Experience everything from old-growth forests to world-class Chinese food in Vancouver.

Just one look around this stunning city, bordered by saltwater and the Coastal Mountain Range, is enough to convince you why it was chosen for the 2010 Winter Olympics. It's possible to go sailing, play golf, and ski all in one day from Vancouver! It is located on mainland British Columbia on a peninsula bordered by Burrard Inlet to the north, English Bay to the west, and False Creek to the south. The Fraser River, so important for its contribution of fresh water into the Salish Sea, is located just south of the city. Vancouver is Canada's third largest city after Toronto and Montreal, with a population of approximately 546,000 residents of multicultural diversity. It has a mild climate similar to Seattle, with an average rainfall of 50 inches (less than Boston). Vancouver is North America's largest port after New York, and is one of the world's major cruise ship ports.

The Coast Salish were the first inhabitants of the Vancouver region. They occupied approximately 10 villages along the shores of Point Gray and Burrard Inlet, sustained by the abundance of clams, herring, and salmon. The first European to sail into the waters around Vancouver was Spanish navigator Jose Narvaez, who anchored off Point Gray in 1791. Captain George Vancouver, whom the city's name honors, spent a day in the area while exploring and charting Northwest waters and claimed the area for the British Empire.

In 1808, Simon Fraser arrived in the area overland and named the major freshwater tributary. Fraser River became an integral inland waterway of Vancouver's pioneer days. The Hudson's Bay Company established settlement on the Fraser River and in Victoria. The first non-native settlement of the city, Gastown, was developed around a saloon built by John "Gassy Jack" Deighton. However, the name was discarded 16 years later when it was changed to Vancouver, and the city was incorporated in 1889.

The Canadian Pacific Railroad opened up the west for Vancouver and British Columbia, and with its natural, deep port, Vancouver became an important west coast seaport. Like Seattle, Vancouver was a supply and launching area for the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898, and by the 1930s became Canada's third largest city. Some people predict the future will make it Canada's largest city.

Today, Vancouver is a bustling, friendly city with a cosmopolitan flair, offering a wide range of attractions. It is so picturesque, with its wide variety of scenery, mild climate and favorable economics, that it has become one of the larger film production centers in North America.

Stanley Park is Vancouver's first park, established in 1886 with 1,000 acres that border the edge of the city's downtown core. Large, fragrant cedar, hemlock, and fir trees dominate this park, which also offers a salmon demonstration stream, a totem park visitor center, a children's farmyard, beaches, and playgrounds. Stanley Park also showcases the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, Canada's leading aquatic conservation organization and a leader in orca research for over 25 years.

Taste a signature 'Nanaimo bar' in historic Nanaimo.

A tranquil town of only one square mile.

Friday Harbor is located on the eastern side of San Juan Island, the second largest island in the San Juan Islands group. It fronts a natural, protected harbor and is now one of the main commercial centers for the islands. Originally, this and many other San Juan Islands were temporary summer fish camps for the Coast Salish. Utilizing cedar canoes, they would travel to key locations such as San Juan Island and set up camp to capture and preserve salmon traveling to their spawning grounds from the open ocean. The Strait of Juan de Fuca is the main thoroughfare from the Pacific Ocean to the Salish Sea, making San Juan Island an ideal location to capture salmon. The Lummi, a Coast Salish people, lived on San Juan Island but were subsequently moved to Orcas Island and then to a reservation at Gooseberry Point on the mainland north of Bellingham. Spanish explorers named some of the islands and waterways in this area, but the British and Americans were the primary non-native settlers on San Juan Island, providing colorful accounts for the history books.

The big story here is about the “Pig War” that was started in 1859, significant in many ways although rooted in what some would consider insignificant circumstances. It all started when a pig owned by Englishman Charles Griffen broke into the tasty garden of American Lyman Cutlar one too many times. Cutlar shot the pig, admitted to shooting the pig, refused a trial by the British, and sought the United States’ protection.

Since it was unclear at that time exactly where the U.S./Canadian border really was, a 12-year standoff ensued. The English garrison was established on the northwestern side of the island; an American garrison was set up on the southern tip. In 1872, a German arbitrator, Kaiser Wilhelm, settled the debate by establishing the U.S./Canadian boundary and “gave” the San Juan Islands to the United States.

The San Juan Islands therefore came to be the last currently American soil held by Britain. But this would not be the final colorful story to be told. The islands were settled in an initial bawdy “wild west” fashion. Even into the 1930s, as some communities claimed to be "civilized," the islands had plenty of bootleggers who were utilizing the intricate waterways around the islands to trade their goods during Prohibition.

Ship navigators would refer to this protected harbor after its first settler, Joe Friday, and the name stuck – “Friday’s Harbor.” One local legend, however, tells of how the harbor got its name through a misunderstanding of the question, “What bay is this?" misinterpreted as, “What day is this?" However it got its name, Friday Harbor was incorporated in 1909, and is now the county seat for the islands. It is a small, charming community with public access via Washington State Ferries and floatplanes.

The public marina is home port to a multitude of yachts, sailboats, and whale watching charter boats. A 5-minute walk uphill from the marina or ferry landing brings you into the heart of town and a variety of boutiques, galleries, gift shops, and the ever-essential and practical grocery and hardware stores. You can even find every possible kind of salsa and hot sauce made and known to humankind in one of the shops! Entertainment includes the naming of some of these sauces. This is not an activity for the faint of heart.

Step into jolly olde England in Victoria.

Some say that Victoria is more “English” than merrie olde England herself! Majestically perched on the southern tip of the Saanich Peninsula, ornate architecture and manicured gardens are reminiscent of Victorian London. Established in 1843 as a Hudson’s Bay Company Post named for the motherland’s Queen, Victoria became a colonial capital and significant outpost of the British Empire in 1862.

The Coast Salish were the first to thrive in this region's natural abundance. The first Spanish explorers arrived in 1592, followed by Captain James Cook in 1778. Captain George Vancouver negotiated this island from the Spanish in 1795, and it is named in his honor. The Hudson's Bay Company’s fur trading industry brought many immigrants to the region and they became involved in other various resource extraction opportunities such as coal mining, fishing, and logging. Beginning in the late 19th century as the railroads were being built in the west, thousands of Asian immigrants brought tremendous diversity to the area.

Victoria’s current population of 74,000 makes it the second largest city in British Columbia. Government jobs provide about a quarter of the economic mainstay, while 3 million tourists a year provide a strong base in tourism dollars. With plenty of surrounding natural wonders, its European flair, northern Mediterranean-like climate, friendliness, and accessibility, it is no wonder so many come to visit or retire in Victoria.

There is much to see and do in Victoria, and it is very easy to walk from one site to another. Crowning the Inner Harbour, the architectural jewels of the Parliament Building and Fairmont Empress Hotel glitter stunningly at night with thousands of lights reflecting off the water. The Parliament Building alone has over 3,000 lights! Architect Francis Rattenburg designed both of these highly photographed buildings. The Parliament Building offers tours to visitors during the weekdays. Across the street, the whimsical Royal London Wax Museum offers about 250 examples of this very British art form. The Wax Museum is housed in what was originally the ticket office of the Canadian Pacific Railroad.

In the Empress Hotel, locals and visitors alike have enjoyed high tea in the Palm Room, with its stained-glass dome and tropical plants, since 1908. On the ground floor of the hotel is Miniature World, with tiny examples of odd items such as the world’s smallest operational sawmill and the world’s largest dollhouse. The Royal British Columbia Museum offers stunning year-round exhibits of British Columbia’s natural history in expertly placed exhibits. You’ll find dioramas and artifacts depicting the natural history and human history, from displays of First Nations art to a replica of Captain George Vancouver’s ship, HMS Discovery. International exhibits change periodically. The Maritime Museum of British Columbia is one of the best of its kind, representing various vessels from dugout canoes to modern day ships and everything in between. For more maritime influence, take a cab or bike down Bellville Street to Fisherman’s Wharf in the Inner Harbour for a glimpse of a working fishing pier with moorage capability of over 400 boats.

Shopping adventures and culinary delights abound as you take a walk down Government Street, eventually ending in Victoria’s Chinatown.

Experience the life of a shipping magnate at Rosario Resort.

Rosario Resort is located on Orcas Island, the largest island in the San Juans. Built in 1906, the resort was once the home of Robert Moran, a Seattle shipping magnate who built an extravagant home on the island after his doctor diagnosed him at age 46 with a terminal heart condition. The resort’s historic mansion is extraordinarily well-built, with a room-sized 1,972-pipe Aeolian organ, 6,000 square feet of teak parquet floors, and a Tiffany chandelier. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens and grounds and an adjoining 5,000 acres have become Moran State Park.

Apparently by erasing the stress of shipbuilding from his life, Moran’s heart condition improved and he lived in the home of his dreams with his family until his death 40 years later!

Every Friday evening, performer Christopher Peacock gives a multi-media presentation in the mansion. He plays a baby Grand Piano and the pipe organ, and projects historical views of Rosario and Seattle at the turn of the century, and images of the San Juans today, all while providing historical overview and anecdotes.

Cruise the yachting mecca of the San Juan Islands.

Approximately 450 islands dot the Salish Sea between southeastern Vancouver Island and northern Washington, formed by tectonic activity, glacial sculpting, and the forces of erosion. In the protective rain shadow of Vancouver Island, the San Juan Islands receive about half the rainfall of the Seattle area – about 15 to 20 inches per year. The views are astounding. On a clear day, you can turn in a circle and see the Olympic and Cascade Mountain ranges, Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainier, and Vancouver Island. The islands thrive with an abundance of wildlife. The island group’s southern water border is the Strait of Juan de Fuca. To the west, the San Juans and Vancouver Island are separated by Haro Strait. The northern edge of the island group is the Straits of Georgia, and to the east is Bellingham Bay and Rosario Straits.

The San Juan Islands are accessible only by air and sea. The waters are cold, deep, and prolific with life both above and below. Massive schools of salmon travel from the open waters of the Pacific with the flushing tides through Haro and Rosario Straits, making this a favorite hunting grounds for the resident, salmon-eating orcas known locally as the J, K, and L Pods. Transient orcas also travel through this area periodically to prey on marine mammals. The waters are home to minke whales, Dall’s porpoise, harbor porpoise, harbor seals, and sea lions. California gray whales pass by in fall on their way to Mexican lagoons to mate and calve. In the spring, they will pass by again, heading north to the nutrient-rich waters of the Arctic Seas.

The San Juan Islands are also a birdwatcher’s paradise. Keep an eye out overhead or on the shorelines and rocky outcroppings for cormorants, oystercatchers, tufted puffins, terns, gulls, scoters, bald and golden eagles, turkey vultures, and more! Over 290 different species of birds have been identified in the San Juan Islands. Activities are as abundant here as the diversity of wildlife. Diving, kayaking, biking, hiking, sailing, boating, and whale and bird watching top the list of outdoor adventures.

Eighty-three islands have been designated as National Wildlife Refuges, divided into the four habitats of reefs, rocks, grassy, and forested islands. Each island is unique and has its own natural and human history story.

Look for wildlife along the rich forests of Vancouver Island.

Located in southwestern British Columbia, Vancouver Island is the largest island in western North America. This is considered by some geologists to be a partially submerged portion of the Coastal Mountains of mainland British Columbia. It is 285 miles long and 30 to 80 miles wide. Encompassing approximately 12,400 square miles, it is approximately the same size as The Netherlands.

This island is separated from mainland British Columbia by Queen Charlotte Sound in the north and the Strait of Georgia in the center. The Strait of Juan de Fuca to the south separates Vancouver Island from Washington's Olympic Peninsula. The entire western edge of Vancouver Island is directly exposed to the open waters and weather of the Pacific Ocean, receiving the most rainfall in North America.

The highest peak of Vancouver Island’s central mountain range is Golden Hinde, which rises to an elevation of 7,219 feet. This central mountain range protects eastern Vancouver Island from the maritime influence of the Pacific, and creates a favorable climate and precipitation level for the majority of the island’s population, which lives on its eastern shores. The island is heavily forested and dotted with many beautiful and pristine lakes and streams. The forested region shelters bear, deer, elk, marmots, wolves, and one of the highest concentrations of mountain lions in the world. Its entire shoreline is jaggedly cut with spectacular fjords, inlets, and beaches of stone, sand, and rock. Within the depths of this island is a mineral-rich batholith of iron, copper, and gold. From a depression at the edge of this batholith, coal was mined extensively, particularly in the Nanaimo region, supplying both Canada and Europe. Currently fishing, agriculture, and tourism sustain the local economy.

Watch the famous "flying fish" in Seattle's Pike Place Market.

For thousands of years, the coastal First Peoples lived in abundance along the shorelines that now surround Elliott Bay and the city of Seattle. The city is named for Chief Sealth, a respected local elder who befriended the first non-native settlers of the Denny party who landed in 1851.

Logging of the great forests surrounding Elliott Bay commenced almost immediately upon arrival of the first white pioneers, who began to supply the building demands of the city of San Francisco and other developments along the west coast. This was Seattle’s first link to becoming a key import and export arena along the Pacific Rim. By the time gold was discovered in Alaska in the late 1800s, Seattle became the foremost launching pad and supply center for gold and adventure seekers to the “Last Frontier” of the Alaskan wilderness.

Today, Seattle’s multi-cultural population is a little over one-half million. Lumber and other exports are still important to the regional economy, as is the pioneering spirit that fostered the development and success of high-tech companies such as Microsoft and Boeing. Take a stroll along the Emerald City’s bustling waterfront and see a grand mixture of old wooden piers now housing restaurants, the Seattle Aquarium and the like with a view of the modern shipping docks in the background. Soak in the surrounding natural beauty of Mt. Rainier, rising to a height of 14,411 feet, and the Olympic Mountains to the west across Elliott Bay. Green and white Washington State Ferries constantly ply the southern Salish Sea (aka Puget Sound) to and from outlying water-bound areas.

To the north of downtown, the 1962 World’s Fair icon, the Space Needle, touches the skies at 600 feet. Have a meal in the Needle’s revolving restaurant and gain a spectacular 360-degree view in an hour. In its early days, the restaurant revolved faster – but that didn’t work so well for the diner’s digestion!

Sip a latte in the heart of coffee culture at Pike Place Market and watch the "flying fish" while inhaling the colorful array of fresh-cut flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Local artisan stalls offer their interpretation of arts and crafts, while all through the market casually clad folks in their Seattle-based REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) and Eddie Bauer sportswear are looking for that special gift or perhaps deciding on what to have for dinner. Many have moved to Seattle to enjoy the attributes of the city while being close to the ocean or an hour away from skiing, hiking, or biking the beautiful Cascade or Olympic Mountains.

Visit Seattle’s first neighborhood, Pioneer Square, with historical brick buildings brimming with art galleries, boutiques, and the large Elliott Bay Bookstore. Seattleites are distinguished as the number one readers in the U.S. Although some may attribute that statistic to Seattle’s rainy reputation, this city actually receives only about 35 inches of rain annually – less than all the major cities on the Eastern seaboard! That is because the Olympic Mountains on the Olympic Peninsula absorb much of the moisture from the Pacific before it reaches Seattle. The marine air does moderate the temperature in Seattle and is cause for days of overcast skies – thus its reputation for rain. Summer temperatures range from the 70s to 80s F and winters range from the 40s to 50s. Seattle enjoys about 16 hours of daylight in the summer and 16 hours of darkness in the winter. Aha! Perhaps that's the reason for all the reading.