The first time they visited Vancouver was about 25 years ago, and the last time they visited was in fall 2025.
While many Canucks have elected to stay local amid political tensions with the United States, Hawaii remains one of the top travel destinations for Canadians.
For Metro Vancouverites in particular, the Aloha State offers tropical respite without flying far. You can easily find direct flights year-round that won’t break the bank.
But a couple who have called Hawaii home for decades says that Vancouver is their destination of choice for a holiday.
“It is the go-to spot for us for the West Coast,” Nancy Partika tells Vancouver Is Awesome, adding that she and her husband, often accompanied by their adult daughter, have visited at least six times.
The couple sent me an email as Tropical Storm Lala pummeled the island nation Aug. 14. That serious event eventually led to a lovely conversation about how much the couple loves vacationing in our Canadian coastal city.
The first time they visited Vancouver was about 25 years ago, and the last time was fall 2025.
“Hawaii people love to travel. You know, if you’re island-bound, you kind of want to get away and see something different, right? They’ll go to Vegas. They’ll go to Disneyland. They’ll even go to Europe and Japan,” she explains.
“But a lot of them that we talked to, they’ve never been to Canada or Vancouver. And it’s just amazing to me. I’m always baffled as to why they haven’t figured out that that’s somewhere they need to visit.”
From a U.S. perspective: Why is Vancouver awesome?
Political strife has polarized the U.S., Partika notes, and visiting Canada offers a sort of respite from ongoing tensions.
Some of the Americans she’s spoken to ask if there will be a Trader Joe’s, if we have something similar to Disneyland, or where they can gamble.
“They’re looking for things that they’re looking for in other places,” she says. “You go there just to experience really a variety of amazing quality-of-life things, such as the outdoors and beaches and mountains and interesting people.”
And what does Partika love specifically about the city?
“We love the main library,” she says, commenting on the design of Vancouver Public Library’s central branch. “And the transportation system there is amazing. So there’s so much good quality-of-life experience.”
The family also “always visits” the Bill Reed Gallery, which has rotating exhibitions of contemporary Indigenous Northwest Coast Art, and, of course, highlights the legacy of Haida master Bill Reed.
“The spring and autumn weather was such a pleasant change from the sunny tropical weather that is year-round in Hawaii. Jacket and boots weather! Even the rain is an adventure,” she adds.
They love “amazing places like Stanley Park” and its “famous seawall” that “went for miles/kilometers,” as well as iconic landmarks like the Sylvia Hotel and the Vancouver Aquarium. They also enjoyed spending time on the popular Granville Island.
Another fun sight to see? “The buskers and crowds enjoying the fresh air of English Bay and its beaches,” she says.
The bibliophiles also love hunting through used bookstores, as Vancouver has some fun ones.
And since the city has cafes and restaurants abound, they never run out of new things to see and try.
“The cultures and food that spring from them. Fish and chips! Malaysian, Indian, Thai, Korean, Ukrainian, Turkish…the list goes on. Farmers markets with new and unusual (to Hawai’i) produce and other items,” she recalls.
The family will visit the city again in fall 2026 and are excited to try staying in a new part of it. Since they haven’t explored Kitsilano Beach, they want to check it out. But of course, stops at their regular haunts are in order.
“Mahalo Canada, for all you are,” they say.