Solo in the City: Eat and Bike Your Way Through Vancouver

Parks

• Stanley Park: This is a public park with a 6-mile path that can be walked or cycled through. There are multiple stopping points you can make to get beautiful views of the city and of natural sites such as Brockton Point Lighthouse, Totem Poles, Beaver Lake, Rhododendron Garden, Prospect Point. It is ideal to spend a few hours here, especially if you plan to sit and picnic, or swim or sunbathe by the water. There are multiple city bike rental points near and inside the park.

• Queen Elizabeth Park: This is a beautiful park with multiple vantage points of the city and the various mountain ranges around Vancouver. There are many flowers and trees as well as a greenhouse (sometimes with an exhibition) that you can walk through. This is a relaxing way to spend 2–3 hours.

Biking and hiking

• Beach Bike Ride: After stopping by Granville Island Public Market for lunch, this is a great place to start your beach bike ride. From the market, follow the bike path north toward Burrard Street Bridge. Then continue along the path toward Kitsilano Beach, Locarno Beach, Spanish Beach and Acadia Beach. The ride is fairly easy as it is on a paved path (though some rocky patches by the beaches) the entire route. There are some uphill stretches the closer you get to Acadia Beach, but otherwise it is a nice, relaxing way to see the coastline. There are multiple city bike rental points along the route and by the market. The entire route is 12 miles, but you can turn back at any point very easily. Make sure to take breaks at any of the beaches and parks (which is worth it to see the many bunnies near Kitsilano Beach).

• Capilano Suspension Bridge Park: If you have a fear of heights, this may not be the excursion for you. The bridge is 140m (~460 feet) long and 70m (~230 feet) above the Capilano River. It (fortunately) does not swing and can take 5–15 minutes to cross (depending on your comfort with heights, I nearly sprinted across). Outside the suspension bridge, the park features bird presentations, a much more digestible suspension bridge and platform park, gravity-defying cliff-side walkways, nature walkways, a historical center, kids’ activities and a souvenir shop. The park will take about 1–2 hours, and tickets can be reserved in advance or bought on-site. There is also a free shuttle included with your ticket to take you back into the city that drops off at various hotels.

Vancouver culture

• Steam Clock: Vancouver has the only steam-powered clock in the world. Located in the Gastown neighborhood, visitors stand around this prestigious clock to hear it go off every 15 minutes. Steam and music erupt as the clock strikes.

• Maple Souvenirs: If you love maple, then head over to Robson Street for your souvenirs. Grand Maple Gifts has a variety of different maple-oriented gifts from toffees, syrups, candies and more. They also have apparel, glassware, stuffed animals and other Canadian-oriented souvenirs to purchase.

Meals

• Nero Waffles: So good that I went back twice. They have both sweet and savory dishes, but they are most known for their Belgian and Liege waffles. I loved their plain waffles as well as their Lavender London Fog tea.

• HK BBQ Master: I think about this place all the time as I have yet to have Cantonese roast and BBQ pork as good as this. This place can have a wait and is cash only, so be sure to have some in hand (or hop into the department store next door to use the ATM). Make sure to order the plate half lean, half fatty. This is a place you really don’t want to miss.

• Jam Cafe - Beatty Street: It is recommended to get here at opening to avoid a long wait. I got here 20 minutes before opening and was greeted by a line already almost halfway down the block. Luckily, being a party of one, I was able to get quickly seated at the counter. The service was friendly and fast, and the food was delicious. I got the Charlie Bowl, which although not a huge bowl, was deceivingly heavy. It probably could have fed three people as it was filled with buttermilk biscuits, hash browns, bacon, ham, salsa, cheese, sausage gravy and topped with eggs. Eaten alongside yet another delicious Lavender London Fog, I was ready to fall into a blissful food coma after this meal.

Snacks

• Granville Public Market: There are a variety of different eateries in the market. If you want to try traditional Vancouver food, check out Longliner Seafood for salmon candy. Laurelle’s Fine Foods for Canadian maple shortbread cookies. If you want to bring a souvenir home, check out Maples’ Sugar Shack for 100% pure Canadian maple syrup. Lastly, Lee’s Donuts is a classic in the market known for their honey-glazed and jelly-filled donuts.

• Fritz European Fry House: After visiting Montreal and being sorely disappointed by every poutine I tried, I was determined to have a delicious Canadian poutine and this place didn’t disappoint. The fries remained crispy, the gravy had flavor and the cheese (although it had a bite) was nice and gooey. This was an amazing treat in the middle of the day.

• Japadog: If you want a really good hotdog, especially late at night, this iconic Vancouver spot should be on your must-try list. Many celebrities have visited this restaurant (if that’s how you gauge delicious food). The hotdogs are either veggie, or made with Kurobuta pork or Kobe beef with a variety of different Japanese-focused toppings. They also have karaage, takoyaki, fries, soups and desserts. I would also recommend getting a yuzu lemonade with your hotdog, so yummy!