Vancouver — Destination Guide: Overview

A young and vibrant city, now busily preparing to host the 2010 Winter Olympics, with events in both Vancouver and Whistler/Blackcomb, an hour away on the scenic Sea to Sky Highway. The heart of the city is on a peninsula bordered by English Bay and the Pacific, with a vast, 1,000 acre forest downtown, Stanley Park, dotted with tall totem poles and cyclng and hiking trails. There's a large Asian population, and the best Chinatown in North America after New York City and San Francisco, which don't have a classical Chinese garden in the middle of town. Take the ferry to Granville Island for a step back in time and a feast for the senses at the ...

A young and vibrant city, now busily preparing to host the 2010 Winter Olympics, with events in both Vancouver and Whistler/Blackcomb, an hour away on the scenic Sea to Sky Highway. The heart of the city is on a peninsula bordered by English Bay and the Pacific, with a vast, 1,000 acre forest downtown, Stanley Park, dotted with tall totem poles and cyclng and hiking trails. There's a large Asian population, and the best Chinatown in North America after New York City and San Francisco, which don't have a classical Chinese garden in the middle of town. Take the ferry to Granville Island for a step back in time and a feast for the senses at the fresh food Public Market, walk across the pedestrian-only Capilano Suspension Bridge, which links two sides of a deep gorge via a swinging, cable construction. Take the aerial tram to Grouse Mountain, where locals ski in winter, and joggers, hikers and paragliders do their thing year-round.

About the Expert

Evelyn Kanter is a contributor to Fodor's NYC and Fodor's Canada, editor of the Michelin Green Guide Switzerland, and author of Great Destinations: The Hudson Valley.