Vancouver & Whistler-Blackcomb

Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

How fortunate for us that our Puerto Vallarta friends, Herb and Doug, live in Vancouver in the summer months and offered their guest room . They also arranged an evening with mutual friends making for a great welcome to Vancouver. Thank you so much for making our stay in Vancouver memorable!

We rented bicycles and headed off for Stanley Park, choosing the pathways closest to the shoreline. It was a spectacular warm, sunny day and the pathways were filled with enthusiastic cyclists, joggers, and pedestrians. Majestic totem-poles suddenly appeared through a thickly forested area around Brockton Point; a perfect time to take a break and enjoy the impressive carvings. The totem collection began in the early 1920's and grew over the years. The 9th and most recent totem pole, carved by Robert Yelton of the Squamish Nation, was added to Brockton Point in 2009. The information center featured high quality prints from First Nation artists and a plethora of typical tourist souvenirs.   

The bicycle path continued along the waterfront surprising us with beautiful vistas and family-friendly park amenities along the entire route . A perfect way to spend a few hours discovering the beauty of Vancouver.

Whistler Blackcomb is a mountain resort-community located approximately 78 miles north of Vancouver; famous for winter sports, but also draws the summer crowds for hiking and serious mountain cycling. We joined the throngs and made our way to the "summit" by way of chair lifts, gondola, and cable cars. The "Peak 2 Peak" is a tri-cable gondola lift linking Blackcomb Peak to Whistler Peak, a distance of over 2.5 miles (4.4 km)! That was the highest gondola ride I've ever been on, but the last chair lift was by far the steepest--especially going DOWN HILL (no seat belts)!

More favorites in Vancouver included: an overnight stay with Andrew’s "cousins" (Thank you, Gillian and Edward!), meeting up with good friends; using the Sky Train and public transportation; and exploring False Creek and Granville Island via water taxi. There’s still a lot more going on in Vancouver, but alas….otro dia.

It’s time to pack our bags. Tim, Andrew's son, will meet us at the Victoria Ferry Terminal! See you on Vancouver Island! 
 
Please click the link below for photos of https://picasaweb.google.com/104590044281989964656/20140801VancouverBC?authkey=Gv1sRgCLLnu4j8xL3YGQ#
 
 

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