THINGS TO DO IN VANCOUVER

Categorized | Travel

Posted on 14 February 2010 by Calgary Beacon.

Troy Media – By Judy McEuen

Vancouver offers plenty of sights to keep you amused for days or even weeks! Ever thought of taking a cruise? Well, start your education by taking a Vancouver Harbor cruise.

A one-hour scenic tour takes you on a journey through the Burrard Inlet – Canada’s “Gateway to the Pacific” – during which you will see many of the city’s most famous landmarks – Stanley Park, the Vancouver Lookout tower, Lions Gate Bridge and Gastown, not to mention the cruise ship terminals and the mountains.

These cruises are all narrated, so you’ll know what you’re seeing and the history behind it. You can grab a drink from the bar, sit on the open air decks or stay dry and comfortable inside the cabin if it rains.

Sunset dinner cruises

Another option is to cruise beyond the harbor to English Bay. This cruise takes about two-and-a-half hours and passes all of those same landmarks but continues beyond so you can enjoy spectacular ocean views of one of Vancouver’s more picturesque bays.

There are evening sunset dinner cruises during which you can watch the sun set over Vancouver, as well as starlight dinner cruises for spectacular views of the lights of the city skyline.

If you have more time, use a half day to take a lunch cruise and see Indian Arm. Indian Arm is an 18-km long (11 mile) long coastal mountain fjord. The Coast Mountain range was once covered with glaciers, but when they retreated they left behind this spectacular landscape featuring lush green forests.

Don’t worry about motion sickness and eating. Even this far outside of the inner harbor, you’ll still be cruising on calm waters

Vancouver Harbor Cruises are included on the See Vancouver, Victoria and Beyond Smartvisit Card but you should judge for yourself if such a card will pay for itself.

For some real adventure, you can take a whale watching cruise. Tour operators will pick you up at your hotel or B&B and whisk you to your point of departure. You can choose between exhilarating zodiac adventures or traveling protected from the elements in covered, high-speed boats equipped with washroom facilities.

On whale watching cruises, you can expect to see Orcas (Killer Whales). During the April to October season, Orcas make their way into the waters between the mainland and Vancouver Island. According to the tour company, “If you don’t see whales, your next trip is free.”

Whale watching trips usually last six to eight hours, including pickup and drop off. You can also opt to drive to the point of departure.

Don’t forget to visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge. It’s only about 10 or 15 minutes from the city by car, but you’ll feel a world away. What’s so special about a bridge? Because it’s a suspension bridge, you walk . . . or wobble . . . across its 450 feet length 230 feet over the river. It can take you an hour or so to walk the bridge, do a bit of exploring, and admire the scenery.

If you have more time, you can spend the day at the Cultural Center, their Treetops Adventure, and the Living Forest exhibits.

British Columbia is wine country. Wine sites around Vancouver include the designated viticulture areas of the Vancouver Island Regions, the Gulf Islands, and the Fraser Valley region. By choosing a tour company to organize your trip, you won’t have to worry about tasting too much or choosing a designated driver.

Then there is the Harrison Hot Springs. It’s about a 90 minute drive east of Vancouver. Enjoy the small town atmosphere, take a soak in the hot springs and visit the several museums in and around Harrison Hot Springs.

Riding a gondola over Hell’s Gate Gorge

Now it is time to move on to the Hell’s Gate Gorge: see it from a gondola dangling over the rapids. It is best to visit the Gorge on a tour or by rental car because it’s about two and a half hours from Vancouver along Highway 7 and the Trans-Canada Highway.

Go for a lunch cruise on an authentic paddle-wheeler on the Fraser River or take their cruise to historic Fort Langley.

Take a tour or a drive to Whistler. Whistler Blackcomb is the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics, which only adds to Vancouver and Whistler’s reputatiosn as winter destinations. But Whistler is a popular destination winter or summer.

To get to Whistler, you can either drive along the winding road to this resort or take the scenic train from Vancouver. If you take the train you’ll see the rugged Pacific Coast mountains, Canadian “fjords,” and waterfalls. You’ll pass by the Capilano River, Horseshoe Bay, and Howe Sound. It’s about three hours each way.

But whether you choose public transportation, trains, buses, boats, tours or your own rental car, get out and explore the sights around Vancouver.