3 Days in Vancouver: Final Day.

My Third and final Day in the wonderful city of Vancouver was a much more relaxed affair than those that came before it. Therefore it started with a slush puppy from a local supermarket with a mix of cherry, blue raspberry and cream soda, before walking down towards False Creek to grab the Aquabus over to Granville Island to take in the markets. The Aquabus is the name of a small collection boats with brightly coloured signs that dart across the creek. They take a small fee and you are able to take your bike across with you, should you have one. 

The markets are vibrant with a huge food market selling everything from seafood to cakes. It seemed very popular with people sitting at wooden tables eating items served up by small counters. I also visited an old style caravan that had a pet shop inside and the children’s market full of toys and books. From here I thought I would walk to Kitsilano beach. Kit’s beach is one of the most popular with locals from the city and didn’t look too far. I however got lost and ended up walking much too far, it did mean I got a good view of the cargo ships out in the bay however.

Kit's beach is a sandy beach with a front that includes places to eat and changing areas, I also recall kayaks for rental as well as sport pitches. There is also a public pool here. I opted to take a swim in the sea, which was refreshing on such a hot summer’s day. The water is very clean although a lot of sand gets churned up and there is quite a bit of seaweed in certain spots. I left my bag and towel on the beach and it wasn’t disturbed when I returned from the water. From the sea you get a nice view of some of the city buildings and the north shore. 

Following the coastal path (an extension to the sea wall I think) I worked my round to a point where I could catch another ferry back across the creek to continue with my day. Back on the other side it was more walking, past some surprisingly tropical palm trees and manicured gardens. Along the way I took in the Inukshuk that stands guard over the city. My destination was Second beach where again I went for a dip in the refreshing water before taking a swim in the public open-air swimming pool. I think this is a great idea for families who want to experience the beach but may not feel comfortable with children swimming in open water. 

By the time I left it was beginning to stretch into evening; I opted to wander back via Lost Lagoon a beautiful body of water in Stanley Park.

 As I was walking through admiring the beauty of the spot I encountered a little bag thief. Now he wasn’t much trouble this thief. Turned out to be a friendly Raccoon who was looking to see if I had any food. I finished my walk at Canada Place and watched the sun set on my three days in Vancouver. As I made my way back to the hotel I thought about what a wonderful three days it has been and how much I had managed to pack into my city adventure.

Day 2 In Vancouver : Capilano Bridge.

My day started with a walk down Robson Street. I passed the art gallery and outside the intriguing Gum Head by artist Douglas Coupland, where a model of the artists’ head had been placed out for people to add their used chewing gum to. 

With a quick detour into the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory as my eye was caught by the amazing toffee apples they had on show I was able to make my way down to the harbour side. 

These were pretty difficult to resist.

My goal being to pick up the free shuttle bus that runs to the Capilano suspension bridge in North Vancouver.

To reach the Capilano suspension bridge you have to drive over the Lionsgate Bridge that I have mentioned previously in Day 1 of my Vancouver Diary. The drive was pleasant and as the weather was good there was a nice view whilst crossing the bridge. The bus drops you in the car park for the bridge. Now since I arrived back home I have heard that there is an equivalent to the Capilano Bridge at Lynn canyon, which is worth a visit and is also I believe, free. However it may require a car to access and not having one of these I opted for the Capilano.

My first stop was the Cliffside walkway that sweeps out into a curve over the canyon below. You head onto it via a Cliffside wooden walkway in single file. I went when it wasn’t too busy but later on they had people only allowing so many people on at a time. I guess it is to keep queues down, as people do like to stop to take photographs along the way. Then it is back up via wooden staircases with a stop off point where if you choose to you can step onto a metal grid above the canyon.  The Cliffside walk is on the side of the canyon as you enter the Capilano area and sits alongside the gift shop and a small forest walk where you are able to locate some totem or story poles.

Next stop the bridge, now this was the bit I was most nervous about, as I’m not a great lover of heights. The current bridge is 140m long and 70 metres or about 218ft above the canyon below. It is accessed by a set of stairs and to begin with seems ok. It is only once you are on it you get the full experience of the swing that comes from people walking along. It’s actually quite exhilarating and luckily enough there is a café to grab a drink and a bite to calm the nerves on the other side. It should be noted before going across the bridge that the only way back is to cross back over. The bridge seems to be the busiest part of the park, as I didn’t seem to notice the number of people elsewhere. 

How old I would be if I were a Douglas Fir

The other activities I took part in were the lovely peaceful woodland walk, which has signs suggesting to engage with the natural world and how to safeguard the environment. There are also sections of trees with the growth for each year on them. I quite enjoyed working out how tall I was compared to a 9 year old fir tree for example. Also included on this side of the canyon are a peaceful pond and a small selection of birds of prey.

Finally I took the treetop walk. Changing your perspective and getting up amongst the branches of the huge trees that cover the cliff faces that make up the canyon is wonderful. Suddenly you feel transported away from the hustle and bustle of other tourists in the area and lost in your own world. Unlike some tree top adventures I have encountered, the access was via wooden steps, so no hauling yourself up rope ladders was involved, making for a very pleasurable walk amongst these giants.

            Of course no trip to a tourist attraction is complete without a quick look around the gift shop. This one is quite large and there seemed to be a live music performance outside. The shop was well stocked with all manner of usual Canadian gifts but they also had their own branded items. I particularly liked the ‘I survived’ shirts available almost making it seem as if some people don’t.

Next up on my adventures to North Vancouver is Grouse Mountain, that’ll be up in my next post.