Half-time vacation
Since we were away in Winnipeg for a week we have too much work to actually take another week off this summer to enjoy Vancouver. So for the next two weeks we have decided to work part-time and vacation part-time mostly here in the city. This will mean either a part day of work in the morning or a full day of work one day and none the next. We sat down yesterday and made a list of all of the things we plan to do…

Plays and Tours
This week we will be attending Bard on the Beach on Tuesday night and TUTS on Thursday. Bard on the Beach is performing ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ on its main stage until September 25th. You can still get tickets to this and all three other plays at Vanier Park (Anthony & Cleopatra, Falstaff and Henry V) online, by phone or in person. Theatre Under the Stars is performing Joseph and the Technicolor Dream coat and Singin’ in the Rain alternating nights until August 21st. We will be seeing Joseph on Thursday night, hopefully under the stars at Stanley Park’s Malkin Bowl. On Friday we have booked the Tour of Gastown and Chinatown conducted by Vancouver Urban Adventures. The 2 hour tour starts at Waterfront Station and includes stops at Irish Heather and Ten Ren Tea. Even though we have spent a good deal of time in Gastown the history is sure to be interesting and most of Chinatown is new to us. Of course we will be trying out new lunch and dinner options of the way to or from these events.

Biking and Hiking
Also on our list of things to do is a hike of the 6km waterfront trail at Cates Park in Deep Cove and to spent some time in the area as we have actually only seen it from the water side. We also plan to bike the Seymour Valley Trailway and do some trail biking at the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve (Demonstration Forest). We have not been to either of these locations despite living here for over two years. Usually to bike we tend to pack up and head to Whistler but it is time we check out the trails a bit closer to home. And of course we will bike once or twice around the Stanley Park Seawall, down to Science World or through the Park and up to Prospect Point.

In Between
Somewhere in-between these planned activities we plan to fit in a few dinners with friends, a massage (for Tara), some shopping and hopefully trips to both the Kitsilano Farmers Market and the Chinatown Night Market. The Kits Market runs every Sunday from 10am to 2pm at Larch and 10th and the Night Market runs every Friday to Sunday from 6:30pm to 11pm at Main and Keefer. While we visit the West End market almost every Saturday we have not yet been to any of the other markets around town.

Out of Town Finale 
To finish of our two week Stay-cation we are heading out of town (but not too far) to spend two nights at Harrison Hot Springs Resort. While we have been to Harrison before we have not stay at the Resort. This time we also plan to take in an evening at the historic Copper Room. The reason we picked this particular weekend was for Slow Food Cycle. Slow Food Vancouver is hosting two tours in the Fraser Valley. The 4th Cycle Tour Agassiz will be held on Saturday, August 21st and the 2nd Cycle Tour Chilliwack will be held on Sunday, August 22nd. We have registered for the Agassiz tour and are looking forward to a leisurely educational and ‘delicious’ farm experience.

Then it is back to full time work on the 23rd. Watch for our blog posts along the way as we document these great Vancouver adventures.