Vancouver is a gorgeous city and one of my favourite places to visit. Lucky for me, my son and his family live in Seattle; I love to include a trip to Vancouver on my way there.

I think we are fortunate in Calgary to have Vancouver so handy and I sometimes wonder whether Vancouverites feel the same way about Calgary. Calgary is a great city to live in and Vancouver is a great city to visit. (This reminds me of my daughter’s characterization of her two dogs: “Arthur is smart and Dudley is sweet.”)

If, like me, you are heading to Vancouver this summer, check out Exploring Vancouver: The Architectural Guide. Harold Kalman and Robin Ward take you on a tour of the city, district by district, to reveal the stories behind the beautiful buildings.

From the extravagant Canada Place megastructure on the waterfront to the heritage buildings in Gastown, they tell you about the style, distinctive features and the architects who designed them. There are stories about owners, tenants and communities.

You could visit the Arthur Erickson House & Garden to see that this celebrated architect built for himself an unremarkable house, but designed an enchanting garden around it. You can also check out his other distinguished buildings, like the Museum of Anthropology designed to house Haida totem poles.

You learn that the market on Granville Island “was among the first waterfront revitalization schemes to recycle industrial buildings, setting the tone for similar projects around the world”.

So much to see in this great Canadian city.