August, 1997
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Vancouver: Western Canada's Emerald City

by Richard Klein

When Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor were singing the praises of Green Acres, just maybe they had Vancouver, British Columbia, in mind? The city is set in a northern rain forest of cedar and hemlock on a calm harbor studded with islands and surrounded by snow-capped mountains. This stunning location is probably matched only by Rio and Hong Kong. A richly endowed cosmopolitan metropolis, Vancouver is ringed by beaches, hikeable mountains, and embedded with gardens to sigh for. As one of North America's premiere gay and lesbian venues, the visitor will be charmed and enchanted by Canada's Emerald City.

Damp, but lovely
Now there is this rain thing. Vancouver receives an annual rainfall of about 57 inches. But that has its upside. It keeps the place green and lush; and nothing could be lusher than Vancouver's gardens with roses, rhododendrons, and azaleas. And the rain is of a gentle sort; a continuous drizzle that, armed with an umbrella and a slicker, allows one to amble around this place very easily. The sun does shine, and when it does you can really appreciate Vancouver's magnificent setting.

Just walking around
Vancouver is synonymous with the great outdoors. Stanley Park with its beaches, biking and hiking paths, rose gardens, and totem polls, adjoins the downtown area. It covers 1,000 landscaped acres and houses the Kid's Zoo and the Public Aquarium. The park was donated to the city some 100 years ago by one of Canada's Governors General, Lord Stanley, who also began hockey's Stanley Cup. Gastown is sort of like our Old Town. It is a bit touristy, but fun to visit for browsing through shops and enjoying its delightful steam clock.

You can conquer agoraphobia by crossing a "swinging" suspension bridge on Capitalano Mountain. The views will leave you breathless, as does the dizzying heights.

Vancouver's Chinatown does make you feel like you are in Hong Kong. It is the second largest Chinese community in North America.

Granville Market is an old brewery that has been turned into a shopping and cultural magic kingdom, just across from downtown and easily reachable by bus or water shuttle. In any case, public transportation in Vancouver is very good; bus, taxi, sky train, or just plain walking. Day trip to Victoria
If you need to get out of town, be civilized and take the ferry to genteel Victoria, British Columbia's provincial capital. This is an easy day trip. In tone, Victoria acts more British than Great Britain. Victoria has wonderful old government buildings and museums. But the centerpiece of the city is the Empress Hotel, a classic piece of Victorian architecture set on the waterfront of Victoria Harbor. High tea at the Empress Hotel is a must! (So are reservations.) Butchart Gardens in Victoria provides some of the finest examples of English gardens. It is another must, especially for anyone who even dabbles in horticulture.

Where the boys - and girls - are
Davie Street is Vancouver's version of North Halsted. Here are many gay and lesbian owned and patronized shops, bars, coffeehouses, and restaurants. One even serves Portuguese-prepared chicken. So there should be something to please everyone's fancy. Odyssey seems to be the happening dance bar at the moment.

For women, there is an area like Andersonville on Commercial, east of downtown. It is accessible by the Skyway train and the #20 bus. At Commercial and Charles, there is a huge coffee shop, which I was told was lesbian owned, operated, and patronized. Very close by is the Havana Restaurant, with its own art gallery. True to form, Vancouver has its own gay/lesbian outdoors club: Out and About, which offers excursions, hikes, and other outdoor activities. To keep you abreast of things: XTRA West and Angles are two free gay/lesbian newspapers. They can be found at all the gay and gay friendly establishments around town. The Georgia Strait is a local paper akin to our Reader.

Hotels and restaurants
There is a wonderful variety of accommodations in Vancouver. We like the venerable Sylvia at English Beach; O'Doul's Hotel on Robson Street for its amenities and great shopping location; the Blue Horizon for the high-rise views; the Metropolitan for the upscale service and, ohhh, those huge bathrooms; and the Days Inn for its location and value.

Another appealing place to stay is the gay-friendly West End Guest House, with its shocking pink facade and delightful Victorian interiors. You may even find a teddy bear on your bed. Another gay-friendly choice is The Landis, located on Davie Street, adjacent to the Odyssey. The dining room there is very good, featuring Northwest cooking, as interpreted by a French chef.

Speaking of good cooking, Vancouver abounds with fine restaurants. As part of the Pacific Rim, there is no shortage of excellent Asian restaurants. Seafood, especially salmon, is a specialty here. On my last visit in May, Copper Canyon Salmon was the rage. I greatly enjoyed my "northwest cooked meal" at O'Doul's Hotel and at Pezzo, also located on Robson.

Although prices are not exactly bargain-basement, the Canadian dollar pegs in about 25 percent lower than the U.S dollar.

Plan ahead
Despite an array of fine hotels, it is very necessary to reserve well in advance, because Vancouver is very, very popular. Tip: September & October tend to be a bit less crowded, and the weather is still very good for sightseeing.

Also, Vancouver makes a great side-trip if you are in Seattle, and it makes a wonderful pre- or post-Alaska cruise trip. If you are planning an RSVP, Olivia, or other Alaska cruise, look into spending some time in Vancouver.

Rain or no rain, Vancouver grew on me like moss to a stone. It's definitely worth a first time - or a return - visit. You will not be disappointed.

Your travel writer: Richard Klein is a travel counselor at Envoy Travel, Inc., 740 N. Rush St., Suite 609, Chicago IL 60611. Envoy is owned and managed by Cynthia A. Marquard. Richard or Cynthia can be reached at 312-787-2400 or 1-800-44-ENVOY.

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