I went a little trigger happy with my camera while in Vancouver, so rather than try to shove everything into one post, I’ve split my pictures up into several posts. This set features a photos from Squamish (real hikers and rock climbers wanted) and Vancouver’s downtown – hopefully it’ll encourage some of you to visit what I feel is one of the most beautiful places in the world (at least in the summer, as autumn onwards, Vancouver kind of becomes Raincouver.)

Squamish – Stawamus Chief

Probably the most popular hike destination in all of British Columbia, Squamish is just a short hour drive outside of Vancouver and packed with mountains ripe for hiking, perfect for anyone from the beginner to the hardcore. The Stawamus Chief hike features sick views of Squamish, Howe Sound and surrounding coastal mountains. There are three peaks. The First Peak, the lowest and most popular summit, can be done in about an hour and a half. If you plan on doing the Second Peak or Third Peak, give yourself ~4 hours, as you’ll want to sit up there with some awesome Canadian beef jerky and enjoy the views.

Downtown Vancouver

Vancouver is consistently ranked as one of the best cities to live in and if you’ve been there in the summer, it’s really difficult to argue with that. If you’re lucky to be living downtown, you’re never more than 20 minutes away from a park, awesome restaurants, waterfront, transportation, beach, hike, museum, biking, great shopping, nightlife, etc. The city’s green space is pretty incredible, the distinctive green facade of Vancouver high rises and mountain backdrop make Vancouver look like it was built by nature itself.