Thanks for all the great suggestions, it’s given me plenty of ideas!
I do like walking around just looking at places, which sometimes seems a bit strange but I like to see different building styles and stuff like that. I enjoy museums and I am seriously into wildlife so anywhere that has a zoo is high on the list.
Parks and gardens are on the list too, as well as forests.
I’m likely to be travelling with someone who likes bars though…any suggestions on that front?
I second all the above. I would plan to spend at least a day at the UBC campus and visit not only the archeology museum on the north end there, but also the botanical gardens on the south end. There is also a pleasant Japanese garden on the west side of the campus, but while worth a visit it is not worth a detour. If you enjoy walking, the perimeter around Stanley Park is well worth the effort (it is several miles around).
I have two favorite restaurants. One is called Sitar, on the plaza at the east end of Water St. It is Indian, of course, and relatively inexpensive. The other is Tojo, Japanese, outside of the downtown area and absurdly expensive (the last time I was there, the chef’s special meal was $125, plus tax and tip, but almost worth it).