I check out of my sub-par hotel and realize it is the most expensive one of my entire trip - over $200/night! Vancouver is an extremely expensive city especially during cruise season. I thought about canceling this hotel several days earlier because I only book places with “free cancellation”. However, the “free” period was days and not hours prior to arriving so I missed my window. Next time I will definitely look into an Airbnb.
Interesting fact: I’ve learned that English is a second language for 53% of people living in Vancouver. The majority of immigrants are from Asia and India.
Before leaving Vancouver, I head to Stanley Park, a green oasis with lovely views of the city. One-fifth larger than NYC’s Central Park, TripAdvisor voted it the most beautiful park in the world!
I am heading to the horse-drawn carriage rides with a live commentary around the park as my last activity in the city. Our wooden carriage will be drawn by Bud, a 5 year old youngster and Grit, a 14 year old dapple both of which are draft horses.
The 1st Nation people originally lived on the site, but a smallpox epidemic wiped many of them out. The densely wooded land was dedicated as a city park in 1889, but a totem park is in honor of the natives.
Bud and Grit clop past the marina where cruise ships, water taxis, and sea planes dock. The gas station is in the middle of the harbor.
There are walking and bicycle trails along a seawall and through the trees, beaches and lakes, cricket and “football” pitches, a miniature train to ride, the aquarium, gardens, restaurants, tennis courts, golf course, and a children’s water play area which includes a large yellow “dryer” so the youngsters don’t leave wet!
Lion’s Bridge in the distance is called the “beer bridge” by locals. The Guinness family lived on the other side of the water, and for years petitioned the city to build a bridge to connect their property to the other side. In 1937, the city agreed provided the Guinness family paid for the bridge themselves which they did at a cost of $1.5 million and completed it in 1 year.
At 9:00 nightly, a cannon is fired marking the hour, a tradition for more than a hundred years. Originally, ship captains used this as a way to synchronize time. The cannon was originally detonated with a stick of dynamite, but is now activated automatically with an electronic trigger.
A lighthouse has become the favorite place for marriage proposals in Vancouver.
Another bridge is called the Ironworkers’ Memorial Bridge. The partially completed original structure collapsed due to faulty engineering design killing 41 construction workers. For years, graduating engineering students received a ring made from the bridge’s steel as a reminder of what not to do.
Stanley Park is beautiful, but I have never been so glad to leave a city. The highway’s 10 divided lanes become 8 then 6 and finally 4! I wind through forested covered “hills” wreathed in clouds that we would call mountains in Virginia. On the far horizon, I see a snow covered rocky peak!
I follow Highway #1 with exits towards the USA border. Not yet! I turn northward to spend two nights in a timeshare near Kamloops, BC which is a mid-point to Banff NP. I arrive 6.5 hrs after leaving Vancouver with only a short nap in a Wal-Mart parking lot. It is time for major laundry and planning tomorrow.
I have renamed “Beast 2” the “Hulk”. He likes it, and I like him!
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