proximity to the road can sometimes make the experience less immersive, but what can ya do? Many birds were making their music, which certainly helped! I also saw the tiniest bird I’ve ever seen.
Lynn Canyon
We headed to the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge. I had seen online that this bridge was a cool free alternative to the very popular Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, which costs about $50 and is super touristy. Even still, the Lynn Canyon bridge was absolutely swarming with people. But it was cool, and I’m glad we checked it out. Capilano is on my list for next time as well! We moseyed around for a bit past the bridge before turning back around.
Poutine, Pints, and a Plot Twist Dinner
Of course, we had to get some poutine. I’d heard that La Belle Patate was a solid spot for that, so that’s where we went. The internet did not lie. The poutine was fire! Interestingly, their gravy is vegetarian. You could choose from tons of options, which offered various combos of different meats and other toppings. We got one classic (you have to get the classic) and one with chorizo. After trying bites of each, I decided I enjoyed the classic the best, and Jon was happy with the chorizo, so we claimed each for ourselves. This poutine was cozy, comforting, rich, and savory. It slapped so hard. If you’re ever in Vancouver, you must go here.
Our cashier at La Belle Patate recommended a bar in Gastown, and another customer recommended a different bar to us (people are so friendly—a theme of our trip!). We started at CRAFT Beer Market, where we had a couple of beers, including some ice-cold creamers in frosty glasses. Jon said it was better than any Guiness he’s had in the States. We then headed to The Cambie in Gastown. They had live music, and I enjoyed watching people dance and have fun. We stopped and watched the Gastown Steam Clock before heading off to dinner.
We had planned to get Dim Sum, but we were unfortunately too late. Although the restaurant closed at 9, they sadly did last call at 8:30. We ended up at a fusiony spot with a confusing vibe. It was dimly lit and had a bit of a clubby aesthetic, but not in the way that people were dancing or anything. Something about the general appearance of the place just felt like a club or lounge to me. They also had someone singing live music, which mostly consisted of slower songs.
It was around 10 pm by the time we had finished eating, and we were quite tired and ready to head back to our “home” for the week, Bellingham.
