Tag: Sightseeing

For work there was an opportunity for team building with a couple of folks from back east, specifically, Toronto.  When a pandemic is still ongoing, outdoor activities – especially in Vancouver – are a great idea.  As a long time Vancouverite, I love showing off the sights and Stanley Park jumps to mind. As part of team building, you want people who don’t know each other.  My challenge for them was to “walk, talk, and look for answers to questions you haven’t been given yet.” It occurred to me that I should test if what I was going to do […]

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Vancouver Island University (VIU) has this site called Deep Bay Marine Field Station. It’s located in Bowser, BC, which is about 30 minutes down the road from Qualicum Beach. My family had been curious about it for years and had some bad luck. In 2014 we tried to visit the Field Station and last year (2020) we rebutted by COVID-19, but this year we struck it rich. Between 10 AM and 4 PM they were open. VIU has a research station where they are working on selective breeding of oysters and, more recently, scallops. It’s an industry initiative because they […]

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The PNE Winter Lights display in 2020 was an unexpected surprise for us as a friend suddenly had tickets she could not use. I had originally not considered this as an option because of the huge popularity and the idling of cars. (I really don’t like drive through anything.) However, it was after Christmas and my family bubble was happy to spend some time seeing some Christmas lights. Do we headed out to the Vancouver PNE grounds and drove through. As you can tell from the photos, the lights were wonderful. It was odd when I realized we were driving […]

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Honestly, I didn’t think I’d be writing a travel article on this last day of Autumn 2020. In downtown Vancouver, where the day time population of office workers dramatically dropped, there was a need to keep the lights on – in more meanings that one! Fleurs de Villes Noël Vancouver ran from December 4-13 with very inventive arrangement of not just flowers, but all types of plant life. My wife and I walked about and enjoyed the route, which covered parts of the streets of Robson, Burrard, Alberni and Hornby. Given that so much else was shuttered (e.g. Stanley Park […]

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When you are driving around on holiday, it’s sometime rewarding to decide to follow a sign. We have been on the road to Deep Bay Marine Field Stationin the hopes to be able to walk the grounds. This did not work as the gate was closed. They had decided to not be open to the public due to the pandemic. Other places like Milner Gardens had followed suit, sadly. On the way back to Parksville, we say a sign for Big Qualicum Fish Hatchery. The kids of course seem to get nervous whenever Dad says, “Hey let’s check this out.” […]

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One of the more popular easy trails with stunning views is Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver. When I asked Google Maps for a driving route, it suggested taking the Upper Levels Highway, which is a horrible route for a tourist. If you are coming from Vancouver stay on Marine Drive and head west. This will take you through the Ambleside and Dundarave sections of West Van, but then lead you to twisty roads with wonderful views. Be careful because the locals like to take these fast. It’s a left turn onto Beacon Lane where you can head down to the […]

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Milner Gardens in Qualicum Beach was a visit a long time coming. We visit the Oceanside area of Vancouver Island once or twice a year and, every time we tried to sneak in a visit to Milner Gardens, we’ve been thwarted by scheduling issues. Vancouver Island University came into possession of the 79 acres of seaside walk and botanical gardens in 1996. Make sure to read the History page of the website because the original patrons are super British connected and the gardens have hosted Queen Elizabeth and some of her offspring over the years. For us, we had a […]

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There’s a really long walk you can take from Vancouver‘s Canada Place, which will take your around Stanley Park. It’s an easy walk, in that it’s flat and well kept. But it’s long. It’s also much longer if you are a nincompoop. Never change your orthotics into newer shoes before embarking; it will feel like you just put the orthotics in for the first time. However, let’s not focus on the pain; let’s focus on the scenery. When you start from Canada Place it’s a more industrial place. Seaplanes, ships, cafés and so forth. The good news is that there […]

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If you are visiting Vancouver, you should not miss Granville Island. Food, shopping, boats, artisans, entertainment and more. Food and shopping is what you’ve likely heard, but when I last walked onto the island, I noticed the first thing you see looking forward is the Theatresports venue, where you can enjoy improv. If you look behind you, you will see the Kids Market, which is a collection of toy stores and other fun things. Adults do not need children to enjoy that section. On the road heading to Granville Island Market, you will find unusual (i.e. not so branded) shops […]

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It’s nutty that I never went on a Harbour Cruise in Vancouver. Luckily someone at work decided this would be a good way to celebrate for our department. The cruise company provided food and a bar and even though it was a social event I had time to ponder how highly changeable the harbour becomes. It’s pretty industrial at first and is particularly eerie to see the structures for the Burnaby Terminal for the Trans Mountain Pipeline System. There’s so much debate about the expansion and to see the oil infrastructure with the creepy exhaust pipes that you think you […]

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