Vancouver

Moonraker68

Well-Known Member
We'll will be in Vancouver city next month for a few days, before making our way inland to the Valhalla Provincial Park. There won't be any shooting unfortunately, but any recommendations of where to go (including gun shops!) and what to do would be welcome. Thanks, Rupert
 
If you are travelling south down to Whatcome then the biggest gun shop in all of Washington state is about 5 miles S of lake Whatcome. Its immenense and has a massive stock of ammo and relaoding gear, I will pm you contact details.

D
 
Granville Island Market is worth a visit, as is the nearby Sylvia Hotel on English Bay with excellent cocktails on the terrace while people watching over the beach.
Vancouver Harbour is a good starting point for a floatplane trip over to Vancouver Island or up to Whistler, where you'll fly over some pretty spectacular snow covered mountains - we did it a few years ago and then took the bus out to Pemberton for gliding in the Rockies and ended up 1000' higher than when we started after an hour of riding the ridge lift - sadly it's now closed due to the death of the owner.
Hire some bikes and cycle around Stanley Park, English Bay and the harbour area. Plenty of good local bars and restaurants tucked away.
 
It's many years since I was in Vancouver but the drive to Whistler is spectacular if you have time. I was on a working trip at the airport and went several times to a pub called the Flying Beaver on the riverside:

http://www.mjg.ca/flying-beaver/

The situation on the riverside is spectacular with floatplanes taking off and landing regularly. While that may only appeal to aviation minded types, the food and beer were excellent.

I did a few "test" flights up the channel between Vancouver Island and the mainland, very dramatic, excellent value as I was being paid to be flying rather than the other way round! There are a number of operators who offer sightseeing flights, highly recommended. I'm definitely not a city person but Vancouver is one city I could live in. Enjoy your visit.
 
Go fishing on the Squamish or chekamus rivers from whistler. I had an amazing week after steelhead and dolly varden just at the end of the skiing season. Whistler fly fishing are worth calling to understand the seasons and what will be in the river. Just the best fly fishing when I went, enjoyed more than the Kola Peninsula slalom fishing.
 
Go fishing on the Squamish or chekamus rivers from whistler. I had an amazing week after steelhead and dolly varden just at the end of the skiing season. Whistler fly fishing are worth calling to understand the seasons and what will be in the river. Just the best fly fishing when I went, enjoyed more than the Kola Peninsula slalom fishing.

What he said.
 
For outdoor gear, the Mountain Equipment Co-op is well worth a visit. The prices when I was there (which is around ten years ago) were about half of what we see in the UK. My wife and I were on our way north to do some canoeing and hiking, staying in a tent for three weeks, and we deliberately left a lot of gear at home so that we could stock up on cheap new stuff when we got there. It's a great shop if you like that sort of thing.
We didn't stay in Vancouver itself for very long, but really enjoyed our two days - walking all over the city, taking the water taxis to Granville Island (which was OK, but not our highlight), running around Stanley Park and eating huge amounts of pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast. We were surprised by the numbers of very well dressed beggars in the evening - they had better clothes on than we did! Overall, we loved the place but heading north through Whistler (a ski town that looked out of place when there was no snow) and up towards Lac Le Hache and Quesnel was much better.
 
Stand almost anywhere in Vancouver with a view of the sunset, glass of Peche Mortel in hand, look at the lifestyle, check the yearly climate, the attitude to guns / shooting / fishing / outdoor life, and think...

..wtf am I doing living in the UK?
 
Spent a few months in Vancouver. Seriously looked at moving but didn't have a sponsor or enough money.

There are some great guided walks (independent or with a local guide) around the town that will introduce you to the history and culture of the place which are well worth your time. Walk around Stanley Park. I spent a day kayaking round the islands nearby which was lovely. MEC will suck your wallet dry, in a good way :) As mentioned, it's a 2 hour drive to whistler and the scenery is breathtaking.
 
I can tell you where not to go. Gastown after dark looking for that steam clock. Reminds me of Renton after dark.
 
I can tell you where not to go. Gastown after dark looking for that steam clock. Reminds me of Renton after dark.

The only reason to go to Gastown is if you have a serious heroin addiction . Van is a nice city , if you like cities . I prefer to go up the coast or Vancouver Island . My wife was born and raised in Tofino / Uclelet area , I love the west coast of the island . If I could pick one place to go though , it would be Haida Gwai ( formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands ) Some of the best Halibut and Salmon fishing I've ever had .
If you're staying around Vancouver for any length of time , check out Whistler , Stanley park and if you get a chance, hop on a ferry and go to Victoria . To be honest , there is a lot to see and do on the coast , it just depends on how much time you have .

AB
 
hop on a ferry and go to Victoria . To be honest , there is a lot to see and do on the coast , it just depends on how much time you have .

i second that and try the alaskan salmon burgers on the ferry they are to die for

greenshoots
 
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