Train ride's the ticket for Vancouver jaunt
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As my co-workers fumbled with their maps and plastic cup holders on their drive along Interstate 5 to Vancouver, we took in water views from a window seat in the dining car of the Amtrak Cascades.
The train crossed the border near Blaine and rolled through the Canadian resort town of White Rock as we were finishing cheese omelets and the last of our coffee.
At 11:45 a.m., three hours after leaving Seattle's King Street station on a Friday morning, we arrived in Vancouver.
By 12:30 p.m., my husband and I had checked into our B&B, the Barclay House in Vancouver's West End, and were trolling the ethnic restaurants along Denman Street in search of lunch.
My boss, Terry, likes to gloat over his free valet parking. But taking Amtrak to Vancouver is hassle-free traveling. No waits at the border. No worries about what to do with the car once you leave the garage or scrounging for meter money.
Not having a car is rarely a problem anywhere in this city, but my favorite neighborhood — the West End, a residential area near Stanley Park, English Bay and lively Denman, Davie and Robson streets — is ideal for exploring on foot, even if it's raining. Dozens of cafes invite lingering, many with outdoor decks and heaters.
"If I were a tourist in Vancouver, I'd want to stay in the West End," said Bruce Warner, who, with his partner Patrik Burr, converted the 98-year-old Barclay House into a B&B three years ago. "Almost all the tourist attractions are within walking distance of here."
He's biased of course, but he's right. The Barclay House is one of a handful of historic homes left in an area that was built around English Bay a century ago.
Rows of the two-story frame Victorians were turned into rooming houses by widows needing money after World War II. Later, many were replaced by high-rise apartment buildings, making the West End one the most densely-populated districts of Canada. But quiet, tree-lined streets and corner grocery stores give it a homey feel that reminds me of neighborhoods in London or New York's Upper West Side.
Shopping Robson Street
Two blocks north of the Barclay House is Robson Street. This is Vancouver's hip shopping area, packed on weekends with tourists and locals. It once had a European flavor but now, with its mix of ethnic restaurants, Internet cafes and clothing chains, feels more like a cross between Hong Kong and Bellevue Square.
Seven blocks south is English Bay; the Seawall promenade, a biking, walking and skating path that surrounds Stanley Park; and Sunset Beach Park and the landing for a five-minute mini-ferry-ride across False Creek to Granville Island. To the west is Stanley Park and Denman, a shopping street between Robson and English Bay and one of my favorite streets in Vancouver.
"Denman has services that cater to a lot of people who live in the West End, but it's also fun for tourists," says Warner.
On Denman, you can rent a bike or in-line skates to ride in Stanley Park, buy a round-trip ticket to London, quench your thirst with a shot of wheat-grass juice, buy a condom or take a round-the-world culinary tour.
In one half-block stretch, there are restaurants specializing in the cuisine of India, Mexico, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Greece, Mongolia and the Ukraine. We ended up passing on lunch in favor of a shot of espresso poured over a scoop of hazelnut gelato at Mondo Gelato, 1094 Denman, where owner Bruce Ma sells 100 flavors of ice cream including pink grapefruit, guava and green tea.
Strolls and sherry
Walking off all this temptation was easy with Stanley Park just a few blocks away. Off Denman is Haro Street and the entrance to the Lost Lagoon, once a freshwater lake, now a bird sanctuary and wildlife preserve filled with ducks, geese, swans and herons. From here, it was an easy walk along a side trail through the woods back to the beach along English Bay.
The trails were muddy after a rainstorm, but winter is generally a fine time to explore Stanley Park. While Kristin's idea of fun is sitting on a log at sunset, we were up for something more vigorous. We joined the walkers bundled up in parkas and strolled along the Seawall, taking in views of the container ships docked in the harbor and the pink light on the snow-capped mountains in the late afternoon.
Visions of sherry waiting for us in the living room at our B&B danced in our head as we walked back in the evening mist past the concrete high-rises along Barclay Street. A half-block west of our B&B was Barclay Heritage Square, a cluster of nine historic homes retained in their original settings by the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation. Most are occupied by organizations or are private residences, but one, the Roedde House, built in 1893 for Gustav Roedde, Vancouver's first bookbinder, is a museum open to the public for guided tours and afternoon tea.
The Barclay House itself was a rooming house for 20 years, owner Bruce Warner explained. Today, it could be an English gentleman's home. Our room was furnished with a brass bed and art-deco antique furnishings (no teddy bears). We found terry-cloth robes folded in our closet, and a television and VCR in a cozy sitting area near the walk-in shower.
The living room was decorated with Tiffany lamps, overstuffed chairs and patterned carpets. I wouldn't come here with children or if I were looking for a night on the town (after dinner at Delilah's, a popular West End restaurant, we spent the evening curled up on the couch in our room watching a movie), but for a relaxing weekend getaway for two, it was perfect.
Return trip by train
The best part about this trip was not having to worry about driving back to Seattle the next morning. Instead of thinking about what border crossing to take or what time to leave to avoid the lines, we relaxed and chatted with guests from New York and Seattle over a breakfast of fruit parfaits and French toast.
Our biggest decision was whether to pack a picnic for the train ride back or try the dining car again for a salmon dinner inspired by Seattle chef and Amtrak consultant Kathy Casey.
We decided on the picnic, but left the Safeway shopping to Kristin. Instead, we hiked seven blocks to Sunset Beach Park and took the mini-ferry to the Granville Island market for supplies. Since the train wasn't scheduled to leave until 6 p.m., we had time to explore before catching the ferry back. About 5 p.m., after some shopping on Robson, we hailed a taxi to the station and got there in plenty of time to get seat assignments and clear security.
Darkness fell before our train rumbled across the border at 7:10 p.m., We could see the headlights on the cars lined up at the Blaine crossing. The train stopped, and U.S. Customs officials came aboard to inspect. Fifteen minutes later, we were rolling again.
We unwrapped the salmon rolls and Italian sandwiches we bought for dinner, read the newspaper and glanced at the movie playing on the monitors above our seats.
Yes, Terry, I guess valet parking is a nice perk, but that's assuming you're driving to Vancouver? Frankly, I can't think of a good reason why.
If you go to Vancouver
Our weekend for two cost $290 including train tickets, lodging, meals, taxis and other expenses.
Train tickets: Round-trip Amtrak tickets were $56 each, but we were able to use a discount coupon to buy two for the price of one. We splurged on a business-class upgrade at $11 each for the return trip (it included two $3 discount coupons for the dining car). Business class buys a little extra room but mostly time. Passengers get priority check-in and are the first on and off the train. Passengers clear customs in Vancouver to avoid a border stop.
The Amtrak Cascades travels to and from Vancouver once a day, departing King Street Station at 7:45 a.m. and arriving at Vancouver's Pacific Central Station around 11:45 a.m. The train leaves Vancouver at 6 p.m. and arrives in Seattle around 10 p.m.
The route skirts the inner waters of the Puget Sound and Strait of Georgia. Going to Vancouver, the views are on the left. Much of the return trip in winter is in the dark. For schedules and general information, call 800-USA RAIL or see www.wsdot.wa.gov/amtrak.
Lodging: Our room at the Barclay House was $106.65 including taxes and breakfast. Winter rates range from $65 to $96 per night plus tax. For reservations call 800-971-1351 or see www.barclayhouse.com.
Dining: Dinner for two at Delilah's, 1789 Comox St., is a fixed-price menu at either $15 or $21 per person, depending on the number of courses you check off on a printed list of salads, appetizers and entrees. Our bill was $47 for two including wine, tip and taxes. Limited reservations for parties of six or more. Call: 604-687-3424. Breakfast for two in Amtrak's dining car was $18 including tip for cheese omelets, muffins, fresh fruit, potatoes and coffee.
Transportation: A taxi to the West End from Vancouver's Pacific Central Station, 1150 Station St., is about $5. A round-trip ticket on the False Creek Ferry (a passenger mini-ferry) to Granville Island is $2.20. The SkyTrain, Vancouver's elevated rapid-transit system, stops every five minutes across the street from the train station. It's two stops to the downtown business district. One-trip tickets are $1; a day pass is $3.75.
West End information: See www.englishbay.com for a history and a suggested walking tour of English Bay and the West End. Also, the Lonely Planet Guide to Vancouver with a section on the area. For information on Roedde House, call 604-684-7040 or see www.roeddehouse.org.
Contact Carol Pucci at 206-464-3701; cpucci@seattletimes.com