Day 25 Vancouver

Ready for another day of adventure!

Up and out for our first full day in Vancouver we decided to head to Grouse Mountain. What an incredibly great choice! Maneuvering around the city is pretty easy and because of our location, right under the Lion’s Gate Bridge, we are close to most everything. A short hop and we are at the base of the mountain, ready to take the gondola ride to the top. While we got ourselves packed up for the day, and Cecilia all ready to go, we discovered wolves in the parking lot for heaven sake! They have set a fence around a natural habitat and there are three resident wolves for our viewing pleasure. Did I mention we haven’t left the parking lot?!! On our way along the path for a better view, I happened upon the largest slug I have ever seen! I’m told it’s a banana slug and David insisted on putting some perspective on the size by placing his hand in the pictures! It is just so important to take a vacation – it offers the time to slow down and notice things like giant slugs that otherwise might go unnoticed!

 

While the foggy weather prevented pictures that might show the unbelievable views, the ride up the mountain to Vancouver’s highest peak, almost a mile above the city, is no less spectacular!

By the time we arrived at the top it was pouring rain. Not to be dampened, we chose to go to The Theatre in the Sky. It shows two 30 minute movies, one is about the history of Grouse Mountain from an eagles perspective, the other talks about the wildlife conservation efforts and the two adopted Grizzlies, Coola and Grinder, living on the mountain.

Thoroughly entertained and enlightened by the productions, we came out of the theatre to discover that the rain had stopped and the rest of the day, while cool and sometimes quite foggy (or cloudy – who can tell up this high??), was the perfect day for taking advantage of everything the Mountain has to offer.

While David and Cecilia explored the lodge area Jeffrey, Nancy and I took the ski lift to the top! The views were out of this world! There was an amazing amount of snow, even quite a bit lower down than we were but of course we couldn’t just admire from afar. I would have included pictures of the snowball fight at the top had I been a little less “busy” getting away from Jeffrey!

Jeffrey and Nancy took the ski lift back down and I thought it would be the perfect time for a solitary hike. Now I am able to say I hiked down Grouse Mountain! When we arrived back at the lodge it was to find Cecilia sleeping and David working!!! He was embroiled in a lengthy telephone discussion. David says if you have to work, you may as well do it someplace interesting!

Going up!

View from the chair.

View from the top.

Still lots of snow!

Bare legs and snow - crazy combo!

Some folks just went up so they could jump off!!

Not saying they were slow or anything but Jeffrey gave me grief when I said I would hike back. "It will take too long. We'll have to wait for you. Blah,blah,blah..." Guess who was waiting to take this picture?!!

David on the phone on the mountain!

After lunch we were all rearin’ to go again. Nancy wanted to try the peak to peak ziplining. No one else was brave enough for that foolishness so I loaned her my hiking boots (she was wearing flipflops) knowing that my boots were as close as I would ever get, and we took in the lumberjack, birds of prey and grizzly demonstrations. They were all great but the lumberjack show was particularly good. The show was hilarious with tons information and skill thrown in for good measure.

Always happy to go again!

Nancy outfitted for ziplining.

32 different carvings scattered around the mountain top. Huge and the detail was astounding!

A grizzly ... doesn't look so bad from this distance!

Log rolling during the lumberjack competition.

During the gondola ride down at the end of the day the sky was a little clearer so the pictures give at least a hint of the stunning view.

Looking down to the base of Grouse Mountain where the gondola begins.

Vancouver skyline from the gondola.

Back in the car headed toward Stanley Park (should have gone home for dinner but it’s tough to say “enough” out here!) we learned that while it’s easy to navigate around Vancouver, and we are indeed in a great location, the joy of that supposes no traffic! Apparently natives are laidback and easygoing until they’re not, then watch out! And they certainly are NOT in traffic. Determined though we travel across the Lion’s Gate Bridge and into what has to be the most beautiful city park I have ever seen! The route to downtown, it sits, much like a lush island, between North Van and downtown. A temperate rainforest the flowers, growing wild, are magnificent, the trees are huge and the undergrowth giant. Nancy said, and we all agreed, it’s like Jurassic Park! The road winds through the entire park as do hiking trails that crisscross through the verdant forest. We hiked for ages, not being able to resist what might be just beyond the next hill or bend. Now all of this without mentioning the Pacific! The ocean surrounds the park with a truly beautiful seawall bike/hike/running trail that circles the 10km edge where land meets sea. So, once again, unable to resist, we stroll along the seawall, until two hours have past and we are hungry, thirsty, maybe a tiny bit lost…and we are forced to admit that all good things must come to an end.

These trees are gigantic!

Looking down on the seawall.

Lion's Gate Bridge from the seawall.

Jeffrey taking it all in at sunset!

Back at the trailer we hurriedly put together our last meal with Jeffrey, Nancy and Cecilia. The wine that we gained from our Valley tours wards off starvation (honestly the only reason we drink the stuff!) as the blue cheese that we bought in the Okanagan melts temptingly over our grilled steaks. The fresh veggies round out the meal (put together in record time). Nancy didn’t want any blue cheese on her steak but Jeffrey convinced her to try a bite. Here is the result…

For a beautiful girl that's quite a face!

Jeffrey told her it was an incredible flavor. Nancy’s answer? Incredible like foot fungus! We have had so much fun exploring and laughing with them. Cecilia has been a delight for all of us and pretty clearly proved that she’s a trooper - joining in on any adventure that comes her way. As sorry as we are to see them go, Jeffrey also reminded me that there comes a time on vacation when it’s time to go home! Thankfully our time has not yet come!

Just before bed, as we were finishing a crazy final hand of Bananahammock, Cliff, Liz and Joanna arrived at our trailer door! How nice to see them and start to get ready for the next leg of our journey – the Read adventures are next on the agenda!