Burrito Boyz

Rated this place:

218 Adelaide Street West, Toronto, ON, M5A1M9

Chicken burrito: These cats just get it right. Top quality, fast friendly service. I usually hit the Mississauga location tucked away in Port Credit.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Chicken Burrito

Benny's Bagels

Rated this place:

2505 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC, V5M1Y4

Cinnamon raisin bagel: Okay, I was going to take a photo of the Cinnamon raisin bagels, but I ate them instead! This photo is of a stained glass window above the door, make of it what you will. Benny's has a woodsy, chilled out feel, free wifi, and the bagels... ummm!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Cinnamon raisin bagel

Mountain Equipment Co-op

Rated this place:

130 Broadway W, Vancouver, BC, V5Y 1P3

Outdoor gear: This is a national chain of co-operative members, and they do a great job of sourcing and stocking outdoor gear. I find myself in MEC for something every single time I take a trip. Also on Broadway in Vancouver

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• outdoor gear

Topanga Cafe

Rated this place:

2904 W 4th Ave., Vancouver, BC

Chocolate cake in the 4th ave galaxy: While the Topanga is deservedly well known for its mexican food, the chocolate cake is to die for. Moist, chocolatey, and elusive, consider yourself lucky if you can get your fork into a piece.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Chocolate Cake in the 4th Ave Galaxy

3 Vets

Rated this place:

2200 Yukon, Vancouver

Parkas: 3 Vets has been in business since 1947, and it looks it. But I love them for it. Snow goose are the best available in the world, and the 3 Vets people not only sell them, but also repair them. So, did I take my Snow goose to Everest, where it would have really been useful? Nope. That's a story for another time.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Parkas

Kitsilano Pool

Rated this place:

2305 Cornwall Avenue, Vancouver

Outdoor swimming pool: This is apparently Canada's longest pool at 137 metres (449 feet), which is cool. Cooler still is the location, the fact that it has half the chemicals of a regular pool, and a zero degree entry. That basically means the water slopes gradually up to poolside with no curb or wall on one side. Brilliant!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Outdoor Swimming Pool

La Bretagne Creperie

Rated this place:

795 Jervis Street, Vancouver, BC

Baguette: It's difficult to find baguette done the way they do in France, and La Baguette comes as close as any I've encountered in BC. Fresh and fine, I'd be buying it every day if I lived a bit closer!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• baguette

Vanier Park

Rated this place:

1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver , BC, V6J 3J9

Off leash dog park: There are plenty of good off leash areas in Vancouver, but this is an excellent beach too.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Off leash Dog Park

Steveston Greenway

Rated this place:

Richmond

Japanese memorial: This is a memorial to the Japanese fishermen who settled in Steveston, which is now south Richmond. It's a reminder about how multicultural Canada has been for almost its entire history.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Japanese Memorial

Zara's Deli

Rated this place:

128-1689 Johnston Street, Vancouver, BC, V6H3R9

Fresh ravioli: They have plenty of fresh and distinctive Raviolis' to choose from. Take a stroll around to Dusos for some Parmesan cheese to round it out!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Fresh Ravioli

BC Wood Coop

Rated this place:

1592 Johnston St., Vancouver, V6H 3S2

Wood art: I worked with wood for years for various reasons, but have never come up with the things these artists do. They're awesome. A coop in the fine BC tradition, this shop represents a whole roster of artists and craftspeople.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Wood Art

Tofino

Rated this place:

Tofino

Highway sign: You'd think that it would be fairly simple to decide where the beginning of the trans Canada highway is, but... Victoria and Tofino both stake their claim. So Victoria commemorates theirs with a 'mile zero' marker, and Tofino calls theirs the 'Pacific Terminus'. One thing is certain- almost all of Canada is east of this sign.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Highway Sign

Museum of Anthropology, UBC

Rated this place:

6393 N.W. Marine Drive, Vancouver, V6T 1Z2

First nations art: The collection is superlative, they have a bona fide village with totem poles out back, and it's all housed in this brilliant gallery building. If you take a little walk around, you can find artillery emplacements from WWII on the bluff above Wreck beach.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• First Nations Art

The Hollow Tree

Rated this place:

West Side of Stanley Park Drive, Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC

Photo opportunity (rip): Folks, it doesn't matter too much where this is, because the Parks board has voted to remove it for safety reasons. This caused a lot of controversy among various groups in town, but as far as I know, they're going to follow through and take it out. RIP hollow tree.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Photo Opportunity (RIP)

Horseshoe Bay

Rated this place:

6750 Keith Road, Vancouver, BC, V7W 2V1

Ferry port: I'm sentimental. It was the first one I used, and it's the gateway to Nanaimo, the Sunshine coast, and many other fine places. Excellent coffee and nibbles at the little hut on the dock- watch for it when you're there.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Ferry Port

Zulu Records

Rated this place:

1972 West 4th Ave, Vancouver, BC, V6J 1M5

Independent record store: It's all about the vibe. The staff know their stuff, you can get tickets for shows, and you can browse the afternoon away.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Independent record store

Dr Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Gardens

Rated this place:

578 Carrall Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B5K2

Downtown park (dtes): It transports me to another world. And it's way more convenient than actually going to China. The Sun Yat-Sen garden is charges a fee for entry, but right beside it is a public park that has some of the main features and is free to enter.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Downtown Park (DTES)

Whistler Blackcomb

Rated this place:

Whistler Village

Mountain viewing: It's home to the 2010 Olympic alpine events, and it has lots of things going on all the time, year round. You can take the ski-lift whether you plan to ski or not, and the gondola provides some excellent views of the mountains.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Mountain Viewing

Honey Doughnuts & Goodies

Rated this place:

4373 Gallant Ave, North Vancouver, V7G 1L1

Donuts: They're the best, one of many fine reasons to trek on out to Deep Cove. Especialy fine after a paddle or a hike. Often imitated, never duplicated.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• donuts

Fort Langley

Rated this place:

Fort Langley

Historic village: It's representative of a whole period of BC history, has some very good shops, and bills itself as one of the birthplaces of BC.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Historic Village

White Rock Beach

Rated this place:

White Rock

Train tracks: It's a level crossing right at the bottom of the hill by the beach. You can stand close and get great pictures as it goes by, then cross the tracks and get gelato at one of the many gelato shops along the street. Keep an eye out for vintage cars and bring your hiking shoes if you plan to walk around town much. The hills are steep!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Train Tracks

Butchart Gardens

Rated this place:

800 Benvenuto Avenue , Brentwood Bay, V8M 1J8

Garden (victoria): This is one of the worlds' top gardens, and easily the best place to stop and smell the roses in BC. They have more kinds than anyone else! The 55 acre site was originally a quarry, and now has several themed areas like theJapanese garden and Renaissance garden. If you time your visit well, you can catch the fireworks as well.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Garden (Victoria)

North Vancouver, east of Lonsdale Quay

Rated this place:

Bow of a ship: There's a story here. The HMCS Cape Breton was 40 feet longer than the building it was built inside, so the bow always poked out. Now, the nose is preserved on shore and is planned to be part of a museum someday. The plan is for the cross section of the bow to be incorporated in the museum so that people can see inside of the ship. The remaining 400 feet were sunk outside Nanaimo to create an artificial reef.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Bow of a ship

University of British Columbia

Rated this place:

2329 West Mall , Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z4

Outdoor art (ubc): This artwork co-opts the street sign, a ubiquitous instrument of authority. It's called 'Native Hosts', and there are 12 signs like it throughout the UBC Campus, each one referring to a different first nations band. It's simple and powerful stuff.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Outdoor Art (UBC)

Cobs Bread

Rated this place:

2320 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, V6K 1P1

Bakery chain: They have top quality baked goods and you can find them in the most possible places. You can't go wrong.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Bakery chain