V A N C O U V E R ,    B . C .

Downtown Vancouver

Vancouver is a large city, and you can find all the things you might be looking for in a city. We weren't in Vancouver long enough to really take a look around the downtown area, but we did wander around the large shopping center that was spread along (and under) a few blocks. It seems like an easy city to get around on foot, and you can always take the SkyTrain if you want to go farther, like to the suburbs or one of the city's attractions.

Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden

Just east of downtown, you can find Vancouver's Chinatown, and the Chinese Garden. It is more formal than some other gardens we've visited, and a lot smaller. To be honest, we were a bit disappointed by its size and its lack of variety. We believe that the size and appearance of the garden is really due to the fact that it is a 'classical' garden, which means more formality and more symbolism. We tend to prefer the more open and less formal gardens. Still, it had that same sense of peace we've found in other Chinese and Japanese gardens, which is one of the reasons we like to visit them.

Here are a few of the photos we took. Enjoy.

The Lookout! at Harbour Centre ( see Kids' POV )

I'm sure every tourist goes to the Lookout! I don't know why there's an exclamation point in the name, but perhaps the view deserves that extra punctuation. The Lookout! is a 360 º observation deck perched atop one of the tallest buildings in downtown Vancouver. We didn't get around to trying the food at the revolving restaurant, but we spent more than an hour walking around and around the deck, waiting for the sunset.

A short ride on the glass-fronted elevator car takes you to the Lookout!. Up top you're treated to views of city, sea, lakes, parks, suburbs and mountains. The mountain view is especially dramatic: the city itself is relatively flat, but to the north, just the other side of Burrard Inlet, the mountains sweep up from the ground as though the earth was pinched and then pulled upward by a giant hand.

To make it simple, if you're a fan of breathtaking panoramas, you will love the Lookout!. It's located right downtown a few blocks from several hotels, an easy walk. By the way, if you purchase a ticket during the day, you can return for free that night to check out the city lights. And before our trip, I printed out a coupon available at the Lookout's website. Just look below for some photos taken from the Lookout!

Capilano Suspension Bridge ( see Kids' POV )

Feel like strolling 450 feet across a suspension bridge hanging 230 feet above the Capilano River? We can tell you this: while it feels completely safe (we even read that the bridge could hold several passenger jets) the bridge is rarely still. Every time someone steps on or off the bridge, it swings, sways, and rocks back and forth. Our video from the bridge looks as though we were taping while running. Still, it's easy enough to hold on, and you do somewhat get your sea-legs after a while. We did see some poor souls hanging on for dear life to their companions, but obviously the height and motion was getting to them. The bridge wasn't really that bad.

There is a lot more to see than just the bridge, however. There are historical and Native displays, informative trails (one leading to a lookout from which you can take a look at the bridge you just crossed), a fish pond, food, and of course, a gift shop. We had a burger from the Loggers' Grill, and it was truly delicious, the best we'd had in quite a while.

Capilano is actually located in North Vancouver, across the inlet from downtown Vancouver, but it's a pretty easy drive. The whole site is perched on both sides of a gorge, with the suspension bridge stretching between them. It's not a very expensive place to go, and I also was able to print out a discount on their website. What could be sweeter than that?

Science World ( see Kids' POV )

On our third trip to Vancouver, we went to Science World. Some of the exhibits were a little... well... shabby. They seemed a little worn out  Hardly surprising, considering that it's a place that kids are actually encouraged to touch things. But most of Science World was good stuff. There are tons of hands-on exhibits to keep your kids busy for quite a while Make sure you have time to see it all!

There are sections designed just for younger kids (including a play area with slide and a pretend submarine), and some things just for grown-ups (some very difficult puzzles, like classic ring and rope puzzles). There are exhibits about perspective and illusion, the environment, machines, and more. There's a very cool device we really liked: a pair of dishes (like satellite dishes) on opposite sides of a large room, each with a small ring in the front. You put a person at each dish, then you speak into and listen at the ring. Despite the distance and the noise from all the kids in the room, you can hear each other quite well. Very cool.

Stanley Park

Vancouver has an enormous public park just to the northwest of downtown.  It has beaches, play areas, some historic sites, and more.  As so often happens, we didn't have time to explore, but we did drive around the park and let the kids play at the playground.  There are so many things to see there, we won't bother going into it all.  If you go to Vancouver, simply pick up a city map, and there will be a close-up of the park with all its attractions listed.  Pictured below are just two of the photos we took while driving around the park.

The Lookout! at Harbour Centre
The ride up inside the glass elevator is fun, and the kids enjoy stomping around the observation area. One nice young woman working in the cafe brought out a chair so my son could stand on it to look out the windows. They saw trains, ships, cars, and tiny people. They also like watching the city light up as it slowly grows dark.

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Capilano Suspension Bridge
For the kids, walking on the bridge was almost like being on an amusement park ride. It moves constantly. There was also a wishing well, someone dressed up as a raccoon (we think), a fish pond, trails, and more. Our son enjoyed 'hiking' in the woods to the viewing deck. This is a good place for kids to have fun and learn something, too.

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Science World
This place is perfect for kids of almost any age, but it may be difficult for younger kids to get their turn at some of the more popular exhibits. Our four-year-old kept getting pushed back by older kids. They both still enjoyed themselves, though. While some of the exhibits were a little over their heads, there were some designed just for younger kids. The play area has a "river": a long box with a strong current of water flowing inside. Kids can use the wall sections to create a water course complete with waterfalls and rapids, or they can simply watch the toy boats float down to the end. The kids had some fun, and they didn't want to leave.

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