My trip to Vancouver in late July was a favorite trip of my husband and mine. It started with our stay at the Pan Pacific. The hotel was great and we had a gorgeous view of the Harbor and the cruise ships bound for Alaska.

The culinary experience in Vancouver was fantastic. Our first stop was C Restaurant, voted one of the best restaurants in Vancouver for a few years running. The food was devine but the experience was elevated with the discovery of my favorite Pinot Noir, Kosta Brown. I had just posted about it the day before in my “31 days of things I love” entry on Vino. So, what a treat to find this elusive red on our trip. We just couldn’t resist buying a bottle.

The next morning was my fabulous brunch that I highlighted yesterday hosted by Ivan Meade. It was followed by an afternoon tour for Carter and me of the City by my new friends Michelle and Patricia.

We saw gorgeous views of the city and the marina.

A great visit to the Vancouver Museum of Anthropology was next. The exhibits were amazing but it was the architecture that was truly stunning.

The night ended with an amazing dinner at Il Giardino di Umberto, an Italian experience by the famed restauranteur Umberto Menghi. Below is a shot of the traditional interior but we had the pleasure of patio dining which is hard to come by as it is frequented by movie stars and other high profile visitors.

Day 3 was filled with a visit to the spa, shopping then lunch and a tour of the Vancouver Art Gallery. 

My lunch companions were Patricia Gray, Michelle Morelan, Albarosa Simonetti and blogger Maria Killam. We shared a ton of ideas about blogging and the design business over veggie lasagna at the gallery cafe. Then Albarosa was our personal guide to the museum exhibits. Apparently the gallery is one of Albarosa’s favorite spots and she is so knowledgeable about the works.

One of the current attractions is a Dutch exhibit and includes works by Rembrandt and the beautiful painting below, Love Letter, by Vermeer.

Also at the gallery is an interactive exhibit by Reece Terris that reconstructs interiors representing the most recognizable interior design elements for each decade from the 50′s through today.

I remember some of these lovely things from my parents and grandparents homes from the 50′s, 60′s and 70′s.

The sophistication level came up a notch from these retro designs for drinks and dinner.

We started with drinks at the breath-taking apartment of Patricia Gray. I’m not allowed to share photos of Patricia’s home yet because she is perfecting things so she can show your herself. But let me just say that I have so much respect for Patricia’s design. She uses the perfect amount of restraint in designing and decorating and her space is perfectly edited which makes for a restful and sophisticated interior. The interior is not quite minimal but it is primarily in shades of white, a color palette that I rarely use myself which is probably why I find it so appealing.

The Shangri-la hotel is home to this chic lobby and it houses a fantastic restaurant, Market by Jean Georges.

Market by Jean Georges, the famed American chef, is as interesting visually as it is to the palette.

My appetizer of watermelon with blue cheese was simple yet superb.

And the scallops with roasted cauliflower were equally fantastic.

The dinner with my new friends Patricia Gray and Michelle Morelan was a great culmination to my trip to Vancouver.

Vancouver is certainly a destination I will visit again and I hope it is sooner rather than later.