Doug Orens

One of the great things about Vancouver is how close it is to us here in Los Angeles. In less than three hours you can be in this beautiful city on the West Coast of Canada. I took an early morning flight, and after enjoying the sunrise at LAX, boarded my nonstop WestJet flight to Vancouver. When I checked in online the day before my flight, I was given the opportunity to buy a Premium Economy seat for only about $70. This same seat would have been about $350 more if I chose this at the time of booking. WestJet Plus (that’s what they call Premium Economy) gets you a seat up front, a table between the two seats instead of another person, much more legroom, free food and drinks, and more. I don’t think I would have paid $700 more for this roundtrip since the flight is so short, but for $70 each way, it was definitely worth it. There are no guarantees, but this works for most airlines….if there are premium seats available 24 hours before the flight is scheduled to leave, you can usually buy them for a fraction of what they normally cost.

I was at Fairmont Waterfront a little after noon. It’s so nice to have most of the day to explore the city rather than spend the whole day travelling. I had a beautiful room on the 23rd (top) floor with an amazing view of the water. After a walk around the city, which is very compact, we went over to the Rosewood hotel for a quick tour and then wonderful happy hour on the roof-top terrace called Reflections. This comfy, outdoor space is open from April through September and then again over the Holidays with a special lighting display. We saw a number of great hotel options during our stay, each with a unique feel and features that would appeal to a variety of tastes. Rather that write about each one, you can learn more by clicking on the links below.

Our first full day in the city was spent seeing it from the air. We started off with a floatplane flight from the airport to the harbor. What a fun way to see everything this area has to offer! Next was The Vancouver Lookout, an observation tower that rises 553 feet in the middle of the city with 360 degree views, and finally we experienced Flyover Canada, a fun ride very much like the Soarin’ rides at Disney, but showcasing the beauty of Western Canada.

After a full day of sightseeing we were treated to a delicious dinner at Market which is the first restaurant in Canada for three-star Michelin chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and the signature restaurant of Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver. Not only is the hotel gorgeous, but the multi-course meal with wine and sake pairings was an experience unto itself. This is definitely worth a stop next time you are in Vancouver.

Our second full day in Vancouver began with this gorgeous sunrise. After spending day one in the air, day two was spent on the ground – kind of! Our first stop of the day was the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Breathtakingly suspended 230 feet above and 450 feet across Capilano River, the Capilano Suspension Bridge is Vancouver’s oldest attraction. Located in the temperate rainforest on Vancouver’s North Shore, the park features the world famous Suspension Bridge, Treetops Adventure, a series of seven mini suspension bridges suspended high in the tree tops, and Cliffwalk, a cliff-side journey through rainforest vegetation above the Capilano River. Wow, such a fun way to spend the morning! They have free shuttle service from downtown which is only about 20 minutes away. Next up was Granville Island, with more than 12.2 million visitors per year, it's one of Vancouver’s most well-known culinary hubs. The centerpiece of the experience is the Public Market which houses a diverse array of vendors that include butchers, bakers, fishmongers, cheese specialists, chocolatiers and more. Local artists have set up shop just outside, alongside a wine shop, a microroaster of organic coffee and Canada’s only artisan sake distillery.

Last stop of the day was a super-fun food tour in Gastown. Officially designated a historic area, Gastown began as a bawdy frontier town named after “Gassy” Jack Deighton (a riverboat captain turned saloon proprietor). Today, this renovated district is adorned with antique street lamps, shops, restaurants and the Gastown Steam Clock, the world’s first steam-operated clock. Our Food Tour included four stops and the food was so delicious, and unique, I would go back to each one of them for a full meal if I had the time. At Six Acres we had Poutine, Bison Flank Steak Salad with Truffle Balsamic dressing on Arugula with deep fried cauliflower, Cheddar Corn Fritter on Chipotle Sour Creme. That's the picture on the bottom right above. Next up was Nicli Antica Pizzaria where we feasted on Margarertia Pizza and Pesto BBT Pizza. After that was Bao Down Snackbar for amazing Bao Chicka Bao Bao, paired with "Manga" Cocktail (their take on a Mango Mojito). And who could forget desert?

Creme brûlée, paired with Calvados Brandy, Dubonnet & Woods' Amaro at Wildebeest. I love food tours, and if you've read about some of my other trips, you know we try to do them as often as we can. I'd say I've been on at least 12 by now.

Next up was our two day trip on the Rocky Mountaineer train from Vancouver to Banff, with an overnight stop in the city of Kamloops. I had no idea what to expect……sitting on a train for 8 – 10 hours a day, for two days in a row? WOW, this is so much more than a train ride! The scenery is amazing, starting in the city, meandering through lush green farmlands dotted with lakes, and finishing in the snow covered Canadian Rockies. I should have known we were in for a treat when we got to the Rocky Mountaineer station. Live piano music, tray-passed juices, coffee station, and such a feeling of excitement. When it was time to board the train, the bagpipes stopped, a honeymoon couple blew the train whistle and everyone yelled “all aboard”!!

There are two classes of service on the train. Gold Leaf and Silver Leaf. Our Gold Leaf car had two levels, the glass-domed top deck, with super comfy chairs, and the beautiful dining room on the first level. Also on the first level was an outdoor platform that we took advantage of much of the time. The top deck is beautiful, and the views amazing, but it’s so nice to be outside and enjoy the fresh mountain air as the train winds its way through the gorgeous scenery. Since this is truly about the journey, in addition to the destination, we cruise along at “Kodak Speed”, perfect for taking in all of the sights and getting some great photos.

Then, of course there’s the food, so much and so delicious. I don’t usually post a lot of food pictures, but I can’t believe this was all served on a train. There are a bunch of food pics in the slideshow above and i did not include all ofthe food we had. We also had scones in our seats before breakfast, wine and cheese in the afternoon before lunch, and a constant flow of other snacks offered to us throughout the day. And, they don’t expect you to go thirsty; alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks of all types were free flowing the entire time. Each car has its own staff and kitchen, and as beautiful as the train is, and as delicious as the food is, the staff and service is even better!!

It’s not the best photo, but I wanted to show some wildlife. From the train, in addition to the amazing scenery, you have the opportunity to see a variety of Canadian wildlife. Tons of birds of all different species, bear, elk, deer, moose, bald eagles, osprey, salmon, mountain goats and bighorn sheep. The staff said they see all of these quite often, so be sure to keep your eyes open and your cameras ready.

Our train ride ended in Banff, Alberta, Canada. Just across the border from British Columbia. Banff is a resort town located within Banff National Park. It sits at 4,537 feet above sea level with the peaks of Mt. Rundle and Mt. Cascade, part of the Rocky Mountains, surrounding the city and dominating its skyline. Banff Avenue is the quaint main street down the middle of town, and we walked everywhere from our hotel. Everyone here, and throughout our time in Canada, was so friendly. After a delicious lunch at the Banff Avenue Brewery, we were thanking our waitress and told her how much we enjoyed the food and the service. She mentioned that they do brewery tours and asked if we would like one. Of course we said yes and four of us had a private tour of this great little brewery right in the middle of town.

Day one in Banff included a great tour of many of the highlights in and around the city. These included Bow Falls, Lake Minnewanka, Surprise Corner, the Hoodoos and the Banff Gondola at Sulphur Mountain. Each of these was beautiful in a different way. From the cascading water at Bow Falls, to the panoramic views from the top of Sulphur Mountain, I wouldn’t skip any of it.

The cable car ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain is a fun little ride, and the visitor’s center at the top has plenty to see and do. There is a full service restaurant, yoga classes, story time, a great little movie, and even free tastings of freshly made maple taffy.

If you have the time, and the energy, be sure to make the 30 minute trip to Sanson Peak, at 7,402 feet above sea level, this is the highest point on Sulphur Mountain. As you can see from the pics, there was still plenty of snow, but a little later in the season this is covered with beautiful greenery and flowers.

Our final day in Canada was spent exploring more of Banff National Park and going into Yoho National Park. We got to see the Spiral Tunnels that we had gone through on the train a couple of days before. We then made a quick visit to beautiful Emerald Lake and the Natural Bridge that spans the Kicking Horse River. We finished the day at the village of Lake Louise and went to the famous, and very photogenic, Fairmont Lake Louise for lunch overlooking the frozen lake. A nice stroll around the lake and our trip was coming to an end. What a great way to spend our last day. I look forward to coming back soon and seeing more of this beautiful country filled with friendly, welcoming people.

Fairmont Banff Springs

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

One of the nice things about traveling to Canada is the immigration process. Most (if not all) of the larger airports have US Customs and Boarder Protection in the airport. That means that when you land back at home, you do not have to go through Customs or Immigration there. This can save a ton of time. It also means that your Global Entry works in Canada if you have it. If you don't know what that is, you can read about it here. I mention it quite often, but the picture on the right is the Priority Pass club at Calgary Airport. This is another great thing to have, and it's free with many Credit Cards. Reach out to me if you have any questions or just want more info about Global Entry or Priority Pass.

Shoot an email to: doug@plazatravel.com if you have any questions or want more details about this, or any of my other trips!

Vancouver, Banff & Lake Louise with Rocky Mountaineer, April 2018