ecstaticist / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

By Carol Atkins

En route to Vancouver BC, we all took a side trip along the Sea to Sky HWY 99. It is a two-lane scenic highway that winds its way along the Pacific Ocean and through the crevices of rugged mountain peaks. We stopped to see Shannon Falls and Porteau Cove, both great choices to enjoy taking in all the incredible views and experience the beauty of the area. The road makes its way along the edge of Howe Sound. There were plenty of look out points along the way to stop and enjoy a beautiful sunset across the gulf islands.

 Next day, we all went to Stanley Park, which is close to downtown Vancouver and sports an aquarium, in addition to lots of pretty beaches. We took our bikes around a 5.5 mile running path that goes along the whole park. It wasn’t too challenging and the bike lanes were right next to the water. We had a great time going under the Lion’s Gate Bridge. It was beautiful to see the mountains on one side of it and the city on the other. Afterwards we took the False Creek Ferry from downtown Vancouver to Granville Island. The boat ride was spectacular on such a warm, sunny day. We all enjoyed the opportunity to get out on the water. And once we arrived, there were lots of little shops to visit and the food market to enjoy for lunch.

After that, we had to pay a visit to the internationally renowned Capilano Suspension Bridge. It is a large bridge that you can bike or walk across, with beautiful wildlife views. On site we found storyboards outlining its history. We walked amongst several food vendors, and entertainment. The First Nations carving hut was pretty cool. We passed a busy gift shop, and enjoyed a canopy walk through the treetops. We ventured from one magnificent old growth Douglas fir to another on a series of seven elevated suspension bridges, reaching as high as 100 feet (30m), for a squirrel’s eye view of the forest. Then the kids begged us to let them do the cliff walk over the bridge. Ed and I were content to take in the view, since it looked slightly terrifying. I was happy we brought a camera with a zoom lens on it to watch the boys panic as the bridge swayed back and forth ever so slightly. It was a little expensive, but totally worth doing.

w4nd3rl0st (InspiredinDesMoines) / Travel Photos / CC BY-NC-ND

Still feeling quite motivated, we went to Grouse Mountain, which is only fifteen minutes from downtown Vancouver, and very easy to get to. We started with a gondola ride up to the top of the mountain. It was nice not having to tote our ski equipment with us for a change. The view on the way up there was pretty impressive, with the city of Vancouver and the mountains serving as beautiful backdrops in the distance. We were lucky enough to fall upon the lumberjack show, which only happens in June. We watched the raptors soar through the skies, and then we all took turns on the zip line ride. You have to make sure you let go right away when they tell you to otherwise you can burn the inside of your palm! After that, we went to the endangered wildlife refuge and visited the Theater in the Sky, although we were too early in the day to enjoy a concert.

We decided to do something the next day that would include Sadie, our faithful Lab. Lynn Canyon Park is a public park in a lush, natural forest setting. It is popular with the locals and there are lots of trails running through the forest and hikes within the trees. We heard it was a great place to take the dog out for a walk, so we went all the whole way down to the water and took some time out to let Sadie splash around (it was a little too cold for us humans). Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge was another must see, although it was much smaller than Capilano. Once we crossed the bridge, we visited the ecology center on site to learn about the plants and animals indigenous to the area, and finished with a late lunch at the restaurant on the trail head. A great time was had by all.

Author: Carol Atkins is a freelance writer for AccentInns.com and has been traveling the world for much of her life. She enjoys of all types of travel adventures including island hopping, cruising, cycling and being lazy on the beach :).