VVR-Port-100-Vancouver-Canada

June 30 – July 1, 2025

Marti Eicholz

Cruising from Victoria, BC, to Vancouver involves a scenic journey across the Strait of Georgia, spotting orcas, humpback whales and other marine wildlife.

Vancouver is a bustling west coast seaport city in British Columbia, Canada, the largest port city in Canada with the fourth largest cruise ship terminal in the world. Most of the ships departing from this terminal are headed to Alaska, as we will.

Vancouver, located on the mainland of British Columbia, nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the North Shore Mountains, shielded from the direct impact of the Pacific Ocean by Vancouver Island, enjoys a mild, oceanic climate, warm winters and cool summers with an average of 165 rainy days per year.

The city has a well-defined grid system for streets and avenues.

Vancouver has a large immigrant population. This immigrant population makes up forty percent of the total population, giving Vancouver a vibrant multicultural, cosmopolitan atmosphere with a rich cultural heritage, a multifaceted cultural tapestry, making it one of Canada’s most ethnically and linguistically, heterogenicity cities. Visit the Chinese Cultural Center to learn about Chinese culture and history. The city has a high proportion of Asians, creating one of the largest historic Chinatown’s in North America, influencing its diverse culinary scene. Known to have some of the finest Chinese food in the world, as well as other East Asian cuisines, try dim sum, fresh fish from the Kee local waters, and tasty bakery treats. Interestingly, here is the world’s narrowest building, the Sam Building, only six feet wide.

Right in the heart of Chinatown is the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, a perfect urban oasis, a stunning garden, representing an authentic Ming Dynasty-era tradition. Winding paths, unique rock forms, lush plants, a water lily-covered pond, and a pagoda, create beautiful vistas, granting peace and tranquility. Lovely!

Vancouver is known for its stunning, majestic natural beauty, breathtaking landscapes, offering a unique, seamless blend of urban living with amenities: a thriving, lively arts scene with numerous theaters, galleries, music venues, and access to outdoor recreational opportunities like hiking, biking, kayaking, and beach-going, offering everything from vibrant city life to breathtaking mountain and ocean views.

Vancouver has more parks than any other city in the world (more than 190 parks) of which Stanley Park is the largest, taking up about half of the downtown peninsula and containing half a million trees, hundreds of years old and three hundred feet high.

Stanley Park, a large magnificent green space, a beloved urban park with 989 acres, scenic trails, beautiful beaches, waterfront views, wildlife viewing, dining options, and a large aquarium, a popular destination for recreation and enjoying nature, ten percent bigger than New York City's famous Central Park, offers a vast urban oasis with forests, seawalls, beaches, cultural, historical and natural landmarks. All the grey squirrels are descendants of eight pairs of grey squirrels that New York City gifted Vancouver in 1909.

The best way to explore Stanley Park or the stunning coastline is to bike or walk the world’s longest uninterrupted waterfront walkway at 13.6 miles, snaking along the Vancouver Seawall, built to prevent erosion of the park along the coast.

Queen Elizabeth Park, a horticultural jewel, noted for its beautifully maintained gardens in the geographical heart of Vancouver, is a major draw for celebrating special occasions. This 128.5-acre park is home to the stunning Bloedel Conservatory, an domed lush tropical paradise atop Vancouver’s highest point. Constructed and dedicated “to a better appreciation and understanding of the world of plants, tropical birds, and koi fish.” Five hundred exotic plants thrive in this temperature-controlled environment.

The VanDusen Botanical Garden is a 55-acre oasis in the heart of Vancouver with over 7,500 plant species, a spot to photograph local wildlife, find your way through an Elizabethan hedge maze, unwind in a serene setting, or dine on one of the café or restaurant patios.

Going beyond general knowledge, let’s learn a little more about this beautiful city:

Vancouver is consistently ranked among the most eco-friendly cities for its commitment to sustainability and green initiatives.

The eco-activist group Greenpeace, an international environmental organization, was founded in Vancouver in 1971.

Back in the 1970s in Vancouver, legend has it that Chef Hidekazu Tojo created the inside-out, California Roll to appeal to local tastes.

A historic cannon is fired every evening at 9 pm, a nightly tradition dating back to the city's early days.

The Lions Gate Bridge, a suspension bridge, offers stunning views of the city and its natural surroundings.

The West End neighborhood of the city is known for its thriving gay community, a welcoming, vibrant LGBTQ+ scene.

Cosmetic treatment Botox was invented in Vancouver.

Vancouver is home to Canada's longest saltwater swimming pool, measuring 451 feet, the size of three Olympic pools, and offering stunning views of the ocean and mountains.

The quaint and famous Gastown, Vancouver’s oldest neighborhood, began as a settlement that grew around the site of a makeshift saloon (tavern). It is a fun place to explore with its cobblestone streets, historic buildings, the famous Steam Clock, lovely boutiques, restaurants, and cafes.

Vancouver is consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities in the world, offering a high quality of life, emphasizing health, wellness, and environmental sustainability.

Vancouver, a major hub for film and television production, second to Los Angeles in TV production and third in feature film production, is known as “Hollywood North.”

We on The Odyssey agree that Vancouver is one beautiful city with a stunning setting, one of the most beautiful in the world…so far. We do have a lot more cities to visit and destinations to explore.

As the Odyssey cranks up its engines, readying for our month exploring “The Great Land,” the vast, the rugged, the majestic, and the wild Alaska, we stand wearing red and white, waving the Canadian flag, honoring Canada and our Canadian friends. Today is Canada Day, celebrated annually on July 1^st. It is a vibrant and joyous occasion, bringing Canadians together with colorful parades, floats, marching bands, concerts, fireworks, and picnics to reflect on their nation’s rich heritage and its diverse cultural landscape.

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