Stanley Park

Stanley Park

Stanley Park is probably my most favourite location here in Vancouver. Being over 10% larger than New York City's Central Park, Stanley Park has many different attractions. The park attracts an average of 8 million people per year. What i absolutely love about the park is the 8.8km long sea wall. I personally enjoy biking along the path but many joggers and roller-bladers share the path as well. Besides the 8.8km sea wall, the park also has over 200km of paths that run through the forest which consists of over half a million trees that have lived over 100 years old. The history of this park dates back to 1888 when it was first opened by David Oppenheimer. The park also has a water park, streams, a lake, a beach, and monuments. Because of all the attractions and natural park feel due to the large amount of trees, Stanley Park was ranked as the 16th best park in the world by the Project for Public Spaces and 6th best in North America.

Although logging isn't a major issue for Stanley Park, many trees have still fallen victims to many different storms that have torn down many trees since the park first opened. Since 1992, many of the parks tallest trees were required to be cut down due to safety reasons.

One tree that has gained a good amount of fame is the "National Geographic Tree". The tree was given the name because it appeared in the magazine’s October 1978 issue. With a circumference of 13.5 m, it was once one of the more impressive big Western Red cedars of the park. Although surviving many years of storms and a lightning strike, the National Geographic tree was uprooted in 2007.

Arnold Schwarzenegger running the Olympic Flame in Stanley Park.

During the 2010 Winter Olympics, the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, paid a visit to Vancouver to run the torch in Stanley Park. I am glad to say I had the privilege of seeing the passing of the torch myself. But eh, I think it's pretty random that we got a governor of an American State who isn't even American to run the torch in Vancouver, Canada.

Stanley Park is definitely 10x more enjoyable during winter. A large section of the park is decorated to suit the holidays. With bright Christmas lighting and many different decor, the park gets transformed into a winter wonder land. There are many food vendors that come to set up shops here during this time as well. A huge attraction to many tourists that come during the winter time is the Stanley Park miniature train that travels along the entire park. The train is also open during Halloween. With the aroma of hot chocolate and marshmallows, fresh pop corn and roasted nuts, and the many bright lights, it still wouldn't be complete with out Santa Clause! As this is the time of year for giving, all the proceeds from the train tickets sold go to the BC Professional Fire Fighters' Burn Fund which helps all burn victims and survivors.



This is an excellent park to come visit during any season. I come here during the summer to bike along the sea wall, and during the winter for the train. If you decide coming to visit, i suggest you come during the winter time. Thanks for reading, hopefully now you will want to come and visit!

Capilano Suspension Bridge

Capilano Suspension Bridge

When I was young, I remember my parents taking me to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. I can't say i enjoyed it back then on my first trip there because I was 6 years old, and i was severely afraid of heights. Nearly 10 years later (still afraid of heights), I decided to pay another visit to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. This time was a much more enjoyable experience. The bridge isn't the only attraction, there are many award winning gardens, North America's largest collection of First Nations' Totem Poles, and exhibits highlighting the park's history and the surrounding temperate rain forest.

The Capilano Suspension Bridge is 136 metres in length, and is suspended 70 metres above the ground.

The bridge itself has been around since 1888. Being around for so long, the city of Vancouver has made extensive repairs on the bridge to ensure the safety of all visitors.

Despite all the safety precautions, there have been a few accidents. In 1999, a woman dropped her 18-month-old, disabled child off the bridge. She claimed she stumbled accidentally and the child slipped from her grasp. The child was not seriously injured. The woman lost legal custody of her child as a result of the incident. The woman took legal action against the owner of the bridge, alleging negligence by the owner. The case was settled out of court. I've been to the bridge many times myself. The fence is not short enough for a baby to just "slip" out of someones hands and off the bridge. The only way anything can fall off the bridge is if it is thrown off. Luckily the baby was alright and I am glad the woman lost legal custody.

In 2006, a 300 year old, 46 ton Douglas fir tree toppled during a heavy snow storm. The tree fell across the western end of the bridge. Park officials closed the bridge temporarily while repairs were performed. This accident occurred after hours so nobody was hurt.


On June 6, 2010, a teenage tourist on a class trip from California fell more than 30 meters from a fenced off viewing platform near the bridge. By the time rescue workers came to his aid, the victim was dead. This was the first death ever to happen at the site. It is still up for debate whether or not this was indeed an accident, for it did happen in a fenced off area. I don't think these incidents should be any reason why anyone shouldn't visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge, but I do believe this is information you should hear before you come to visit.

Fun Fact: The bridge has been featured as a setting in episodes of several television series, including MacGyver, Sliders, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, and Psych. Haven't seen any of these shows myself...

Robson Square Ice Rink

The rink lit up with blue lighting

Hey guys, one of the main attractions of the 2010 Winter Olympics which her hosted right here in Vancouver was Robson Square. Before the Olympics began, Vancouver spent a large amount of money rebuilding the old skate rink which is underground. I remember going here as a child. I learned how to skate in this rink on Christmas day when i was just six years old. The Robson Square Ice Rink allows you to both rent your skates there for $2, or bring your own skates in. It is free to enter the rink. There is a good amount of lighting which makes for a beautiful scene.

There are some downsides to the Robson Square Ice Rink. Many people like to come here so the rink does get quite full at some times. If you are the kind of person that likes to skate really fast, then you really shouldn't come visit the rink. Because it is free to enter the rink, there are normally large line ups for skate rentals. Whether or not the term "free" is a positive or negative in this case is up for debate.

The rink is very children friendly. All children under the age of 12 are allowed free skate rentals. In addition to that; safety helmets are provided for children as well, and these plastic "walkers" are also available for first time skaters.

If you are visiting during the winter, this is a wonderful place to be. I normally come down here with some of my friends and hang out.

Grouse Mountain

Grouse Mountain

One of Vancouver's must see's is Grouse Mountain. Grouse Mountain is the site of many different seasonal events and activities. In the winter, there is an alpine ski area, snow shoeing, ice skating rink, and various children shows. In the summer, Grouse Mountain hosts a lumber jack show, and a zip line. One of the main attractions in my opinion is the 2.9km hike up the mountain, the "Grouse Grind".
 

The alpine ski area, located at the southern slope of the mountain is normally open through the months of December and May (assuming that the snow is still there by May). Grouse Mountain provides a rental service for both skis and snowboards and any other equipment you may need. Prices vary from $5.00-$42.00 depending on different age groups, and different items. Any equipment rented requires a refundable $250 security deposit. If you do plan on renting, i suggest you rent from them online. If you decide to do it in person, it can be very tedious. The line ups can get very long, and a lot of questions will be asked. You are also allowed to bring your own equipment.

Ground Grind half way mark

This is my favorite activity of Grouse Mountain, the Grouse Grind. The Grouse Grind is a 2.9km hike up the mountain. The hike is best described as a never ending stair case till you get to the top. My first experience was quite aggravating (keep in mind that i was 12 and out of shape at the time). I was finally approaching the first sign that tells you where you are at in the hike. The sign stated that it was the "official" starting point of the Grouse Grind. I thought i would be reading 1/4 of the way up, but they crush my hopes with that information. The Grind is an excellent way to get into shape. They have signs marking 1/4,1/2,3/4, and the end of the hike. If this is your first hike, it will for sure be a very grueling and tiring one. There are 2 ways to get back to the bottom; you can either hike your way back down (it is not recommended), or you can purchase a $5 ticket to ride the gondola back down. Any ways, reaching the top was very rewarding for me, I was finally able to say "I can see my house from here" (I literally could see it, the view is that great).

There are many quite a few things to do once you reach the top of Grouse Mountain. There is a the Lumber Jack show that i mentioned earlier. I haven't seen it myself because it's really not my thing, but I've read many good reviews. They also have a very enjoyable zip line that will bring you all the way down the mountain. I haven't been on this zip line either, but i have been on the one they had set up for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Bear Sanctuary

When I save up enough money, I am going on the Grouse Mountain zip line for sure. Another thing that I really enjoy at the top of the mountain is the animal sanctuary. Grouse Mountain has an area fenced off for many Grizzly Bears where they can safely and freely go about their business. There is also a gift shop where you can buy souvenirs and different winter wear, a restaurant (In my opinion, everything is way over priced so if you are planning to eat cheap... buy food before you go up to the top), and a theater room that can hold up to 100 people. The shows they play are very educational about different wild life you can find on the mountain.


I hope this review was helpful for everyone. Grouse Mountain is a beautiful place that I am sure anyone would enjoy. http://www.grousemountain.com is their main page where you can get additional information, or rent your gear for the winter time. Thanks for reading! 

Vancouver Site Seeing

Newest model of public bus.

Vancouver has many different attractions, from the beaches in the summer time to the mountain tops in the winter. As a resident in Vancouver for many years, I am pleased to say that Vancouver is a wonderful place to live in or visit. Transportation here in Vancouver is very convenient. There are 3 different types of public transit here; Sky train, bus, or sea bus. Prices vary from $1.75-$5.00 depending on different age groups, whether or not it is a weekend, or where you are traveling to. Another thing you must absolutely be aware of when coming to Vancouver is the unpredictable weather. At times, the weather reporters can be very inaccurate. Most of the time during summer, it can be pretty obvious whether or not it would rain (if it's sunny in the morning, it will most likely be sunny the whole day). Any other time besides summer, always be prepared for the opposite of what the reporters are telling you. From what my family tells me when they come to visit is that the roads here are generally smaller than most countries. Compared to the average American lane, Vancouver's is probably 2-3 feet smaller. If you plan on driving down to or renting a car in Vancouver, this is something you should definitely be prepared for.

These are some basic facts that you might find helpful if you decide to travel to Vancouver. Everyone in general here is really nice. The crime rate here is very low (you wouldn't run into any trouble unless you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time). I will be making new posts about some must see places if you come to Vancouver. I hope you guys enjoyed reading my blog entry, there will be many more to come.