vancouver city guide {real style, real travels}

There's nothing I love more about summer than making up excuses to pack up my bags and catch a flight somewhere. The more packed I can make my weekends, either with day-trips out to Napa or dusting off the passport to head out of the country, the more balanced I feel when I finally do touch back down in SF. Summer break forever, right? 

Part of what makes traveling so special to me is pushing myself to really picture my life there. What stores would I haunt with my friends? Where would we go on weekends? What coffee shop would I work from on Saturday mornings? And really, what would I wear on, let's say, a date night out? So of course, packing for the destination becomes almost as important as the actual planning for it. Above all, I want to make sure I feel comfortable and ready to explore, but also, I love evoking the idea of what this new version of me would wear, if I were actually a local from the area. 

It's with that in mind, this summer, I'm really excited to partner with one of my favorite authenticated designer consignment sites, The RealReal (I've raved about them numerous times, most recently here) to help my ever growing packing list for a few upcoming trips. Let's just say when The RealReal warehouse becomes your extended closet -- you start grabbing and fast!

Wore this Proenza Schouler number out for a rooftop dinner. Loved how warm their evenings were!

Dress: Proenza Schouler borrowed from The RealReal; Shoes: Valentino; Bag: Chanel; Sunglasses: Target; Watch: Daniel Wellington; Cuff: Gorjana; Lips: Stila "Beso"

Up first on the destination list?

As you may have spied on Instagram last week, I had the chance to visit Vancouver and explore up north a bit for a new cashmere line launch, Kit & Ace (more on that to come later this week!). While I've been to Canada a handful of times (random fact: I'm half Canuck), I've never had a chance to really roam around and experience some of the local fare.  

Luckily, packing was pretty easy this time around -- Vancouver could practically be San Francisco's sister city (same downtown vibe, same art/culture scene, same outdoorsy affinity) so packing was a breeze. Here's a rundown of what I did, saw, ate and shopped...Enjoy!

STAY 

Loden Hotel: A modern, chic hotel located just a stone's throw from the ocean front and a short walk to Gastown -- brimming with cute boutiques and coffee shops. I loved the Loden for a number of reasons, mainly including the beyond adorable restaurant downstairs, Tableau, and their enormous bath tubs. 

PLAY

Granville Island: Super bustling farmer's market island just under the Granville Bridge (about a 15 minute water taxi ride from downtown). We stopped for brunch along the water and then browsed around from vendor to vendor. 

Stanley Park: Think Central Park, but bigger and wrapping along the coast. Best way to explore it? Bike it and head over to the Lions Gate Bridge (Golden Gate's sister bridge).

Seaplane Tour: Hands down, one of the most breathtaking ways to take in all the views of the city and surrounding mountain + waterscapes. I really wanted to head up to Whistler and Victoria but didn't have enough time. Next visit!

Celebration of Light: Over the summer, Vancouver hosts an international fireworks competition at English Bay. Get there early! Nearly 400,000 spectators come out to enjoy the show. 

SHOP

Kit & Ace: From a few of the same folks who brought you Lululemon -- seriously luxe, but wearable and washable cashmere blend basics. More on them to come, but be sure to stop by their new store location on Water Street and check out their recently launched ecommerce site here.

Secret Location: Not quite so secret as the name would imply but I did leave wishing there were more stores like this! Vika Gazinskaya, Ostwald Helgason, Rochas. Olympia Le-Tan. So good.

Holt Renfrew: While this is a department store and I normally try to steer clear of these while on vacation, their sale discounts were just too good to pass on. These Diors joined me on my return flight home. 

Roden Gray: This is actually a menswear shop but they had me hooked with their Givenchy printed sweaters in the window.

EAT & DRINK

The Flying Pig: Elevated comfort food. We had their lobster and prawn risotto, crispy Brussels sprouts and cheesy bread. I highly recommend you sit outside and take in some of the people watching on the patio.

Smart Mouth Coffee: This was my home base for a few afternoons when I had to get work done. I love coffee shops that just feel like someone's living room and this place fits the bill. 

Revolver Coffee: Serious coffee ahead! I had their iced coffee brew on a particularly hot day and it hit the spot.

Medina Cafe: Waffles + lavender chocolate + maple syrup. I'm going to let that marinate a bit. 

3 Acres: Apparently, I was on a risotto kick this trip because I had the truffle risotto here plus a French 75. But my favorite would have to be the gorgonzola hot pot. Pretty much ate the whole plate myself. 

Head over to The RealReal blog, RealStyle for more photos! And make sure to stay tuned for our next installment....where I'll be heading somewhere very warm. Any guesses? 

This post was in partnership with The RealReal. As always, all opinions and styling are my own. Thank you for supporting posts that keep This Time Tomorrow's doors open.