Weekend Trip to Vancouver
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Here I go! I hadn't been anywhere for 4 years due to transitioning and then add 2 years for a pandemic and holy hell I was ready for a fucking VACATION. After deciding that I wanted to make safe travel for transgender and queer people my focus, it only made sense to make Canada my first trip. It's hands down the safest country for LGBTQ people and it's right in my backyard. It was an obvious choice for my first journey into Traveling While Trans.
But Vancouver in February? Isn’t it really rainy? Well, maybe, but don’t let that stop you. If you live in Washington State or parts of Oregon, many parts of Canada may be within a day’s drive. It’s a beautiful drive and well worth the trip any time of year.
I took advantage of a holiday weekend and drove up on a Friday, I would have just enough time for a quick city adventure. It’s under 6 hours from Portland up I-5. I had been watching the Canadian border wait times webpage all week and wait times had always been under 5 minutes. I knew that arriving around 6pm on a Friday would make for a longer wait but it really wasn’t bad, just 20 minutes. They asked the usual questions and wanted the proof of vaccination that I had uploaded to AriveCAN. I did get randomly selected to have my car searched, so I got to wait inside the customs building LITERALLY straddling the border. Customs officers from both countries stare across the border at each other all day. It was a brief delay and they were polite, then I was sent on my way. (Check the border wait times for your return here.)
Canada has been taking covid very seriously. And despite the truckers blocking border crossings, most people are happy to isolate, mask, and vaccinate themselves for the greater good. Every single place that I went into was checking for proof of vaccination. I don’t know if that’s by ordinance or if it was the business’ choice. Canada has a national vaccine passport so Canadians showed a QR code on their phones. My flimsy cardboard vaccination card from Walgreens raised a few eyebrows but it was accepted.
Now, before we get too far, let me just say that I didn't see much in Vancouver. Like, at all. Sometimes I just like to leisurely walk around a city. And truth be told, as it was my first trip out of the US since transitioning, there was a little anxiety there. So I just went to see what's up. But don't expect a real deep dive here...
I stayed at the Executive Hotel Vintage Park just off Granville Street in downtown Vancouver. The hotel was clean, very friendly, covid cautious, and overall a great place. It was a bit dated in places, like the carpet in the hallways seemed old and using the hair dryer set off the smoke alarm. But it had some nice amenities, like on-site parking, and the price was right especially for location. Right off of the main strip of Granville Street, a few short blocks from Davie Village, across the bridge from Granville Island, adjacent to Yaletown, and a few short blocks from a water taxi. I knew this was going to be the perfect hub for my visit.
Since I had just been driving for 6 hours, I was hungry and I already knew where I wanted to go. I trucked up rainbow-lit Davie Street to Mary’s and got some pork sliders and something with a lot of vodka in it. Mary’s was a blast and I dearly wish I had made it back there at least one more time. I so enjoyed the vibe and the staff and everything about it. Bless y’all, Mary’s.
I didn’t stay at Mary’s long, I felt like I should be off in search of something since I was brand new to the city. I didn’t get far (literally about a block) before I was whisked into an Indian restaurant that has karaoke on Friday nights. My new friends were fun and funny and treated me like I was one of the gang. I overstuffed myself with butter curries, naan, and alcohol until I was able to get up and sing “Call Me Al” for a very generous audience. When a performer took the stage to sing “Let It Go,” the youngsters in the room went nuts. My new friend stated, “This is their Whitesnake.” Sorry, friend, I don’t remember your name, but I’m definitely stealing that one.
Late the next morning, in search of breakfast or something like it, I crossed the Granville Bridge onto Granville Island. The bridge, however, was very high up and really set off my vertigo! I was so sure I was just going to fall off and I couldn’t go near the railing which made for a couple awkward moments with other pedestrians. But I made it.
Granville Island has its original history with the Indigenous people of the area, the Salish, who had been on this land for thousands of years. A portion of the land was returned to the Salish in 2002 and there are many First Nations people owning shops on the island. A brief history of the island is found on their website. Granville Island is now a sprawling former industrial area, with a lot of the original buildings still standing.
The famous indoor market is almost intimidating at first, the layout is haphazard and it’s easy to double back on yourself without realizing it. The highest quality ingredients are on display here, many of which will go on to Vancouver’s most celebrated cuisine. It was lovely to browse, but I was hoping for more free samples.
If it’s cold and rainy when you go, do yourself a favor and find the salmon chowder and sit on a bench by False Creek watching the water taxis. Such mood. Most ennui.
Walking through the Granville Island indoor market in Vancouver, BC.
I browsed nearly every shop I saw and spent more money than I meant to. Even the fancy broom shop. But I eventually needed some fuel for the rest of my day, so I aimed for The Liberty Distillery, Vancouver’s first 100% craft distillery. Unfortunately they weren’t giving tours due to covid, but the knowledgeable staff was happy to talk about the process and benefits of local organic grain. I savored a flight of whiskey (amazing!) and a lengthy conversation with a young man having a Kerouacian journey after leaving the army.
I would’ve had another flight but the place was filling up so I made room and went on my way. I truly could’ve spent an entire day on the island. There are so many artist galleries, several theater companies, and plenty of places to eat and drink. There are even activities and events in the evening, so there really is no bad time to visit. I saw a number of children’s areas and a children’s theater so if you’re traveling with kids, this would be a great stop.
But I wasn’t about to cross Granville Bridge again, so I hopped on a water taxi for an inexpensive and very pleasant ride back. I made my way to Gastown, about a 30 minute walk from the Granville Bridge and my hotel. If you have the time, make it a leisurely stroll. I started my walk down Granville Street and marveled at the number and variety of bars and restaurants. Plenty of shopping, too, and the exchange rate was working slightly in my favor. My route strayed from the main road as things caught my interest. Vancouver is nothing if not vibrant, there’s always something just ahead to check out. Thanks to Vancouver being the largest urban provider of free Wi-Fi, even if you’re out of network you can look up the sights along your journey. I refueled part-way at The Moose, a rock and roll pub with really good food, loud music, and very friendly people, then zig zagged my across town before entering Gastown through a long alley. I love a good alley.
Gastown is the historical center of Vancouver. Here you’ll find a sizeable, vibrant Old Town that is overflowing with charm and character. Lots of shops offering local, handcrafted goods, bars, and restaurants. I sought out The Blarney Stone because I love a good Irish pub and I’m always looking for the perfect bangers and mash. The Blarney Stone pours a fine drink and the staff is friendly and knowledgeable about whiskey, but I did find the bangers and mash to be lacking somewhat. The flavors were good, and the portions generous, but the bangers were a bit overcooked. I would still be very happy to return here one night as I’m told it’s a very fun evening spot on weekends.
I found myself downstairs from The Blarney Stone, in the basement bar known as Guilt and Company. Paul Caldwell, a local Irish folk singer, was performing and this was right up my alley. Guilt and Co. was absolutely gorgeous inside and I was seated up front near the stage. As a performing musician myself, I really appreciated the fee scale: There’s no cover charge but they add $6 to your bill for each set that you stay through and 100% of that money goes to the artists. The music was fantastic but my only complaint was the audience talked through it all. It’s a sit-down bar so I understand that conversation is going to happen, but even the performer said at one point that they next song would sound better if you’re quiet. He was right, but nobody listened. Still, a very enjoyable evening and I will definitely be back next time I’m in Vancouver. Also, the bathroom situation was a mixed gender washroom with individual closed stalls which I really think is the wave of the future.
Another fun thing to do in Gastown, especially if your feet are tired and you just want some sightseeing, is to take the SkyTrain from Waterfront Station. The SkyTrain is an automated lightrail line that runs both above and below ground. For just a few dollars, you can ride out into the suburbs and take in the scenery or get off if you see something interesting.
The pricing is based on how many zones you want to travel through and a ticket is good for 90 minutes of travel. I traveled through 2 zones and paid $4.35. The system is easy to navigate, clean, efficient, and covers a lot of ground. The SeaBus also departs from Waterfront Station if you’d like to visit North Vancouver.
As luck would have it, British Colombia lifted some of the covid restrictions the day before I arrived. Most notably, as if in an 80’s movie plot, they had been under a prohibition of indoor dancing. So I could NOT have been more excited to find myself on the guestlist for Celebrities Nightclub, which has routinely billed as “the hottest gay club in Vancouver.” I was eager to party with other queerdos and couldn’t wait to experience the pent up energy of a city that hadn’t been allowed to dance for two years. I dressed in a cute tank top and skirt, then bundled up in my heavy pea coat for the brisk walk to the club. I arrived very shortly after opening at 10pm and was disheartened to see a sizable queue outside the club. After confirming that this was indeed the line for guestlisters, I settled into place maybe 50 people from the door. The line grew behind me but did not shrink in front of me with any sort of speed. Eventually, someone walked the line and confirmed our guestlist status, checked ID and vaccination, then gave us each an “Admit One” token. I’m not exaggerating even a little that it took over an hour to get inside. If there was any bright side to that, it was that the general admission line was four times as long.
Inside, the club was pretty spectacular. The lights and sound had been upgraded in 2013 and it lived up to all the hype. The music was loud but not deafening, super crisp, and very high energy. I quickly found the line for the coat check, since I wasn’t about to schlep around my heavy wool all night. There was a young man in line as well and we easily fell into conversation. He told me about several after hours clubs that would be opening around 2am. He was nice, but I told him I probably wouldn’t be staying up that long. However, at the rate the line was moving it was feeling more likely that I would be. The coat check line took 45 minutes. Then my new friend and I went to the bar, which was another 20 minutes just to get a drink. Finally, we found a spot next to the dancefloor to perch and survey the scene.
Like I said, it was spectacular, but something wasn’t sitting right with me. As I took in the crowd I realized this wasn’t a gay club. Or if it was at one time, it had been co-opted by the heteros. I was looking for something light, fun, and well...gay.
This scene was very hetero and very serious. In this scene, at least 75% of the people in the audience were there to see THAT DJ, because apparently you can get famous playing records now? The crowd danced facing the stage, not with each other. Not a gay club. And surprisingly, nobody was wearing a mask.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw a hetero couple walking past me, the guy tapped his girlfriend on the shoulder and gestured toward me. I turned and found them both looking right at me, laughing. That surprised me, even in this hetero space because, well, Canada, right? But it was a reminder that there are assholes everywhere. So I ignored them, because truth be told, they could’ve been laughing at my age. This was a 20-something crowd and I could have been mom to most of these kids. I finished my drink, gave my acquaintance an Irish goodbye, and returned to my hotel room to watch Frasier reruns like a goddamn adult.
My final full day in Vancouver was dedicated to my favorite pastime: aimless wandering. A stroll through Yaletown revealed one of the city’s wealthiest neighborhoods with a beautiful marina, stunning architecture, and long brunch lines for restaurants I can’t afford. Similarly, the shopping in Yaletown was myriad, but expensive. I did enjoy the architectural juxtaposition of shiny new apartment towers with repurposed brick warehouses. And the parks by the marina were beautiful on what the only clear day I was there for.
World’s scariest swimming pool:
This is when I started noticing the LGBTQ Safe Place stickers in business’ windows. They indicate that the business is a safe place for a queer person experiencing harassment or crime to go to for help.
I do appreciate this sort of thing, but it told me an important fact: Vancouver may be welcoming and safe overall, it is not immune to this kind of targeted crime. I thought back to the cishet couple from the night before and I realized that I’d not seen one single transgender person in Vancouver. Walking around the city now, I was more aware, looking at people I passed on the street, gauging their impressions of me. I realized I was being stared at a lot. Not in a bad way, but it was palpable. It was becoming clear that they weren’t as accustomed to seeing a trans person as people in Portland are.
I was still needing to clear the cobwebs from the night before so I went in search of ramen. Ramen might be the true perfect food. I could not have been happier to find Taishoken Ramen who served me a hearty bowl of kimchi chashu that cured my hangover and put a pep in my step. It was a delightful little place with a front row seat in the window for people watching on Abbott Street.
Back in Gastown, I found myself standing in front of a pedestal stump, the former site of the statue “Gassy Jack.” That was the nickname given to John Deighton, who was a bar owner who allegedly founded Gastown. The nickname comes from his propensity for being long winded. I had read a bit about the statue before my trip, since it had been torn down the week prior during the annual Women‘s Memorial March for murdered and missing Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people. Mr. Deighton also had a propensity for raping underage Indigenous women. I encourage you to do your own research if you’re interested, but I personally have no problems with tearing down statues of child rapists.
Watch: "Red Women Rising"courtesy of Battered Women's Support Services.
Good riddance, Gassy Jack.
While I took pictures of the stump, I noticed an older gentleman standing in front of a store, watching me while smoking a cigarette. I spoke with him about the statue, the history of Gastown, and his feelings about the statue being torn down. Needless to say, we had differing opinions and his viewpoint was based in the idea that you should never tear any statue down, no matter how problematic the person may be. (He was also under the misguided viewpoint that John Deighton was the founder of Vancouver.) We shook hands, I thanked him for his time and he said he enjoyed talking with me. Even with different opinions, I felt it was a worthwhile conversation and I couldn’t help but think that a similar conversation wouldn’t have been nearly as civil in the US.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of my short visit was the Winter Arts Festival. Throughout the city were interactive and augmented reality art and light installations that were free and fun to enjoy. I stumbled upon a couple of them and was delighted in jumping and stepping on little lighted pads that created my own unique tune. It’s hard to explain, it was like playing Dance Dance Revolution except you’re making the song. Also during the festival were pop up performances by CircusWest, a virtual reality Cirque de Soleil experience, walking tours and storytelling, and my favorite, a free dance party in the middle of the city.
The HUB of the Winter Arts Festival is right next to the Vancouver Art Gallery (which featured a great exhibit by none other than Yoko Ono) and had music and performances every day starting at 4pm. I saw circus acts, a drag show, DJs, and live music, there was always something going on. I stopped in at the HUB every day just to see and was never disappointed. They also have food trucks and licensed alcohol sales, so it was a nice snack (or drink) anytime I happened to be in the neighborhood. And honestly, the dance club at the HUB was better than the overhyped Celebrities Nightclub. The atmosphere and people were all about having fun and sharing good vibes. Nobody gave me a second look there, I danced with all kinds of people and experienced zero judgment. I should have just skipped the fancy club. There was even an ice skating rink right nearby!
I was happy to see that Indigenous and People of Color were heavily represented in the art installations. There were photographic and narrative exhibits of historical People of Color in Vancouver, many of whom had escaped slavery in the United States and went on to make great contributions. I learned a lot and I was inspired to look up more. Augmented reality made this art come alive in fun and surprising ways I’d never seen before, did I mention I’m old?
So how did I feel? Well, obviously it's no fun to be laughed at, and that was especially surprising at a supposedly gay club. I was really taken aback since nothing like that has ever happened to me in Portland. But that pushed me out of my comfort bubble and was a good reminder that I may encounter unkind people anywhere. Even in Canada. Still, Vancouver is safe, impeccably clean, and quite friendly. It does have some of the problems that any large city does, but not to a great degree. Canada is arguably the safest country in the world for LGBTQ+ folk and I would happily recommend Vancouver to any queer traveler, or any traveler. Probably more than any city in the US as far as safety goes.
All in all, Vancouver is a gorgeous city that has a lot to offer any visitor. Many day trips could be taken from Vancouver, including a ferry to Vancouver Island, riding the longest aerial tram in North America up Grouse Mountain for snowshoeing or skiing, or the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park that I won’t be caught dead at. Next time, I am definitely going to take a ferry to Victoria for some extra sightseeing. There’s a lot to see and I barely scratched the surface, so I will have to return. Next time, I’ll stay longer.
Have you been to Vancouver, BC before? Let me know what your experience was below!
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