The swaying Capilano Suspension Bridge and fine salmon hatchery where you can spend hours trying to photograph leaping fish and its associated aquarium are most worthwhileNorth Vancouver outings. So is the Royal Hudson, a wonderful steam train that runs up the side of Howe Sound towards Whistler. Tip: skip breakfast and enjoy a "sticky bun" at the train terminal. We hear that the logging show at the end of the train line is worth the price, but have not seen it. We did enjoy a wonderful ride on a ski equipped glacier plane from the far end of the train ride, and the optional shuttle ferry back. Floatplanes and helicopters can take you to exceptional fishing in a few minutes from this area, or the general aviation airport near Vancouver International.
Stanley Park remains our favorite Sunday walk in Vancouver. Shoals of cricket players and mutters of lawn bowlers all clad in spotless white dot the green meadows between massive conifers. Rugby players are louder and rougher and amazingly muddy on damp days. The scene is more muted at the fine zoo where weekend art exhibits offer a peaceful break overlooking the yacht harbor. An excellent children's zoo and miniature railroad suit kids. Good beaches march six miles around the park towards downtown. Our favorite is English Beach. Watch for the tame Canadian geese that wander on roads and lawns; they have the right of way!
Granville Island is louder, more crowded and fine family fun. The markets, shops, theatres and bars here attract a lively mix of shoppers who can chose from 200 cheeses at one stall and 50 different kinds of bread at another, and visitors anxious to see some of Vancouver's best art galleries. We buy wonderful foods from the stalls and, like dozens of others, enjoy the decks overlooking the site of Expo. If you fish, you might book a half-day boat and enjoy the action out in the roads where freighters anchor or over towards Lions Gate Bridge. All day trips go as far as Howe Sound.
Weekend parking is the only problem with Granville Island. So we park across at the YMCA pool near the bridge and take a wonderful electric pram with a fringe on top across the inlet. This mini ferry also follows the shore around to the Expo Site towards the spots dome and to a tidy maritime museum in Vanier Park towards the University.
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