54 AMERICANWAY
MAY 15 2007
C E L E B R A T E D W E E K E N D
see a high-rise, never see a subdivision. It’s
all just trees andwater and cabins.
Okay, lunch. Where would you send us?
Calhoun’s BakeryCafé andCatering, in the
heart of Kitsilano.When you go there, you
will see studygroups, youwill seedates, you
will see businesspeople with laptops open.
It’s thishugespacewhere thereare tonsand
tons of tables. You can sit there for hours,
having only one cup of coffee, and nobody
is going tokick youout. So it’s a reallygreat
place to be if youwant to be somewhere in
thedayandhavework togetdoneor study-
ing to do or anything like that. I hung out
there somuch.
Beingawaitresshelpedyoumakeendsmeet.
Where did you work?
I used to work at a
chain of restaurants called Earls. I think I
worked at three or four different Earls as a
waitress.On thewest coast of Canada, it’s a
huge chain that is very trendy, and people
love togo there. It’sveryyoungandveryhip
and relatively inexpensive forwhat you get.
They always haveMargaritaMondays and
Martini Tuesdays and things like that. You
can find them prettymuch in any sector of
the city.
I understand you’re pretty good at climbing
trees.
I love climbing trees. I actually did it
in the Philippines, because in Vancouver,
andprettymuchanywhere inCanada, there
are not a lot of great climbing trees.Mostly
evergreen trees — very uncomfortable to
climb.When Iwas in thePhilippines, Iwas
suddenly surrounded by these trees that
were extraordinarily climbable. I got really
into tree climbing at that point. Now that
I’m living inHawaii, climbing treescouldn’t
bemore easy if Iwereamonkey.
Where are your favorite places to shop?
You
know, I’ve never been a shopper. Before I
had this job, I never hadmoney. So I usu-
ally buy a new article of clothing once ev-
ery three or four years. Everyone says if you
want to go shopping, go to Robson Street.
But I think that formore interesting shop-
ping in Vancouver, there’s a street called
Granville, and Granville Street, once you
pass out of the downtown core and head
out toward the airport, crosses over West
WeSaid…
Wherewe loseourselves inVancouver
LODGING
Hotel LeSoleil,
moderate, (604) 632-3000,
. Everyone should enjoy
this posh, pampering hotel, but it offers a little
something extra for the ladies: theElleSuite,
whichplies female business travelerswith ame-
nities like bath salts for the soaker tubs, low-
calorieminibar snacks, andbeefed-up security.
TheSylviaHotel,
inexpensive, (604) 681-
9321,
. The roomsmay be
somewhat sparse, but the building is a historic
one, datingback to 1912.More important,
it straddles beautiful EnglishBay and is sur-
roundedbyStanleyPark, so the location is ideal.
Tip: Just before dusk, head to the bar, order a
blueberrymartini, andwatch the sungodown
over the bay.
DINING
DundaraveFishMarket,
moderate, (604) 922-
1155,
. You’re
on the sea, sowhy not enjoy its bounty?Two of
our favorites at this cozy café are the crab cakes
and thefish and chips; you can also select your
seafood straight from the display case and have
the chefs prepare it to your liking.
TheRedOnion,
inexpensive, (604) 263-0833.
We love agooddiner, and so, apparently, do a
lot of Vancouverites, whoflock here for some
of the best burgers and hot dogs in town. And
didwemention the yummy frieswithwhite dill
sauce (an extrabuck or twobutworth every
penny)?
SIGHTS
BCPlaceStadium,
(604) 669-2300, www
.bcplacestadium.com. The home of theCanadian
Football League’sB.C. Lions and the intended
site of the opening and closing ceremonies of
the2010Olympics. In January, a viciouswinter
storm ripped agaping hole in theTeflondome,
but now, fully restored, the stadium is once
again ready for some football (the season runs
July throughNovember) aswell as for concerts
and othermajor events held there throughout
the year.
MuseumofAnthropologyat theUniversity
of BritishColumbia,
(604) 822-5087, www
.moa.ubc.ca. Sometimes you can judge amu-
seumby its shop, and the ceramics, glassware,
and other goodies at theMOA’s gift store do
indeed hint at the endlesswonders thatmake
up one of the largest collections anywhere of
PacificNorthwest art and archaeology. Particu-
larly noteworthy is the assortment of towering
totempoles, not tomention themuseum’s own
architecture and awesome views.
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