Kicking Off 2023 By Checking Off Travel Goals
Ringing in the New Year with a short trip
I am pleased that I started off the year by carrying out a few of my travel goals for this year: to explore more of Canada, take advantage of short trips, and spend more time in nature.
You can check out the travel goals I set myself for 2023 at the end of last year here:
I rang in the New Year in Vancouver, and what a great trip it was.
Granville Island
We visited the market on Granville Island and I definitely recommend going on an empty stomach.
There is such a great variety of food to choose from- I was spoilt for choice!
There is also an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables too, which, if I lived in Vancouver I would probably buy from here every single week.
Pacific Spirit Regional Park
We also visited the Pacific Spirit Regional Park which was so beautiful and healing.
Living in Calgary, so close to the Rockies, the climate is so different from that of Vancouver and it is evident in the nature there.
The trees are so much taller and are a lush green, covered in moss.
Rainforests are not the usual type of nature I get to explore on a regular basis so it felt invigorating wandering around amongst the tall trees and flourishing greenery.
Spanish Banks
What I like about Vancouver is that there are beaches and bays, of course not the typical tropical beaches most people picture when they hear the word beach but again it was a nice change to be on the coast smelling the ocean air.
We could also see the skyline of downtown Vancouver from the distance, which shows how big this city really is.
Gastown
Gastown is a trendy area in downtown Vancouver that is home to the famous steam clock which is a popular tourist attraction.
This clock is an iconic monument in Vancouver, built in 1977 for local merchants and it was built upon a steam grate which would prevent homeless people from sleeping on it during the winter.
The clock also shoots steam every hour to signal the time.
Stanley Park
Stanley Park is also a must-visit place in Vancouver. This park is huge and it took us nearly 3 hours to walk all the way around.
Within the park is an area where you are able to see Totem Poles, each one depicting a story, real or mythological and there were information boards nearby so that you are able to understand the meaning of each one.
Lynn Canyon
Lynn Canyon was also a beautiful place to visit.
This was also a rainforest however there was a beautiful canyon gushing water and a suspension bridge that gave us an amazing view.
I loved walking through Lynn Canyon with the sound of the rushing water as our soundtrack, it felt like true nature immersion.
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
We also visited Capilano Suspension Bridge Park.
At the moment they have hung lights all over the park for the holiday season, I believe it ends very soon, but we didn’t want to miss out on seeing this and it was so worth it.
We went in the evening so that the lights would be bright and it did not disappoint.
The lights were gorgeous, the way everything was lit up just looked magical, it was a true winter wonderland.
All the little suspension bridges looked like a labyrinth of lights and there were lights hung over the water to show enchanting reflections. It was definitely worth the long queues!
Flight home
The beautiful views didn’t stop there.
On the flight back to Calgary the views were incredible. Flying over such majestic mountains really put things into perspective and it was just the cherry on top of a very exciting trip to start off the year.
I am so grateful to have started the year with a short trip and we had a delightful time there.
It has lit the travel fire within me and I hope that there are many trips like this in the near future.
Here are some great articles I recommend reading!
This is a great travel wish list for each month of the year by Scott-Ryan Abt (who also happens to be from Vancouver!)
I can relate to this article by Rhys Sydney, especially as someone who has lived abroad for the past 6+ years!
If you want to check out my travel bucket list feel free to below!
I wrote this article a few months back, but the prompt this January by Anne Bonfert had me reflecting on it and I can honestly say I have no changes to make to it so far!
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