The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy

I'm the living example of "better late than never."

Until a few years ago,

my life was steady, predictable, reassuringly repetitive.

But my recent adventures have changed all that.

So what's next for me?

Now that I'm considered something of a traveler,

I've challenged myself to complete my own bucket list

before actually kicking the bucket.

I did a lot of research,

kept an open mind…

- Who's going hiking in the Amazon? -

…and came up with a list of my own.

Take a look at this.

- Welcome to London! -

Never felt more like a tourist.

These are some of the greatest…

…once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences you can have.

Don't take this the wrong way, but this is a horrible ride.

Tick that off the bucket list.

- This is my first time in Ireland. - Of course, I've been here before.

- Yep. Once. - Once or twice.

- Once. - Once.

Whether they should be once in my lifetime…

- - Oh!

…is another matter.

Whoo-hoo!

- But I'd like to think… - Whoa!

…I've gotten a little bit bolder…

It's hard to believe I'm actually here.

…a little bit braver…

What a save!

Course I work well under pressure.

…so this could be my most memorable trip yet.

Was getting drunk with Prince William on your bucket list?

- That's the bucket. - That's the bucket, is it?

Right now, I'm in a seaplane,

wishing it was considerably larger.

And we are flying over Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Can you think of a better way to come into a city?

Yeah, bus.

All right, all right, it's… it's nice.

My adventures have taken me all over the world.

But my bucket list wouldn't be complete

without exploring a bit more of the country I hold dearest

and the place I call home.

Yes, we're here in my own backyard.

Finally.

Take a look at this.

One of the more beautiful cities in the world.

It's just spectacular.

You can be on the water, here,

and half hour later, you can be on top of the mountain, skiing.

Combined with miles of forest trails and a vibrant city life,

I can see why it's a place with something for everyone.

This should be on a travel bucket list.

It's certainly on mine.

I live in Toronto, over 2,000 miles east of here.

But it's Vancouver, on the West Coast,

that's consistently ranked as one of the best cities in the world to live.

I've got 48 hours to find out why.

It's been a while since I've been here,

but some things remain predictably unpredictable.

- - This is, uh,

what I actually remember about Vancouver last time I was here about 25 years ago.

It rains.

But, uh, isn't this beautiful?

And you can walk or run for miles.

Stanley Park boasts the world's longest uninterrupted waterfront path.

A good walk and then a box of doughnuts or something.

We Canadians are a little bit competitive about which side of the country is better.

So I'm heading to one of Vancouver's most popular markets

to meet some locals…

- Hey. - How are ya?

- I'm good. How are you? - Good, good. How ya doin'?

…who can help me understand the appeal of West-Coast living.

We love this place because of the, uh… the nature is so beautiful.

I live in North Van, up in the mountains.

So I can walk out my door and be in Lynn Canyon in ten minutes, walk my dog.

So would never think about moving East?

- We never thought about that. - Right. Yeah.

I was actually born in Montréal.

- Uh, yes. - Oh.

The major difference between East and West, you know, for you, would be?

Winters are very cold in Montréal.

- Okay, winters are bad. - But this way,

you just need your umbrella

- and, y'know, you're good to go. - That's all it is.

- Yeah. - That's the difference.

I'm getting very hungry.

- What's your name? - I'm Ray.

- Ray. How are ya? - Ray, nice to meet you, sir.

- Fish is a big thing here. Right? - I-It is.

- You're right on the coast. - West Coast, we have, like,

- five species of salmon here, right? - Yeah.

- We have candied salmon. - Why is that so dark?

So this is d… actually done with brown sugar and molasses.

- Very popular with the younger crowd. - With the younger crowd?

- Well that's me. Yeah. - That's us though, right?

He's hungry.

So, it's got a nice chewy texture to it.

- Really good. - Yeah.

Are you from Vancouver?

Born and raised.

What is it about this town that you love so much?

We love the people.

- Nice meeting you both. - Welcome to Vancouver.

I wanna see what else there is

'cause I'm feeling a little peckish right now.

Very high in cinnamon oil.

And good for you, I would imagine?

Okay, we don't need an answer.

- How you doin'? How you doin'? - Good, how are you?

A lot of fun.

This is unbelievable, being back in Canada.

How about a latte?

- How's your day been? - My day

- is going along swimmingly right now. - Oh, good.

What I'm noticing is

there might be a kind of friendlier, less urbane quality

about people on the West.

It's nice.

Yeah. It's Canada.

It's my home.

Having access to the great outdoors is obviously a big thing here.

So, to get a glimpse of the lifestyle, I'm going to be staying in West Vancouver,

an area known for its natural beauty.

Nice.

"Welcome to the West Coast. Enjoy."

Haven't lost it.

One great thing about Vancouver is that bad weather rarely hangs around.

It's very tranquil out here.

All you hear are the little waves rolling in.

Beautiful thing about this city,

I mean, it's nestled right in between this and the mountains.

If I'm going to understand what makes this

a more attractive place to live than my hometown, Toronto,

I'm going to need a local to show me around.

Tomorrow, I'm heading to the mountains to get a different perspective.

I'm meeting my guide, Mike, 4,000 feet above the city,

a choice of location that suggests maybe he hasn't done his research on me.

This is Grouse Mountain.

A mecca for thrill-seeking sports fans.

Not a group I've ever wanted to be a member of.

If I look kinda straight ahead,

it doesn't seem like the ground is too far…

below the gondola.

But you can't be lookin' down there. That's for sure.

That's just death.

There we go. Boy, easy-peasy.

It's not me in my natural habitat at all,

but I have to say it's spectacular up here.

Well, I'm meeting my guide, Mike.

I have no idea what he has planned for me.

But apparently he's, um, you know…

he's quite the guy to show you around, here, in Vancouver.

If my bucket list was full of people instead of places,

this Canadian legend would be on it.

Whoo!

- Oh, Eugene Levy! - Wow!

- Mike! - Welcome to

the West Coast of Canada, buddy.

- Michael Bublé. Ha! Surprise. - Hey, I'm really nervous.

How does my hair look after taking the thing off?

- Does it look okay? - No, your hair looks great.

But I-I gotta be honest,

this is the first thing I would've said, had I taken a helmet off.

- Right? How gracious of you to do this. -

- You're gonna act as our guide. - Yeah.

I have a whole bunch of really cool things

- for us to do if you're into it. - Okay.

Skiing. They got killer, killer routes here.

Skiing, I don't… I-I don't… I don't do.

- They got a great zip line way up there. - Yeah. Yeah.

Apparently, you're not hearing me.

- I don't… I don't do anything, really… - Okay.

…that toys with your life.

That's why I'm more kind of East Coast,

because the only thing you have to worry about there is, maybe, jaywalking, right?

You just gotta look both ways.

- I guess. Okay. - That's all I'm saying.

I think I have it.

There's nothing sexy about snowshoeing…

- - I gotta tell ya.

But Michael says the best view of the city is from the summit.

It's a tough hike.

Especially tough when you're as well-known as he is in these parts.

- Good. Oh, it's Michael! - How are ya?

- Hi! - Hi!

How's it goin'? Have a safe walk.

It's just a meet and greet.

Everywhere I go is a meet… And I love it.

My gramp used to say, "Enjoy it, Sunshine.

- One day, they won't give a shit." -

How often are you up here?

For sure, every Christmas with the kids and the family.

I've married this beautiful woman and fell in love with her from Argentina.

- Right. - And so the first time

they ever saw snow, ever, was here.

- Does your wife miss Argentina? - She does.

But it's funny. I would say to my wife,