Six days in Vancouver
May 6th, 2002, 05:39 PM
#1
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Six days in Vancouver
Looking for suggestions for things to do. We plan to go to Stanley Park, the<BR>aquarium, Chinatown, and Granville. All additional suggestions will be appreciated.<BR> Where are the giant Sitka Spruce trees? I have read about them. Thanks<BR>
May 6th, 2002, 07:25 PM
#2
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Sitka Spruce grow intermingled with Western Hemlock and Douglas Fir. All are coastal and can be found all over the wet coastal valleys of Washington State and BC. The really big stands have all been harvested but the largest remaining can be found in protected areas of the Olympic National Park(WA) and Pacific Rim park on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Around Vancouver, you can still some pretty impressive trees at Lighthouse Park and Lynn Canyon -- you need to do some hiking.<BR><BR>For just about all the info you will need to enjoy VAncouver, see the Vancouver pages of my web site at:<BR><BR>www.arbutushouse.com<BR>
May 6th, 2002, 07:43 PM
#3
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Six days in Vancouver will be wonderful although you should use two of them either for Vancouver Island and Victoria, Whistler or the Fraser Canyon. They are three very different type scenic trips and you should really choose from either Vancouver Island or Whistler and /or the Fraser Canyon. <BR><BR>As for Vancouver - you seem to have done some research and I think by 'Granville' you mean Granville Island. I'm not sure about 'giant Sitka Spruce trees' though we do have some pretty impressive Sequoias and Douglas Firs in Stanley Park and the North Shore as well as in some West Side front yards. One of the sad events that accurred from the Asian Invasion of the late 80's and early 90's is that Chinese superstition, (feng Shui), felt that it was bad luck to have a large tree cast a shadow on your home so hundreds of trees up to a thousand years old on properties purchased buy the Hong Kong Chinese were destroyed at that time. there are now laws against cutting down large trees but in some cases it's much like closing the proverbial barn door.<BR><BR>Ah well, lets dwell on the positive and the positive of the Asian Invasion is that Vancouver is a treasure trove of great Chinese Restaurants and wonderful Chinese shops - few if any are in 'Chinatown' which is cheek to jowl with the worst drug infested neighbourhood in Canada and while it does have a special charm - especially it's grocery and butcher shops - over all it's not the most pleasant place to visit in Vancouver.<BR><BR>I don't know what time of year you are coming but the beaches of Vancouver are great and some are clothing optional if that interests you. You can walk along the Vancouver shore on a 'seawall that stretches along the Harbour, around Stanley Park, English Bay, False Creek, Yaletown, Granville Island, Kitsilano, Jericho and Spanish Banks - all in all almost 100 Kilometres of easy walking or bike riding. A great way to spend a summer day. <BR><BR>Of course you must spend a day on the North Shore taking the Tram up Grouse Mountain to watch the Sunset and enjoy a panorama of the city from almost a mile high. People say that the Capilano Suspoension Bridge is a tourist trap but every tourist I've taken there has loved it so I still reccomend it.<BR><BR>For a glimplse of our aboriginal history I reccomend, especially on the rare rainy day, a visit to the Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Other rainy day pursuits would be the Pacific Centre Mall, our Architecturally Unique Library or one of the other Public Markets like Lonsdale or Westminster Quay.<BR><BR>Enough for now - nice to be back on line after being in Asia for a month.
May 9th, 2002, 08:53 PM
#5
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Susan - yes we were in China and not for the first time but even so I'm hardly an expert having barely skimmed the surface. It's a huge country and has very distinct cultural and climatological regions so in all fairness I think you should go on to the Asia line and get advice there.<BR><BR>
