Like many Alaska cruises, my sailing aboard Cunard's Queen Elizabeth last June began with an overnight stay in Vancouver, and I arrived early enough to spend about 24 hours in British Columbia's largest city before setting sail the following afternoon.
The statue of “Gassy Jack,” source of the Gastown neighborhood’s name. Photo Credit: TW photo by Eric Moya
On a previous visit to Vancouver, I'd taken in essential attractions such as the 1,000-acre Stanley Park, which sees about 8 million visitors each year; Granville Island, a former industrial zone that today is home to galleries, shops and a bustling public market; and the Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Chinatown.
This time around, I stuck mostly to the city's Gastown quarter, a few minutes' walk from Port Vancouver. The once-downtrodden neighborhood has been transformed in recent years by the introduction of a number of hip bars and restaurants; hungry visitors will also find outposts of reliable, popular franchises such as the Old Spaghetti Factory and the Flying Pig.
Gastown also has a couple of can't-miss photo ops: the statue of Gold Rush-era bar owner John "Gassy Jack" Deighton, for whom the neighborhood is named, and the Gastown Steam Clock at Cambie and Water streets.
I spent the night at the Fairmont Waterfront, a suitably luxurious experience to precede my Cunard sailing and a short walk from the cruise terminal. Its 489 rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows to take advantage of the property's views of the city, and amenities include a well-equipped health club and a heated pool overlooking the harbor.
I was booked in a Fairmont Gold room, a hotel within a hotel offering complimentary amenities such as concierge service, evening canapes and continental breakfast in the Fairmont Gold lounge, which has a terrace offering exceptional harbor views.
One other huge perk: Cunard retrieved my luggage directly from the hotel, and it was waiting in my cabin once I boarded.
Summer rates start at about $365 for standard guestrooms and $470 for Fairmont Gold rooms.
The British Columbia Parliament Buildings in Victoria, the capital of the province. Photo Credit: TW photo by Eric Moya
Capital conclusion
My Alaska cruise's final stop before returning to Vancouver was Victoria, British Columbia's capital. Cunard offered a number of excursions here, including city tours via horse-drawn trolley or by foot, but for the morning at least I opted to go it alone.
We arrived at 10 a.m., and as lunchtime approached, I decided to soak up the late-spring sun on a 50-minute walk from the port to the city's Chinatown, which is North America's second-oldest and also its smallest -- today basically one street spanning two or three blocks.
After a satisfying selection of dim sum at Don Mee, a Victoria institution for over eight decades, I made my way back to the ship, passing British Columbia's Parliament Buildings, Centennial Park and a number of intriguing eateries and bars.
I resisted the temptation to head inside, since I had already booked a late-afternoon craft beer excursion with West Coast Brewery Tours ($110, www.westcoastbrewerytours.com).
Three stops over about three hours showcased the breadth of the city's beer scene, which has certainly come a long way from the days of Labatt and Molson. One particular highlight was our visit to the Lighthouse Brewing Co., where easy-to-drink selections such as Lemon Lime Sour and Nightwatch Coffee Lager proved popular even with the handful of non-beer drinkers in the group.
It was an abbreviated version of West Coast's usual brewery tour, and while it was entertaining and educational, it left me -- like much of my British Columbia experience -- thirsty for more.
For more on British Columbia tourism, see www.tourismvancouver.com and www.tourismvictoria.com.