Vancouver

Vancouver is what San Francisco would be if it had more rain, less density, and a snow-topped mountain range visible from downtown. Stanley Park, a 1,000-acre forest peninsula attached to the city core, is the trademark — the seawall around it is one of the most popular urban walks on the continent. The food scene leans Asian — some of the best Chinese food outside Asia is in Richmond, just south of the city. North Vancouver and West Vancouver across the inlet are forested fjords with the city behind them. Whistler is an hour and a half north on the Sea-to-Sky Highway.