Vancouver!
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One of the other ferries along this route. Spectacular mountains to the north.
From VANCOUVER!
Approaching Vancouver. You can see Mount Baker to your right. It's nearly 70 miles from Vancouver to Mount Baker.
From VANCOUVER!
From VANCOUVER!
Time to get back to the car as the ferry makes the last turn into the dock (see where the photos were taken from by clicking the "Map This" button above).
From VANCOUVER!
We've made land, checked into our motel, and headed up Cypress Bowl (ski area) Drive to get a great view of Vancouver as the sun sets. You can still see Mount Baker rising above the city.
From VANCOUVER!
Time to get back to the motel and get some sleep. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow!
From VANCOUVER!
Vancouver from the banks of Coal Harbor (Stanley Park). Can you find Mario? Notice that he is the only one walking in this direction?
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From VANCOUVER!
And salal! These were an important food source of Native American Tribes. In most locales, I find them to be a bit bland. However, the ones we ate around here were the tastiest I have ever had.
This photo and the previous 3 were all taken within a very few feet of each other. So, in this part of Stanley Park, one can nibble and have a great view at the same time.From VANCOUVER!
Totem Park (Stanley Park). Totem poles were unique to the aboriginal Native Americans (called "First Nations" in Canada) along the Pacific NW of the U.S. and all along the coastal areas of British Columbia. Each pole tells a story, either historical or mythical. Each animal depicted is symbolic. For instance, the eagle represents the kingdom of the air, the whale the sea, the wolf the genius of the land, and the frog a transitional link between land and sea.
From VANCOUVER!
We were lucky enough to see one of the tribal members sprucing up one of the poles.
From VANCOUVER!
From VANCOUVER!
As we drove along the Stanley Park Drive, we saw that there were several people gathered at the seawall. We parked (in a no-stopping zone) and Olga and I walked over to see what was attracting such a crowd. River otters were the cause of the fuss. As you watch the video, you will see that one catches a nice-size flounder. He (the otter) is not too fond of the idea of sharing, but they settle things much more civilized than what I would expect for dogs of similar size.
From VANCOUVER!
Gastown steam clock. There are steam pipes under the sidewalk used for heating in local businesses. Some of the steam also is used to run a little engine at the base of this clock. The engine turns a pulley, which drives a chain, which lifts metal balls to the top of the housing. Gravity then pulls on the balls and keeps a pendulum in motion to directly power the clock mechanism.
From VANCOUVER!
In the distance you see Harbour Center (with the round observation deck). That's where we are headed for the next series of photos.
From VANCOUVER!
At 430 feet, Harbour Center is not as high as is the Seattle Space Needle (which is over 600 feet). But the view is still gorgeous over a grand city.
From VANCOUVER!
Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge. A fun way to traverse 160 feet above the river on the canyon floor. While it seems quite well-built and safe, it is also enjoyably flexible and it bounces and sways as you walk across. As you can see, it can hold a lot of people at once!
From VANCOUVER!
You can see Mario and Olga in the center of the bridge here. I was not able to find a vantage point where I could get the bottom of the canyon and the bridge in the same shot. You can get some idea of the depth of the canyon here, however. In addition to the bridge (which is definitely the main attraction of this park), there are lots of trails winding through beautiful forests to lakes, streams, and other vista points.
If you are interested, you can take a virtual tour of Lynn Canyon and see what is at the bottom of the canyon at http://lynncanyon.ca/
There is a more famous suspension bridge near here also, Capilano Canyon bridge. I understand that it is actually larger and higher above the canyon floor. I've also read that it does not bounce and sway like Lynn Canyon bridge does (much less fun, I would think). It also costs $32.95 to get into the park containing Capilano Canyon bridge. Lynn Canyon is free.
To be fair, the Capilano Bridge is part of a larger amusement park, which looks like it would be well worth it, if that's the kind of thing you were looking for. You can find their web site at http://www.capbridge.com/
I must compliment the folks at Capilano, actually, for being willing to tell us how to get to Lynn Canyon, even though they knew that we would not be paying customers on that date.From VANCOUVER!
