Grouse Mountain: The
Grouse Grind trail—a mere 15
minutes from downtown—is known locally as "Mother Nature's Stairmaster."
Guess why. At less than 2 miles, the short-but-strenuous hiking trail climbs
steeply to the top of Grouse Mountain for a whopping 2800-foot elevation gain (most
people complete the hike in about 1.5 hours). Of course, you could just forget all that
panting
and hop the Skyride to be whisked effortlessly upward. Once atop,
there's no end of things to do. At the Lumberjack Show, loggers dressed in
early 1900s garb pit their skills to determine the top lumberjack. View
nature's wonders from the perspective of an eagle at Theatre in the Sky. Take a guided
Eco walk, go mountain
ziplining or tandem paragliding, or visit wolves and bears at the
Refuge for Endangered Wildlife. Top it all off with a burger and beer at
Altitudes Bistro, with its 360°
views of the city below, and then relax on
the Skyride all the way down. BTW, winter's mountaintop choices
include snowshoeing, ice skating, and sleigh rides.
Museums˛:
Vancouver's Museum of Anthropology
has
a rock-solid reputation. Various world
cultures are well represented, but the reason most everybody comes here is
to take in the art, artifacts, and myriad treasures of one specific
culture—the First Nations people of BC's coast. Of special note:
the splendid collection of wood carvings and totem poles; sculptural works
in wood, gold, and silver by Haida artist Bill Reid; and the recreated
complex of structures that would have been present in a
typical 19th century Haida village, including a family home, a longhouse,
and a mortuary house for holding the dead.
~
The impressive
Vancouver Art Gallery offers
a beguiling mix of cutting-
edge international exhibitions and a permanent
collection of significant historical artists (particularly Vancouver and
BC artists). Come to view a special exhibit like "Krazy!"—an in-depth look at the world of comics, anime, animated cartoons, manga, graphic
novels, computer/video games, and visual art—and you may end up perusing
paintings by 17th century Dutch artists
or 21st century photoconceptual art. A
highlight: more than 200 works by modernist Emily Carr, one of
Canada's most revered artists. Covering the years 1890 to 1942, works include many Carr masterpieces such as the 1912 Totem Poles,
Kitseukla
(shown here).
~
Overlooking spectacular English Bay, the
Vancouver Museum holds an
eclectic collection of the city’s rich cultural heritage. Permanent
exhibits tell Vancouver’s story from the early 1900s to the late ‘70s,
and ever-changing feature exhibits add depth.
Stanley Park:
One of the world’s largest and greatest city parks, 1000-acre
Stanley Park, on the edge of downtown, appeals to everyone for a
different reason. For some it’s a tranquil oasis, a place of cedar and hemlock
forests, dazzling views of mountains and Burrard Inlet, bountiful
wildlife. For couples who embark on a carriage ride through forests and
past rose gardens, it’s romantic. Others take advantage of hiking, biking, and rollerblading beside the 6-mile seawall
promenade; relaxing on a beach; popping into the
Vancouver Aquarium;
taking in a cricket match or lawn bowling game; studying the totem poles;
strolling through one of the formal gardens; watching artists at work
in Painters’ Circle. Hungry? Four fine restaurants, each with sea and
mountain views, await. Best of all, you can leave your car at the hotel: a
free shuttle service stops at the Park’s 15 most popular destinations
every 12-15 minutes (the entire circuit is a 45-minute loop).
»»Stanley Park map
Whale-Watching: Thanks to its Pacific Coast
locale, Vancouver
is home to many local Orca or "Killer" whales
and is on the migratory route for
grey, humpback, and other whales. This abundance of Cetaceans means that
local whale-watching expeditions run all year long, giving you a very good
chance to spot whales and dolphins (and seals, sea
lions, eagles, and numerous varieties of sea birds) while cruising along
Vancouver's beautiful coast. Being fairly close to a whale is exciting,
even awe-inspiring (but don't let that stop you from snapping photos). Tour boats
span the gamut from zippy, close-to-the-water Zodiacs to fully-equipped cruise
ships. Most tours run from 3 to 5 hours, and all offer knowledgeable guides
or naturalists.
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Granville Island:
A visit to this one-time industrial site is essential. The whole trip to
Granville Island is an adventure, starting when you hop a tiny
Aquabus for the
5-minute ride to the island. And be sure to come hungry! You’ll know why
when you wander through the mouth-watering public market, with its dozens of
food vendors in open-architecture stalls and shops. You’ll find the most
amazing baked goods you’ve ever seen, the freshest produce from artisan
farmers, sausages made from hazelnut-fed pigs, cheeses from.jpg)
around the world, exotic teas, edible flower shortbreads, homemade
demiglace, just-caught salmon, lingonberry venison pâté… And if putting
together a picnic from such fare doesn't appeal, plenty of cafés and pubs
await. You can also go shopping
(hand-built kayaks, blown glass, wooden musical instruments, hand-made
shoes, books, and lots more), take in a live theater performance, loll beside the water while gazing across at the city, browse art galleries,
or watch
the street performers. This is one great place. Study the
map so you don't miss a thing!
Read More about Canada:
Provinces & Territories Overview
•
Montreal
•
Quebec City
•
Saskatchewan Driving
Trip
• Toronto
•
Vancouver
•
Vancouver Island
•
Victoria
•
British Columbia:
Food Scene
•
British
Columbia: Golf
•
Quebec City Wine
Tour
•
Vancouver
Island's Wines & Brews
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Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden:
This treasure of pure serenity exists in the midst of Vancouver's bustling
Chinatown. Valued for its rarity and built at a cost of over $5.3 million,
the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen CCG is
the first full-scale classical Chinese garden built outside China. Modeled
after the sort of private garden possessed by wealthy Ming
Dynasty courtiers, all the garden's components were carefully selected from nature
or hand-built by a group of 52 finely-skilled Chinese artisans. They
brought from China all the materials and traditional tools
needed, and then spent 13 months building this masterpiece. Unlike a Western garden,
plants aren't the only major feature
of this garden; instead, an artful
blending of architecture, culturally significant plants, naturally
sculpted rocks, and elegantly winding jade-green waterways form a whole in
which all four traditional elements star. ~ Want
to see more? The
VanDusen Botanical Garden, set against a backdrop
of mountains, offers 7000 different plants in a network of 40 specialized
gardens dotted with sculpture.
Bloedel
Floral Conservatory, atop Little Mountain, contains the world's
largest dome greenhouse, and it's just brimming with exotic plants,
flowers, and birds. UBC
Botanical Garden is Canada's oldest botanical garden. Actually, make
that plural, since this place is really five gardens in one. It contains Asian, BC Native,
Alpine, Physic (i.e., a 16th-century style monastic herb garden), and Food
gardens.
More Info:
Tourism Vancouver
Why honeymoon here?
Vancouver is a beautiful, chic, active city
with impressive cultural credentials. Wilderness and outdoor adventure
are nearby. Prices similar to the US. Cons: None. 
