Vancouver! Day One

My oldest friend Amy (Not in years. She's not 105 or anything. Just known her since birth) and I have embarked on a 4 day excursion to the great white north. Wet north. Cold north. Well honestly? None of the above. The weather is lovely - high 40's and sunny - so far...

Why Vancouver? Because we harbor fantasies of actually scoring 2010 Winter Olympics tickets (I'm partial to snowboarding) and we thought we'd scope the city out. And neither of us has ever been. And the tickets were cheap.



12 hours into our vacation here, and it's quite lovely. We're staying at the Pacific Palisades Hotel right on the main drag of downtown Vancouver. Lovely place with the friendliest staff this side of the Mississippi...if it extended this far north... Anyway, they're a dog friendly hotel as well - see this welcome board for all the pooches currently staying here? adorable (and makes me miss Mr. Fluffy) - AND offer free wine in the art gallery, yes art gallery, every evening from 4:30-5:30pm.

And no, they are not paying me.

I wish I could say my day was spent in cultural pursuits or in appreciating the breath-taking natural environment though vigorous outdoor activities, but so far we ate, drank, shopped, drank, drank, ate and drank. Photo? The nighttime view from the Cloud 9 Bar. It rotates, slowly, giving you a 360 view of the city. Gorgeous.

I promise we have loftier goals for Day Two! Tomorrow we are Zip Carring it to Whistler, sight of most of the Olympic skiing and snowboarding events. We hear the drive up there is incrediable so I will try and remember to take some photos.

Don't worry, I won't be driving.