Lifelong Vancouverite Alexis from the lululemon Store Support Centre has put together a list of nine of her favourite Vancouver hotspots for you to add to your itinerary. Create your own adventure challenge and see if you can experience them all for yourself!

1. spanish banks

To me, there is no better beach in Vancouver than Spanish Banks. To be sure, Kits Beach to the East is better for people watching, and Wreck Beach is definitely better if you can’t find your bathing suit, but Spanish Banks has it all going on: an amazing view of the North Shore Mountains, sandy beaches that extend halfway across the inlet when the tide goes out, and expansive grass where locals play beach volleyball in the summer and start up snowball fights in winter. The best part: the concession still serves cream soda floats, Archie Andrews-style. Wooo!

2. vancouver public library

The downtown branch of the Vancouver Public Library is my favorite place to sit with a coffee and observe life in Vancouver. The architecture of the building is phenomenal – tiered floors with light-filled nooks and crannies make getting lost in a book a pleasure, and if you close your eyes in the mezzanine for a moment, you’ll swear you're on a cobblestoned street in Europe with the smells of espresso and pizza tickling your nose. It's a great place to spend a mellow afternoon.

3. cypress bowl lookout

Wanna feel like you’re on top of the world…literally? Drive yourself to the top of Cypress Bowl and tell the clouds to get out of the way. On a clear day, you can see Mount Baker glistening from south of the 49th Parallel, the density of downtown Vancouver growing taller by the day, and the mighty Pacific beckoning from the West. The ultimate place for “I always-forget-how-stunning-my-hometown-is-until-I-revisit-this-spot” realizations.

4. sushi...any sushi

Along with coffee, you’d better get an affinity for raw fish if you want to dine like a Vancouverite. Sushi is a full-on obsession in this neck of the woods – from the suburbs to downtown and beyond, sushi restaurants are found on every street corner…and they’re packed, too. Any local worth his weight in sashimi can tell you their favourite places for takeout, gourmet, and the ultimate Vancouver sushi phenomenon, all-you-can-eat (my picks: takeout – Honjin, 140 Lonsdale, North Vancouver; gourmet – Miku, 1335 Robson Street, Downtown; all you can eat, Shabusen, 2993 Granville Street, South Granville). Advice for those new to this style of Japanese cuisine: don’t go too hard on the rolls at the start - you’ll bow out early. Trust me.

5. stanley park

This is the quintessential place that all visitors to Vancouver MUST check out. Stanley Park is older than the city itself; originally the site of the Musqueam, Burrard, and Squamish Nation First Nations people, the 400 hectare park is filled with totem poles, old growth trees, and secret paths that lead to the zoo, aquarium, and numerous gardens. Breathe in the fresh salt air on the seawall and get a birds' eye view of Coal Harbour, the original port site of Vancouver, and now the epicenter of the glass architecture movement our city has become synonymous with. In winter, you can take in a rugby game at Brockton Oval, near the lovely Yacht Club, and in the summer, artists and street performers line the walkways – if you’re lucky enough, you might even jump into a chalk painting Mary Poppins-style! Stanley Park also boasts many lovely beaches. I think I can speak for all Vancouverites when I say I feel lucky to live in a city with park like this at my fingertips.

6. seymour demonstration forest

British Columbia is Mecca for those who love coniferous trees, and there is no other place in Vancouver better to observe them in all their glory than the Seymour Demonstration Forest. Stately Douglas Fir, Cedar, Spruce and Pines line paved pathways that are perfect for biking, running or rollerblading. When you get to the top, enjoy a view of the Seymour Falls Dam and the satisfaction that comes with breathing in some of the cleanest air in the world.

7. chinatown

Like Stanley Park, Vancouver’s Chinatown district has roots that began before the inauguration of the city. Its wonderful, authentic architecture has been undergoing a recent revitalization and now is filled with lofts, bustling markets and underground clubs and lounges.

8. the commodore

Speaking of clubs, if you go  to see one live concert in this city, make sure it’s at The Commodore, located on the Granville Strip. With enough room for 2000 people to dance their faces off minus the annoyance of stadium seating, The Commodore is always the most fun venue in Vancouver, hands-down. Personal highlights: counting velour suits at the Snoop show, dodging the blood machine at Gwar, and the always-wicked TV On The Radio.

9. yoga

No day spent in Vancouver would be complete without a bliss-filled hit of our city's favourite pastime. Whenever I need to fit a bout of stretching and relaxation into my busy schedule, I visit my favourite yoga studio: North Shore Elements. There I will take class with instructor Will Blunderfield, who has achieved modest fame amongst Vancouver yogis for his unique talent: he sings while he teaches!

How do you love our fair Vancouver? Count the ways! What are your all-time favourite experiences and locations?

What do you get when you mix 10 of the world’s best athletes, one of the world’s best yogis, two of the world’s best designers, two of the world’s best lululemon-leaders, and one of the most beautiful places on earth? Well, you get the lululemon elite retreat 2009 -- and obviously a really great time.

Early July 2009 saw myself and our fearless community leader, Eric, take some of our amazing elite ambassadors on the annual-legendary elite retreat to Tofino, BC. I am undeniably biased about the wonder of Tofino (being from Vancouver Island myself) but seriously, people - Google it and go!

To best describe this surreal experience, here’s a day in the life of an elite retreater. And I should know, as I was the diligent itinerary creator.

6:30 - 7:30am The athletes suit up and head in to the water for an early morning surf session

7:30am We grab a quick bite and head over to the yoga studio

8:00 - 9:30am Eoin Finn leads us through a true Eoin-esque practice. There is laughter, challenge, surf quotes, and an overwhelming confidence in us all that yoga truly does enhance elite athletic pursuits.

9:30am We eat again! The athletes should be - Eric and I are just indulging and pretending to be training for the Olympics like the rest of them.

10:00am - 12:00pm The athletes head out for their individual training sessions. Yes, if you are counting, this is the third time they have worked out already today. The bobsledders head to the gym to squat imaginable amounts of weight as the Nordic combined skier goes off for a wee 2.5 hr run. All in pursuit of Olympic gold. Terribly inspiring.

12:30pm You guessed it- we eat again! The food Olympics.

1:00pm Marks the arrival of our two designers du choix - Shannon and MelEesa, and our vice-president of everything progressively inspiring - Sherry.

2:00 - 5:00pm The athletes immediately bond to the new lululemon family members that have arrived and the surf is up so our athletes drag the designers in to the water for a surf session.

5:30pm The design meeting to top all design meeting commences. Shannon and MelEesa create pandemonium with the new fantastic fall samples and our athletes provide us with what can only be described as mind-boggling feedback from the world’s best athletes (because that’s what they are).

7:30pm The conversation continues as we take down some real west coast sushi action.

8:30pm Bedtime. Having all become fast, furious friends, we share conversation and inspiration around a bonfire on the beach - oh, and of course we eat! S'mores!

I speak for us all when I say that to be on a trip like this one is truly inspirational. (Have I used that word already? ) I feel my position here is one of connector of inspirational people and I am honoured to be in this role. These athletes are members of our family and they absolutely love being supported by us with our culture and our movement of elevating the world from mediocrity to greatness. We feel they are true representatives of what it means to strive for greatness in your life and as they strive for Olympic gold next year, we will be there to support them as true family members do.