Our wedding was beautiful, the day was wonderful Both the ceremony and reception were held in the clubhouse at Furry Creek is approximately 60 minutes by car from downtown Vancouver. Please click here to see maps and directions. (You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader software in order to view these images). Everyone was invited to brunch with Karin's family at Escala (the building in which they now live, located in Coal Harbour, downtown Vancouver) on Sunday, September 14th. We would recommend that you look for accommodations in downtown Vancouver (this includes Coal Harbour, the West End, English Bay, Gastown and Yaletown). Alternatively, if you would like to stay closer to Furry Creek (where the wedding will be held), there are some hotels and bed and breakfasts in West Vancouver or Lions Bay that are very nice.
If you have any questions about a specific hotel you've found or if you want us to tell you about places close to Furry Creek, please email us!
Please be aware that hotels in Vancouver are not cheap! PLEASE contact us about any hotels you find - we can tell you if the hotel is in a central location or in a decent area. Here is a sample of lodgings with a variety of locations and price ranges in downtown Vancouver: 1. Times Square Suites - Many of Dave's and Karin's relatives have already booked rooms here. This is a cute, centrally-located apartment-style building, ranging from studios ($149 per night) to two-bedroom suites ($209 per night). They are all equipped with kitchens, and there is a grocery store conveniently located right across the street. This is a great place if you want to feel more at home than possible in a hotel and if you would like to avoid eating at restaurants for every meal. Please be aware that there is no regular maid service (no fresh towels or room clean-up every day) and no room service. Think of it as if you're renting an apartment for several days rather than staying at a hotel. 2. English Bay Inn - This is a bed and breakfast situated in a beautiful Tudor-style house centrally located in English Bay downtown. Karin's brother highly recommends this place as a quiet, stylish place to stay. The rooms overlook a lovely garden and the breakfasts are wonderful. Rates range from $170 to $295 per night. 3. Sylvia Hotel - This is an historic landmark, located in beautiful English Bay. Built in 1912 and expanded a decade ago, this is an affordable hotel in a fantastic area of town.
Room prices range from $85 to $145, and some have kitchens. Suites are also available, ranging from $155 to $165. I have read that the older section of the building is more atmospheric, although some of the furnishings are a little worn. Overall, however, people who have stayed there have been very happy. The Sylvia has some of the most loyal repeat customers of any hotel in Vancouver. 4. YWCA Hotel/Residence - This is apparently an excellent place to stay for people on a tight budget but do not want to stay in a divey motel or far from the "action". Reviews we have read have been highly complimentary; this is a simple, cheap place located in a decent neighbourhood in the middle of downtown, very close to many of the attractions and shopping areas. Rates range from $57 for a single with a shared bath or from $69 for a double with a shared bath (there are also rooms with private baths, and others as well for more than two people). Contact them about discounts for students! 5. Listel Hotel - For people who want to go upscale in a beautiful and modern hotel, the Listel is a contemporary West Coast-style place, located very centrally on Robson Street in the heart of the shopping area downtown. Rooms range from $190 and up for a standard room (not so contemporary-looking) to $239 and up for rooms on their Museum or Gallery floors, where the cooler rooms are located. 6. Pacific Palisades Hotel - Dave and Karin visited this hotel on our recent trip to Vancouver and were really impressed by the rooms. If you like contemporary, funky and chic styling, this is the place for you! It is located on Robson Street, very central in downtown and directly above one of the hippest and most popular shopping areas. The upper floors have spectacular views. The rates you see online are higher than those we were quoted, so it might be best to give them a call to find out what is available. 7. Westin Bayshore Resort and Marina - This is a resort hotel located on the waterfront next to Stanley Park at the NW end of downtown. It is a breathtaking location with views of Stanley Park, the mountains and Coal Harbour, in close proximity to Karin's parents' condo. It is a perfect location in particular for people who are interested in enjoying the nature of Stanley Park while still being close to shopping and museums in downtown. Rooms run from $280 per night and up. Please click here for a clear overview map of downtown Vancouver (with Karin's parents' condo labelled on it). Please click here for the detailed official tourism map for downtown Vancouver (includes hotels, attractions, etc.). You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader software in order to view this map. The official Vancouver tourism website can be found by clicking here. Here is a list of our favourite places - if you don't know where to begin sightseeing, try these first: Granville Island is a former industrial area in False Creek that was converted into a public market and shopping area in the 1970s. The original corrugated iron buildings were preserved, giving a post-modern industrial look to this really cool, funky and creative area.
All of the shopping areas are small businesses that are primarily arts-related: you can find lots of hand-made jewellery, pottery, furniture, etc. surrounding the beautiful and fragrant indoor farmer's market. It also hosts a number of cultural events like comedy and busking festivals and is always a great place just to wander around.
This is one of Karin's favourite places in Vancouver to spend time. You can either drive there or take the aquabus, a really cute water taxi that will transport you to Granville Island from downtown. Robson Street is probably the most popular shopping areas in Vancouver - especially if you want clothes. Even if you're not interested in buying anything, it is a great place just to wander around, or to sit at a cafe with a cup of coffee people-watching. In the winter Grouse Mountain is a ski resort, but in the summer it is a wonderful place to go hiking - with breathtaking views of Vancouver or (on the other side of the mountain) beautiful mountain valleys. There are some great restaurants, also with spectacular views, but one of the most fun parts of the entire trip is the gondola that you take to get up and down the mountain! STANLEY PARK Stanley Park is a gigantic 1000-acre park located directly beside downtown Vancouver. It is a wonderful place to go for a quiet day, to take in the beautiful scenery both inside the park with huge old-growth trees, or along the seawall walk that surrounds the perimeter. We suggest you rent bicycles and travel the full circle around the seawall walk, travelling from the Coal Harbour side all the way around to English Bay. Peaceful, beautiful and fun! Gastown is the oldest area in Vancouver, with cobblestone streets and historic buildings, it definitely has an unique atmosphere.
While some of the area has been co-opted by the bad souvenir stores, you can also find a lot of West Coast Native artwork and other handicrafts, as well as some of the city's trendiest restaurants and clubs.
And don't forget to be nearby when the Gastown Steam Clock (the world's first steam clock) whistles! Canada Place is also at one end of Gastown - you can stroll along the decks looking at the cruise ships that dock there en route to Alaska. HORSESHOE BAY Horsehoe Bay is where Karin's family lived until just last year, when her parents moved to a condo downtown. It is a cute village located at the far edge of West Vancouver, and is the location of one of the BC Ferries terminals.
If you want to take a nice drive, travel across the Lions Gate Bridge from downtown and drive along Marine Drive in West Vancouver to Horseshoe Bay (you can also take the bus from downtown). You can also travel along the Upper Levels Highway to get there, but we suggest you take Marine Drive in at least one direction because the scenery is fabulous.
If you want to take a short ferry ride for fun, we suggest you walk onto the Bowen Island ferry - it's a fifteen minute ride each way.
Take a walk around, have a coffee, and return on the ferry. You can also take one of the bigger BC Ferries from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island (~1.5 hours each way) or up the Sunshine Coast (~40 minutes each way) if you have more time on your hands.
and a good time was had by all!
Many thanks again to everyone that was able to come out to Furry Creek - we were very touched to see how many people came from such a distance to celebrate with us.
Be sure to sign our online guestbook if you want to send us some comments or wishes, and take a look at our photo gallery to recapture the day! You can also take a peek at our honeymoon photos!
overlooking gorgeous Howe Sound.
It was a nice, relaxed opportunity to have some good food and hang out with people one last time before everyone flew off to their own separate corners of the globe.
Please see www.englishbay.com/lodging to view more options for hotels, bed and breakfasts and apartment hotels.
