Tony Li

Crowded all the time but it's worth it. Best if you can park nearby and spend half a day browsing at what each shop offers. Play tourist. Buy something unique. Try something new. Have a lobster sandwich. Try some Thai food at the food court. Purchase some flowers. Enjoy the pier. Watch boats float by. Eat ice cream. Take the water ferry. Go shop for art supplies at Opus. Bring your kids to the toy store. Stay at the hotel. Eat Lee's donuts. Lots to do, lots to eat and lots to explore.

One of the best Japanese restaurants to offer sushi, sashimi and bento boxes known as Jiu Jiang Sets. If you kept on 41st Ave and watch for lineups, you'll miss this little gem on Balsam. From the front, I thought it was a Chinese restaurant but was I pleasantly surprised. The menu had a lot of surprises. Monkfish liver and bluefin tuna are rare to find at most run of the mill sushi bars. Uni is missing but the chef assured me to come back in October for the best quality types. I ordered the assorted sashimi set and was surprised at the quality and value of the set. Aside from the freshest salmon, tuna, saba, hokigai and ebi, there was a piece of chicken teriyaki and tempura to top it off. Even a bowl of miso soup and California roll. Really wonderful. I can't stress the meal. It truly is the best value found in the Kerrisdale neighborhood. Try it out and it'll become your favorite too.

Soared up to top in just 4 seconds. A lot of visitors had to turn away from the front window that showed the climb to the top but not me. It was an adrenaline rush. Off the elevator, the whole city is beneath your feet. Auckland is beautiful. The observation deck is clean, bright and tall. There are wooden benches to sit on while observing the view. There are also transparent mats for those daring to stand on. Caused my heart to flutter for a moment. Missing is a souvenir shop at the top or a kiosk for drinks. Take another lift to get up higher and see sky jumpers risk their life for 5 seconds of their life.

Great market for BC apples, especially off-season. Where do you find gala apples for 49c per lb? Smaller than Country Farms on Steveston but better pricing on all veggies.

Want to see Vancouver and avoid the traffic? Hop on the water taxi on False Creek and see the Maritime museum, Planetarium, English Bay, Granville Island, the Science World, Chinatown if you want to walk, BC Place stadium, Yaletown, and more. You can get on and off at any stop and sail to past sunset. It's fun and cool. Just park somewhere and get on.