Hi Jimi,
I hope that your planning is coming along well – the summer is going to be here soon. Just to touch on travelling with friends again – I definitely recommend it, just be aware that time apart is a necessity when you are travelling together for more than a few days. As I said before it is amazing what an 8 hour break can do for your head space, it also makes for interesting conversations when you get together in the evenings.
Okay. Now for some Vancouver suggestions. It all depends on your interests, but these spots could be a good place to start.
1. Stanley Park. A fabulous park just off the tip of downtown Vancouver. Walking or biking around the 10 km park is a great way to view the inlet, take in the ocean, mountains and islands. It is also the site of the city aquarium – it has a good reputation, but probably isn’t as impressive as some of the ones in California.
2. Museum of Anthropology. Dedicated to the presentation of arts/handicrafts/products of aboriginals, in particular the first nations people of British Columbia. A fantastic place to check out some really old totem poles and new carvings. They have an “open storage” concept that allows you to see masks/weapons/clothing/etc. that is not currently part of an exhibit. The best time to go is on a Tuesday evening when admission is by donation.
3. Grouse Grind. A favourite of the local folk. You spend about an hour hiking from the parking lot up to the top of the gondola line. You can continue to hike higher on the mountain if you like (great views of Vancouver) – or just enjoy a drink at the lodge. As far as I know there are still two grizzly bears in a holding area up there (its quite large – I don’t think you are guaranteed to see them) – naturalists are trying to find ways of re-integrating grizzly bear pups into the wild using these two.
4. Granville Island. A great spot with a farmer’s market, lots of artisan shops (everything from guitars to wood carving to jewellery) and the site for one of the cities best known art school (Emily Carr).
Some of the special festivals that might be on while you are there are:
Celebration of Lights. A brilliant fireworks show that happens for 2 weeks in late July every year (Wed/Sat/Wed/Sat). Three nations compete for a prize by setting fireworks to 30 minutes of music. The best spot to watch from is on the beach at English Bay – it affords a great view of the barge from which the fireworks are launched.
Bard on the Beach. I never appreciated Shakespeare until I started going to this show a few years ago. The actors are great, the costumes are great & the setting is unique. The city, ocean & mountains are the backdrop against which the scenes are set. It is a pretty memorable experience.
If you are really into the outdoors then I suggest heading up to Whistler. It is a pretty happening place year ‘round. The glacier is open for skiing usually late into the summer if you feel like skiing in your shorts. The other alternative is to rent a mountain bike & some protective gear, then head to the top of the mountain (using the ski lift) and enjoy the ride down. Good times.
A couple of sites I would encourage you to give a miss to:
1. Capilano Suspension Bridge. WAY too expensive for walking across a bridge. Save your money.
2. Vancouver Art Gallery. Has some great art by one of BC’s best known artists (Emily Carr) – but their $12- admission rate is ridiculous.
Finally, depending on what age you are, the attraction for most Americans is our younger legal drinking age: 19 in BC, 18 in Alberta. If you can get into a club & like jazz then I would recommend Bar None on a Monday night – otherwise the best bet is to ask for suggestions at where you are staying. If downtown accommodations seem expensive UBC (the closest university to downtown) offers lots of rooms for rent during the summer in the residence halls.
Good luck with your trip planning :)
