Visiting Vancouver, British Columbia

I cannot wait - this August I will be traveling to Vancouver (via Toronto) to visit family and friends. As you already know, I currently live in Israel but I have to say, Vancouver holds a very special place in my heart. It's where I grew up and therefore many of my childhood memories took place in this beautiful city. My plan is to rent a cheap car rental and take my kids to as many attractions as possible. We won't have a whole lot of time so I need to choose carefully. Below is a list of things I wish to do and see with them: 1. Stanley Park - Stanley Park is Vancouver's most well-known urban park and is visited by thousands of tourists (and locals) monthly. It is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean so you can only begin to imagine the views to be seen while walking, biking or roller blading along the sea wall. I'll probably park my cheap car rental at a local parking lot and take my girls on a walking tour. There are great places to stop and eat and drink amongst this 400 hectares of natural rain forest. One of the great attractions is the Vancouver Aquarium - located within the park. Another must-see... 2. Whistler Mountain - Any avid skier will know that Whistler Mountain is the place to visit for great snow and world-class ski runs. People from around the world visit this haven to ski, snowboard, snowshoe and everything in between. But it is not only a winter destination. It is filled with natural parks, outdoor rock climbing and beautiful lakes so it is a great place to go during the spring and summer months. I love visiting Whistler Village as there are awesome hotels, restaurants, cafes and shops. With the money I will save by taking advantage of car rental coupons, I plan on taking my girls up the gondola to the top of the mountain where we will see world-famous views. 3. Gastown - Gastown is located in north east downtown Vancouver and is a national historic site because it was Vancouver's first downtown core area. I plan on parking my cheap car rental at a local parking lot and taking my kids to the amazing hip shops and boutiques, funky cafes and restaurants and of course, will take a picture standing in front of the historic steam clock. The steam clock is gastown's most famous landmark and tourists can be seen getting their photos taken there year-round. There are many more things to do in this incredible city however as I mentioned above, due to time constraints, I will be limited in what I can do. The three places mentioned above should be more than sufficient!