Vancouver has lots of interesting street corners. This one, at the corner of Carrall St and W Pender St is right near the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Gardens.

The faded letters read "Pekin Chop Suey House", the name of a former restaurant occupying the space. The building dates back to the early 1900s and is part of the heritage of Vancouver Chinatown.

Are you an American traveling to Vancouver who wants to make the most of your budget?

By doing a little homework before your Vancouver vacation, you could end up saving enough money for a nice restaurant dinner that wouldn't be in your budget otherwise.

You may want to take a look at what your credit card company charges for international transaction fees.

You might wind up paying 3% on international transaction fees for credit card transactions you make while in Canada.

When trying to budget for your trip to Vancouver and surrounding British Columbia, it pays to know.  Let's say you spend $2000 in credit card transactions on your Vancouver vacation.  At 3%, that would be $60.  So, at $4000, you'd hit $120.

It is not a huge amount, but there are some ways to get that amount down to 1% or less if you really want to avoid needless spending while in Vancouver.   

Itching to do something a little different while vacationing in Vancouver?

Head to Granville Island for Vancouver TheatreSports League, a real-life LOL factory with this mission:

• "Vancouver TheatreSports League (VTSL) is a unique professional theatre organization dedicated to the growth and exploration of exceptional improv-based work for the purpose of challenging and inspiring the community."

And the League knows improv.  For example, ever hear of Ryan Stiles and Colin Mochrie from Who’s Line Is It Anyway?  They once played here. Now they're improv superstars.

The current crew keeps busy engaging and entertaining audiences in a variety of improv shows that include:

The Late Nite Mixer - 60 minutes of fast, fun, improv games in a relaxed party atmosphere.  Who says fun can't be this much fun?

One of the nice things about UBC's Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, besides the extraordinary collection of artifacts and artwork, is their policy on photography.  The museum allows visitors to take all of the personal photography desired.

I think this policy makes the museum lots more effective in achieving its goals:

Got an itch to pet goats?  How about pigs, horses, donkeys, sheep or llama? 

The Stanley Park Children's Farmyard is the place to go in Vancouver to pet all sorts of animals.

Satisfy your itch - or the itch of your favorite farmyard friend - by visiting the Stanley Park Children's Farmyard, a petting zoo in Stanley Park.

And you don't have to be a child to enjoy this place.  If you find goats, donkeys and pigs entertaining, this is a fun stop for adults and even makes a good activity for couples. It is certainly a unique experience.

Where else can you pet a potbellied pig for fun?

Looking for an easy and fun Vancouver sidetrip?  Try Grouse Mountain.

Grouse Mountain is a fun Vancouver sidetrip only about 15 minutes from Vancouver.

The fun starts at the bottom of the mountain where you hop onto a gondola.  The Grouse Mountain gondola (the "Grouse Mountain SkyRide") takes riders up to the Peak Chalet (elevation 1128m, 3700ft), not far from the peak of Grouse Mountain.

The vast stretches of coastline are one of the more charming features of Vancouver, BC. Amateur and professional photographers alike have made the Vancouver coastline the subject of many incredible panoramic photos.

In this article, enjoy 10 incredible samples of panoramic photos of the Vancouver coastline.

 Morning, afternoon, dusk, night - the Vancouver coastline is always a beautiful scene.

When the Vancouver winter weather is dreary and rough, the tough don't stay home. The tough go bowling.

Some people go bowling every week, that's how much they like it! Me, I find it a nice diversion every now and then. I also put it on my list of "fun things to do when traveling if the weather is bad." For travelers looking for something to do in Vancouver in winter, bowling can be fun for a couple or the whole family.

The downside of bowling are the bowling leagues that sometimes take over the Vancouver bowling alleys in the evenings and on weekends. Luckily, there are lots of bowling alleys in Vancouver.

Here are some Vancouver bowling alleys to consider.  The phone numbers are also listed as it is usually good to call ahead for lane availability and to make reservations if needed:

The Dr Sun Yat-Sen Park and Garden is a beautiful Vancouver park designed to give Westerners a way to experience China.  Dr Sun Yat-Sen Park is one of the top 10 attractions in Vancouver's Chinatown district. A visit to the park will be quick, but it is so close to the rest of Chinatown that it is a worthy excursion.  And a visit will help work off a meal of Vancouver's famous Chinese dim sum at one of the many authentic local Chinese restaurants.

Getting to Dr Sun Yat-Sen Park is easy by car, bus or taxi.

Looking for a fun winter activity in Vancouver?  Think indoor ice skating.

Richmond Olympic Oval is the place to do it. The Richmond Olympic Oval will be one of the venues for the 2010 winter Olympics. But the public can experience the ice now, making a visit a treat.

The Richmond Olympic Oval is brand new. The grand opening was December 12, 2008.

Visit the Richmond Olympic Oval to skate on the ice during public skating hours and experience the spectacular facility before the rest of the world.  It is a great way to get some exercise without having to brave the cold outdoors.