Though I'm still very much in the throes of recovering from our awesome jaunt to Vancouver (traveling always does a total number on my health - but it's well worth it!), while the memories are still fresh as the first daisies of summer in my mind, I wanted to share a selection of happenings that really jump out at me from our week spent in British Columbia's largest city (which, interestingly enough, despite its size, is not the province's capital, that honour goes to the elegant city of Victoria on Vancouver Island).
We left town bright and early on the morning of the 4th and were guided from the very first to the very last minute of our drive with picturesque sunshine and ideal road conditions. Upon arriving in Vancouver, we made a beeline for our hotel, the immensely posh Fairmount Hotel, aka the Hotel Vancouver, on West Georgia Street (which stayed at thanks to Tony's company). This majestic building nestled smack dab in the heart of downtown Vancouver was built in 1939 and is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.
Elements of late art deco and other types of mid-century design can be seen all throughout the hotel, from the grand lobby to the suites to the halls - and even the onsite mailbox itself (which, being the most gloriously pretty Canada Post mailbox I'd ever seen in person, I couldn't help but take a photograph of the moment I first laid eyes on it). Naturally, I was in my vintage loving element in our swanky digs.
In the days that would follow, I didn't get much in the way of the "rest" in R&R that I'd hoped for before we left, but even at its most hectic of moments, there was a certain sense of relaxation to my own time in Vancouver because my days were spent doing things that I truly loved and which were frequently well outside of my usual routine when I'm home in Penticton.
The following is a selection of five that will linger in my mind for a very long time to come, each different but united by longtime loves and the same magnificent city.
1. The Vancouver Aquarium: As one might imagine, aquatic life abounds at the famous Vancouver Aquarium, which is renowned not only for its diverse, beautiful creatures of all sizes, but for the important scientific research, as well as its rescue and release program, that take place within its gates. A true favourite destination of mine for as far back as I have memories of Vancouver, a trip to the city just isn't the same for me without a visit to the Aquarium, very much including saying a hello to the ultra adorable otters (otters being one of my all-time favourite animals). Though it was raining on the day we were there (Murphy's Law, I say, as it was raining the last time we were there all the way back in early 2007), we still had a blast and took in three great outdoor shows on top of seeing all of the exhibits indoors.
2. Vancouver Flea Market: An absolute institution in the city that is known province wide (and no doubt beyond!), the Vancouver Flea Market, in operation since 1983, is an indoor event that takes place nearly every Saturday and Sunday of the year. Housed in a large red barn, this large flea market plays host to more than 250 vendors selling an array of antique, vintage, and modern items, including absolutely no shortage of beautiful vintage jewelry in a wide range price points (vintage clothing was almost nonexistent there though, save primarily for a few fur coats). Admission is just $1.00 and you can get your hand stamped, which will allow you to come back for free again later the same day, if so desired.
I got up early on Saturday morning specifically to make the flea market my first stop. I was there for over four hours and highly suspect I still missed at least a few stalls, simply because there was so much to see and so many delightful sellers to chat with. Though I did find some of the vendor's prices to be on the steep side (something that is, objectively, true of most things with price tags on them all throughout the city), a bit of sleuthing and bartering landed me a few good deals on some really lovely antique and vintage pieces, nearly all of which will be headed straight to my Etsy shop in the coming summer weeks.
3. Mintage: While I had the great pleasure of visiting a number of vintage and thrift stores in Vancouver during my lovely week there, none stand out in my mind quite like Mintage on Commercial Drive. Though it has been in business for nine years now, this was my first visit to Mintage and to say that it was love at first sight would be understatement. Unlike many of the vintage (and thrift) stores that I visited, Mintage's prices were fair and well within the means of my personal shopping budget and as a result, I came home with two good sized brown paper bags loaded with vintage skirts, dresses, scarves, handbags and my second ever Mexican Tourist jacket. Whereas most of the other vintage items I bought in Vancouver are destined for the shop, these particular beauties now reside in my own closet and are some of the first vintage pieces I've bought for myself this year, as I've been devoting as much of my funds as I can to sourcing for the shop, not myself.
In addition to having good prices, Mintage is chock-a-block with early, mid-century, and more recent vintage finds for gals and gents alike, all of which are well currated, intuitively laid out, and watched over by some of the absolutely friendliest staff you could ever hope to encounter. In fact, I was having such a ball selecting, trying items on and talking with the two employees (Alex and Mitchell, both pictured below in an photo I took of them that day) that I spent more than two fabulous hours at Mintage and will making it one of my very first stops from here on out whenever I'm in Vancouver.
4. Giving an impromptu presentation at New World Designs: A shopping trip to New World Designs, a wonderful Vancouver vintage reproduction and rockabilly clothing shop resulted in one of the coolest vintage related experiences I've ever had: giving a 100% unplanned, on the fly presentation on vintage hairstyles, makeup, clothing, and blogging to a group of about a dozen terrific ladies who had initially planned for an evening with a professional hairdresser who was going to show them some vintage hairstyles. It turned out that that lady ran into some issues (I don't know all the details) with her flight back to Vancouver and was delayed, so as a result the shop's owner was thinking she might have to cancel or alter the evening she had planned.
By sheer coincidence, I was in store as this was unfolding and after chatting with the owner for a little while, giving her my card and explaining who I was and what I do, she asked if I'd be interested in filling in for the MIA hairdresser. I explained that I was neither a pro at hair or makeup, and that fashion, history and blogging were my specialties, but that I'd be happy to do my best at demonstrating vintage looks (on a model from the audience) and discussing those topics in general. Mere minutes later I was in front of a crowd doing precisely that for the better part of the next two hours (which happily, I pretty much had free anyways, so the timing couldn't have been better).
It was an exhilarating, fantastic experience and I loved receiving and answering a slew of diverse, intelligent, downright cool questions from all of the lovely ladies who had shown up for the evening's previously planned presentation. I've never spoken to a live audience in person before about vintage (kind of hard to believe at this point in my life, I know), and despite my epic shyness, I've never had a problem with public speaking (in fact, I often prefer it to one-on-one or super small group discussions with strangers), so I was able to wing it and based on the feedback from the shop's owner and some of the audience members at the end of the night, things seemed to have gone great (phew! :)).
In fact, two of the gals (close friends) in the audience invited me out to a pub down the street afterwards and though I don't drink, I was happy to sip ice water while the three of us kept chatting about vintage, blogging, Vancouver, and many other great subjects well into the night. I had no idea when I first stepped foot in New World Designs late on Monday afternoon that not only would I soon be presenting on vintage to crowd, but also that before the evening was up, I would have two new friends from Vancouver. It was an almost surreal chain of events and one that has me seriously thinking that I should - with actual planning involved - give similar presentations on vintage here in the Okanagan, if I can determine that there would be enough interest from the public in them.
5. Just being in the city again: Some people are squarely a city or country person, I however fall into the camp of those who find they adore both and can only go so long in one without greatly missing the other. As awesome and genuinely important as small town living and outdoors serenity both are (a point I delved into earlier this year in this post), I still need a solid hit of city living every now and then few places in Canada can deliver that with the gusto, passion, and beauty as Vancouver. I felt especially alive, recharged and joyful while there and know that it will help set the mood and pace for me throughout the coming summer months, as I power straight ahead with my blogging, Etsy shop running, and day-to-day life.
{All photos in this post were taken by me with my iPhone and can be seen in my Instragram stream - where you can view lots more fun and exciting photos from Vancouver, including some of the vintage outfits I wore while there.}
♥ ♥ ♥
Though it had been nearly 7.5 years since my last journey to Vancouver, I can say with great conviction and hope that I don't believe it will anywhere near as long before the next - in fact, I hope to make it back there again at least one more time, if circumstances will permit, before the year is out.
I'm wild about Vancouver. I was born a stone's throw away from this vivacious city and truly felt like a powerful love for it was rekindled in a new and exciting way during our recent week there. Though I have a long way to go before I know it like the back of my hand (the ways I do, say, Calgary, where I lived in my late teen years), as we were driving out of town on our way home, passing streets such as Robson, Main, Terminal, and Cordova, I couldn't help but smile gleefully to myself over the fact that I now have a much better an idea of where they are and what they house. I know also that each subsequent trip to Vancouver will help me further piece together and get to know this lively, action filled city on the sea.
Though my bags are unpacked and my purchases tucked away, a bigger part of my heart than ever still remains in Vancouver and it will be all I can do not to start crossing off the days until we just happen to find ourselves saying hello to the otters, hitting up the flea market, and shopping at some of the city's coolest vintage stores again. Oh, how I can scarcely wait!!!
