Vancouver, laced by inlets of the Pacific Ocean and set against a backdrop of the Coast Mountains, is so charming that even my fussy teenage daughter, Alissa, was wowed at first sight. Of course, it helped that we hit one of the funkiest parts of town first: Granville Island. The former warehouses of this rejuvenated industrial sector now house craft and art galleries, restaurants, a food market and theaters. (Check the Carousel Theatre for children's shows.)
Along with pricey merchandise, Granville has enough shops selling allowance-friendly items to make children happy. At the Kids Only Market, a complex of toy, clothing and specialty stores, vendors sell rubber stamps, stickers and other novelty items. Alissa purchased Styrofoam guts and brains as props for her school horror play, while I discovered the fudge and cappuccino counter.
In the Public Market, with stalls selling fresh seafood, produce, flowers, cheeses and bread, we bought pastries, hot chocolate and coffee, and headed toward the flute music. A group of Ecuadorean musicians played indigenous melodies in a courtyard lined with benches. Granville Island is that kind of place; allow time for the serendipitous when you visit.
Although stores are plentiful in Granville Island, parking spaces are not. Avoid the problem by taking the aquabus ferry from downtown. Not only will your kids like the water ride, but also you'll avoid the traffic.
Another great place to wander is Stanley Park, a 1,000-acre city oasis of meadows, bicycle paths and groves of hemlocks and cedars. Set among the greenery of Stanley Park is the Vancouver Aquarium (604-659-3474). While not a mega-facility, the aquarium has its charms. Little kids especially like its rain forest exhibit, where staged "thunderstorms" bring the drama of showers and crackling thunder. The gallery's floor-to-ceiling tank of huge river dwellers allows kids to get eyeball to eyeball with fish as big as preschoolers.
We could have spent all day at Science World British Columbia (604-443-7443), a whimsically informative science museum. Our favorite gallery, and something we hadn't experienced at other science facilities, was the music room. In sound booths, we played "Lone Arranger" with a synthesizer to learn how sounds are mixed digitally, jammed on keyboards and drums to discover musical patterns, and orchestrated computer images of sound waves.
Young grade-schoolers will like putting on their 3-D glasses to see THE WEB OF LIFE, a film, complete with cute special effects, about the food chain and the interconnectedness of habitats. In the Search Gallery, just for preschoolers, toddlers crawled through a beaver lodge, walked inside a hollow tree, and listened to stories about insects.
The University of British Columbia's Museum of Anthropology (604-822-3825) surprised us; we hadn't expected to be so intrigued by the collection. Considered by some to be Vancouver's most spectacular museum, the facility is renowned for both its holdings from the First Nations of British Columbia and its setting in an award-winning glass-and-concrete building. Standing in front of the Great Hall's towering totem poles, which were carved with ravens, bears, killer whales and birds, we felt a spirit greater than ours. However, when we read the museum's minimal explanations, we were frustrated. Only the tribes and the figures were identified, but not the stories these told.
Our hotel was located on trendy Robson Street, a café- and boutique-lined stretch in the heart of downtown. Here you'll find Planet Hollywood and a Virgin Atlantic Record Store, as well as branches of Canadian specialty stores such as Roots, a casual sportswear store in the J. Crew mode. Our personal favorite was Lush, a body boutique known for its scented bath bombs that explode in a tub like giant Alka-Seltzers. After a long day of sight-seeing, a fragrant soak proved just the thing to rejuvenate us for dinner.
LODGING
Pacific Palisades Hotel, 1277 Robson St. (604-688-0461; 800-663-1815). The Pacific Palisades Hotel is an all-suite property. Each room comes with a dressing area that has a refrigerator, coffee maker, microwave and dishes. There's an indoor pool in a bright, glass building in the courtyard. Rates for this upscale property, which garnered 4 1/2 stars out of a possible 5 in Canada's rating system, start at $250 Canadian (about $207 U.S.) for a family of four.The more moderately priced Riviera Motor Inn, 1431 Robson St. (604-685-1301), is an apartment hotel with 40 studio and one-bedroom units, each with fully equipped kitchens and large, cheerful bedrooms. Rates start at about $148 Canadian.
Tourism Vancouver (604-683-2000) has a variety of helpful brochures, including the VANCOUVER BOOK, which lists attractions, restaurants and lodgings.
Candyce H. Stapen is the author of GREAT FAMILY VACATIONS NORTHEAST, GREAT FAMILY VACATIONS WEST and SKI VACATIONS WITH KIDS.
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated July 2005.
