Wednesday afternoon and evening
After deciding on a Thursday city tour and a night dinner harbor cruise following a quick nap we headed to Stanley Park to drive around it. What a beautiful park right on the water. People were exercising, relaxing, playing cricket, lawn bowling & soccer and just generally enjoying themselves, as did we.
They have hired many First Nation to create large street art to combat graffiti artists tagging. It seems to be working.
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| The Drum is Calling Festival |
We are trying to decide whether we can figure out a shorter way to see Victoria and the Buchart??? We have decided we want to rent a trawler and visit the San Juan Islands and come up here again. Maybe we can see Victoria and Butchart Gardens then...
Obviously, it’s another wonderful city with so much to do!!! We are enjoying just driving around enjoying the fantastic, contemporary architecture, street murals, sculptures, fountains and overall aesthetics. We have seen so many arts galleries, arts schools and artists everywhere. The fashions here are wonderful too, good thing I don’t have time to shop. It really is a cosmopolitan city with all the various ethnic groups with their own distinct fashion sense. Love it!
Just saw a business called, The Abnormal Beauty Co...Say what???
We hardly see an IGA's in the USA, but we have seen them here
As with any cosmopolitan of moderate climate city they have a huge homeless population situated around Hasting St. They are in the park, on the sidewalks, just everywhere with their tents, bags and trash. It’s really a sad mess! Our tour guide Sara claims the homeless try to take care of each other. As one viable solution, the city is turning old shipping containers into live-able housing; so the homeless have an address and a safe place to live...it's a start.
One of the many parks or squares in this city
Inuksuk was their Winter 2010 Olympics Symbol
Inuksuk was their Winter 2010 Olympics Symbol
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It was based on this First Nation sculpture |
It dominates the city, you can see if from numerous spots
Roger's Arena now has a retractable roof, but during the Olympics it was inflatable. It’s now used for their professional football and soccer teams.
Telus Science Center
Bard on the Beach, part of their Shakespeare Festival on the beach but you have to purchase tickets far in advance.
Naked Bike Ride Annual Festival takes off from
one of their beaches. Darn we are going to miss it!!! LOL!
They have so many bikes everywhere thanks to all the bike lanes...
Burrand St Bridge was just redone. It looks very Art Deco. Cool!
The Seaford Highlanders Headquarters
Another Carnegie Library which is now repurposed
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It was originally built to be their courthouse but is now their art museum The new Court of Appeal and Supreme Court 
the Vancouver Lookout had incredible 360 views
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Stanley Park Drive is the main road in Stanley Park. It is one way, counter-clockwise, and goes completely around the perimeter, where possible, of Stanley Park. You can see many areas of Stanley Park and a bunch of monuments, statues, and other points of interest so it is worth a drive around as a tour! The caretaker actually lives in an old cottage on grounds. He is the only one that now has a key to the Cannon Cage. They had to cage the cannon to protect it. When it’s fired, the time indicates that the shipping day has ended at 9 PM.
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| Had to borrow this image...https://604now.com/stanley-park-gun-cage/ |
Their largest industries are their port with its exportation business, tourism and the film industry.
The Royal Yacht Club has really nice covered slips and is one of many yacht clubs here in the harbor.
The Queen Victoria memorial is a memorial to the Queen who ruled the British Empire (and Canada) for many years in the 1800s. It was originally a drinking fountain that included two bronze cups which are not there now.
Robbie Burns statue is close to Queen Victoria
The First Nations Totem Poles in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia are the most visited attraction in Vancouver, British Columbia, and possibly all of Canada! The correct term is Story Poles.
There are a number of beautiful totem poles in Stanley Park at 2 different locations within the park. All but 3 of the totem poles along with 3 Welcome Gateways are located in a beautiful meadow setting at Brockton Point in Stanley Park. Totem poles were like their written language, very symbolic meanings.
In the 1930’s Guinness helped pay for the Lion’s Bridge and got their money back thanks to a .5 toll. Eventually they gave it to the city.
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The walkout to Lowden's Lookout |
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| View from Lowdon's Lookout |
Prospect Point also gave us a nice easy walk to see the Lion's Gate Bridge...
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| The Bridge that Beer Built |
Trash pandas is the name they call raccoons. They have red, black (from Japan, as seen here) and gray squirrels (from NYC)
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| He or she seemed to be enjoying some spilled ice cream |
Lots of beaches along here called First, Second, Third beach. They even have a heated swimming pool here right by the beach. Their weekly films are really well intended.
Their Little Mermaid is also a Tidal Marker
The Brockton Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse on the north east corner of Stanley Park. It was first built in 1890 & had a lighthouse keeper who lived in a cottage where the flag poles are, he rescued people using a boat from the boathouse below the lighthouse, current lighthouse built in 1914
The Lumbermens' Arch is probably the most unique attraction in Vancouver. There is nothing like it in the entire world! This is actually the 2nd Lumbermen's Arch. The original was more of a building structure.
It resided at the same location from 1913 to 1947 when it was in disrepair and removed. This Lumbermen's Arch was built in 1952. The original arch became a common gathering place for Vancouver residents. In 1912, the BC Lumbermen and Shinglemen's Society honoured the Duke of Connaught, son of Queen Victoria, with an arch to mark his visit to Vancouver. A career soldier, the Duke was beloved by many Canadians for his role in strengthening Canadian military forces and promoting hometown charities. He also served as Canada's Governor General from 1911 to 1916. The Duke's procession passed through the arch in Vancouver's downtown core. Following his visit, the arch was moved to this site. Due to decay, the wooden arch was replace by the cedar archway you see today-built in 1952 to honour BC's Lumber industry.
Prospect Point is the highest point in Stanley Park.
It has a lookout with great views of West Vancouver and the ocean!
We had a wonderful dinner and drinks at their restaurant here. Finally discovered a veggie poutine that I like. It was covered in a tangy veggie sauce with a bit of cheese curds, so not so overpowering & quite tasty.
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| Mike saluting our Canadian friends and allies |
It has a lookout with great views of West Vancouver and the ocean!
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| the Prospect Bar and Grill |
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| Red Rider, IPA |
We had a wonderful dinner and drinks at their restaurant here. Finally discovered a veggie poutine that I like. It was covered in a tangy veggie sauce with a bit of cheese curds, so not so overpowering & quite tasty.
The Hollow Tree in Stanley Park is arguably the most famous tourist attraction in Vancouver for over the last 100 years. The Hollow Tree is very old, about 600-800 years old Western Red Cedar tree that died, but left a huge hollow stump. The stump has a circumference of about 60 feet with a huge hollow center. Since people have had cameras, they have taken photos of themselves inside the Hollow Tree. People have had cars, horse-drawn carriages, elephants, and obviously people inside the hollow tree for photos. In 2006, there was a huge windstorm that caused major damage to the trees in Stanley Park. The Hollow Tree was damaged and was leaning at a dangerous angle. The Vancouver Parks board considered dropping the tree and letting it rot. There was a big public outcry and finally the tree was saved by building an inner metal frame to hold up the tree safely.
Not the same hollow tree but a different one by Prospect Park
This park was heavily logged so much that we have now are second growth trees. The massive red cedars here were really valuable to the First Nations because they used the different parts of the trees for multiple purposes. A few old growth trees are left because they have large knots that can’t
be sawed through.
New trees grow in old stumps, so you might have a Douglas fir growing inside a red cedar stump.
be sawed through. New trees grow in old stumps, so you might have a Douglas fir growing inside a red cedar stump.
The Coal Harbour Seawall runs a few kilometres along the south side of Coal Harbour between Stanley Park to the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre. It was built during the Depression to provide employment.The views of Stanley Park, the harbour, and north shore mountains are superb! There are also many marinas, parks, restaurants, hotels, art, and monuments along the way.
The Coal Harbour Seawall is actually 2 different paths, one for walking/running and one for bicycling. The Coal Harbour Seawall connects to the Stanley Park Seawall at the western end of Coal Harbour. It’s where you can hear and watch the 9 o’clock cannon firing. I’m not sure we will catch this event.
The last part of our city tour took us to the Vancouver Lookout, so we were able to see these amazing city views.
The last part of our city tour took us to the Vancouver Lookout, so we were able to see these amazing city views.
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| We run into Jim and Lori Corwin; family to our Harbor Tower neighbors/friends...What a small world!!! They had just completed a Viking Cruise, so it was their ship in port. |
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| Vancouver Cruise Ship Port and part of Convention Centre West
Convention Centre West was the Olympics Media Center. It has a living roof with plants and bees. It’s one of the most sustainable building in North America.
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| Some of the remaining Victorian buildings left in a city of incredible contemporary architecture |
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| More of the industrial port |
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| Looking out to Stanley Park |
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| Roger's Arena with it's retractable roof |
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| Everywhere you look, there are trees, plants and flower |
Vancouver real estate is crazy high. Even rent is very high.
They put playgrounds on building roofs to maximize space. Denham St is the street for foodies, more than 40 restaurants.
Granville Island is a sandbar that was really called Industrial Island for all the industry there. Now, anything, place or industry must be from Vancouver.
The market here is really something where you can find most anything. After walking through this incredible market we stopped for a quick bite at The Keg.
Mike enjoyed a Granville Island IPA and me a mini Margerita. YUM!!!
Tucked in between the shops and restaurants were theaters, art centers & a kid's area
Looking down False Creek back to the city
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| Some of the concrete trucks from this site |
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Mike enjoyed a Granville Island IPA and me a mini Margerita. YUM!!!
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| Not sure we have ever seen this size crabs before |
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| Please don't touch me, it will fall and I will CRY!!! |
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You could buy a meal and drinks and come out here and enjoy the day and the views |
Chinatown is the second largest one in North America and third oldest. Fabulous gardens here. All the lamppost here are red with gold dragons.
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| Gastown loves you! |
Gastown. The Globe was one of the first saloons built by Jack. There is a statue of him here since he really helped develop this area. Since he was a good storyteller, he was called Gassy Jack or Jack’s town got shortened to Gastown
1977 is the latest Steam Clock.
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| Sara was a wonderful tour guide, informative and funny! |
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