Vancouver 2018, Days 4-6

Read my report on days 1-3 here first!

DAY 4 (SUNDAY)

We were up early and drove across Vancouver Harbour to North Vancouver and Lynn Canyon Park, famous for its suspension bridge. We walked across said bridge, swaying the whole time, and then did a loop trail around nearby Rice Lake. There were few other hikers at that time of day, but sure enough as we walked back to the parking lot, we saw it almost completely full and lots of people creating a bottleneck to cross the bridge.

Rice Lake, within Lynn Canyon Park

Back at our room we had lunch and then in the afternoon we wandered around the nearby suburb of Richmond. Their combination public library/cultural center had an interesting exhibit about tiny houses and their use as a solution to lack of affordable housing in some communities.

As part of our stay on campus we had a coupon for The Point Grille, one of the on-campus restaurants, so we had dinner there that evening.

Buffalo chicken wings at UBC's Point Grille. Except instead of chicken, that there is cauliflower. And it was delicious.

DAY 5 (MONDAY)

As we found out upon arrival to Canada when we spent some time taking our loose list of activity ideas and making actual plans, this particular Monday was a civic holiday in Canada, comparable to Labor Day in the United States. So I was a little concerned that it would be extra crowded at Grouse Mountain, one of the Vancouver area's top tourist attractions, that day. But in truth the crowds were manageable and we enjoyed a half-day there.

Grouse Mountain features a variety of activities on the mountaintop, from wildlife exhibits, a few hiking trails, and a whimsical lumberjack show, besides restaurants and great spots for photos.

Grouse Mountain Lumberjack Show

On the peak of Grouse Mountain, with Vancouver spread out below

View of Vancouver on the gondala ride back to base camp. Stanley Park in the middle of the right edge of picture, with UBC's Grey Point just above it. Downtown Vancouver right in the middle of the picture.

We were both easily tired by about two in the afternoon after just four hours on the mountain. So we returned to UBC to relax and then finished the day with ice cream from a local shop and watching the sunset from nearby Wreck Beach.

The sun sets on British Columbia Day beyond Wreck Beach

DAY 6 (TUESDAY)

I had seen several dozen Tim Horton's whilst driving about Vancouver during our trip, so I decided that on our last morning of this particular visit to our neighbor to the north, I would have breakfast from Tim Horton's. So Naomi and I walked to one of the campus locations and I enjoyed a classic breakfast sandwich. Delicious.

Then it was a leisurely walk back to our room to pack, check out, and return to the airport. This would be our first time using our brand-new Global Entry status, and it was very satisfying to move quickly through security and border preclearance before settling in the departure area with great views of planes taking off to the west.

Maps generated by the Great Circle Mapper - copyright © Karl L. Swartz.

We arrived home after a smooth flight halfway across the continent, tired but very pleased with our extended weekend Canadian adventure.

Vancouver 2018, Days 1-3

For our second wedding anniversary, Naomi and I decided to vacation in Vancouver. It was Naomi's first trip to Canada and my second, though the first was during my elementary school years and to the Niagara Falls area and I remember very little.

DAY 1 (THURSDAY)

We left on Thursday, August 2, from Chicago, connecting in Las Vegas. The first leg was on United Airlines (on a Boeing 757-300 retrofit to include 21 more economy seats, and I was pleased to find no change in the comfort level for the nearly four hours on board), but the second was aboard Air Canada Rouge, my first time flying the carrier. A two-hour maintenance delay at LAS rather ruined what might have been an interesting experience for me as a minor avgeek.

Still, we arrived to Vancouver only 90 minutes behind schedule, and enjoyed the display of First Nations artwork along the arrivals corridor. The immigration and customs process was effortless as was getting the rental car and without too much difficulty we found our way to the University of British Columbia. UBC has convenient guest housing available to tourists, and it was fun to have the gorgeous UBC campus as our base for our exploring the area (more on the campus later).

View from the starboard window on approach to Vancouver. Airport is in the middle of the picture, UBC campus on the end of the Point Grey peninsula just above. Suburb of Richmond in the foreground.

One of the First Nations art pieces in the arrivals corridor at Vancouver International Airport.

After getting settled we went into town to Whole Foods for grocery shopping (our room had a full kitchenette, pardon the oxymoron), and happily discovered that this Whole Foods had a burrito bar, so we had "Chipotle" for dinner! And then promptly collapsed into bed, exhausted from the full day of traveling.

The Burrito Bar at the Whole Foods in the Kitsilano neighborhood of Vancouver

DAY 2 (FRIDAY)

We went running along one edge of campus in the morning, and then headed into downtown Vancouver for breakfast at Smak Fast Food, which despite the name was nothing like a McDonald's or a Dunkin Donuts. Naomi had a smoothie bowl and I a bowl of scrambled eggs with sweet potatoes and a sausage patty. I thought the paper bowl presentation was odd but I suppose it makes it convenient for people to take to their downtown offices.

We then proceeded a little farther across the downtown peninsula to Stanley Park, one of the largest urban park in the world (30% larger than Manhattan's Central Park). We rented bikes from a nearby shop and biked the Stanley Park section of Vancouver's seawall, affording gorgeous views of downtown, Vancouver Harbour, the North Shore, and English Bay. The seawall path had separate lanes for joggers/walkers and bikers/rollerskaters, making it a safe and convenient way to enjoy an hour of exercise.

We returned the bikes and walked to the Yaletown area of downtown for lunch of burgers at Meet. Five stars for food quality and service!

Meet at Yaletown's outdoor dining area (where we sat, of course!)

The Crispy BBQ burger with side salad (fries in the background)

Back to UBC, we set out to explore the campus. We walked along the main thoroughfare admiring the varied buildings, browsed the modern art gallery, walked through the lobbies of the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts (sadly the performance spaces themselves were locked), and visited the bookstore for a souvenir (we picked a refrigerator magnet with an aerial view of the UBC campus).

University of British Columbia: Library

University of British Columbia: Flagpole Plaza

University of British Columbia: Chan Centre

University of British Columbia: Fountain at intersection of Main Mall and University Boulevard

DAY 3 (SATURDAY)

After breakfast, we headed to Granville Island just outside downtown Vancouver and the Granville Island's location of Ecomarine Sports for stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) lessons. It was a great day for it, with sun, little wind, and not too hot. Our instructor was Holly, originally of Sweden. Naomi and I plus a Korean couple were out on the water quickly after Holly gave us the safety and technique briefings. We paddled around the marina for practice and then out toward Burrard Bridge, then under Burrard Bridge into English Bay. I fell in, twice I might add, but had a blast. Holly mentioned that we were only the second group she had been able to take beyond Burrard Bridge.

Naomi and I paddleboarding into English Bay

Following our two-hour lesson and workout, we headed to Virtuous Pies for plant-based pizza, most delicious. We wandered through a nearby Chinese garden and then back to our room to nap, tired from the paddleboarding.

That afternoon we went to Spanish Banks Beach, just around the corner from campus on the north shore of the university's peninsula, with great views of downtown, Stanley Park, English Bay, and the north shore.

Panoramic view from Spanish Banks Beach, looking north across English Bay. Vancouver skyline to the right.

DAYS 4/5/6 COMING SOON!