Vancouver
By Sasha Goldstein
So you're stuck in an urban metropolis like Toronto, sucking in smog from the gardner ex-‐ pressway, working by week and beating your way through mobs of panhandlers to get to the liquor store so you can go to another pre drink, give your liver a workout and empty your wallet at the Drake/ Hoxton by weekend. Or maybe you're stuck in small town Ontario somewhere, pretending not to know your high-‐school friends when they pass you in the self-‐help section at the local Drugmart.
You need a vacation. But that Punta Cana fund you keep in a jar just isn't cutting it. At this point, your options seem pretty limited… but did you know that you have an oceanside mountain range right here in Canada, complete with scuba-‐diving and sandy beaches? The water in B.C. might be a little colder, but you can have an exotic experience without the hefty airfare price-‐tag, and you won't have to refer to a spanish/english dictionary every time you want to ask where the bathroom is.
DO:
don't:
-‐ Visit in the summer, unless you like the rain. All day. Everyday.
-‐ Hang out around East Hastings street in Vancouver past 6pm. Unless you are in the market for crack.
-‐ Stay in Vancouver, and spend time checking out the Granville Island Market, walking around Kitsi-‐ lano, tanning on the Jericho Beach, and exploring Stanley Park.
-‐ Wear heels or a suit jacket outside of metro Vancouver and act surprised when you stick out like a sore thumb.
-‐ Visit Whistler, swim in spring-‐fed lakes, rent a mouintain bike for the day, and eat a slice of pizza from Fat Tony's.
-‐ Rent a car if you plan on staying in the city. Bikes and public transit leave them in the dust.
-‐ Jump on a ferry to Vancouver Island, visit Victoria, rent a surfboard in Tofino, and go snorkelling with seals in Nanaimo. Also, definitely eat a fish taco from the Tacofino food truck in Tofino.
-‐ Wear a Bruins jersey to a Canucks game. Ever.
Lifestyle, 44