{"id":390,"date":"2008-05-19T09:03:38","date_gmt":"2008-05-19T14:03:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2008\/05\/tolerant-vancouver-a-top-gay-travel-destination\/"},"modified":"2016-12-17T20:42:41","modified_gmt":"2016-12-18T02:42:41","slug":"tolerant-vancouver-a-top-gay-travel-destination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2008\/05\/tolerant-vancouver-a-top-gay-travel-destination\/","title":{"rendered":"Tolerant Vancouver a top gay travel destination"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Vancouver\"<\/a>
\nBy Matthew
\nLink<\/em><\/p>\n

During my first Vancouver vacation<\/strong><\/a>, I was sick with food poisoning
\n(from a breakfast burrito ingested at the Portland airport, don’t ask). Then I
\njoined the festivities for the gay ski week at nearby Whistler<\/strong><\/a>, only to throw my
\nback out snowboarding down a mountain and was laid up for a couple weeks
\nafterwards. Let’s just say during my most recent travel<\/a><\/strong> to this gorgeous Northwest
\ncity, I left with much better memories!<\/p>\n

This trip, I was escorted by my
\ngood friend Aefa, a lesbian travel writer who has called Vancouver home for
\nseveral years, and she showed me a much more fun time! The city is going through an
\neconomic boom (unlike most of the U.S.), real estate prices are climbing, the
\nadjoining province of Alberta is flush with oil revenues, and the influx of
\nwealthy immigrants, especially from Asia, has added a sophisticated flair to
\nthis metropolis of two million plus.<\/span><\/p>\n

Vancouver is blessed with moderate weather
\n(well, moderate compared to the rest of Canada!), and tolerant West Coast
\nattitudes towards diversity. In fact, it is home to Canada’s largest LGBT
\npopulation west of Toronto<\/strong><\/a>. Of course, gays and lesbians have been allowed to
\nmarry in Canada since 2005 (the fourth country in the world to grant full
\nmarriage rights)! It was a welcome
\nrelief from the conservative trends in the lower48.<\/p>\n

I stayed right on
\nDavie Street<\/strong>, the gay heart of the city where rainbow banners adorn the
\nlampposts and straights just adore frequenting the gay-popular bars,
\nrestaurants and shops. Vancouver’s signature glass tower apartment buildings
\nrose up all around, overlooking the panorama of harbor and snow-capped
\nmountains. No wonder the film industry uses Vancouver (aka Hollywood North) to
\nfilm tons of movies and TV shows, including The L Word<\/em>. There’s an
\nelectricity in the air as the city prepares for the 2010 Winter Olympics<\/strong><\/a>, and
\nmajor spending on infrastructure and general sprucing up going
\non.<\/p>\n

Vancouver’s populace is friendly and mellow, far from the rush rush
\nof the East Coast. (Bette Midler once quipped "I’ve never seen so much coffee in
\nall my life. And still nothing gets done anyfaster!")  Vancouverites also
\nembrace the outdoors, and even in early spring I saw joggers, kayakers, and
\nsoccer players enjoying the city’s lush green spaces — namely scenic Stanley
\nPark<\/strong>, one of the world’s largest urban parks at 1,000 acres.<\/span><\/p>\n

We also spent time
\nat Granville Island<\/strong>, another must-see filled with eclectic eateries and a
\nthriving theater scene. The weather wasn’t quite warm enough for me to drop trou
\nat Wreck Beach<\/strong>, one of the most famous nude beaches in the world, but I intend to do just that on my
\nnext Vancouver vacation<\/strong><\/a>!<\/span><\/p>\n

Related Orbitz resources:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n