Vancouver, BC is one of my favorite destinations in the world.  I’ve never been to a place where the people are more friendly and speak my native language, English.  The city is a walking city and getting to Granville Island is fun in the little Tommy The Tug Boat ferries.  But downtown Vancouver is more than shopping on Robson, Granville Island, and the Steam Clock.  There are several islands just a ferry ride away that are well worth the visit if your stay is longer than 3 days.  Victoria is probably one of the more popular options but on my most recent trip, I was headed to Pender Island to a little resort called Poet’s Cove.

To catch a ferry from Vancouver, you have about a 45 minute drive outside of the city so plan accordingly.  If you go by car, you need to arrive a few hours early to get in line.  Don’t be late because even with a reservation, if the ferry fills up, your car won’t get on as found out by one of the parties in our group.  I fortunately was a walk-on with several other people.  For the walk-on, you can get there about 15 minutes early and be OK.  The trip is just over 2 hours and you make a few stops at other islands before arriving at  Pender.  If you are walking, make sure to call ahead for a pick up as there are very few taxis on the islands.  Several of us were picked up by the resort for a small fee.  It was about a 20 minute ride from the ferry landing to the resort.  On the drive we saw several deer, other wild life, and roadside flowers for sale on the “honor system”.

The Poet’s Cove  resort is a self contained wonderland.  The architecture is arts and craft bungalow, which I love.  There is a full service Spa, sports pub, and restaurant.  There are 2 pools, one for adults and one for families.  You have options to stay in a room in the main building, rent a 2 bedroom bungalow (which is more a like a town home), or go full out and get a three bedroom cottage.  Both the bungalow and cottage come with full service kitchens, multiple bathrooms, living and dinning areas, patios with BBQ’s and the cottages come with their own hot tubs.  We stayed in a bungalow and hosted a few BBQ’s during our stay.  The restaurant and pub serve some really tasty food and if you don’t plan to cook yourself will definitely meet your expectations.  Avid boaters know that Poet’s Cove is also the US Customs check-in point for entering the U.S. from Canada.

On Saturdays there is a farmers market that is worth a visit, about a 10 minute drive from the resort.  There is also a small cluster of stores where you can pick up supplies, groceries, and most importantly a liquor store that has a great selection of west coast reds.

Vancouver is a great city that I highly recommend.  If you are a snow skier, there is Whistler, if you are a fisherman, there are ample options, and if you are a foodie, you won’t be disappointed in the options from sushi, Greek, Italian, and French.  Let me know your favorite places in Vancouver even if it is a JapaDog truck.