May 30-31 was spent in Vancouver. This was my first time ever in Canada, and I was surprised by how much character this particular city had! There were cute restaurants, shops and bars in every direction. After a long plane ride, we checked into our hotel and went out for pizza around 7 pm. I wanted a salad, so I trekked across the street to a different bar/restaurant to buy a salad to-go. I will NEVER forget how crazy this place was for that early in the night. The music was blasting, it was absolutely packed, and drinks were being poured in every direction. In the corner of the bar were non-Canadian students studying in Vancouver that apparently couldn't speak English very well. The bartender was getting so worked up explaining that they were being WAY too loud, but if he told them that, they wouldn't understand him. The scene/struggle reminded me of Italian times. The salad was great, and not too long after dinner, we went to sleep. The next morning, I woke up relatively early to walk around with the family and my camera. We discovered Gastown, the world's first steam-powered clock, lots of great architecture, and a laid back city vibe. I could see myself spending more time in Vancouver in the future. The weather was comfortably cool--a perfect median between the sweltering heat of Georgia that I've always known, and the frigid temperatures of Alaska that I would discover just a mere few days from then.
XO
