While my first trip outside the U.S. was Japan, this was my second, believe it or not. A mere six-hour drive from Portland, and you can escape the U.S. for Canadian hospitality. We took a long weekend for the Fourth of July holiday and ended up celebrating Canada Day on July 1st. It was something truly special as they really know how to be patriotic. We hit all of the tourist areas and also hit up some amazing places within the city. We enjoyed great food and stayed in a mid-rise apartment building with a view of the city. I left thinking, why didn’t I do this sooner?
In this video, it starts off with our trip to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. The park itself was fun to go through and had some amazing views. It was definitely a tourist attraction so I would recommend you get there right when they open to avoid the crowds. We did, and we were able to film certain areas people-free. There was even some time to do some silly things and capture the essential spots quickly.
Our next stop was Grouse Mountain, where we took the gondola up to the top and enjoyed the view of……. PURE GREY SKY! Luckily, the clouds broke eventually and unveiled an incredible view of Vancouver below. We sipped some wine and took in the scenery for a while before heading back down on the Gondola. If I had more time, I would have liked to hike around a bit more, and sunshine would have helped too.
Finally for Canada Day, we took a boat ride around Vancouver and partied it up a bit. It was fun to experience a holiday in a foreign country. All of the positive energy filled the atmosphere. We fit right in with our little Canadian flags and hats. The captain of the boat thought we were so patriotic, and then we told him we were Americans. But hey, why not! Enjoy our video below that includes these experiences.