The City of Vancouver in British Columbia makes a pleasant winter getaway from Seattle (or vice versa). Allow extra traffic time for the slow border crossing between Canada and USA. [Read more about expedited entry / US Immigration.] A trip to Vancouver can be efficiently combined with a visit to Whistler Village for summer hiking or winter skiing. Below are my favorite Vancouver photos from February 13-17, 2014:
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Downtown Vancouver, Coal Harbour
Staying in a downtown condo or hotel makes for convenient walking exploration of Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver Harbour, Stanley Park, and Vancouver Aquarium. AirBnB helped us locate private condo lodging along Coal Harbor.
Stanley Park and Vancouver Aquarium
Stanley Park is a great place for walking, skating, or bicycling. Vancouver Aquarium is excellent, including live shows of Pacific white-sided dolphins and beluga whales.
Bloedel Conservatory, Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver
Bloedel Conservatory (4600 Cambie St.) is a domed lush paradise where you can experience the colors and scents of the tropics year-round, within Queen Elizabeth Park, atop the City of Vancouver’s highest point. From Little Mountain (501 feet), see panoramic views over the city crowned by the mountains of the North Shore. A former rock quarry has been converted into beautiful Queen Elizabeth Park with flower gardens, public art, grassy knolls. In Bloedel Conservatory, more than 200 free-flying exotic birds, 500 exotic plants and flowers thrive within a temperature-controlled environment. A donation from Prentice Bloedel built the domed structure, which was dedicated in 1969 “to a better appreciation and understanding of the world of plants,” and is jointly operated by Vancouver Park Board and VanDusen Botanical Garden Association.
Vanier Park: MacMillan Space Centre
Fans of astronomy will enjoy H.R. MacMillan Space Centre in Vanier Park, at 1100 Chestnut St, Vancouver, BC. It was founded 1968 and named for a British Columbia industrialist and philanthropist. See worthwhile science exhibits and shows in the GroundStation Canada Theatre, Cosmic Courtyard, and cool Planetarium Star Theatre. The building was designed in the 1960s by architect Gerald Hamilton to house what was then called The Centennial Museum. The Space Centre shares the building with the Museum of Vancouver. Outside, the Crab fountain sculpture was made in 1968 by George Norris. In First Nation legend, the crab is the guardian of the harbour and was also the zodiac sign at the time of the Canadian Centennial in 1967.
Lynn Canyon, North Vancouver
Admire waterfalls in Lynn Canyon from the Suspension Bridge continue on a pleasant walking loop of several kilometers through wild rainforest. Lynn Canyon is a municipal park established in 1912 at 3663 Park Road, in North Vancouver, British Columbia, V7J 3G3, Canada. Phone 604-990-3755.
Below is a more extensive set of Vancouver photos from February 13-17, 2014:
Add any of the above images to your Cart for purchase using my Portfolio site.
Recommended guidebooks from Amazon.com:
Search for latest “Canada Rockies travel books” at Amazon.com.
- Lonely Planet Canada 14 (Travel Guide) Paperback – Illustrated, May 19, 2020
- Lonely Planet Canada’s Best Trips 1 (Travel Guide) Paperback – Illustrated, May 19, 2020
- The Greatest Hikes on Earth (37 book series) Kindle Edition
- Moon Vancouver & Canadian Rockies Road Trip: Victoria, Banff, Jasper, Calgary, the Okanagan, Whistler & the Sea-to-Sky Highway (Travel Guide) Paperback – Illustrated, June 4, 2019
- Lonely Planet British Columbia & the Canadian Rockies 8 (Travel Guide) Paperback – Illustrated, May 19, 2020
- Lonely Planet Banff, Jasper and Glacier National Parks 6 (Travel Guide) Paperback – January 18, 2022
- Gillean Daffern’s Kananaskis Country Trail Guide-4th Edition: Volume 1: Kananaskis Valley, Kananaskis Lakes, Elk Lakes, The Smith-Dorrien Paperback – June 1, 2010
- Gillean Daffern’s Kananaskis Country Trail Guide – 4th Edition: Volume 3: The Ghost, Bow Valley, Canmore, Spray Paperback – July 15, 2013
- Mountain Footsteps: Hikes in the East Kootenay of Southwestern British Columbia Paperback – June 13, 2018
- Lonely Planet Vancouver & Victoria 8 (Travel Guide) Paperback – Illustrated, February 18, 2020
- 105 Hikes in and Around Southwestern British Columbia Paperback – May 26, 2018
- Hiking the Gulf Islands of British Columbia: 4th Edition Paperback – June 30, 2018