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Trip Reports

Dan, AJK here and here , Chapshnell, UshDadude, sam28, YudiG, Tzfas, mochada, jagstangz, Neil, dpk4588, BKYW, tzifanya54, stever, mordechain, nafnaf12, SLMYRCB, Friars500


Flight Options (as of 04/18)

Cathay Pacific flies directly to/from JFK (777-300ER).         

Final date for this route, 02/23/20

Economy:
12.5K BA OW
17.5K AS OW
20K CX OW (30K RT)

Premium Economy:
25K BA OW
20K AS OW
24K CX OW (36K RT)

Business Class:
37.5K BA OW
25K AS OW
25K CX OW (50K RT)

First Class:
50K BA OW
35K AS OW
40K CX OW (70K RT)
Air Canada flies directly to/from EWR (787-800).
Economy:
12.5K SQ, UA, AC OW

Premium Economy:
20K AC OW

Business Class:
20K SQ OW
25K UA, AC OW

There is also a Delta flight direct to/from JFK in the summer months (prices vary as expected from Delta).   

DP01 (07/13): CX availability becomes better closer to the flight. (MEIR613)
DP02 (04/18): CX availability disappears 3-5 days out on BA and AS. (SLMYRCB)
DP03 (08/18): CX availability can only show up on BA or AS if there is more than 1 seat remaining, if it's only 1 seat, it will only be available on CX.com Use CX.com to see actual # of seats available. (@Yehuda)


Food - BC Kosher List

Cafe Forty One (dairy - cholov yisrael) formerly Shuk Eat/Play
5750 Oak Street
Vancouver, BC
V6M 2V9, Canada
Tel: 604-563-4141
Delivery Service via Skip The Dishes (Fairmont Pacific Rim is not within the deliverable area)
"Really great, everything tasty good value, best Caesar Salad ever, and order pizza in advance for good "camp" like homemade yummyness." (shiframeir)
"Nice selection of pastries in addition to their dairy menu. The pizzas and sandwiches are very good." (SLMYRCB)

Nava Creative Cusine (dairy/pareve - non cholov yisrael)
950 West 41st Avenue
Vancouver, BC
Tel: (604) 676-7579
Located at the JCC - right around corner from Cafe Forty One

Omnitsky's Kosher (meat)
5775 Oak Street,
Vancouver, BC
Tel: (604) 321-1818
Just across the street from Cafe Forty One

Sabra Bakery (meat)
3844 Oak Street
Vancouver, BC
Tel: (604) 733-4912
Two miles down Oak Street near the Sharei Tzedek Shul

Maple Grill (meat)
1967 W Broadway
Vancouver, BC
V6J 1Z3, Canada
Tel: (604) 568-4885

Mount Royal Bagels - North Vancouver
701 Queensbury Ave
North Vancouver, BC
V7L 3V9, Canada
Tel: (604) 904-1116

Real Canadian Superstore
Marine Drive
Has kosher products

Kosher Food Warehouse
612 Kingsway (rear)
Vancouver, BC
Tel: (604) 709-9889


Shabbos

Chabad Downtown - walkable from many hotels, no Eruv, Shacharis on Shabbos followed by Kiddush, Friday night Minyan last weekend each month.
TheKollel - in the community, yes Eruv, Holiday Inn Vancouver Centre only points hotel in the Eruv, Airbnb options, all Minyanim, free Shabbos meals. Some hotels downtown (outside the Eruv) are about an hour walk.
Eruv - https://goo.gl/maps/D2oLBC39GT72


Activities

Stanley park - trolley, rent bikes at Bayshore Bike/Spokes/lots of other places (Westin Bayshore provides 2 hours of free bikes), playground/water are, 9 o'clock gun
Aquarium in Stanley Park
Capilano suspension bridge - also tree walk and cliff walk
Capilano Salmon Hatchery
Lynn Canyon suspension bridge and hikes (Twin Falls, 30 Foot Pool) - free
Grouse Mountain - gondola up, can take chairlift even higher, then an elevator to top of windmill, view of Vancouver, ziplining, parasailing, lumberjack show, see grizzly bears, Grouse Grind - way to hike up the mountain instead
Granville island - market, street performers, kayaking, stand up paddleboat, false creek ferries, brewery tour, kids play area, rent a boat, can bike to here
Seaplane around Vancouver harbor or to Whistler -  http://www.harbour-air.com/index.php 
Whale watching
Victoria Island - ferry to the island/back, Butchart Gardens (expensive, underwhelming), Miniature World, Fisherman's Wharf, oldest Synagogue in Canada. Victoria seems to be very expensive, ferry $30, to bring a car $100, gardens $30.
Bowen Island
Seabus - cheap ferry across harbor and back
Deep Cove kayaking
UBC Garden - Greenheart TreeWalk (look for Groupon)
Zoo
Harbor boat tours - boatrent.ca, Harbor Cruises was terrible - dpk4588
Sea wall
Watch sea planes
Cypress Mountain
Seymour Mountain
Art Museum
Science center imax
Pacific Center Mall
See Olympic torch
"Tour Guys" free walking tour
Rivers to see salmon spawn (swim upstream)
Robson street
Denman street
Vancouver Convention Center - Olympics memorabilia
Kitsilano Beach
Kids Bowl Free
Takaya golf centre
Poets cove
Elizabeth gardens
Van dusen gardens - better than Elizabeth gardens
Canada Place - fly over canada ride experience
Brittania Mine Museum
Vancouver Lookout
Gastown - steam clock
Chinatown
Yaletown
http://scenicrush.com/ - exotic car drive up the Sea to sky highway
Dr SunYatSen Chinese Garden (Dan and a DDFer said not worth it)
Free Chinese Garden
Lighthouse park
Safari Eco Boat Tour and Seaplane flight  Sewellsmarina.com

On the way to Whistler: (see Whistler Master Thread)
Sea to sky highway
Sea to sky gondola in Squamish, can hike up and take gondola down
River rafting in Squamish
Shannon Falls
Brandywine Falls
Panorama Ridge Hike in Lake Garibaldi in between Squamish and Whistler

« Last edited by pointer on February 16, 2020, 11:32:24 PM »

Author Topic: Vancouver Master Thread  (Read 274672 times)

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1060 on: August 02, 2018, 04:09:32 PM »
I think this place is a waste of time .
Which place? I listed a few in that post.

It's two totally different mountains that are 1.5 hours away. I mean, have you been to Switzerland, why do you need to go see another mountain?
Did you do both? 45 min, btw. :P

I plan on doing P2P in Whistler. I understand there's a difference in seeing the views up in the mountains (Whistler) vs. Grouse where you see views of the city and ocean. Where does Sea to Sky fall? Is it mountains or city or something else? If it's the same as either, then I would say regards to Swiss, I wouldn't go up 2 different Alps on the same trip specifically to see the views. But 4 years after going up an Alp, I would go up another mountain in Canada.

Offline Ergel

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1061 on: August 02, 2018, 04:19:45 PM »
We didn't do sea 2 sky. We ended up doing white water rafting instead (which was a complete bust).
Also didn't do peak 2 peak in Whistler (the entire mountain was shrowded in a huge cloud, almost went over to the information desk to ask them if they knew where I could find a mountain). We went ATVing instead which was a lot of fun
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Offline Dan

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1062 on: August 02, 2018, 04:34:07 PM »
Lynn and Capilano are both cool.
Capilano is more crowded and has more to do, treetop courses, etc.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Dan

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1063 on: August 02, 2018, 04:34:33 PM »
We ended up doing white water rafting instead (which was a complete bust).
What happened?
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1064 on: August 02, 2018, 04:50:25 PM »
(the entire mountain was shrowded in a huge cloud, almost went over to the information desk to ask them if they knew where I could find a mountain).
I saw this upthread, lol. Seems like it's hard to find someone who has done all these gondolas to compare. I know a local, will ask them.

Lynn and Capilano are both cool.
Capilano is more crowded and has more to do, treetop courses, etc.
Right, so I'd do Lynn, unless it just makes sense to skip Grouse/Lynn and do Sea2Sky which has gondola and a suspension bridge for cheaper than Capilano. But even if I decide to do Lynn/Grouse, I'd also like to go to UBC Gardens which has a treewalk as well for a couple of bucks on Groupon.

Offline Dan

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1065 on: August 02, 2018, 05:06:52 PM »
But even if I decide to do Lynn/Grouse, I'd also like to go to UBC Gardens which has a treewalk as well for a couple of bucks on Groupon.
Sounds good to me.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Ergel

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1066 on: August 02, 2018, 05:55:37 PM »
What happened?
Scratch that, just found our trip notes,
Quote
We drove up to Squamish and went White Water Rafting with Canadian Outback. It was definitely the
most organized and informative trip we ever went on. It was fun and we had a great guide-Graham and
of course everyone wanted to know about religious Judaism thanks to my skirt. The scenery was unreal
and it was a very worthwhile trip.

It was in Scotland where we had the bad experience
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Offline wonderlust

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1067 on: August 02, 2018, 11:49:32 PM »
Scratch that, just found our trip notes,
It was in Scotland where we had the bad experience

Thinking of doing Squamish- how were the rapids? Did you do class 4?

Offline wonderlust

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1068 on: August 02, 2018, 11:51:56 PM »
Anyone do the whale watching from Victoria or Vancouver? Any place to recommend/avoid?

Offline wonderlust

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1069 on: August 02, 2018, 11:55:08 PM »
Scratch that, just found our trip notes,
It was in Scotland where we had the bad experience
did you make a TR? I don’t see it in the wiki. Which atv tour did you do?

Offline Ergel

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1070 on: August 03, 2018, 01:08:32 AM »
Thinking of doing Squamish- how were the rapids? Did you do class 4?
That's the extent of my notes. Don't remember
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Offline mordechain

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1071 on: August 03, 2018, 01:10:35 AM »
Please share. Victoria seems like a nice place (nice looking Westin) but an expensive ferry and expensive gardens.
We did the ferry and gardens as a day trip from Vancouver, and or was a highlight of the of the whole trip.

Offline mordechain

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1072 on: August 03, 2018, 01:12:44 AM »
We are a family of 9 heading to Vancouver from August 16 - August 23.  Ages range from mid-60s (good shape, and can hike moderate but not strenuous) to 2 years old.  So looking for tips for Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (and for an easy day Friday)

We have nothing specific planned but want to do Whistler, Victoria and Grouse Mountain.  I would like to turn each of these into a full day - so I am looking for stuff to do not only at these places but on the way.  We would like to include two moderate hikes.  Suggestions?
Rent bikes and ride around Stanley Park

Offline @Yehuda

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Offline Suz

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1074 on: August 03, 2018, 03:12:53 PM »

Offline Friars500

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1075 on: August 07, 2018, 04:36:42 PM »
What do people do for a rental car if taking the CP flight with the car rental places seemingly being closed?

Offline Tzadik Nistar

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1076 on: August 07, 2018, 04:37:57 PM »
What do people do for a rental car if taking the CP flight with the car rental places seemingly being closed?
Avis stays open till 1:30-2

Offline Friars500

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1077 on: August 07, 2018, 04:41:50 PM »
Avis stays open till 1:30-2

So is Avis the only option.  Will other's stay open?

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1078 on: August 07, 2018, 05:51:43 PM »
Just spoke to Budget - they won't stay open past 1am.

Offline Friars500

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Re: Vancouver Master Thread
« Reply #1079 on: August 07, 2018, 07:49:57 PM »
Just spoke to Budget - they won't stay open past 1am.

Alamo is open until 1:30 but seems to close...