Having watched the 2010 Winter Olympics on television, I hoped then to someday get the chance to…read morevisit Vancouver to see it in person. Today was that day of a wish coming true. While it seemed more impressive on the tv screen back then, I nevertheless appreciated the moment.

This history with the 2010 Winter Olympics makes this thing seem cooler than it is. I saw some…read morepictures from back when it was lit up with flames and it is in fact pretty spectacular looking. Now it's only lit for special occasions. But besides that as a "landmark" it's just meh. Since I was in this part of Vancouver it was somewhat worth it to stop by just to see it. The big black LEGO dolphin nearby is much cooler.

If you love Art Deco, pop into this 1930s office building near the water. It's open to the public…read moreto see the architecture inside. Most of the design is in the lobby and don't sleep on going inside one of the elevators. There are a few shops in the basement. Restrooms are in the basement but they aren't open to the public unless you ask a shop owner to let you in.

Went there under renovation, but the side decor is still able to be seen alongside the building…read more Very iconic, but wish it was not under construction

I liked the orca statue, it's a cool thing to check out if you're near the convention center or…read morewalking along the water front. Not that I need to compare but it's a lot cooler looking than the Olympic sticks statue in the same area. The orca made up for the lackluster impression the Olympic structure left me with.

This is a sculpture of a killer whale made in 2009 by Douglas Coupland. It is installed next to the…read moreVancouver's convention center. It is an aluminum sculpture on a stainless steel frame and it kind of looks like legos or a pixelated image. It's located along the waterfront area near to Vancouver downtown. It's definitely worth taking a walk along the seawall here for great views, and why not stop at the Digital Orca for a fun photo while there!

Okay, I don't know why I like this art so much, but I really do!!…read more The statue was presented to Vancouver by the city of Olympia, Greece to commemorate the 2010 Olympics. It is made of bronze and was installed in 2014. It's located at the intersection of Cordova and Thurlow Street, in the median.

In Greek mythology, Nike (Greek: , "Victory", pronounced [nk]) was a goddess who personified…read morevictory, also known as the Winged Goddess of Victory. The Roman equivalent was Victoria. Depending upon the time of various myths, she was described as the daughter of the Titan Pallas and the goddess Styx, and the sister of Kratos (Strength), Bia (Force), and Zelus (Zeal). Nike and her siblings were close companions of Zeus, the dominant deity of the Greek pantheon. According to classical (later) myth, Styx brought them to Zeus when the god was assembling allies for the Titan War against the older deities. Nike assumed the role of the divine charioteer, a role in which she often is portrayed in Classical Greek art. Nike flew around battlefields rewarding the victors with glory and fame, symbolized by a wreath of Laurel leaves. Nike is seen with wings in most statues and paintings. Most other winged deities in the Greek pantheon had shed their wings by Classical times. Nike is the goddess of strength, speed, and victory. Nike was a very close acquaintance of Athena, and is thought to have stood in Athena's outstretched hand in the statue of Athena located in the Parthenon. Nike is one of the most commonly portrayed figures on Greek coins. Names stemming from Nike include among others: Nikolaos, Nicholas, Nicola, Nick, Nicolai, Nikolai, Nicolae, Nils, Klaas, Nicole, Ike, Niki, Nikita, Nika, Niketas, Nikki, Nico, and Veronica.

Go here! You'll find something within your budget…read more Calming store, stocked with curated selection of Japanese art and cute products all around. On the lower floor there's a collection of clothing, which I admired but ultimately ignored. Friendly service. Credit accepted. If you bring in a beverage, leave it by the door (there's a little table for you).

A friend and I went in while in Gastown and was left with a bad taste. We both felt completely…read moreignored but watched the entire time... The older woman behind the counter was so completely unhelpful and spoke to us like we were not worthy. She barely showed any interest in us. I have purchased items here before and the younger woman (owner?) was wonderful. We continued shopping in Gastown and were greeted warmly in every store which made the experience standout even more. Thankfully there are other Japanese Lifestyle stores in Vancouver.

Installed in 2009, The Drop is a 65 foot tall bright blue sculpture resembling a raindrop, which is…read morevery appropriate for Vancouver, a city known for its rainy weather. It's by the German group Inges Idee, which is composed of four artists, Hans Hemmert, Axel Lieber, Thomas Schmidt, and George Zey. It's located in Coal Harbour beside the Convention Centre at the Bon Voyage Plaza (I had no idea that there was a specific name for the plaza!), where one can watch the cruise ships arrive and depart. [Yelp collections: Public Art]

Oh, how I love this sculpture!…read more It is both whimsical and serious, literal and abstracted, colorful yet depicting water which is known to be clear.... in other words, it presents a dichotomy or two, spanning categories and allegories, and to me, this is what makes this piece successful. It caters to the sensibilities of people who have vastly differing tastes in art: it appeals to people who prefer more literal depictions of subject matters and to those who prefer more modern, contemporary and even more minimalist abstractions. Furthermore, it is well-suited and grounded in its element, paying homage to Vancouver's rainy season(s), its reliance and location by the ocean, and the city's historical dependence on marine industries and water-dependent agricultural industries (not to mention, the human need for water). The site chosen for this piece's installation could not be more perfect: right along the waterfront, across from the "sails" of Canada Place, with the inlet beside it and the glorious Stanley Park forests just east and the mountains just north providing picturesque backdrops. As a humorous aside, whenever I see this tall, slender, blue raindrop, I personally also see a teardrop, as I tend to be sad when the rains come, and the skies are grey and it's so...dreary. So this raindrop can also be interpreted as a teardrop for those of us who have SAD (seasonal affective disorder) lol.

I was made aware of the Dimensions Gallery thanks to an advertisement on my Facebook feed, and the…read morefiance finally surprised me with tickets. Reservations are needed; my guess is that they want to space out the visitors, so we aren't tripping over each other or accidentally ending up in each other's photos. Based on square footage, the gallery is smaller than I had expected, but it does have some neat exhibits. There are floor markers to serve as suggestions on where the photographer can stand, and the staff gave us a brief intro and even offered to step in as a photographer if we needed it. We were told to budget for an hour at the gallery, but I felt that was at the top end of the time allotment. Honestly, it could have gone much faster depending on how much time you want to play around with the camera angles and how many different pictures you wish to take. My advice: if you are tickled by different angles producing camera magic, make a reservation and really take your time playing around with each exhibit and exploring different angles and the results they produce.

Believe it or not, I found this place by looking around our hotel on Google Maps. It turned out to…read morebe a bit more fun than I had expected, but TBH I did not have high expectations. We had some time to kill during our trip, so I booked a time for my group to come in. It is a pretty small spot, but it is well thought out "gallery" to take fun or silly photos with your group (or date). It's like different backdrops for you to take your own photos. Plan to spend at least 30-45 minutes, so that you are not in a rush. You'll want to try different poses and angles for each space/scene/exhibit. My fave was probably the anti-gravity room, the optical illusion space (the one where each side makes a person look super big/tall and the other side shrinks the person, like Alice in Wonderland). Don't miss the mirrored room towards the back. Reservations are a must, at least currently, they don't take walk ins.

The Bill Reid Gallery downtown is a premier art gallery show casing aboriginal / indigenous art…read morefrom the Northwest Coast. Bill Reid was a master artist (of many talents) who brought aboriginal art to the public & the world in way prior to his works were aboriginal art was mostly ignored or never really seen in importance to Canada's history. One of his most famous pieces is located at YVR Vancouver International Airport - the famous Jade Canoe sculpture. It has appeared in many travelers photos as they pass through the airport - one not to miss. The Bill Reid Gallery is small museum but is a must check out, whenever you're in downtown Vancouver. Do not expect the same experience like at the Natural History Museum (NYC or London) nor the Met, which requires hours of time to get through. The BRG is way smaller. Budget to spend at least an hour here. I enjoyed the displays & was actually quite impressed with what I saw. If you're heavy into art & native history, I'd highly recommend a visit out to the University of British Columbia to check out the Museum of Anthropology. See my review.

Nice place to learn about indigenous art. Kind of dull if you aren't interested in art or history…read more Nice gift shop at the end, and some beautiful totem poles and wood statues.

Love this quaint area with plenty of public parking, cobble stone streets, and great shops and…read morerestaurants to walk around and try! If you need souvenirs, this is the place to go! I have gotten a shirt here before and this time I found a nice sea green hat. There are many other things I was tempted to buy but had to hold myself back! Kitsune is a great restaurant cafe to stop by!

Quality/Quantity - So much to do and see. So much live…read moremusic, etc. Known for their famous steam clock. 85+ retail shops. 55+ restaurants. 11+ coffee shops. 8+ music venues. Art & culture. Also cruise ship friendly. Ambiance - Almost 45 acres, 2000 parking spaces. We drove here; I recommend taking public transportation... It would have been easy for us as our place is next to the sky train. But since we were already out and about, we foolishly drove here and to Granville Island... Service - Good. Price - Depends on what you do, buy, eat, or drink. Owner Comment - Congrats on all your success.

First of all, we took the Skytrain from Richmond on this particular Saturday because there were 4…read morecruise ships in port so I was looking forward to seeing that many in one shot! I felt like a kid again when we finally found the entrance off West Georgia. The first thing we saw was the DISCOVERY PRINCESS, which was in the process of being boarded. I couldn't believe how many levels there were, and it was so close that we could almost touch it! Right down the walkway to the next pier was the ROALD AMUNDSEN, which looked more like an oversized yacht. Then, behind it was the STAR SEEKER from Nassau, another large yacht. Last, but not least, was the KONINGSDAM, a cruise ship that comes through Honolulu throughout the year. Gorgeous views of both West and North Vancouver, despite the dark clouds. Once we had our fill of cruise ships, we went into one of the beverage shops and had some cold matcha, then walked through Canada Place, which had a gorgeous Sisaxolas pole with beautiful aboriginal designs on the floor. If I moved back here I would definitely spend lots of time at this place just for the cruise ships which are abundant during the summer months. It's close to transportation as well as the Hop On/Hop Off trolleys so there is always something to do, see and eat around here.

This place is one giant maze, however, the staff pointed us where everyone needed to go. They were…read moreall very friendly as well. Dropping off bags for the porters was easy and very clearly marked. From the street, going through customs and getting on the ship took about 30 minutes total. I'm surprised at how fast and smooth it was.