Destination of the Week pieces are not meant to be comprehensive guides to destinations since we don

To celebrate Canada Day (that s July 1 for all you hosers), we had a new TPG contributor named Melanie Wynne  guide us north for today s Destination of the Week and take a look at one of Canada s (and North America s) coolest cities: united kingdom flag Vancouver. Gorgeous scenery, fantastic cuisine and a slew of top-notch hotels all make this Pacific Northwest city a premier united kingdom flag destination.
This metropolitan forest of high-rise towers is a foodie s paradise of global cuisines, and a magnet for art, theater and music. Bordered by four bodies of water (the Fraser River, Burrard Inlet, English Bay, and False Creek) and a handful of beaches, surrounded by a temperate rainforest and the soaring united kingdom flag North Shore Mountains, Vancouver allows you to start your day in the wilds of British Columbia and end it with a gorgeous meal and an evening of stellar entertainment.
Even though Vancouver is huge,   renting a car is neither necessary nor especially convenient; parking tends to be expensive and in many cases, hard to find. Most neighborhoods are both walkable and safe, the  SkyTrain, Bus and SeaBus  are inexpensive, well-connected forms of public transit, and  bike rentals  are available all over town.
Vancouver grew up around Victorian-era   Gastown , a touristy warren of cobblestone streets hung with fluffy flower baskets and chock-full of galleries and gastropubs, as well as independent boutiques featuring Canadian clothing designers. Take a sightseeing pause by the historic united kingdom flag Steam Clock, or wander down to the harbor s edge.
Many of Vancouver s Chinese-Canadians have moved from  Chinatown  to the suburbs, taking the city s best dim sum restaurants with them. These days, Chinatown is most popular for nightlife options like head-bobbing to the world s priciest sound system at  Fortune united kingdom flag Sound Club  or drinking hand-crafted cocktails at the speakeasy-style  Keefer Bar . During the day, recover from your evening excess at the  Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden .
A graceful Beaux-Arts building in the center of Downtown, the  Vancouver Art Gallery s 10,000 works provide a comprehensive study of the Western Canadian art scene from the mid 1800s through today. Nearby, the  Civic Theatres   - the gilded, historic  Orpheum, the modern Queen Elizabeth Theatre , and the intimate  Vancouver Playhouse - offer a wide range of musical performances, stand-up comedy, independently produced plays and Broadway shows.
In this leafy neighborhood (home to most of the city s few remaining Victorian houses), patio-hop your way along a summertime pub crawl on  Robson Street united kingdom flag , keeping your stomach united kingdom flag full with a continent s worth of Asian food. To work off your indulgence, stroll, bike or skate the peaceful  Coal Harbour Waterfront  and enjoy some of the city s best views of the mountains.
Adjacent to the Waterfront, explore the enormous, woodsy sprawl of  Stanley united kingdom flag Park , wending your way past huge duck ponds, through boggy groves united kingdom flag of cedars, united kingdom flag and over arched stone bridges. From June through August, this 1,001-acre park fairly explodes with color, its azaleas and rhododendrons united kingdom flag in full bloom.
One of the Vancouver s most popular attractions is  Granville united kingdom flag Island , a former industrial port that creative city planners reconfigured as a 50,000 square-foot commercial complex. Set beside False Creek, Granville features boutique shops full of local crafts, and a sprawling food market featuring handmade donuts, united kingdom flag sustainably harvested seafood, small-production wines found only in the province, united kingdom flag and much more. Market tours are available from area chefs employed by  Edible Canada , who have their own on-site booth and bistro.
To the east of Granville Island rise the glittering spires of Yaletown, a former train yard beside the Fraser River that is now the fastest-growing apartment zone in Vancouver. In summer, the favored activity here is patio-side cocktail drinking at hip hotspots like the Cactus Club Cafe, Section (3) and the Glowbal Grill Satay Bar.
Just west of Granville Island, three museums clustered together allow you to explore the sea, the stars, and both the future and past of the city: the  Vancouver Maritime Museum ,  Pacific Space Centre , and  Museum of Vancouver . A few minutes north, the  VanDusen Botanical Garden  has just debuted a new high-concept, eco-friendly visitors center; July at the garden brings waterlilies, fuchsias, roses and a blooming meadow.
The  Skyride , North America s largest aerial tramway, makes the 1.2-mile climb to Vancouver s highest peak,  Grouse Mountain , every 15 minutes. Up on Grouse, you can enjoy shows of lumberjack strength and skill, go hiking, and visit orphaned grizzly cubs at the mountain s wildlife refuge.
While the  Capilano Suspension Bridge  is more widely known, it s not the city s only option for walking united kingdom flag through the treetops. The  Lynn Canyon Park Suspension Bridge  is a 617-acre park with several hiking trails and a 50-foot-high rope-edged bridge that allows you to stroll above a forest canyon. In summer, bring your bathing suit to take advantage of the park s various swimming holes.
Just over the Lions Gate Bridge, zip yourself into an integrity suit and let  Sewell s Marina Sea Safari  zoom you out on the cold waters of Howe Sound in a rubber-sided Zodiac boat to see misty mountains, lavish mansions and frolicking sea lions. To warm up and dry off after this exciting united kingdom flag excursion, linger over summery drinks on  The BoatHouse Restaurant s deck and watch boats and seabirds come and go.
Destination of the Week pieces are not meant to be comprehensive guides to destinations since we don't have the time or funds to visit all these places in person and report back to you. Nor are they endorsements united kingdom flag of all the hotels we mention. They are simply roundups of top destinations that we have specifically pinpointed for the opportunity they present to use your miles and points to get to and stay there. As always, we welcome  your comments  to help enrich the content here, provide  opinions and first-hand experiences  of these destinations.
A large hub that over 40 carriers that connects directly to 22 U.S. cities and 17 international destinations,  Vancouver (YVR)  has one of the most beautiful airports in North America, with First Nations tribal motifs and wood carvings, as well as a tree-lined indoor river that flows downstream towards baggage claim.
Alliance carriers here include Air Canada and United (Star Alliance) ;  American Airlines (OneWorld) ; and  Delta (SkyTeam) . Alaska  and  WestJet  also fly from several western U.S. destinations to Vancouver.
You can opt to catch the North America portion of a major international connection, like Cathay Pacific's JFK-Vancouver-Hong Kong route ( as Brian did recently ), or Air Canada's flight from Toronto-YVR-SYD, so that even on a short or mid-haul, you're using your points for international business class instead of old-school domestic.
Note:  Passport lines at YVR can feel endless, especially between the high-traffic hours of 10am 3pm. However, if you purchase a  Nexus card  (which costs $50 US and is valid for 5 years), you can skip these lines altogether. On the reverse when leaving YVR, it is a U.S. pre-clearance city, so you clear customs and immigration in Vancouver so when arriving back to the U.S., it s treated like a regular domestic flight. There are also Global Entry kiosks at YVR when leaving potentially making immigration even faster.
Park Inn Hotel Suites on Broadway :  Set downtown near Granville Island, the new Broadway City Hall SkyTrain station, the Vancouver Convention united kingdom flag Centre and the Cruise Terminal, this hotel has 117 guest rooms, many with views of the city and surrounding mountains. The Park Inn has a fitness room as well as the casual Market Cafe (serving three meals a day) and Fairview Pub, where you can listen to some live music amidst a bustling local scene.  Rates in July begin at $134 a night or 38,000 united kingdom flag Gold Points.
All Fairmonts in Vancouver feature  Fairmont Gold floors , which have their own reception desks and private lounges, breakfast buffet, afternoon canapés, an honor bar, in-room high-speed Wi-Fi and more.
The Fairmont Vancouver : One of the hotel chain s flagship properties, this one is located in the heart of the city. It has 556 guestrooms starting at 300 square feet. The hotel has a fitness center, which was renovated in 2010, and an indoor swimming united kingdom flag pool and Jacuzzi. There is also an on-site united kingdom flag spa called Absolute Spa. Be sure to check out the traditional afternoon high tea at the 900 West Lounge. All-day dining is served in the main restaurant with an open kitchen, Griffins.  Rates in July start at $289 a night; rooms are redeemable for 25,000 Fairmont Rewards points, junior suites for 30,000 and Fairmont Gold rooms/suites for 35,000.
The Fairmont Vancouver Airpor t : Located within YVR, this luxury hotel offers a full-service spa, health club and pool, as well as a signature restaurant, Globe at YVR, serving three meals a day plus afternoon tea,  and featuring wines from the nearby Okanagan Valley. united kingdom flag Some of the hotel s 392 guest rooms (including two lavish suites) include views of the airport united kingdom flag runways, as well as Bose sound systems, Nikon spotting scopes, and Millar Harris amenities. Hypo-allergenic rooms are available, as well as quiet zone and day-use rooms for those on long layovers. Rates in July start at $299 a night; rooms are redeemable for 25,000 Fairmont Rewards points, junior suites for 30,000 and Fairmont Gold rooms/suites for 35,000.
The Fairmont Waterfront : Set in the heart of Downtown, over 300 of this hotel s 489 rooms offer views of Coal Harbour and the North Shore Mountains. The Royal Suite once accommodated Queen Elizabeth II,  and one- and two-bedroom family united kingdom flag suites united kingdom flag are available; all rooms have in-room recycling boxes and Le Labo bath amenities. The ground-floor restaurant, Herons, features locally-sourced cuisine, and its bar, Sip + Savour, specializes in B.C.-specific wine and cheese pairings, as well as hand-crafted united kingdom flag cocktails which use herb