Day 2 - Vancouver - 11th June

Day 2 Vancouver 11th June

Today we are going to explore Vancouver and go to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

 

 

First things first let’s have breakfast I piled my tub full of fresh fruit and then yoghurt from a fruit salad bar!  I didn’t see the sign to say that the price went from Canadian $1.75 per lb to $2.95 per lb if you have Strawberries, Golden berries, Blueberries, Pomegranate and Raspberries oh well my breakfast cost about £5!!!  But it was so yummy pineapple, grapes and kiwi fruit, delicious.  Amy had a croissant and Colin had a cheese and ham twist bakery thing!!

 

We need to buy tickets for the Seabus to go across the stretch of water to get into Vancouver City as we are in North Vancouver

 

The view coming into Vancouver City shame about the big container ship in the middle of the view!!

 

Amy sitting watching the view we are heading towards

 

We are now past the container ship and now this is a better view of the City Skyline, the white sails on top of the building is the cruise ship terminal so that is good and right next to the Seabus terminal, perfect for the next part of our adventure on Friday

 

A view over Stanley Park which is bigger than Central Park in New York, wow!!

 

View isn’t very straight as the Seabus is a bit choppy but I was taking the seaplane coming into land, loads of air activity around the port area with helicopters and seaplanes

 

Friday morning when we are on the seabus we will be seeing our cruise ship docked where these two cruise ships are, woop woop!!!

 

Helicopter next in view!

 

The circular topped building is the Harbour Centre with a viewing area and the two gaps at the sea level is where the SeaBuses park up to embark and disembark

 

Here we are away to park up, tight squeeze in the gap!

 

A mixture of buildings around the port area, we are heading to Canada Place where we can get a free shuttle to take us to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, we were walking along when a guy is hanging around a street corner and stops us and asks if we need any help.  We see his badge saying he works for Vancouver tourist information centre oh that is okay then, yes we are heading to the shuttle bus so he gives us a voucher to get a free gift at the tourist information office and we get a discount voucher for the Capilano Park too!  Good that Jon stopped us and gave us the discounts and wonder what the free gift is?!?!?!

 

Here we go we got a free gift of a re-usable shopping bag, thank you and a postcard that you wouldn’t really use!  We’ve got our tickets with a 10% off, thanks Jon!

 

Here are the mountains across at North Vancouver now that is what I call a mountain view rather than a glimpse that we have from our room!  Grouse Mountain!

 

Across the Lions gate bridge

 

We have arrived at the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

 

Looking through the Rainforest

 

Now that is where we are heading, eeek!!!

 

Totem poles

 

There are stamps along the way at the various attractions if you complete the stamps you get a certificate at the end!

 

Absolutely massive Totem Poles

 

Piggy back time!!

 

Ok we are heading to the Suspension Bridge First

 

Here we go at the start of the suspension bridge, wow it is wibbly wobbly!!!  Amy isn’t sure about the bridge at all, look at all the rides she has been on but she isn’t sure about the height and the bridge wobbling!!!

 

We are only 230feet high and the bridge is only 450 feet long!!!!

 

The view the other side of the bridge

 

We have made it over to the other side, woop woop!!!  It was really wibbly wobbly!!

 

Our next part of the adventure is to go up on the Treetops Adventure

 

Cool sign

 

Amy now has another challenge to gain her Rainforest Explorer Badge!  What an education today in a real Rainforest!!

 

Well the weather is supposed to be 21 degrees C but boy it feels much chillier to what we are used to!!  Now with our Isle of Man heads on we would be shorts and t-shirt kids but after being Orlando we are feeling it chilly, jeans, t-shirt and jackets/cardigans in the bag!!

 

Here we go on the Treetop Trail

 

Now here we go with the two camera’s today so we can capture the moments, the beauty of this Rainforest and I will appear more in the photos too!

 

 

Amy has ran on to be Colin now, this is going to be a real mixture of photo’s today!

 

 

Wow interesting facts about the rainforest

 

 

This bridge isn’t so wibbly wobbly!!  One of the questions was how many Douglas Squirrels can you spot unfortunately we didn’t see any L

 

Come on Daddy keep up!!

 

Wow there are loads of people willing to take family shots of us without even asking this is great!!

 

 

Don’t think that is the idea of having the two camera’s Col!! 

 

 

This was the shot I was taking of Amy doing her Rainforest Explorer Badge quiz

 

 

Ewh!!!

 

Looking down the canyon

 

 

Big Doug as it is named in the Rainforest!!  Wow it is massive and there was a guide there doing a tour telling us about the reproduction and fire retardant of the Douglas Fir, wow what an amazing tree!

 

A baby tree compared to Big Doug!

 

The trout pond

 

The next question for Amy is to see what her bird wingspan would be the same size as, Amy is a Raven, wow!

 

Next part of the adventure was Nature’s Edge Boardwalk

 

Lightweights having a rest ha ha!!

 

Another question for Amy see how many years it takes different trees to grow to your height

 

 

 

 

And we need to go back over the bridge to get back over the other side!

 

Amy is just not sure about the suspension bridge!!

 

 

 

Looking cool Col! 

 

Col reading all the info whereas Amy is flying on to get her questions done

 

Well done Amy you have had your questions checked and you gained your Rainforest Explorer Badge!

 

Looking at the treetop trails above and the walks below, this is absolutely stunning!  Nature at its best here xx

 

That is us done on this side of the bridge now to go back over the other side!!

 

Here we go back on the bridge again!  It looks really long on this picture!

 

 

 

Not so many people on it this time so Amy getting her confidence on the bridge and not holding onto me or the handrail!

 

Amy still isn’t sure about looking down though, funny!!

 

 

This is a good picture to show how high it is compared to the Statue of Liberty

 

Next we go on the Cliffwalk!  Now I am not sure of this part!!

 

Down the spiral staircase then ……

 

Down the skinny steps then …….

 

More skinny paths and then ……

 

 

And more skinny paths and then .......

 

 

Wowcha the Cliffwalk suspended above the Capilano River Canyon

 

 

Funny Amy is quite happy going on the Cliffwalk!!

 

Looking down at Amy’s feet!!

 

 

 

 

Don’t look down, eeek!!

 

 

You are so funny Mr A taking my photo of me taking your photo!!!

 

 

You think you are soooooo funny!!!

 

 

We have nearly made it all the way over!!

 

Holy moly Colly taking a selfie!!!!  Hilarious!!  Take it in everybody Colin isn’t normally this enthusiastic about taking photo’s it might just be a one hit wonder!!!

 

And then he starts getting cocky adding me into his selfie poses!!

 

 

Over on the other side, phew!!

 

Climbing up now!

 

Now this I am not sure of as I don’t like stepping onto glass or metal grills!  Amy is trying to coax me onto the glass now!! 

 

 

No Amy I’m still not sure!!!

 

Where we have just been on the cliffwalk!!

 

 

Looking up into the Rainforest Canopy, beautiful

 

What a beautiful view whilst we are climbing back up the hill on skinny paths and steps

 

How clear is the water down there, beautiful!

 

 

 

Looking down into the Canyon

 

Looking down onto the Cliffwalk and down into the Canyon

 

 

Next stop is looking down through the metal grid!!

 

Just to prove I did it!!!

 

And right to the very end of the metal grid too!!!

 

That looks crazy looking at that skinny bridge swinging in the middle of the trees!!

 

Oh here we go Amy goes into the Splash zone ha ha!!  Trying to get wet!!

 

Crossing the beautiful bridge

 

Amy inside a tree stump!

 

An area showing the power of water and the erosion on rocks comparing the years

 

A steep climb up and taking a rest!

 

Amy on a sneaky path

 

Quiz on water facts

 

Looking down to where we have just been!

 

The engineering of the Cliffwalk below

 

Thankfully this was the only Bear we saw in the forest!

Yippee Amy collected all the stamps and got a certificate to prove that she completed all the activities in the park

 

Tick all the above other than the Logger Grill we are heading back into the City for lunch

 

 

Here is our free shuttle back into the city, perfect timing!!

 

Reclining our chairs in the bus!

 

Peace man!!

 

 

We head through Stanley Park again

 

Back over Lions Gate bridge

 

We are back in the city again and head to Waterfront Centre for lunch

 

We have Tacotime for lunch, yummy!

 

Really the sign says 73 degrees F and 23 degrees C, I’m not convinced as I have my jacket on!!

 

We head back into the Tourist Information Centre and buy tickets for the Hop on Hop off Trolley tour bus, the deal from them was we got 48 hours for the price of 24 hours!  Little gem of a find the tourist office!  Jump on, let’s see the sights of Vancouver

 

Where they had the Winter Olympic flame in 2010

 

Greece presented Vancouver golden wings for holding the Winter Olympics

 

The tallest building in Vancouver, the Shangri-la hotel with 61 floors!

 

Bank of Montreal that was built with 6 marble pillars and the rest glass to prevent bank robbery and to date they haven’t been robbed!

 

The oldest church in Vancouver and then we head to Stanley Park

Stanley Park is 1001 acre park which is almost surrounded by the Pacific Ocean!

 

 

We are driving through Stanley Park’s Rose Garden area

 

 

More of the gardens

 

A statue of Robbie Burns of all people in Stanley Park you ‘Wee sleekest, cowering, timorous beastie’ the famous poem To A Mouse

Fit urr ye deain’ ‘ere loonie?!?!?!  Translation for the non-Scots 'What are you doing there boy??  How strange this statue was the first statue to be erected in Vancouver still not sure why though??

 

The marina of Lost Lagoon

 

Pretty skyline from Stanley Park over Lost Lagoon showing the famous seawall

 

Olympic runner Harry Jerome

 

Certainly a working port with the shipyards and all the cranes

 

Looking over at North Vancouver and our hotel just behind the yellow crane

 

Yellow piles of sulphur

 

Another sculpture of a girl in a wet suit?!?!?  Original name eh!

 

The bridge built by the Guinness family the Lions Gate Bridge which we went over this morning

 

Looking down the Lions Gate Bridge

 

Busy port out at sea

 

Playpark but also a Seaside outdoor swimming pool behind it!

 

 

These sculptures are 14 pictures of laughter

 

 Second Beach with its big logs for people to sit on and the slide that goes straight into the English Bay with lifeguards on row boats!

 

 

The symbol for the Winter Olympics 2010

 

 

 

Heading over Burrard Street Bridge

Museum of Vancouver Space Centre

Vancouver Observatory

What a great street to turn onto eh!!!!

6649  View from Granville Street Bridge, ok so Amy’s wish list was to go to Granville Island and that has just where the bus has just been but there was nothing to photograph there and we are looking over False Creek now!

 View over False Creek

Science World

 

 

6664  Where they grow all the vegetables for the Food Banks and the government tries to encourage the homeless community to come and tend to the planters

  The skytrain going above us!

Chinatown there is a large Chinese and Japanese population in Vancouver

 The top of the lights on lamp-posts in Chinatown

Chinese shops

 Mural on the wall

We have jumped off the trolley now so we can head home as we are all feeling bit tired

Steam powered clock but can’t be very good as it is at the wrong time!

 Back on the Seabus now watching another Seaplane landing!  Don’t fancy that at all!!

 

Helipad right on the water’s edge too

View towards North Vancouver

 The container ship we need to go round to get to North Vancouver surely Mr there must be another parking spot for you, you are causing an eye sore on the skyline hee hee!!

Our hotel yellow crane and the Q is the Quay Plaza and Market near our hotel

Ha ha a quote from Homer Simpson!!!

 Special treat tonight is some Belgian chocolates, delicious!!

 The wine shop are looking for a delivery driver Colin was thinking of applying but there was no mention of free samples at the end of the day so he decided against it!  At least when he worked as a Chinese take away delivery driver when he was much younger (ha ha!!) he got tea home with him!!

Oooooooh yummy chocolates!!

Sticker mission complete!!

We are all still feeling a bit tired today after gaining hours from our clocks going backwards and up early so we all had an early night!