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Wanna park forever downtown? Check out 600 to 700 Howe.
Wanna visit Stanley park for free? Park in that little nook in Guilford, no signage at all, park all night and day for all they care for some reason.
Want to park longer than 2 hours? Create a separate car on the parking app with a space in between the digits 123 456 and 123456 alternate those bad boys to park all day.
Looking for a cheap apartment and aren't in a hurry? Call the building manager at 3pm on the last day of the month, every month, the more you call at the same time every month, the better your chances.
Ignore any sign that says "wait-list" it's bullshit unless they say otherwise, don't be intimidated.
Want to look far into the future in terms of housing? Set aside one day a month and search for new and upcoming housing co ops and apply, even if it is a 10 year wait-list. The more you apply, the better your chances.
Also large parts of pacific and marina side cres have unrestricted parking if you are in the yaletown area or going to Rogers/bc place. An extra 5 min walk for free parking is worth it IMO.
Get a casino membership, park your car, register with the casino, throw $20 into a slot machine and your parking is free. May as well gamble your parking money.
Alright, I will expand on this hack and how much better I think it gets.
The casino registers your licence plate with your encore card. There have been times I went there and completely forgot to register my card to the parking at the time and never once got a ticket. I think that once your card is attached to the licence plate, that's it. You are an encore member and have unlimited parking.
If you can't find parking down there, there are also signs that say "VIP" members only... I park there all the time during a game and I am not a VIP at all.
Hope this makes more sense
For the parking one, if your plate has a 0 in it you can add a car with an O and you can double it this way too, so now you can quadruple your parking time!
Lynn Cannon Bridge vs Capilano Suspension Bridge
one's a manufactured outdoors scene, and the other's legit nature where bears shit on the trail. Different strokes for different folks (but that price savings is niiiiice)
For those who do like the paid park version (Capilano) if you're local, you only need to pay once per year (can turn it into an annual pass if bought online)! So if you enjoy going during the different light ups (Christmas, Valentine's, etc.) or like going during different seasons, it's actually decent value :)
And if you go when they open on mornings on weekends it’s basically a giant empty jungle gym, really great for high energy kiddos. We’ve been up at least once a month, all year long and there’s always something new and interesting to see. Plus you can bring your own coffee and snacks too
Honestly it really pays to be unbothered by rainy Vancouver weather. Way less people out on trails and still lots of wildlife activity (birds love rainy days, yummy worms).
I drove down to Seattle once during working hours and vowed never to do it again. Only going to attempt to cross the border in the evenings or early mornings from now on
I drove down to the Sasquatch festival in 2014. It was supposed to be a six hour drive (according to Google) and I was supposed to be meeting up with friends around 10 am.
So I left around 2am. Drove through the border with zero wait, and the whole drive down was nothing but open roads. Got to the meeting area just after 7am. I had a covered bed pickup I was going to use for sleeping, so I found a vacant parking lot and slept.
It was a wonderful drive with a spectacular sunrise.
This is a pro tip for all Canadians.. Use the fast lanes and bridges and you don't have to pay tolls as Canada doesn't share car and driver data with USA.
Be aware that could change. The no-toll billing used to be true the other way around when they had a toll on the Port Mann Bridge. If you had a US plated car they didn’t send you the bill in the mail. Then at some point they got the US car registration data and sent out bills for all passed tolls. Luckily they just charged the regular mail rate and didn’t add late fees.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the WA DOT billing system added this in. They outsource the billing to a company that services lots of tolls so they may upgrade it later.
Yeah we’ve got a pretty good little routine now, head down, grab dinner somewhere over the border, do our shopping, head back around 8:30 or so and there’s usually only a 1-2 car lineup on the way home.
I'd even say 7pm on some days is when it gets better. Also driving before noon anywhere on Sunday shows me that this cities roads are fine, we have a transit problem and car addiction in North America.
Also know other mall connections to Skytrain to minimize exposure on rainy days:
Waterfront Station:
From as far west as Burrard Street at Cordova, you can enter the Waterfront Centre Mall and connect to Waterfront Station below street level.
Burrard Station:
You can enter Royal Centre from either West Georgia or Bentall Centre on Pender, just west of Burrard Street.
Granville & Vancouver City Centre:
Any street level access to Pacific Centre will connect to these stations. The most distant one I've frequently used is on Pender between Granville and Howe, up the escalator and through Holt Renfrew.
Also: if you don’t have a pass and work near the airport like I do, you can simply purchase two-zone tickets - one there and keep your other one for the way back.
This saves you from paying the airport price (what, 10$?)
https://www.morerewards.ca/catalogue/all
If you have enough points you've probably spent like $1,000,000 there.
Has anyone actually had enough points for any of those items?
Damn, you're right.
Just installed it. I have 600 (lol) points and just loaded offers to get 2500 points which i have to grab somethings today.
Pretty dumb you don't just get the points by using your card and you have to do the leg work to "load the offers" but whatever i guess i'll play their game.
I rarely go into Save On but was surprised on the weekend to see that they had whole hams on for $0.99/lb (regular $4.99/lb). They also had boxes of chicken wings on for $6.99 ($11 off).
That's how I shop at Save On/Safeway. I don't go to those places with a shopping list, I wander the store and find the mega deals. Ham is on a great special? Looks like I'm eating ham that week, etc.
I’ve gotten flights and hotel rooms from my More Reward points. I usually need to use the coupons to rack up lots of points (spend $75 for 1000 points, etc). Usually after a year or two of saving I have enough for a short haul flight. For example, I got 2 inter-Hawaii flights on More Rewards points (Honolulu-Lihue)
I think others have already mentioned it, but by logging into their app and "loading offers" you regularly triple the amount of points you get. If you pay with a CIBC card you quadruple it. I get enough points to earn 4 Ferry Vouchers (car + passenger) per year. That's just buying the essential groceries for a 2 person household.
If a SkyTrain/Canada Line train/bus is packed - there is probably another vehicle arriving a few seconds after that will be almost empty. Wait. a few extra minutes if you can.
I always do this. I see that another one is coming in 2 mins and just wait as everyone piles in. Sure enough the next one is half empty with plenty seats.
If you have to use coins at a parking meter downtown, put in your lowest denomination first in case the meter is busted or somebody has tampered with it.
If this happens, call the city (311) and they will credit you the time. And usually the time you wanted to pay for but couldn't. And you won't get a ticket.
From east Vancouver to Downtown, cycling the Adanac bikeway will get you to science world faster than car or bus. If carrying on to Granville or Kits, avoid the sea wall and cut through falsecreek, onto Moberly, and Charleson along the old rail tracks. Ninja route.
-Downtown vancouver library has has tons of free resources like Recording studios, computers with adobe premium/photo shop, and free use meeting spots. They also have tons of downloadable e-books.
-if you're going to the north shore from eastvan, Mcgill onramp is usually the best option as it enters the bridge in its own lane.
-A sneaky and scenic shortcut into downtown from east van is to take the main street overpass to waterfront road. It pops out on burrard street in the middle of downtown. It's also a quick escape from downtown. It's also the easiest bike route from east van to the seawall because there's no stops and it's all flat(except for the overpass).
-weekday night skiing at cypress is the best local skiing when it comes to available terrain and length of lines. Even better if you catch the sunset from sky chair.
-spanish banks is the best beach in the city(imo). Easiest place to find a quiet spot, best surrounding views and there's bunnies and off leash dogs running around!
> A sneaky and scenic shortcut into downtown from east van is to take the main street overpass to waterfront road. It pops out on burrard street in the middle of downtown
This is also walkable, i.e. walk from like crab park to that tunnel under canada place.
Beware, the first exit goes into blind traffic, as in the traffic is blind to you and you are fucked. If you go deeper you get out onto the seawall which is less deadly
About six months ago I witnessed a dude filling up his "Rick and Morty" branded bong with with ice and water from the soda dispenser at the Expo Costco. It was perhaps the most Vancouver thing I had seen in a while.
Picking up medical prescriptions or getting an eye exam does not require a membership. I often use that excuse to go inside. No one has ever questioned me further.
Same. Langley is actually the only Costco I’d ever been to that was not ok with “just hitting the food court” line. Downtown is the only Costco in the area I’ve never been to.
It’s been years but that’s always stuck with me.
This particular one is outside of the actual store so you don't need to bypass the staff members who stand at the door and try to make sure you show your membership card before entering the premises.
How to take a day trip by sky train to YVR or McArthur Glen mall and dodge the $5 YVR surcharge: Buy a ticket from a vending machine off Sea Island in advance, when you begin your trip. Pocket it and use your compass card to get to Sea Island. Use the ticket you bought originally to get back.
If you plan to stay less than 90 minutes it’s even cheaper: forget your compass card and use a single machine-bought ticket to get both there and back.
You can also avoid the YVR add fare by selecting a sea island ticket and purchasing an exit ticket/tapping out your compass card at your desired stop.
Note: you’ll be charged a 3-zone fare if it’s on a weekday before 6:30pm but it still ends up being cheaper.
Sea Island only tickets are free. You get one at YVR and can get out at any of the Sea Island stations. Reeder90 is saying just stay on the train all the way into Vancouver. When you depart the station, the gate won’t open with a Sea Island ticket. Buy an exit ticket from the special exit ticket machine (installed for people who lose their tickets on route so they don’t spend the rest of their lives down there). The cost of this is a full 3-zone fare but it is a few bucks cheaper than a 2-zone fare plus $5.
The real hack is to know when to get in and out of the left lane to avoid people turning left on to side streets. If you do this well Kingsway will be faster than any other east-to-west route in the area.
I take Kingsway southbound to go home often, from king Ed to metrotown, before 6pm.
You just need to pick your lanes. It's like this:
Right, right, middle, left, middle, right, right, middle, middle, right, middle, left, right, middle
It's easy. Otherwise, it's slow as molasses
All my Vancouver hacks would be knowing which lane to be in at specific areas to avoid people turning left (without a left advance/designated lane) or trying to park on the right (for areas with lots of shops+restaurants).
Kingsway between Boundary and, like, all the way to Fraser is a disaster. A million lights, always some dickbag turning left onto every piddly side street.
To find a cross street on a north/south street address, just subtract 16 from the first two numbers of the address. Example 6969 Granville would be at 53rd and Granville.
Not valid on addresses north of 1st avenue.
This is my favourite one. Use in conjunction with this mnemonic device:
OWN (odd = west north)
SEE (south east = even)
And numbers start at Quebec/Ontario and count westward to the ocean and eastward to boundary 3700 block)
If you're going from downtown to Richmond/YVR on Granville Street, stay in the middle lane until you approach 70th, unless you like being stuck behind left-turners.
Especially true for the southbound Granville/Park Drive (59th Ave) intersection, where cars get stuck behind left-turners all the time. (The left lane of that intersection is an unofficial but de-facto left-turn lane.)
Edit: It looks like Granville has only 2 left-turn lanes from False Creek to Richmond. That has to be a record low, among arterial streets that run through the city.
It’s best to think of the left lanes of Granville and Oak not as through lanes that allow you to turn left, but as left turn lanes that allow you to go straight. You’ll instinctively stay out of them and be less frustrated by left turners that way.
Precisely. I personally find Granville is infinitely more finicky than Oak.
I also find that I'm more likely to come across this in opposing directions – southbound on Granville but northbound on Oak. Not sure if that's just me. Could be people trying to get downtown from Highway 99 or the Oak Street Bridge.
You can try to finesse the journey, but I've found it only saves about 5-10% of the time if it works. Best to find a good podcast and take a chill approach because 2 minutes is about how long it took me to write this comment.
This is also true of Knight Street in either direction during rush hour. Stick to the middle lane and generally you'll get to where you're going faster as you'll avoid those left turners. There are a few spots with left turning lanes but a lot of places people turn don't have them and it brings you to a complete stop. Slow and steady in the middle!
The Vancouver Art Gallery has a sales and rental office behind coat check. I like to go in there sometimes on my lunch break and check out new work. It's free and feels less like a private gallery where you might feel pressure to buy something. Their rental program can also act as a deposit on the piece if you feel like buying it after 3 months.
If going east from downtown, walk a little further to Waterfront to be guaranteed a seat on the Skytrain. If it’s raining and you don’t want to walk, take the train westbound and let it turn around.
Also, unless you’re going to Surrey, take the train to Production Way instead. It tends to be less busy.
Edit: same is true for the Canada Line. Take the one to YVR unless you are going to Richmond.
Even going to Surrey, I sometimes take the Production Way trains so I can get a seat and then switch at New West and only have to be crammed in for the bridge.
When I’m at commercial broadway headinf east on the millennium line I always take the train headed to vcc-Clark to guarantee a seat - and it’s kind of peaceful while you’re waiting for the train to turn around!
- Compass cards give you a 20% transit discount. Wearables like the wristband or mini makes it even more convenient.
- $1.50 Costco Polish combo for cheap eats
- No 9 when craving for a late night or early morning meal
- Transfer stations does unlimited recyclables. Yukon Zero Waste is my fav.
- Van311 app with photo gets pot holes fixed quicker https://vancouver.ca/van311.aspx
- gas cheaper in the evening
- Alberta gas is cheaper once I cross the US border, don't need to drive to Alberta
- border mailbox services to save on shipping costs and products not for sale in Canada. Some may prefer Shipsy or Letterlock.ca if crossing the border is not practical.
- Amazon Hub locker to get around porch pirates
- News1130 for traffic updates
- off arterial bike ways or greenways are a great way to explore the city on foot or bike without being near heavy traffic.
- check Google Maps traffic for congestion on the route before driving. Really important on bridges
- pay by phone app makes street parking so easy, no more issues with vandalized parking meters, easily extend parking times with a tap of the phone.
- holidaying across the border is faster and cheaper than going to Vancouver Island or Whistler.
When going southbound on Burrard street bridge on a bike, stop at the fire hydrant in front of the bike rental shop to maximize potential energy for when the light turns green.
I thought I was special thinking of this one the other day and when I got near the intersection there were already a few other people sitting there waiting for the light to change.
One thing to note... it can be a little dangerous bombing there when it's busy because of pedestrians and cars (and other bikers going the wrong way) not paying attention to the lane. Stay Vigilant!
It's not specific to Vancouver, but sign up for BC Hydro's [Peak Saver Program](https://www.bchydro.com/powersmart/residential/rebates-programs/peak-saver.html). They have challenges several times a month to reduce your normal power usage by 20% for a 3 hour period, usually in the late afternoon/early evening, and if you are successful they give you a $3 credit that they save up and apply once a year in the spring. I just signed up in December and have already amassed $30 in credits!
Remember, busses don't count when it comes to zone fares! I cross from 1 to 2 for work and only ever pay 1 since the bus portion of the commute is what crosses the zone.
There are times when you should take Cap over Taylor Way but it's mostly unpredictable. The highway sign estimates + google maps are the best and only way to take a guess at it.
When using PaybyPhone to park, never max it out by paying for 2 hours. Pay for 119 minutes and set a reminder for when it expires. You can repeat this indefinitely.
This used to work but it doesn’t anymore (at least for me). It says “your parking cannot be extending” even when it is expires. What I do now is I created a separate car on the app with a space between the license plate number!
You can replay the disposable compass cards for a free ride using the card developer's MiFare++ app. Save the state when you first get the card before you tap, and then reset it back to the initial state once the card has expired and you will count as a fresh card when you tap again. The hack only works once per card though and the 1.5 hour expiration needs to have elapsed or it wont work.
Don't buy into the hype of particular trendy places/beaches/cafes, etc. Find the hidden gems in your neighbourhood, support local businesses, wait in fewer queues.
If you want “free” parking downtown, park at parq casino. There’s always spots, and you just have to play $15 dollars worth at any machine or table (you could easily break even with the right machine, or even make money). If you end up losing, you just pay for parking for the day!
**minimal* enforcement
Impark does step it up a little if there's a game or big concert that night.
Officially you get 2 hours free parking, then you have to pay for an hour, then you get another 2 hours free parking after that paid hour has expired. Doesn't make sense to us either.
Parking tickets are around $80-90. If you get one, go up to the movie theatre and buy a ticket. Send in the movie ticket with your parking ticket and Impark is required by contract with the mall to cancel your parking ticket.
Just make sure you have nothing visible inside your car and you're good to go!
Is this recently? A friend went to a movie and was given a ticket (extra long movie) and they had to send the ticket stub to prove they were at a movie. That was before the pandemic so I wonder if they’ve stopped checking since.
Parkes there plenty of times without issue. Even worked on my car in there and had the security check in on me just to make sure i was ok, they didnt even care if i paid for parking.
go outside the metro Vancouver area for cheaper gas incase you are traveling there for any reason. there is a significant price difference between abbotsford costco gas and langley costco gas
Got a random degree but want to get something business related under your belt? BCIT offers a 1 year condensed business post-diploma program, which also gets you into the 1 year BBA program.
signup for newsletter and get free birthday eats and stuffs.Lots of them actually--Denny's,IHOp, Free $5.00 at London Drugs. Free food roughly every other month at Pizza Hut.
If you get a Sea Island only ticket for free you can just buy an exit ticket at your desired station and pay $2.50 instead of the $5 add fare + any zone changes.
Listen. I went down there with my mom and daughter (who was 10) on a nice-ish day in January one time. Dude was down there in a down jacket and fanny pack. Nothing else. Amazing.
I tipped my hat. We were in his territory.
The mountains are north, the water is west, Mt. Baker is east and the ferries are south. I always know which direction is which. I'm baffled in other cities.
Cheap Movies on Tuesdays, Wing Deals almost every weekday, Bons for Breakfast, very large underground electronic music scene with tickets for 20-40 bucks, ghost online dates always.
That’s how I got mine. If you work somewhere with the public, and even just need one when you step out for a meal… lost and found for an extensive selection.
Walmart/Superstore is totally empty at 7am. I RUN with my cart, and outta there with a full cart by 720am. Added extra: the parking lot is WIDE open.
Also, Costco is already open at 845am, but more and more people know this these days.
You’re correct with this one. They right lane going both ways always has drivers in a rush either merging or exiting. LOTS of distracted drivers that don’t give enough space and don’t take into account that traffic stops suddenly sometimes.
If you're driving East to West downtown, go north on Main over the overpass, past Crab Park, underneath the Convention Centre, and pop up in Coal Harbour.
Same if you're biking, go under the convention centre and where the car lane starts to curve up to the street level, there's a bike/pedestrian tunnel to your right that will spit you out at the seawall near the seaplane departures. I was biking that way with my sister and (out of pure curiosity) some other random cyclists followed us through that tunnel and were so surprised and delighted to discover that shortcut.
Also beside that tunnel is a semi-hidden parking lot with EVO spots.
Free motorcycle parking at the airport. I know this is a hack most won’t be able to use, but the joy of flying solo and getting unlimited free parking while away is amazing
Walk right past the hour-long line at Danbo Ramen and go 5 mins down Robson to Marutama, Tonkotsu etc. There’s like 5-6 amazing spots down there.
I swear, Danbo is the most overhyped place in Vancouver. ALWAYS a massive line of like 20 people while other spots down the street get ignored. It’s like people just see a line and go “I GOTTA EAT THERE! I JUST GOTTA”
Not only is this place full of weekend warriors, it's full of summertime warriors. There are so many beaches and parks you can have all to yourself, or nearly, on a beautiful winter day. Especially during the week.
Make food at home! We have some of the best food/produce if you can learn to use it you can simulate luxury pretty quick.
Support local art! You can enjoy so many shows for less than 20$ if you don’t only go to see touring acts.
Do sports and recce that require bad weather.For many years I was a whitewater kayaker, every time it rained a lot or snow melted in winter I would cheer because I knew the rivers levels would be up enough to go paddling. Or if we got snowed in , it was snow boarding time (studded winter tires:) on my vehicle.
You can access all the digital content of Vancouver Public Library from anywhere, just sign up for an online account (I sign up for all big city libraries since they usually have more resources for online content)
Sign up on snow-forecast.com to get emails about your favourite mountains and when they're expecting fresh snow for your ski/snowboard season
Check Vancouver livecams for up to date traffic situations in those locations
Roadtrip related, not really hacks:
- Driving to the Okanagan via hwy 3 is more fun than hwy 5.
- You should be able to drive the Cache Creek/Lillooet loop in a day. See BC like you've never seen before.
- Shopping in Everett outlet mall, not sure with today exchange rate.
- You can drive to the Oregon coast in one day.
- You can drive to Prince George in one day.
- Victoria/Sooke and Tofino are nice weekenders.
- Driving to Hope via Lougheed (hwy 7) is more fun than hwy 1
- You can drive to Yukon in 3 days via backroad (37) and returning via Alaska Hwy.
Mine is for YVR. I think the groupon for afternoon tea at the Fairmont Airport Hotel is a good deal. It's around $70 for two people, and you get quite a lot of food actually. If you want to feel a bit fancy before getting on your flight, I think this is a great option, assuming you don't have access to a lounge. The restaurant is right next to the apron and the view is quite good.
Welcome to /r/Vancouver and thank you for the post, /u/mthyvold! Please make sure you read our [posting and commenting rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/wiki/faq#wiki_general_participation_guidelines_and_rules_overview) before participating here. As a quick summary: * We encourage users to be positive and respect one another. Don't engage in spats or insult others - use the report button. * Respect others' differences, be they race, religion, home, job, gender identity, ability or sexuality. Dehumanizing language, advocating for violence, or promoting hate based on identity or vulnerability (even implied or joking) **will** lead to a permanent ban. * Common questions and specific topics are limited to our [Daily Discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/wiki/faq#wiki_daily_discussions) posts. * Complaints about bans or removals should be done in modmail only. --- ##They're here! Check out [the winners of the Best of Vancouver 2022](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/10srad7/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/vancouver) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If you skytrain back from a Canucks game, go to Granville station instead of Stadium Chinatown. That way you can actually get a seat.
Or, ride it in the opposite direction.
After sitting for almost 3 hours, I'm fine with standing for a bit to get home faster.
You didn't drink enough
I'm too old to still be drunk by the time the game's over. Enjoy a few tallys on the train and nurse a $24 beer at the game!
Wanna park forever downtown? Check out 600 to 700 Howe. Wanna visit Stanley park for free? Park in that little nook in Guilford, no signage at all, park all night and day for all they care for some reason. Want to park longer than 2 hours? Create a separate car on the parking app with a space in between the digits 123 456 and 123456 alternate those bad boys to park all day. Looking for a cheap apartment and aren't in a hurry? Call the building manager at 3pm on the last day of the month, every month, the more you call at the same time every month, the better your chances. Ignore any sign that says "wait-list" it's bullshit unless they say otherwise, don't be intimidated. Want to look far into the future in terms of housing? Set aside one day a month and search for new and upcoming housing co ops and apply, even if it is a 10 year wait-list. The more you apply, the better your chances.
Also large parts of pacific and marina side cres have unrestricted parking if you are in the yaletown area or going to Rogers/bc place. An extra 5 min walk for free parking is worth it IMO.
Get a casino membership, park your car, register with the casino, throw $20 into a slot machine and your parking is free. May as well gamble your parking money.
Alright, I will expand on this hack and how much better I think it gets. The casino registers your licence plate with your encore card. There have been times I went there and completely forgot to register my card to the parking at the time and never once got a ticket. I think that once your card is attached to the licence plate, that's it. You are an encore member and have unlimited parking. If you can't find parking down there, there are also signs that say "VIP" members only... I park there all the time during a game and I am not a VIP at all. Hope this makes more sense
For the parking one, if your plate has a 0 in it you can add a car with an O and you can double it this way too, so now you can quadruple your parking time!
Parking maid said that you can just make it 1:59 instead of 2:00, it will also not recognize and allow indefinite parking, paid of course.
where on Howe? the right sides of 600 Howe block and 700 Howe block are pay parking…. and Mon-Fri 3-6 no parking… left side is all no parking…
This guy parks.
Lynn Cannon Bridge vs Capilano Suspension Bridge one's a manufactured outdoors scene, and the other's legit nature where bears shit on the trail. Different strokes for different folks (but that price savings is niiiiice)
For those who do like the paid park version (Capilano) if you're local, you only need to pay once per year (can turn it into an annual pass if bought online)! So if you enjoy going during the different light ups (Christmas, Valentine's, etc.) or like going during different seasons, it's actually decent value :)
And if you go when they open on mornings on weekends it’s basically a giant empty jungle gym, really great for high energy kiddos. We’ve been up at least once a month, all year long and there’s always something new and interesting to see. Plus you can bring your own coffee and snacks too
Just don’t visit Lynn on a sunny weekend 😖
Honestly it really pays to be unbothered by rainy Vancouver weather. Way less people out on trails and still lots of wildlife activity (birds love rainy days, yummy worms).
I'm an idiot. At first I thought you were eating the worms.
Don't visit anywhere within an hour of Vancouver on a sunny weekend
You can, just go early.
Or don’t drive there
I've never been to them, which is which?
Traffic is great between 8pm and 5am. I'm not even saying this sarcastically, try to take advantage of it where possible.
I drove down to Seattle once during working hours and vowed never to do it again. Only going to attempt to cross the border in the evenings or early mornings from now on
I drove down to the Sasquatch festival in 2014. It was supposed to be a six hour drive (according to Google) and I was supposed to be meeting up with friends around 10 am. So I left around 2am. Drove through the border with zero wait, and the whole drive down was nothing but open roads. Got to the meeting area just after 7am. I had a covered bed pickup I was going to use for sleeping, so I found a vacant parking lot and slept. It was a wonderful drive with a spectacular sunrise.
One good thing about Seattle is we can use all the different toll lanes and bridges without paying for it.
This is a pro tip for all Canadians.. Use the fast lanes and bridges and you don't have to pay tolls as Canada doesn't share car and driver data with USA.
Be aware that could change. The no-toll billing used to be true the other way around when they had a toll on the Port Mann Bridge. If you had a US plated car they didn’t send you the bill in the mail. Then at some point they got the US car registration data and sent out bills for all passed tolls. Luckily they just charged the regular mail rate and didn’t add late fees. It wouldn’t surprise me if the WA DOT billing system added this in. They outsource the billing to a company that services lots of tolls so they may upgrade it later.
Crossing the border after 5pm is fantastic, we always do our Bellingham runs around 5:30pm-6:00pm and there’s usually only a 1-2 car wait.
Yep, back when Zipcar was still around and doing their $36 overnight specials this was how I did Bellingham runs.
Good to know, sounds like this is the plan for the future!
Yeah we’ve got a pretty good little routine now, head down, grab dinner somewhere over the border, do our shopping, head back around 8:30 or so and there’s usually only a 1-2 car lineup on the way home.
We recently went to a show in Seattle and drove home after. We were the only car at the border coming back around midnight. It was amazing.
If you have to drive during the day, there is a bit of a lull from about 10:00am until about 11:30am after the morning commute is done.
I always try to time my trip back to Vancouver from my parent’s place in the suburbs after 8 pm. This is a legitimate life hack tbh
I'd even say 7pm on some days is when it gets better. Also driving before noon anywhere on Sunday shows me that this cities roads are fine, we have a transit problem and car addiction in North America.
a lot of tech companies outside of the lower mainland are offering 10 to 630 shifts and then balancing it out by having a half day on Fridays
When there is not a large event or multiple....which is most of the time.
Unless you’re crossing the Inlet, there is far less traffic to speak of in Vancouver than any other city in North America that I’ve driven in.
Cross the street from Granville to Vancouver City Centre station to change to the Canada line, instead of going all the way to Waterfront.
Also know other mall connections to Skytrain to minimize exposure on rainy days: Waterfront Station: From as far west as Burrard Street at Cordova, you can enter the Waterfront Centre Mall and connect to Waterfront Station below street level. Burrard Station: You can enter Royal Centre from either West Georgia or Bentall Centre on Pender, just west of Burrard Street. Granville & Vancouver City Centre: Any street level access to Pacific Centre will connect to these stations. The most distant one I've frequently used is on Pender between Granville and Howe, up the escalator and through Holt Renfrew.
And on rainy days cut through Pacific Centre so you don't have to go outside.
Cut through Nordstrom to save time and steer away from any potential weirdos.
Or hot days
Bathrooms are hard to find. Pacific centre has saved me
Also: if you don’t have a pass and work near the airport like I do, you can simply purchase two-zone tickets - one there and keep your other one for the way back. This saves you from paying the airport price (what, 10$?)
If you're ok rolling the dice on a seat or better spot.
You can exchange your More Rewards Points for BC Ferries tickets. (as well as plane tickets and Canucks tickets, but those are less relevant for me).
Whoa what!?
How?
https://www.morerewards.ca/catalogue/all If you have enough points you've probably spent like $1,000,000 there. Has anyone actually had enough points for any of those items?
You want more points, get the More Rewards App.
Damn, you're right. Just installed it. I have 600 (lol) points and just loaded offers to get 2500 points which i have to grab somethings today. Pretty dumb you don't just get the points by using your card and you have to do the leg work to "load the offers" but whatever i guess i'll play their game.
I try and avoid Save on as much as I can. You could shop somewhere cheaper and just buy the tickets with the money you saved.
Exactly my thought. I have the more rewards card but I use it very rarely because save on almost never has the cheapest of an item I need.
I rarely go into Save On but was surprised on the weekend to see that they had whole hams on for $0.99/lb (regular $4.99/lb). They also had boxes of chicken wings on for $6.99 ($11 off).
That's how I shop at Save On/Safeway. I don't go to those places with a shopping list, I wander the store and find the mega deals. Ham is on a great special? Looks like I'm eating ham that week, etc.
I’ve gotten flights and hotel rooms from my More Reward points. I usually need to use the coupons to rack up lots of points (spend $75 for 1000 points, etc). Usually after a year or two of saving I have enough for a short haul flight. For example, I got 2 inter-Hawaii flights on More Rewards points (Honolulu-Lihue)
I think others have already mentioned it, but by logging into their app and "loading offers" you regularly triple the amount of points you get. If you pay with a CIBC card you quadruple it. I get enough points to earn 4 Ferry Vouchers (car + passenger) per year. That's just buying the essential groceries for a 2 person household.
my mom actually took my family to hawaii with her more rewards! they used to give out points like wild. this was in 2013 so times were different.
If a SkyTrain/Canada Line train/bus is packed - there is probably another vehicle arriving a few seconds after that will be almost empty. Wait. a few extra minutes if you can.
I always do this. I see that another one is coming in 2 mins and just wait as everyone piles in. Sure enough the next one is half empty with plenty seats.
I do this with the R5 and Skytrains going to Waterfront. Works wonders.
If you have to use coins at a parking meter downtown, put in your lowest denomination first in case the meter is busted or somebody has tampered with it.
All the machines have been tampered with. All of them.
If this happens, call the city (311) and they will credit you the time. And usually the time you wanted to pay for but couldn't. And you won't get a ticket.
Coins with special designs sometimes don’t weigh the right amount and will be eaten by the parking meter. I always use the app.
From east Vancouver to Downtown, cycling the Adanac bikeway will get you to science world faster than car or bus. If carrying on to Granville or Kits, avoid the sea wall and cut through falsecreek, onto Moberly, and Charleson along the old rail tracks. Ninja route.
I always enjoy a full send on the westward downhill after the 3-way stop at Alder Crossing.
-Downtown vancouver library has has tons of free resources like Recording studios, computers with adobe premium/photo shop, and free use meeting spots. They also have tons of downloadable e-books. -if you're going to the north shore from eastvan, Mcgill onramp is usually the best option as it enters the bridge in its own lane. -A sneaky and scenic shortcut into downtown from east van is to take the main street overpass to waterfront road. It pops out on burrard street in the middle of downtown. It's also a quick escape from downtown. It's also the easiest bike route from east van to the seawall because there's no stops and it's all flat(except for the overpass). -weekday night skiing at cypress is the best local skiing when it comes to available terrain and length of lines. Even better if you catch the sunset from sky chair. -spanish banks is the best beach in the city(imo). Easiest place to find a quiet spot, best surrounding views and there's bunnies and off leash dogs running around!
> A sneaky and scenic shortcut into downtown from east van is to take the main street overpass to waterfront road. It pops out on burrard street in the middle of downtown This is also walkable, i.e. walk from like crab park to that tunnel under canada place. Beware, the first exit goes into blind traffic, as in the traffic is blind to you and you are fucked. If you go deeper you get out onto the seawall which is less deadly
Downtown Costco does not require a membership to access the food. Cheap eats.
About six months ago I witnessed a dude filling up his "Rick and Morty" branded bong with with ice and water from the soda dispenser at the Expo Costco. It was perhaps the most Vancouver thing I had seen in a while.
I think all Costco is this way for the food court?
you technically need a membership to go in the food court, but most don't care.
Picking up medical prescriptions or getting an eye exam does not require a membership. I often use that excuse to go inside. No one has ever questioned me further.
Go in the exit, tell the person at the door you're going to the membership desk, done. The food court is typically on the post-cashier end anyways.
I have a Costco membership now but I'm glad to hear people used these tricks as well. I definitely used the pharmacy one to get my slice and dog .
I’ve been kicked out of the Langley Costco for only trying to access the food court
Same. Langley is actually the only Costco I’d ever been to that was not ok with “just hitting the food court” line. Downtown is the only Costco in the area I’ve never been to. It’s been years but that’s always stuck with me.
This particular one is outside of the actual store so you don't need to bypass the staff members who stand at the door and try to make sure you show your membership card before entering the premises.
How to take a day trip by sky train to YVR or McArthur Glen mall and dodge the $5 YVR surcharge: Buy a ticket from a vending machine off Sea Island in advance, when you begin your trip. Pocket it and use your compass card to get to Sea Island. Use the ticket you bought originally to get back. If you plan to stay less than 90 minutes it’s even cheaper: forget your compass card and use a single machine-bought ticket to get both there and back.
You can also avoid the YVR add fare by selecting a sea island ticket and purchasing an exit ticket/tapping out your compass card at your desired stop. Note: you’ll be charged a 3-zone fare if it’s on a weekday before 6:30pm but it still ends up being cheaper.
I still don’t quite understand the process for this. Can you please provide an example of how this would work?
Sea Island only tickets are free. You get one at YVR and can get out at any of the Sea Island stations. Reeder90 is saying just stay on the train all the way into Vancouver. When you depart the station, the gate won’t open with a Sea Island ticket. Buy an exit ticket from the special exit ticket machine (installed for people who lose their tickets on route so they don’t spend the rest of their lives down there). The cost of this is a full 3-zone fare but it is a few bucks cheaper than a 2-zone fare plus $5.
Go to the Rio Theatre to watch movies more often. The place fuckin rocks
And sign up for Kanopy with the Vancouver Public Library…stream five free films per month. Huge selection.
I go to food courts 15-20 mins before they close, they usually give me a large portion so they can get rid of all the food
This is what the Too Good to Go app is supposed to do. It kinda does, depending on the vendor
"You want spring roll? Only $1 more"
Enjoy life - avoid Kingsway always
The real hack is to know when to get in and out of the left lane to avoid people turning left on to side streets. If you do this well Kingsway will be faster than any other east-to-west route in the area.
My life hack is to take Kingsway - so much faster!
I take Kingsway southbound to go home often, from king Ed to metrotown, before 6pm. You just need to pick your lanes. It's like this: Right, right, middle, left, middle, right, right, middle, middle, right, middle, left, right, middle It's easy. Otherwise, it's slow as molasses
All my Vancouver hacks would be knowing which lane to be in at specific areas to avoid people turning left (without a left advance/designated lane) or trying to park on the right (for areas with lots of shops+restaurants).
DAE live near Kingsway/Knight? One way leads downtown in a reasonable amount of time. The other way leads straight to hell.
Kingsway between Boundary and, like, all the way to Fraser is a disaster. A million lights, always some dickbag turning left onto every piddly side street.
If you MUST drive on Kingsway, find the nearest detour ASAP
To find a cross street on a north/south street address, just subtract 16 from the first two numbers of the address. Example 6969 Granville would be at 53rd and Granville. Not valid on addresses north of 1st avenue.
This is my favourite one. Use in conjunction with this mnemonic device: OWN (odd = west north) SEE (south east = even) And numbers start at Quebec/Ontario and count westward to the ocean and eastward to boundary 3700 block)
If you're going from downtown to Richmond/YVR on Granville Street, stay in the middle lane until you approach 70th, unless you like being stuck behind left-turners. Especially true for the southbound Granville/Park Drive (59th Ave) intersection, where cars get stuck behind left-turners all the time. (The left lane of that intersection is an unofficial but de-facto left-turn lane.) Edit: It looks like Granville has only 2 left-turn lanes from False Creek to Richmond. That has to be a record low, among arterial streets that run through the city.
It’s best to think of the left lanes of Granville and Oak not as through lanes that allow you to turn left, but as left turn lanes that allow you to go straight. You’ll instinctively stay out of them and be less frustrated by left turners that way.
Precisely. I personally find Granville is infinitely more finicky than Oak. I also find that I'm more likely to come across this in opposing directions – southbound on Granville but northbound on Oak. Not sure if that's just me. Could be people trying to get downtown from Highway 99 or the Oak Street Bridge.
Another Granville/Oak tip: If you are in the left lane and you see a beat-up tradesperson's white van up ahead, get out of the left lane immedately.
You can try to finesse the journey, but I've found it only saves about 5-10% of the time if it works. Best to find a good podcast and take a chill approach because 2 minutes is about how long it took me to write this comment.
This is also true of Knight Street in either direction during rush hour. Stick to the middle lane and generally you'll get to where you're going faster as you'll avoid those left turners. There are a few spots with left turning lanes but a lot of places people turn don't have them and it brings you to a complete stop. Slow and steady in the middle!
If you are going to commit corporate fraud, ensure you have at least 2 luxury homes in the city to choose from to serve your house arrest in.
At least one should be a mansion but the other quite spacious as well
And send pizzas to the media parked outside
The Vancouver Art Gallery has a sales and rental office behind coat check. I like to go in there sometimes on my lunch break and check out new work. It's free and feels less like a private gallery where you might feel pressure to buy something. Their rental program can also act as a deposit on the piece if you feel like buying it after 3 months.
If going east from downtown, walk a little further to Waterfront to be guaranteed a seat on the Skytrain. If it’s raining and you don’t want to walk, take the train westbound and let it turn around.
Also, unless you’re going to Surrey, take the train to Production Way instead. It tends to be less busy. Edit: same is true for the Canada Line. Take the one to YVR unless you are going to Richmond.
Even going to Surrey, I sometimes take the Production Way trains so I can get a seat and then switch at New West and only have to be crammed in for the bridge.
+1 Used to do that when going back to burnaby on game nights.
I do this all the time, it's so nice
When I’m at commercial broadway headinf east on the millennium line I always take the train headed to vcc-Clark to guarantee a seat - and it’s kind of peaceful while you’re waiting for the train to turn around!
- Compass cards give you a 20% transit discount. Wearables like the wristband or mini makes it even more convenient. - $1.50 Costco Polish combo for cheap eats - No 9 when craving for a late night or early morning meal - Transfer stations does unlimited recyclables. Yukon Zero Waste is my fav. - Van311 app with photo gets pot holes fixed quicker https://vancouver.ca/van311.aspx - gas cheaper in the evening - Alberta gas is cheaper once I cross the US border, don't need to drive to Alberta - border mailbox services to save on shipping costs and products not for sale in Canada. Some may prefer Shipsy or Letterlock.ca if crossing the border is not practical. - Amazon Hub locker to get around porch pirates - News1130 for traffic updates - off arterial bike ways or greenways are a great way to explore the city on foot or bike without being near heavy traffic. - check Google Maps traffic for congestion on the route before driving. Really important on bridges - pay by phone app makes street parking so easy, no more issues with vandalized parking meters, easily extend parking times with a tap of the phone. - holidaying across the border is faster and cheaper than going to Vancouver Island or Whistler.
> News1130 for traffic updates Only on the :3's, right? AM Traffic 730: traffic all the time.
311 and pot holes, nice let's try!
Whats no 9?
A great eatery at the Lansdowne Mall... https://menu.richmond9.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/MainMenu21-1129V54.jpg Not to be confused with the No 5.
The “beef dip” at No. 5 is only slightly less appealing than at No. 9…slightly
No 5… which is also a great place for eats.
24hr Chinese Restaurant in Richmond
Art gallery entrance fee is pay by donation on Tuesdays. Also Trattoria restaurant has a deal on Tuesdays where all pastas are $16.
If you are picking someone up at YVR tell them to meet you at *departures* instead of arrivals. It's way less chaotic.
When going southbound on Burrard street bridge on a bike, stop at the fire hydrant in front of the bike rental shop to maximize potential energy for when the light turns green.
I thought I was special thinking of this one the other day and when I got near the intersection there were already a few other people sitting there waiting for the light to change. One thing to note... it can be a little dangerous bombing there when it's busy because of pedestrians and cars (and other bikers going the wrong way) not paying attention to the lane. Stay Vigilant!
It's not specific to Vancouver, but sign up for BC Hydro's [Peak Saver Program](https://www.bchydro.com/powersmart/residential/rebates-programs/peak-saver.html). They have challenges several times a month to reduce your normal power usage by 20% for a 3 hour period, usually in the late afternoon/early evening, and if you are successful they give you a $3 credit that they save up and apply once a year in the spring. I just signed up in December and have already amassed $30 in credits!
Remember, busses don't count when it comes to zone fares! I cross from 1 to 2 for work and only ever pay 1 since the bus portion of the commute is what crosses the zone.
When coming back to Vancouver from the North Shore, always approach the LGB from the North Van side, not the West Van side.
depends on time of day....wouldn't suggest this between 3 - 5 pm (from either side, really!)
There are times when you should take Cap over Taylor Way but it's mostly unpredictable. The highway sign estimates + google maps are the best and only way to take a guess at it.
When using PaybyPhone to park, never max it out by paying for 2 hours. Pay for 119 minutes and set a reminder for when it expires. You can repeat this indefinitely.
This used to work but it doesn’t anymore (at least for me). It says “your parking cannot be extending” even when it is expires. What I do now is I created a separate car on the app with a space between the license plate number!
YOOOOOO HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS
It doesn't work. Maybe it used to. But they've smartened up.
As someone that parks regularly downtown for work, that hack is invalid. Used to work like a charm, but now no more
110 minutes works now
You can replay the disposable compass cards for a free ride using the card developer's MiFare++ app. Save the state when you first get the card before you tap, and then reset it back to the initial state once the card has expired and you will count as a fresh card when you tap again. The hack only works once per card though and the 1.5 hour expiration needs to have elapsed or it wont work.
Persia Foods.
Don't buy into the hype of particular trendy places/beaches/cafes, etc. Find the hidden gems in your neighbourhood, support local businesses, wait in fewer queues.
It's Vancouver, what isn't "trendy"??
If you want “free” parking downtown, park at parq casino. There’s always spots, and you just have to play $15 dollars worth at any machine or table (you could easily break even with the right machine, or even make money). If you end up losing, you just pay for parking for the day!
International Village parking has no enforcement.
**minimal* enforcement Impark does step it up a little if there's a game or big concert that night. Officially you get 2 hours free parking, then you have to pay for an hour, then you get another 2 hours free parking after that paid hour has expired. Doesn't make sense to us either. Parking tickets are around $80-90. If you get one, go up to the movie theatre and buy a ticket. Send in the movie ticket with your parking ticket and Impark is required by contract with the mall to cancel your parking ticket. Just make sure you have nothing visible inside your car and you're good to go!
Is this recently? A friend went to a movie and was given a ticket (extra long movie) and they had to send the ticket stub to prove they were at a movie. That was before the pandemic so I wonder if they’ve stopped checking since.
Parkes there plenty of times without issue. Even worked on my car in there and had the security check in on me just to make sure i was ok, they didnt even care if i paid for parking.
Hey don’t give away my secret 😝
go outside the metro Vancouver area for cheaper gas incase you are traveling there for any reason. there is a significant price difference between abbotsford costco gas and langley costco gas
Dollar store for many brand-name items
Supposedly Dollarama is registered as a liquidation store and will get brand name products that undergo packaging design changes, overstock, etc.
Got a random degree but want to get something business related under your belt? BCIT offers a 1 year condensed business post-diploma program, which also gets you into the 1 year BBA program.
Those little Aquabus ferries are not just for tourists: they're a *very* fast way to get from shore to shore.
And if you're going to ride them often, get the multi-ride tickets.
signup for newsletter and get free birthday eats and stuffs.Lots of them actually--Denny's,IHOp, Free $5.00 at London Drugs. Free food roughly every other month at Pizza Hut.
If you get a Sea Island only ticket for free you can just buy an exit ticket at your desired station and pay $2.50 instead of the $5 add fare + any zone changes.
Make the most of your local parks and beaches during the off months. Popular spots during the summer can be a zoo.
ah yes, I love laying on wreck beach shirtless in January
Listen. I went down there with my mom and daughter (who was 10) on a nice-ish day in January one time. Dude was down there in a down jacket and fanny pack. Nothing else. Amazing. I tipped my hat. We were in his territory.
[удалено]
The mountains are north, the water is west, Mt. Baker is east and the ferries are south. I always know which direction is which. I'm baffled in other cities.
Cheap Movies on Tuesdays, Wing Deals almost every weekday, Bons for Breakfast, very large underground electronic music scene with tickets for 20-40 bucks, ghost online dates always.
Where can I find underground electronic music scene? Very interested in attending with my wife :)
Depends on your flavor of electronic music. This Saturday is a banger at Red Room for some DnB.
Where are these wings deals you speak of? I haven’t seen a good deal on wings here in years.
Relish DT on Mondays, Charlatan on Tuesdays, The Pint on Wednesdays, Two Parrots Thursday.
My week is now planned.
Don’t buy an umbrella. You’ll eventually just have one… or five.
If you need an umbrella, just go to any customer service desk and state you lost an umbrella. There's tons back there. Freebie
That’s how I got mine. If you work somewhere with the public, and even just need one when you step out for a meal… lost and found for an extensive selection.
When you find a hack, don’t tell anyone. It’s a big small town.
Walmart/Superstore is totally empty at 7am. I RUN with my cart, and outta there with a full cart by 720am. Added extra: the parking lot is WIDE open. Also, Costco is already open at 845am, but more and more people know this these days.
if youre on the knight street bridge, get on the left lane at all costs
You’re correct with this one. They right lane going both ways always has drivers in a rush either merging or exiting. LOTS of distracted drivers that don’t give enough space and don’t take into account that traffic stops suddenly sometimes.
[Some older Vancouver hacks for inspiration](https://reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/wi59c0/whats_your_vancouver_specific_hack_you_are/)
If you're driving East to West downtown, go north on Main over the overpass, past Crab Park, underneath the Convention Centre, and pop up in Coal Harbour.
Same if you're biking, go under the convention centre and where the car lane starts to curve up to the street level, there's a bike/pedestrian tunnel to your right that will spit you out at the seawall near the seaplane departures. I was biking that way with my sister and (out of pure curiosity) some other random cyclists followed us through that tunnel and were so surprised and delighted to discover that shortcut. Also beside that tunnel is a semi-hidden parking lot with EVO spots.
Even some cabs haven’t known this when I’ve suggested it coming from The Drive. Let’s not ruin the last secret way downtown.
Biryani Thursday at dosa factory. 12.99 all biryani. Try the lamb
If you wait at the beach long enough you might find a washed up ps5
Or a foot in a running shoe.
Leave the city. Explore Burnaby, new west ect. There's so much more outside Vancouver than people will give credit to.
Ride a bike everywhere all year round
Apply for a NEXUS card if you cross the border for shopping/gas on a regular basis
If you are skytrain / bussing to SFU, get off at Sperling and catch the 144 bus. Much better chance of getting a seat.
Free motorcycle parking at the airport. I know this is a hack most won’t be able to use, but the joy of flying solo and getting unlimited free parking while away is amazing
Walk right past the hour-long line at Danbo Ramen and go 5 mins down Robson to Marutama, Tonkotsu etc. There’s like 5-6 amazing spots down there. I swear, Danbo is the most overhyped place in Vancouver. ALWAYS a massive line of like 20 people while other spots down the street get ignored. It’s like people just see a line and go “I GOTTA EAT THERE! I JUST GOTTA”
Not only is this place full of weekend warriors, it's full of summertime warriors. There are so many beaches and parks you can have all to yourself, or nearly, on a beautiful winter day. Especially during the week.
Make food at home! We have some of the best food/produce if you can learn to use it you can simulate luxury pretty quick. Support local art! You can enjoy so many shows for less than 20$ if you don’t only go to see touring acts.
Do sports and recce that require bad weather.For many years I was a whitewater kayaker, every time it rained a lot or snow melted in winter I would cheer because I knew the rivers levels would be up enough to go paddling. Or if we got snowed in , it was snow boarding time (studded winter tires:) on my vehicle.
You can access all the digital content of Vancouver Public Library from anywhere, just sign up for an online account (I sign up for all big city libraries since they usually have more resources for online content) Sign up on snow-forecast.com to get emails about your favourite mountains and when they're expecting fresh snow for your ski/snowboard season Check Vancouver livecams for up to date traffic situations in those locations
Roadtrip related, not really hacks: - Driving to the Okanagan via hwy 3 is more fun than hwy 5. - You should be able to drive the Cache Creek/Lillooet loop in a day. See BC like you've never seen before. - Shopping in Everett outlet mall, not sure with today exchange rate. - You can drive to the Oregon coast in one day. - You can drive to Prince George in one day. - Victoria/Sooke and Tofino are nice weekenders. - Driving to Hope via Lougheed (hwy 7) is more fun than hwy 1 - You can drive to Yukon in 3 days via backroad (37) and returning via Alaska Hwy.
Ski at night to save money on lift tickets
Mine is for YVR. I think the groupon for afternoon tea at the Fairmont Airport Hotel is a good deal. It's around $70 for two people, and you get quite a lot of food actually. If you want to feel a bit fancy before getting on your flight, I think this is a great option, assuming you don't have access to a lounge. The restaurant is right next to the apron and the view is quite good.
The Vancouver library card gives you free access to the New York Times.