There is so much to see and do in Vancouver, so we thought why not put together a list of our favorites.
Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden
It took me a few years to get around to visit this garden. In fact, it was not until it was named National Geographic’s Top City Garden in 2011. I honestly do not know what I waited for. The attention to detail is amazing! The Tai Hu Rock groupings were hand selected from Lake Tai and imported specifically for this garden along with various plant species as well. This garden is the first of its kind outside of China and also happens to be nearby the Millennium gates which mark the entrance to Gastown on East Pender Street.
Capilano Suspension Bridge
A longtime favorite and a great place to visit year-round (Canyon Lights starting late November are incredible). I remember when I moved to the city there had been some massive wind storms just weeks earlier and thousands of trees around the region had come down. One 300-year-old 40-ton Douglas Fir decided to tussle with the bridge during this storm and you would naturally think that any time a 40-ton tree takes on a man-made structure that the tree wins. But the suspension bridge is capable of holding up to 170 tons! So, the big tree lost this one. Though it has been a while since I looked over the side of the bridge, you should still be able to see some of the remnants of the tree at the bottom of the canyon. The park has evolved over the last decade with Cliff Walk and The Tree Top adventure attractions being added for a fun time.
Grouse Mountain
This place is a lot of fun and if you are a glutton for punishment, you can do the Grouse Grind instead of the Skyride. The record for the Grind is a sub-30-minute time and I came close to breaking this record! I was only 90 minutes shy! Is it a rewarding hike or it is just the elated feeling because you survived? Once at the top, there are two great scheduled performances. The lumberjacks have been putting on their show several times a day for years and it is always fun. You can also see the Raptor show and observe amazing Bald Eagles, Vultures, Falcons and other awe-inspiring birds of prey up close. For the first time last year, I ventured to the VERY top of the mountain and did the Eye of the Wind package. The view is even better from up here! I can’t forget Koola and Grinder, the resident Grizzly bears. These two MASSIVE rescued bears have called Grouse mountain home for years and are well acclimated to people peering through the fence of their habitat. I definitely recommend breakfast with bears!
Granville Island
I walk to Granville Island several times throughout the summer and brave the crowds for a couple of reasons. By this, I mean TWO Donuts from Lee’s Donuts. I'm not kidding! The last time I was there I ate two donuts but, in my defense, they were really good. Granville Island is a great place to go and eat good food and watch amazing Buskers. Check out granvilleislandbuskers.com for a schedule and list of locations. We particularly enjoyed Edgar Muenala and his Panflute. You can also rent boats, take whale watching tours or just go for a cruise with False Creek ferries from here.
There you have it, a list of our top 4 favorite attractions. We hope that you have a great time visiting Vancouver and we would love to hear about your experiences when you come back at the end of the day.
Did we forget to include your favorite place? Let us know on our Facebook page or post your pictures on Instagram and use the tag #mydaysinnvan.
