I love walking through the shops of Granville Island. A visit to the open air market there yields a delicious meal, not to mention some very interesting art objects. Not too far from the city itself is Minter Gardens which is a destination display garden that is not so much for the botanically inclined, but definitely for the tourist inclined. It is a lovely garden from a botanical perspective as well, but it is geared for the general public, not the plant aficionado. If you have time to drive up to Whistler, that is a beautiful drive but it does take several hours. Last I was there (about 2 years ago), I attended a convention and stayed at the downtown Hyatt which was in the absolutely perfect location. I could walk to the water front in both directions, had a fantastic view of the city, and the subway was located beneath the building. The room was nice, the service was good. I'd stay there again in a heartbeat! BTW, downtown Vancouver is a pretty cool town! There are many green spaces within the city itself which was unexpected and very inspiring! Have a GREAT time!