First Day in Vancouver
We arrived in Vancouver in early afternoon on a Saturday. It didn’t take long for us to decide that we really liked this beautiful city nestled between the mountains and the sea.
We were staying in the heart of Downtown, at the historic Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Built by the Canada National Railway in 1939, it was a grand French chateau standing proudly among the downtown skyscrapers. Inside, the decor was modern and eclectic. Behind the lobby was a small shopping mall with stores like Dior, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton. This was more luxe than our usual lodgings, but we were on vacation!



There was a Din Tai Fung near the hotel, so we walked over for a late lunch of excellent xiao long bao (soup dumplings). Fortified, we decided to go wandering, and headed toward the waterfront, just a few blocks away.
We took a long walk on the sea wall along Vancouver Harbor. It was great weather for walking - 70℉ with a light breeze. We saw houseboats and yachts in the marina, watched sea planes taking off and landing, and listened to the buzz of other people speaking many different languages. Across the harbor, North Vancouver shone white against the dramatic backdrop of the Coast Mountains. Gorgeous.





After a short rest at the hotel, we went to a nearby restaurant called Coast, where we enjoyed an outstanding meal of fresh halibut, with excellent Canadian white wine and a delectable lemon custard for dessert. Wow!
It had been a long day, so we turned in early. It was strange to think we had just left Chicago that morning. We would be at the Fairmont for just two nights, as part of our bucket list experience on the iconic Rocky Mountaineer. We were glad that we already had plans to return to Vancouver after our train adventure. There was so much more to see and do in this beautiful city.