My first post + A day in Deep Cove

Hey there. This is Mel and this is my first post on our blog. I've lived in Vancouver since August of 2006, when I moved here from Manila with my family. I've been living and working in Vancouver ever since and have loved exploring the city and its surrounding areas.

Currently, I am an employee of a non-profit society that works to promote autism awareness in schools throughout the Lower Mainland. I also work directly with children on the autism spectrum as a play group guide. Sadly, I'll be leaving Vancouver at the end of the summer to pursue graduate studies in New York, but until then I hope to share as much of the city as possible with our readers.


45 Minutes 

                                                              Deep Cove in the spring

Yesterday, I took advantage of the beautiful weather and spent the day in Deep Cove. This harbourside community in North Vancouver just past Mount Seymour is only a 45-minute drive from downtown. It's a favorite of Vancouver locals during the summer, not only for its quaint small town feel and interesting shops and restaurants, but also for its location on the shores of an inlet of the Pacific Ocean. This makes it the ideal place for kayaking and other water sports. In fact, kayaking is probably what the Cove is best known for. Rentals and guided tours are available at the Deep Cove Canoe and Kayak Centre, located right next to the marina.

Deep Cove Canoe and Kayak Centre

If you're more interested in eating (like me!), Arm's Reach Bistro is an awesome place to sit and enjoy the sun. Situated just at the end of Gallant Avenue, the restaurant's outdoor terrace overlooking the water is the perfect vantage point for visitors wanting to soak in the Deep Cove atmosphere. An extensive menu of appetizers, sandwiches and pastas complements a more than decent wine and cocktail list. We started with perfectly tender fried calamari and soft, flavorful brie cheese served with flatbread. My companion had the traditional spaghetti bolognese, which he said was one of the best bolognese pastas he's ever had, and I tucked into a huge serving of seafood linguine with chunks of dungeness crab, prawn and mussel. A warning: the servings at Arm's Reach are generous, so you may choose to split when it comes to mains. Unfortunately, we were too full to sample any of their desserts. The creme brulee sounded particularly tempting, so I may have to make another trip there sometime soon just to try it.

The warm brie appetizer at Arm's Reach 

                                                       Crispy fried calamari--a must-have!

After taking a walk through Panorama Park, we stopped by Honey Doughnuts and Goodies. If you had to choose only one place to visit in Deep Cove, Honey's is it. Their doughnuts made it on to Vancouver Magazine's Top 100 list of things to eat and drink in 2008 and have been sought after by visitors to the Cove ever since. Crunchy on the outside and sweet and cakey on the inside, these are doughnuts for people who don't like doughnuts; I should know, because I used to be one of those people before I tried Honey's. Their chocolate-covered doughnuts are also worth trying, as are their coffees and delicious hot chocolate. Another plus: a flatscreen TV in one corner of the cafe showing Spanish League soccer on Gol TV at all hours of the day. Between the doughnuts and the soccer, I was one happy customer.

After a satisfying afternoon spent exploring the neighborhood, we drove back to downtown Vancouver and still had hours left to do errands before dinner. If you're looking to take a day trip and you don't actually have a full day to do it, consider making your way to Deep Cove for good food, fun and a great atmosphere.