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| The Grouse Mountain cable car |
To get up
to the peak of Vancouver as it is advertised you have to enter a large Swiss
cable car. These are huge and pack in a fair number of people. On the way up
you get a great view of the city and the surrounding coastal mountains, just be
aware of the two jolts as you pass over the supports as it can be a little
unnerving. On arrival at the top there
is a large alpine area with seating, beware of the sprinklers if you are there
in summer as well as a restaurant, gift shop and a cinema that shows films
relating to the mountain. I opted not to watch any of the films instead taking
the path up to where the Birds of Prey display was being held and past the Bear
habitat.
Now I watched the bird of prey display that has a stunning
backdrop of a snow capped mountain and the city below. I had quite a close
encounter with one bird in particular, the Turkey Vulture who for a brief
moment seemed to think I was the landing post he was aiming for.
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| Judge Dredd was little too friendly. |
The people
running the show were very knowledgeable and entertaining and allowed people at
the end to ask questions about the birds.
I will now borrow from my review of
Grouse Mountain on tripadvisor in regards to the Lumber Jack Show, as I don’t
wish to spoil it by giving too much away. “I didn't think I would enjoy it, but
the way it is staged, the audience participation and the skills they show off
is wonderful. You learn about the way lumberjack work and also it gets you
involved as an audience member. I particularly liked the log rolling part of
the show and the whole thing is entertaining and worth making time for.” I was
advised to watch the show by none other than the local bus driver who dropped
me off, who insisted it was the best part of the experience.
Taking a
chairlift up to the next level allows you access to the zip line experience (an
additional charge applies). Although it looks thrilling it isn’t really my thing
so I continued to the newest attraction, ‘The eye of the Wind’. Standing at 58m
tall and supplying 25% of the resorts energy needs it is quite something.
Getting up to the glass viewing pod hat offers 360-degree views is via an
internal lift. At the top friendly members of staff who are on hand to give you
facts as well as to reassure you especially if you encounter some of the glass
floor panels greet you. 
Heading back down I choose to take a final look
at the Bear refuge where earlier I had seen no sign of its residents Grinder
and Coola. This time I was in luck and they were out and about wandering around
and seemingly posing for photos. Knowing these two Bears who were found as
orphans are receiving great care is wonderful. On site was one of the gentlemen
who cares for them and he was happy to speak to people about their stories and
how they are looked after, including explaining about hibernation to some of
the children present. There is also a Wolf at Grouse Mountain, the area in which
it lives is at the base of the mountain and so I didn’t know this until I
returned back to the hotel.
The ride back down was full of people
who had just completed the Grouse Grind for the evening, which is an
alternative way of reaching the peak if you are feeling active and adventurous.
It was getting quite late at this point and I couldn’t work out which bus would
take me back to Downtown. Instead I went on a little adventure catching a local
bus to the quay and then jumping on board the Sea bus or ferry to take me back
across the water. This was a smooth sailing and allowed for a great view of the
city as the sun begun to go down. So concluded my second day in this stunning
city and I couldn’t wait for my next day of adventures.
If you have
any questions regarding my trip to Vancouver please leave a comment I will
happily get back to you.
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