Vancouver, Whistler & Vancouver Island - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 736

VANCOUVER
POP 666,500
Flying into YVR (Vancouver International Airport) on a glittering blue-sky day, it's not
hard to understand the Lotus Land label that sticks to this region like a wetsuit. The calm
ocean striped with boat trails, the crenulated shorelines of forest-green islands and the
ever-present snow-dusted crags glinting on the horizon give this city arguably the most
spectacular setting of any metropolis.
But while the grand backdrop means you're never far from great outdoor pursuits,
there's much more to Vancouver than appearances. Hitting the streets on foot means
coming across a kaleidoscope of distinctive neighborhoods, each one almost like a vil-
lage in itself. There's bohemian, coffee-loving Commercial Dr; the hearty character bars
of old Gastown; and the colorful streets of the West End 'gayborhood.' And that's before
you get to the bustling artisan nest otherwise known as Granville Island or the forested
seawall of Stanley Park, Canada's finest urban green space. In fact, if this really is Lotus
Land, you'll be far too busy checking it all out to rest.
History
Historians say First Nations people thrived in this area for as long as 16,000 years before
Spanish explorers arrived in the late 1500s. When Capt George Vancouver of the British