Holiday Shopping on Granville Island
December is out in full force, and that means it's time to sip cocoa, sing carols, and...shop! We love local (obviously), and are trying to buy thoughtful, local gifts for our family and friends this year! To make that easier, we headed to Granville Island, which is pretty much a hub of local vendors. It's also one of the most touristy spots in the city, but in a good way...if that makes sense? Here's some of our faves that are a little less known than the Granville Island Public Market, but the market is worth a visit too! Especially Lee's Donuts, mmmmmm.
Our first stop was the Edible Canada gift shop, and I know, you're thinking...what is a gift shop doing on Local Wanderer? But it's pretty awesome, actually. It's filled with tons of local goodies for foodies, and the best part is it's all in one place! Makes the holiday shopping experience so much better. Caesars are our favorite Canadian drink (think Bloody Mary but with clam juice instead of tomato juice, and yes it is delicious), so we picked up some Caesar rim salts from Amola Salt and some mix from Walter Caesar for our bff Lindsay! We added in some Batch popcorn, Earnest Ice Cream, and next thing you knew we had the most delicious present ever.
It rains here in Vancouver a lot, so luckily for us, Granville Island is home to The Umbrella Shop! Yup, a whole shop dedicated to the art of umbrellas, and we picked up a big, yellow, umbrella to brighten up this dreary season (plus it looks great in photos). Next we stopped by The Postcard Place, which a shop full of postcards! Only a few are from Vancouver though, and the rest tell their own stories.
The Woodshop on Granville Island is definitely a hidden gem where you'll find amazing, hand-crafted wooden birds. Perfect for those bird-loving family members (everyone has one, right? Not just us?).
While you're on Granville Island, you should definitely check out the little "sea village" of floating homes! We're so intrigued by these beauties, and have no idea how people live in them, but it's pretty awesome. Best view of the city, hands down!
This post is in partnership with Granville Island.