Vancouver (downtown) for sports fans

Last weekend, I went to Vancouver. Not to head to the mountains for winter sports, but to stay downtown and explorer. The focus of the weekend was the Vancouver Canucks game versus the Calgary Flames. These two rivals made for the perfect justification for a weekend in Vancouver. This trip would not include many of the other great areas in the city, but focus on Granville Street near the arena. Granville Street on Saturday afternoon had a steady stream of shoppers and tourists. Prior to the start of the Canucks game, I needed a place to watch some NCAA basketball. There are a multitude of small bars and Irish pubs along the street from which to choose. All of the locals that I spoke to during the day recommended two places for sports viewing: Forum and Wings. The great thing about this was they were across the street from each other on Granville. Looking in on both bars, Forum was the more traditional sports bar so I chose it. It had TVs on all the walls with multiple options available. The manager was willing to put my game on one of the 50 inch TVs and left it on, despite the start of the Montréal Canadians’ game which had drawn a large crowd. This was no issue as there was plenty of TVs. Forum’s food prices were a little high for a sports bar, but the portions were large enough for two and the traditional bar fare was good. This was offset by reasonable drink specials and good service.

The Canucks play at the Rogers Arena and sellout all of their games. Of course, that leads to a healthy ticket resale market. Walking down from Granville Street to Rogers Arena, I had several opportunities to purchase tickets. On the advice of several locals, I waited to see if the price would drop as game time approached. It did. Inside the arena and out, everyone is wearing their colors, so if you are considering a trip took next game, the purchase of a T-shirt or actual hockey sweater should be considered. The published prices of a ticket range from $65-$145. Resale prices varied dramatically, so good luck.  BTW- Canucks lost in shootout on a puck hidden in goalies' pads. Never saw that before.

Following the game, we went back to Granville Street. A club going crowd of the night had replaced the shoppers of the day. Most of the nightclubs had lines out in front and a quick check back into the forum was met with dance music and the TVs turned off of the sports. Granville Street had transitioned into a series of club options. From one night, it would be tough to pick a single winner. I would highlight Doolin’s Irish pub as a particular good time. It was packed with a good party crowd.

I did get to Wings on Sunday during the first NFL playoff game.  The locals were right about the food. These were very good wings with several flavor options.  It is not a traditional sports bar environment but the wings made a strong case for this bar to become a repeat visit when next in Vancouver.

As for hotels, there was a range of options around downtown from hostels to upscale. As my trip was very quick and low key, I chose the Holiday Inn on Howe Street. It was a block up from Granville and maybe a mile to the arena.  The hotel is a little older and showing some age but service was nice and rooms clean. The price was what got me in!

Aria Hotel and Casino

I visited the Aria casino in Vegas this week and it is spectacular as could be expected.

I liked the Aria sports book. The TV screens were well placed, there were several bar tables, as well as smaller tables and single seating sections around the room. Couch seating was available as well. The horse racing area was placed to allow the sport’s enthusiast some space away from the main action. The SkyBox bar next to the book had a five glasses of draft beer for a dollar special, traditional “bar food”, and nice service staff. Being smaller sized- the Aria sports book certainly doesn't compare with some of the other larger sports books, but it has a niche that it fills well. On a side note, I did notice Texas on the advance basketball betting line at 35 to 1 to win it all. I imagine that line will change soon with how well they are playing, so if you are in Vegas soon, you may want to check that out and this might be a nice option for viewing the upcoming NCAA tournament.

About the rest of the hotel/casino:

The rooms at Aria are state-of-the-art with a touch-screen computer pad that controls TV, window curtains, lighting, and temperature. As expected, the service throughout the hotel was excellent. Dinners at Julian Serrano and Sirio restaurants were spectacular. Serrano’s fair is based on Spanish cuisine. The tapas served for the entire table was awesome. How much I liked Serrano’s was a surprise, but I knew I would like Sirio when I saw the menu. This Italian restaurant on the Promenade level was my favorite for this trip. At my end of the table, we split calamari, prawns, and prosciutto as appetizers. The main courses were incredible. I had a good lasagna. My friends had lamb, steaks and seafood. The lamb was a clear favorite among us.  As for the entertainment, the Viva Elvis show was top-notch. It is little more song and dance than other cirque shows, but was a winner in my book. The “super heroes” were incredible in the show. MGM, which owns Aria has changed their loyalty program to the new M life program. Members of the old program should get new cards for use at slots and at the tables. During the week before 5:30 PM, I found a few $10 blackjack tables, which changed during the evening to a minimum of $15. The crowds at the table were reasonable all week long, although checking out Friday morning. I could tell the crowd was definitely picking up for the weekend. An interesting note was the fact much of the crowd especially during the week were dressed casual and “middle class” reflective of several large conventions at the hotel. Overall, Aria is a great hotel and casino.

Hello and welcome sports and travel fans

This is a site dedicated to sports fans that enjoy the road trip. They enjoy following their team or they just enjoy seeing sporting events live in new and various locations.  I have been to NCAA Final Fours, World Series, NFL Playoffs, NBA Playoffs, NHL games, Bowls, nearly every major league stadium open in last 20 years and many of the minor league stadiums. I will be your primary host on the site but will lean on you and some experts for content and guidance. I also believe in the sporting experience and the lure of Las Vegas for viewing so Vegas trips will be a regular topic. Bottom line- we will discuss upcoming events, give tips on trip planning, and also some travel insights from insiders who have been to "that" game or that stadium.