This edition will be more along the lines of a typical 10 best things to do in Vancouver during the summer 🙂
FYI: These are in no particular order, it was hard enough to just pick 10!

1. South Main Street. Fun funky shops and a fine collection of local up and coming designers all for your shopping pleasure. Park and walk from about 8th to about 15th, there are lots of cafes and restaurant that will help keep you fueled. This is where you should shop for meaningful souvenirs of Vancouver, at least you will know they were made here and not China. 🙂

Urban Source. At the end of the Main Street
stroll is this little treasure .
“We collect from over 100 different local industries, diverting safe, useable off-cuts, discards, misprints
and over-stock from the land fill. Materials are then sorted, organized and prepared for the store. Most
importantly, we come up with a variety of innovative
uses for everythingwe collect.”
It will open your mind to all sorts of possibilities and stir your creative juices.

2. South False Creek Sea Wall. Starting at the Olympic Village to Cambie Street is an awesome addition to the sea wall project. Modern and edgy, it winds along the edge of the village and through natural areas including a tiny wild life sanctuary. There is public art and micro breweries and if you’re hungry you could do worse than the Tap and Barrel. The food is decent but the big draw is the decks with the killer views of False Creek and downtown Vancouver!

3. In the same neighborhood is Mario’s Gelati.
Just south of the seawall, off Main Street on 1st Ave.
this gem is tucked into a gritty little “up and coming”
neighborhood. It is sublime and I think it is the best
in the city. My favorite is the sugar-free chocolate
that keeps me coming back even in the winter. 🙂

Since Mario’s is at the beginning for 1. & 2. you might as well use it as the perfect starting point! And it will be an excellent excuse to have gelato for breakfast cause as Jimmy Buffet sings “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere!“

4. If you continue along the seawall, past Granville Island, you will come across Go Fish and it will be time to eat again LOL. Be prepared for line-ups on weekends, apparently it is part of their charm. It’s really a glorified food truck with some picnic tables so don’t expect linen tablecloths, but do expect fresh delightful seafood. They are at the fishers wharf in False Creek so when you are finished stuffing your face with fish tacos you can buy just-caught fish and shrimp directly from the fishers.

5. Jericho Sailing Centre,in particular the Galley Patio Grill.
On the south shore of English Bay on NW Marine Drive,
the patio is well worth the trek from Vancouver. You can
easily cycle it from downtown, which will help wear off
the calories of the burger and beer you will inhale while
your mind is blown by the view. I did a post about
the area you might like to check out.

6. You can find Spanish Banks right beside Jericho Beach. Since it is on the way to UBC and Pacific Spirit Natural Park it would be an excellent pair them up. The end of the beach is off leash so great for the dog of the family. When the wind is blowing this area is the go-to for kite boarders! And parking is free, a rare experience in Vancouver!

7. Lighthouse Park A lovely West Vancouver park that walks you through old growth forests to discover boulder and log strewn shores and wee beaches. It is a magical place that gives me a feeling of being in a cathedral. The hiking is easy with only a few hills. Make sure you go to Starboat Cove where you will be able to see from the Lions Gate Bridge to UBC. Perfect for a picnic lunch.

 

8. Vancouver Biennale. “Our exhibitions are unique in the world in that we feature sculpture, new media, film, music and dance. We transform the urban landscape into an Open Air Museum, creating unexpected and globally inspired cultural experiences where people live, play, work and transit.” The beloved A-maze-ing Laughter sculpture at English Bay is one which we just couldn’t let go of. You can just keep an eye out for the sculptures while you are bopping around or use the map on the web site to organize a bike tour of the different sculptures in their various communities.

9. Steveston Dyke Bike Ride. If you get out to Steveston, you just have to rent a bike and do the dyke ride. It will give you such a different aspect to the Lower Mainland. Richmond’s highest level is 39′ above sea level and that is likely a land fill somewhere. Most of it is more like 5′. This will give you a fascinating peek into people’s backyards on one side and the Fraser River and the ocean on the other.

10. Chor Leoni does the Bard. Internationally acclaimed men choir layers humor and suave la vie over extraordinary talent once a year for the Bard stage. Don’t miss out on this celebration of male voices and they always sneak in a special guest artist. You’ll have to be quick as a bunny to catch them this year since they only have 4 concerts, June 23 & June 30 • 3pm & 8pm.
Sounds like their June 23rd concert was a hit with this reviewer:

“Had a fantastic time under the Bard on the Beach tent on Monday afternoon, listening to some lions roar! The Winner Takes it All award could go to Bruce Hoffman for his ABBA cover, but everything was fantastic. From a Beatles retrospective to Broadway’s best and beyond…many magical moments, proving that Chor Leoni and Erick Lichte can proudly proclaim We Are the Champions! Well done everyone. Plan to take in a performance by Chor Leoni on Monday June 30 (3 & 8pm)”
—Matthew Baird | June 24, 2014 @ 10:05 am

 

Make sure you click on the links for more information.