With our kids at camp, my husband and I took a quick trip to Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia. There is a lot to see and do (and eat) in this part of Western Canada!

Living in Chicago, among the things I miss most are the mountains and the ocean. So, when planning a trip, if I can include some mountains and ocean views, all the better. A desire to see snow-capped peaks and the mighty Pacific is part of why my husband and I decided to plan a kid-free trip to British Columbia, specifically the cities of Victoria and Vancouver.

Another reason was the food. Vancouver especially is known for its food culture and some of the most authentic Asian cuisine in North America. Our five-day trip was filled with natural beauty, bustling city life, and great food ranging from elaborate dishes from some of Canada’s most acclaimed chefs to authentic soup dumplings in a suburban mall food court.

Our trip started in Victoria, a somewhat sleepy island city that is the provincial capital. We stayed at the Inn at Laurel Point, which is a large hotel a bit outside of the downtown area, but only a short walk away from most of the restaurants and sights. We stayed in one of the rooms in the very contemporary Erickson Wing and it had a delightful terrace with a beautiful view of the harbor. We wished we were staying for more than one night. I highly recommend booking one of these spacious rooms if staying at this hotel.

Upon arriving, late in the afternoon, we walked to dinner at Little Jumbo, a popular restaurant with a speakeasy feel — think no windows — and a renowned cocktail program to match. In fact, I enjoyed one of the best cocktails of my life there — a drink called Apricot Bores Me, which mixes a French apricot liqueur and a local aquavit with smoky black tea, rosemary, lemon and orange bitters. Apricot is not a common cocktail flavor which made this drink with its heady apricot flavor, all the more special.

The food was very good as well, especially our vegetable-forward appetizers and the local oysters I sampled. I would recommend Little Jumbo to anyone visiting Victoria, and indeed the other tables were populated with a wide range of diners from families with young childen to senior citizens. We fell into conversation with our neighbors, a pair of locals, because one of them was certain that she knew us. (She didn’t but it was a funny moment.)

The next day, we walked to brunch at Jam Cafe, a local favorite that was recommended to us by our waiter at Little Jumbo. (Asking waiters for restaurant recommendations is one of our favorite tricks. It worked out very well for us in Vienna where our waiter at a Michelin-starred restaurant told us the best heuringer, or wine bar, to go to.)

As predicted there was a “line-up” outside — that’s what Canadians call a line for some reason — but for a party of two, it moved quickly. Jam Cafe definitely felt like a local spot and we loved everything from our giant Bloody Marys garnished with pickled aspargus and candied bacon to the huge plates of biscuits and eggs to the retro interior. Our hearty brunch was the fuel we needed for a long day ahead.

Victoria is famous for its gardens, which thrive thanks to the subtropical climate, and none is more famous than The Butchart Gardens. This historic estate thirty minutes outside of Victoria is home to several themed gardens, ranging from a serene Japanese garden to a riotous English rose garden. Perhaps the most famous is the sunken garden on the site of an old quarry. The Butchart Gardens is a magnificent attraction but on a summer day, it can be mobbed with people, so do not expect a serene walk through nature. My suggestion is to plan to arrive early or late to avoid the worst of the crowds.

The other thing Victoria is famous for, besides gardens, is afternoon tea. We combined Victoria’s two passions by having tea at the Butchart Gardens. I highly recommend making a reservation if you wish to experience tea in the main restaurant, which is housed in the former home of the estate’s wealthy owners. We did not make a reservation, but somehow lucked into the very last free table and then saw several parties turned away after us Not only did we score a table with no reservation, it was the best table in the house to boot! We sat on the porch overlooking a lush green lawn and feasted on finger sandwiches and pastries and scones with jam and Devonshire cream while sipping freshly brewed, loose-leaf tea. It was heavenly and we felt more than a little guilty for our undeserved good fortune.

From Butchart Gardens, we took a whale-watching boat to Vancouver. One can do this trip — whale watching plus the Butchart Gardens — as a day trip from Vancouver. But we opted to fly into Victoria, stay the night and then take the boat to Vancouver which gave us more time in Victoria and less time on a boat, which, if you know me, is a good thing.

As much as I dislike boats, this particular trip was the thrill of a lifetime because we did, in fact, see whales. Our captain had gotten word of a pod of orcas in a nearby fjord – nearby, but off the normal route – and decided to take us there, despite it being out of our way, in the hopes of seeing the pod.

In fact, not only did we catch up to the three whales, we were even able to see them hunting, which is unusual. I have been fascinated by orcas ever since I was a girl, and to see them in the wild was exceptionally moving.  And then, for a bonus, when we were out of the fjord and on our way to Vancouver, we saw a juvenile humpback whale breach twice. That was even luckier than getting the last table at the Butchart Gardens restaurant!

In Vancouver, we stayed at a small boutique in the heart of downtown called Wedgewood Hotel & Spa. The hotel is within walking distance of many sights and restaurants, but as soon as you enter the lobby, which resembles an old Engish men’s club, you feel far away from the hustle and bustle of the streets. We loved the charm and intimacy of this Relais & Chateaux property.

Vancouver is above all a young city. Very few buildings are older date even to the 19th century. To get a sense of Vancouver’s not-too-distant origins, we took a walking tour of Gastown, the oldest neighborhood, from the local architectural society. It was very illuminating – we picked up lots of architectural vocabulary – and a bargain at $10 a head. If you are afraid of touristy walking tour with guides in old-timey costumes, as am I, then definitely stick with architectural walking tours from a local nonprofit group like this one. The same organization offers several other neighborhood tours as well.

Another must-see sight in Vancouver is Stanley Park, an enormous dedicated green space on a peninsula in the harbor but, at the same time, right in the heart of the city. In Stanley Park, one can walk along the famous sea wall and admire the extraordinary views, follow trails along wooded paths, play sports, sit on a beach, visit important historical First Nations sites or simply go to the well-regarded aquarium.

We opted for a walking tour of Stanley Park to dig a bit deeper into the history of this remarkable urban oasis and enjoyed that tremendously as well. Without some of the historical context, it’s kind of just a big park. My husband was a little skeptical of this tour at first, but then was very glad we did it.

Another popular tourist destination near Vancouver is the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. The main attraction here is a terrifyingly high and narrow suspension bridge strung over the Capilano River. Surrounding the iconic bridge, there is a large park with a pretty tame treetop canopy walk on one side and, on the other side, a cliff walk consisting of a series of walkways suspended and cantilevered next to a sheer granite cliff that almost caused this afraid-of-heights writer to have a panic attack.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is a nice way to experience the northwest rain forest without having to travel too far out of Vancouver. But, it is pricey and it can get extremely crowded in summer. I enjoyed this excursion – well, except the panic-inducing cliff walk, which had me in tears — but I kept thinking that it would have been more fun with our kids. It feels like a family attraction. My husband really enjoyed it though. Either plan to go early or take advantage of the discounted late entry to avoid the crowds and lines and purchase your tickets in advance. There is a free shuttle from downtown Vancouver, which is very convenient.

Another very worthwhile excursion from downtown Vancouver is a visit to the Museum of Anthropology on the campus of the University of British Columbia. Both the extraordinary building and the astonishing collection of art and artifacts from Canada’s First Nations make this museum worth the trip. I felt like we gained at least some knowledge of the people who had populated this part of the Pacific Northwest for centuries before the British arrived. There is more in this collection than one can truly take in in a day’s visit — which reminded us of the Museo Larco in Lima, Peru — but plan to spend as much time there as you can.

The university campus itself is stunning, with views of snow-capped mountains and the ocean from the main quad, so leave time for a stroll and a stop in the bookstore for UBC gear. Go Thunderbirds! Between the UBC campus and downtown Vancouver is the very cute neighborhood of Kitsilano, so consider stopping for lunch on the way to or from the museum. If you do, definitely check out the refined and inventive Thai cuisine at Maenam and stop in the nicest dried-fruit-and-nut store I have ever seen, Ayoub’s. If you do, please pick up some lime and saffron pistachios for me. They ship throughout Canada, which doesn’t help me at all.

Neither Uber nor Lyft operates in Vancouver, so without a rental car, you have to actually take cabs or, where possible, public transportation. As you might imagine, it is easy to get a cab in downtown Vancouver, but if you are in an area where cabs are not plentiful, you have to call one, which is a pain. It was interesting to realize how much we have become accustomed to calling an Uber or Lyft and how disconcerting it is not to have that option. I asked a few people person in the tourism industry about how they felt about the lack of a ride-sharing service — which is attributed to the power of the taxicab lobby — and they expressed frustration, so clearly the locals would like to see this change.

One attraction that did not impress us was the Vancouver Art Gallery, which has quite a small permanent collection and therefore seemed overpriced. (I think it is soon moving to a new home.) However, on Tuesdays, after 5 pm, musuem admission is by donation and the building remains open until 9 pm. We were fortunate enough to be in town on a Tuesday and took advantage of this deal. We were not alone in this – there was quite a “line-up” (hilarious!) to get in. We were very glad not to have paid full-freight, but enjoyed seeing works by the province’s best-known painter, Emily Carr, and a special exhibit of photographs dating from the early days of British settlement in the region.

Those are some of the activities we did in Vancouver, but I know you are wondering about where we ate. We were lucky enough to have some very special meals, both fancy and not-so-fancy. Our first night in Vancouver, we had a late dinner at Vij’s, one of the city’s toughest tables because the restaurant is very popular yet does not take reservations. I suggest coming at off hours, as we did, to avoid a long wait. The intensely flavored sauces in these refined Indian dishes is what makes Vij’s worth the bother. But do note that the restaurant is located outside of the downtown area and we needed them to call us a cab at the end of the evening.

We had another memorable meals at Hawksworth, which is regularly included on lists of Canada’s best restaurants. While everything we ate was delicious and beautifully plated, the unusual seasonal dessert made with sweet peas, matcha and lime is the dish we will be talking about for years to come. For exceptional food, mostly locally sourced, in a more casual atmosphere, visit Wildebeest. We were advised by a local food expert to order the horse tartare appetizer, but could not bring ourselves to do it. (I don’t think I could eat cooked horse let along raw horse.) What we did order was outstanding however.

Vancouver is especially known for its east and southeast Asian cuisine in part because there is a large immigrant population from these countries, especially China. Acting on a recommendation from a local, we tried a iconic Vietnamese and Cambodian restaurant, Phnom Penh, for lunch after our Gastown tour. This is another place where you can expect a “line-up” (Canadians!), and if you are less than familiar with these cuisines, do not expect a lot of guidance from the brusque wait staff. My advice is to read some Yelp reviews and have a plan for what you want to order going in. The food at Phnom Penh is not watered down for white people, but if you are up for an adventure, you should go for it because it is delicious.

If you really are looking for an adventure, however, take the train out to Richmond, a suburb of Vancouver with a large Chinese immigrant population. The Chinese food in Richmond is rumored to be the best in the world, outside of China, that is. Richmond’s Night Market is especially famous but it is only open on weekends.  Richmond is not, however, particulary scenic or charming. It’s a bland, sprawling suburb, and there are restaurants everywhere, so come with a plan. You can follow the local tourism board’s suggested Dumpling Trail — the only kind of trail I ever want to hike, by the way — or check out this guide from Eater Seattle. I will tell you that we ate some of the best Chinese food of our lives, including amazing soup dumplings, at R & H Chinese Food in the food court of the Lansdowne Center mall. I’m lucky that my husband indulges my desire to chase exceptional food to some pretty random locations.

If you are looking for foodie souvenirs to bring home, be sure to stop on Granville Island, a funky eating and shopping district south of downtown and just over the Granville Bridge. One of the many tugboat ferries that traverse False Creek is the best way to access this peninsula. Don’t miss the enormous Granville Public Market with its wide variety of food stalls. You can grab lunch or a snack, indulge in some chocolate or gelato and pick up locally produced sweets, spices or other treats to bring home.

In sum, we really enjoyed our trip to this part of British Columbia. If we had had one more day, we would have made the day trip to Whistler. But, as it was, four days on the ground was enough time to see and do (and eat!) almost everything we wanted.