Vancouver, British Columbia - 8 Reasons to Visit
People love to visit Vancouver
People love to visit Vancouver. Although summer is the best time to come from the perspective of sunshine, all seasons have their positive attributes. Try one of these eight activities to get a sense of what Vancouver has to offer.
Here are8 reasons to visit Vancouver.
1. Stanley Park: Stanley Park is a 1000 acre oasis in the middle ofthe city.Within the parkare numerous hiking trails, beaches, gardens, lagoons and theexceptional Vancouver aquarium. Outside of enjoying the beaches in the summer, the two most popular activities are biking or walking the 10 kilometer seawall (with rental bike stores only a few blocks away) or visiting the aquarium. The aquarium is one of only two in Canada and is considered to rank in the top five around the world. People of all ages can enjoy the exhibits with plenty of hands on opportunities to thrill all ages. The price of admission includes daily beluga and dolphin shows, birds of prey talks, sea otter feeds and family programs to name a few.
2. Granville Island: Granville Island is a shopping district located on False Creek across from downtown Vancouver.The shopping district is one of North America's most successful urban redevelopment projects and is copied extensively by other cities. A derelict industrial park was transformed into a thriving market and entertainment destination frequented by locals and tourists alike. You can spend as much or as little time as you have available as the variety of shops, activities and dining possibilities are seemingly endless. The Granville Island Market, open from 9am to 7pm seven days a week, is a sensory destination filled with artfully displayed produce, extensive seafood and meat offerings and mouth watering bakery delights. Pick up a coffee, find a bench and enjoy the view over the water. Then wander through a range of stores where you can purchase anything from books to high quality handicrafts, marine supplies, kayaks, gardening gear and kids toys. In fact the kids will love to visit the Kids Market and Adventure Zone. With additional time you can rent boats including sea kayaks, organize fishing charters and even go whale watching.
3. Museum of Anthropology:The Museum of Anthropology hasrecently undergone a multi-year multimilliondollar renovation. Itis housed in a spectacular Arthur Erickson designed building on the cliffs of Point Grey. It is renowned for its collection of native art especially of the people of the Northwest though it also displays art of indigenous people from around the world. It also has a remarkable collection of totem poles.
4. Chinatown:North America's second largest Chinatown is located in Vancouver just east of downtown. Colourful overhead Silk Road banners and red painted street lights let you know you have arrived. The very ornate Millenium Gate at Pender and Taylor Streets welcomes you to Chinatown.Just ahead on Pender is the world's narrowest building the Sam Kee building at all of 1.8m (6') in width. Also nearby is Shanghai Alley, a historical road where Chinese immigrants settled between 1890 and 1920. Now it is home to murals depicting the history of the alley and the massive West Han Dynasty Bell, a gift from the sister city of Guangzhou. Continued walking within the confines of Chinatown will bring you in contact with vibrant markets selling fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, herbs and traditional medicines. Many of the stores are signed with only Chinese characters. Numerous restaurants and bakeries crowd Pender, Main and Keefer Streets. The savory steamed pork buns and sweet coconut buns are well worth sampling.
5. Grouse Mountain: Grouse Mountainsitsin North Vancouver. It's peak is accessed via the Skyride, a large aerial tramway which delivers you 2.9 kilometres (1.8 miles) and 853 metres (2800 feet) up the mountain in about 10 minutes. Once there Grouse Mountain delivers a wide variety of activities to engage most everyone and every age group. In the spring, summer and fall one can enjoy a leisurely walk at the peak or head out on an extensive backcountry hike if properly equipped. Tough nuts try the
Grouse Grind, a 2800 foot stair stepper to the top. You can stroll over to see the grizzly bears, catch the Lumberjack or the Birds in Motion show. Helicopter rides can get you up close and personal to the local mountains. The Theatre in the Sky provides a high definition cinema experience with shows running on the hour. Recently tours inside a high tech windmill have been added as well as a thrilling zipline tour. In the winter you can choose from ice skating, snowshoeing, snowboarding or downhill skiing to get the blood pumping. Thoughtfully the resort has provided equipment and even outdoor clothing for rent which is available at the top of the mountain. Fine dining and casual restaurants round out the experience particularly on a clear day when outstanding views of the Vancouver city skyline, Mount Baker and even the Olympic Mountains in Washington are visible. The Skyride returns to the base every 15 minutes all day.
6. Gallery Row and Shopping on South Granville: This 11 block section on south Granville Street offers a diverseassortment of shops ranging from exclusive art galleries and antique dealers to William Sonoma and the Pottery Barn.Twenty fiveart galleries explore a range of art styles from the 17th to 21st centuries.Excellent and numerous coffee shops allow you to rest tired feet.Try atreat at Meinhardts. There are home decorating stores including Eighteen Karat and Moe's Home worth visiting plus a large selection of footwear and clothing stores to keep you verybusy.
7. Capilano Suspension Bridge: There is more to experience here than just a walk across a bridge in a west coast rainforest. For starters the bridge sways 70 feet above the Capilano River over a 450 foot span. Then you can continue the adrenaline rush by heading for the Treetops Adventure which allows you to navigate a series of high tech suspension bridges through the Douglas fir trees. Back on the ground enjoy guided nature tours, a visit to the largest private collection of totem poles or demonstrations by First Nations people of carving, weaving and beadwork.
8. Vancouver Art Gallery: The Vancouver Art Gallery contains over 9,000 pieces of art. It is internationally renowned for contemporary photo based art and it has the largest collection of works by Emily Carr. It also contains one hundred years of art produced by local British Columbians. It's open until 9pm on Tuesday nights.
These eight activities just scratch the surface of what's available in Vancouver. Come see for yourself.
Vancouver, British Columbia - 8 Reasons to Visit
By: Leigh McAdam
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