We had only been in Seattle for 2 full days and were by no means finished exploring the city. Timing is always key though, and this was our best chance to slip away from the family for a couple of days and check out Vancouver, Canada. It’s roughly a 2.5 to 3-hour drive from Seattle, and the views along the way are beautiful. 

Coffee Stand

The first stop on our road trip was coffee. I’ve never seen it anywhere else, but Seattle has the tiniest drive-up coffee stands. It’s only big enough for 1 or 2 people to work in, and they are on almost every corner and gas station. We looked for a highly rated one on Yelp, and Dolce Vita Espresso did not disappoint. I tried a dirty chai for the first time (I know, I must live under a rock), and Nisheet had a gingerbread latte that tasted like melted gingerbread cookies. Mmm mmm. And to top it off, it was served with chocolate covered espresso beans. Perfect way to start our road trip! [Dirty Chai Latte (12oz) = $4.00, Flavored Latte (12oz) = $3.75]

Road Trip from Seattle to Vancouver

Like I mentioned earlier in this post, the views are spectacular along the drive. In some areas you drive through forests with moss covered trees, and in other areas the land opens up for stunning views of snow-covered mountains. Well… there would have been stunning views of the mountains if the clouds weren’t there!

Canadian Border Crossing

When we were approaching the Canadian border crossing, a large electronic sign informed us of the wait times for 2 different crossings. We, of course, went to the shorter one (which happened to be off the interstate a few miles). It was a weekday, but it was also the holiday season, so we had quite a wait. Maybe 45 minutes or so. There are lots of duty-free shops along the way, but we could only think about getting to Vancouver, so we didn’t stop. We had our passports ready, and it was a breeze to get through. They asked a couple questions such as “where are you from?” and “why are you visiting?” and then sent us on our way. 

Once we crossed into Canada, we both immediately lost cell coverage. We expected I would lose coverage, but why did Nisheet? He had T-mobile which prides themselves on “breaking down international borders” and providing free texting and data in more than 140 countries. It worked on Nisheet’s phone in France and Belgium in 2015. It worked on my phone (using his SIM) earlier this year in Iceland. But not Canada?!? Later that night we contacted customer service, and they assured us his plan works in Canada. Instead of spending hours dealing with them though, we downloaded offline Google Maps and enjoyed 2 days of no data. It was kind of refreshing to be off the grid for a little bit.

Getting to Granville Island

There was a bunch of traffic, and there aren’t any interstates that go into Vancouver, but we eventually made it! Our first stop was Granville Island. It is a little tricky to find it when you are only looking at a map and not having a GPS direct you, so let me give you a tip. Highway 99 appears to cross Granville Island, then a river, and then drops you into downtown Vancouver. However, there is NO EXIT to Granville Island. You must get off the road beforehand and drive on a road directly under Highway 99 to get to Granville Island. 

Granville Island

We knew Granville Island was a shopping district, but we had the impression that it was similar to Pike Place Market in Seattle. While they do have a public market, there are loads of cute little souvenir stores, restaurants, and galleries to browse through. Supposedly there are around 275 businesses located here! 

Although I enjoyed browsing through the tourist shops and art galleries and looking at all the maple products, my favorite place was the public market. And, it was very similar to Pike Place, but it had more sausages and less fresh fish. It also had mountains of delicious looking produce too. We were just about to purchase some, and then we noticed an employee replenishing a fruit pile with one of those clear plastic containers you buy at the grocery store. On further inspection, the package was from the USA! Hmmm… No thanks! I want some Canadian food! 

Beyond the produce is all sorts of sweets shops. You can find macarons and pastries, but we were looking for something a little different. Something we had never seen before. And, we found a cinnamon record. It was like a huge crunchy cinnamon roll.

After all that sugar, we needed some real lunch. We found what we were looking for at the very back of the Public Market. It was a little shop called Stock Market selling all sorts of soups and chowders. Perfect for a rainy and chilly Vancouver day! We ordered the smoked salmon chowder and it really hit the spot. Piping hot and full of flavor from the salmon and veggies. Finding a table to eat was a bit of a challenge, but we quickly snagged a seat at the window with a fabulous view of the water and skyline. [Salmon chowder = $4.80 (USD)]

L’Hermitage Hotel

After Granville Island, we needed to relax before venturing out for dinner and drinks, so we headed to our hotel. We booked it with credit card points the night before, so I’m not sure of the exact price, but I think it was around 150 USD including tax. Nisheet told me that I was booking a fancy hotel. I insisted that downtown hotels are just that expensive. In fact, I thought it was a great price considering it was within walking distance of everything. Nisheet was right. It was fancy. But boy did we enjoy the hotel! [Petite room= $150/night (USD)]

The luxury begins right when you check in. They had to walk around the counter and present me with the keys. And then you get to the room. It was on the smaller side (we reserved a petite room) but definitely luxurious with plush bedding, a Nespresso coffee machine, an Italian marble bath, bathrobes, bath slippers, and a private furnished patio. They also have turn down service with a personalized letter and chocolates. 

The room alone was spectacular, but the best part of the hotel was the heated rooftop pool and hot tub. The picture below is from the following morning during daylight, but it looks even more magical at night. The buildings were all lit up, Christmas trees and decorations were shining out of windows, and steam was rising from the heated pool. 

Fritz European Fry House

We eventually dragged ourselves out of the hot tub and headed out in search of dinner. What is the first food that pops in your head when you think of Canada? For us, it is unquestionably poutine. We love poutine. So we went out to find the best that Vancouver had to offer. And, I think we found the absolute best at Fritz European Fry House. Try it loaded with pulled pork, and you will be in heaven. The fries are double-fried hot and crispy, the gravy adds a touch of salt and a lot of flavor, the cheese curds are slightly melted from the heat, and the pulled pork is the cherry on top. [Poutine w/ pulled pork + soda = $10.82 (USD)]

Rogue Kitchen & Wetbar

I had a bar picked out called The Bottleneck, but there was a lack of communication. When we walked in, it was just what I wanted. A cozy and modern bar with an extensive cocktail list for me and a page full of beers for Nisheet. But…. none of the good beers were on tap, and why would we order bottled beer when we could buy that in the grocery store? After wandering around a bit, we eventually ended up at a bar that one of the hotel workers recommended. The Rogue Kitchen & Wetbar. I suppose we should have just gone with his suggestion to begin with. They had lots of cocktails for me, including a Moscow Mule with vodka made in BC, and they had tons of British Columbia beer on tap for Nisheet. Yay! It was quite a large trendy place, but they had the different areas sectioned off to make it feel more intimate. And, even though it was a weekday, it was definitely the place to be! [3 drinks + tax/tip = $20]