Diana and I recently received our NEXUS cards. Naturally, the only reasonable way to celebrate such good fortune is to head north and try them out!

We found ourselves in Vancouver on a beautiful spring day. I haven't spent much time in Vancouver, and I was pleasantly surprised by a bustling, cosmopolitan city. Vancouver is in many areas significantly more dense than Seattle, and certainly way different than my home town of North Bend. The change of pace was stimulating.

This was my third time to the city and I found myself still enjoying new views. I quite like the waterfront walkways I've found on the city - they tend to not be touristy and instead be integrated into the community. It really feels like residents are "out" and in their shared space. Perhaps this was simply a side effect of the rare beautiful day in the PNW.

Go a bit off the beaten path, and you find yourself in residential neighborhoods much like Seattle. The eclectic mix of periods, sizes, shapes, and architectural styles reminded me a bit of Greenwood.

As I continue to visit, some of the exotic nature of Vancouver is beginning to wear off. I can't tell if this is positive or negative. In any event, a 3 hour drive to Vancouver will put you in another country, another culture, and another city. It's well worth the time and the cost. Oh, and even though the nexus cards didn't save us too much time this time, they totally will next time!