Vancouver & Vancouver Island Lightning Round Reviews

We’re just back from four days in the Great White North. We had a lot of freezing fog – wow, that’s something you don’t want to experience every day, though it does make for some spectacular scenery.

Our trip was a press trip – the PR company for BC Ferries is trying to promote their stops as great off season destinations and hey, I’ll buy that, though some things were closed. I have a story I’m working on and this dovetailed nicely with what I want to write about, so when I received the invitation, I accepted.Then, through the magic of Twitter, I got hooked up with a few things I’d not have experienced otherwise. Just to be 100% clear, all this stuff was comped.

Here are a few insta-reviews…

Hotels

• The Listel Hotel: Wow, location, location, location. On Robson, just at the edge of the action and very close to downtown. We parked the car and walked everywhere. Our room? Quiet and very comfortable. The onsite restaurant, O’Doul’s? Closed! Though we did get breakfast there on the first day of reopening – everything was very fresh and they participate in Ocean Wise, a program that puts sustainable seafood on restaurant menus. Bonus for that!The downside? A bit pricey for me, though typical for downtown. Also, currently there are large format photographs of people in impoverished circumstances in the lobby – my brain didn’t really know what to do with that. A strange choice.Conclusion: If  it’s in your budget, this is a great place to stay in Vancouver. If you’re not a penny pincher, they have some very interesting cultural travel packages.
• The Accent Inns:  Wow, lack of location, lack of location, lack of location. Maybe if you’re flying out of Vancouver’s airport or don’t mind driving everywhere, this is the way to go, but in both locations – we stayed in Richmond and Victoria – there was nothing worthwhile to walk to. These places are functional hotels, not particularly charming but fine if you just need a place to crash.The upside: In spite of their generic hotel decor, our rooms were really comfortable, and, bonus, very quiet. I know we had neighbors, I saw them during the dinner hour, heard them coming and going, but during the night there was no TV noise, no door slamming noise, and even when we were at the airport, I don’t recall hearing the planes. Very nice staff too, helpful and charming.Conclusion: If you’re not picky about location or are just passing through, these places are good value for your money.

The Arts

• Bill Reid Foundation: This newish facility pays homage to the work of Canada’s most famous First Nations artist. The permanent collection showcases Bill Reid’s life and work and provides some context, introducing you to Reid’s Haida heritage. The jewelry displays are gorgeous but I was frustrated by the position of the video displays – there’s no place to sit for most of them, and on one, the audio coming from the next room interfered with the audio on the big screen I was watching.Bonus? When we were there, we watched carver James Hart working with his son on a totem pole – it was cool to see something so massive in progress and James was really fun to talk to. Apparently, mainland ravens have a different accent than those “up home” in the Queen Charlotte Islands.  Go figure.Conclusion: If you’re interested in native art and its role in Canadian art history, this is an essential stop. Plus, the gift shop has lovely work by native artists, great if you’re shopping for a meaningful souvenir.
• Royal BC Museum: Here’s a tip – if you want to get the full impact of the First Nations collection at this museum, go right when they open on Sunday morning. You’ll have the galleries to yourself. And when you’re standing in the First People’s gallery or the cave reproduction or watching the mask collection reveal itself as stories are told, oh, you’ll be glad of the silence. It’s an incredible, gorgeous, goosebump inducing collection of work and it’s beautifully preserved and presented. There’s some other stuff in the museum – natural history and history of Canada exhibits, but the First Nations work steals the show.Conclusion: If you’re in Victoria, you better not miss this. Oh, and the museum cafe serves good coffee.