Tag: Stanley Park

December 2015 in Vancouver has been hit by a series of ‎ storms that featured high wind, cold temperatures (5 C is considered cold here) and rain. It’s a gross feeling to have rain literally blown into your ear by the wind. But, between storms there have been single days of sunshine showing the snowy peaks of the North Shore Mountains. And, better yet, ‎coincided with our visit to Bright Nights in Stanley Park. Due to these storms people with choice of timing also came down to the Park, which makes it a bit crazy down there. For parking, there’s […]

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The Stanley Park Halloween Ghost Train is an annual favourite for locals and visitors to Vancouver. The setting for the miniature train is pretty eerie at night even without all the dramatic presentations. Since we have one younger child, it’s best to head there at sunset because, by the time you have bought tickets (we just bought at the gate; it was 5 days before Halloween and there wasn’t a crowd), the woods are getting to be just that great creepy feel. Lingering sunlight from sunset is blocked out by the trees. This year the theme was old monster movies. […]

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Finally, summer is in full swing. It is most definitely my favourite season. Shedding layers of clothing, BBQ dinners with friends and family, occasional drinks, reading on the patio, and outdoor workouts – who doesn’t love summer! Unfortunately it’s also the peak of tourist season here in Vancouver. But don’t you worry! I’m here to help you and your family find unique summer activities and hidden spots away from the regular tourist spots. For those of you who take advantage of the warmer weather by moving your workouts outdoors, the choices are endless. Here are my top three favourites: 1. […]

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I don’t think anyone who’s been paying attention to the Vancouver news lately can go to the Vancouver Aquarium and not wonder about the conditions for the animals. However, if you’ve been going to the Aquarium for the last couple of decades you will have noticed a large shift from public amusement to animal rehabilitation. Last year there was a significant conflict with the Vancouver Parks Board about whales in captivity. In the end the Parks Board thought they were proposing a compromise by saying the whales could stay as long as they didn’t breed. This had a lot of […]

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In the spring of 2015, Vancouver had an unusual run of dry weather — milimetres of rain, not the usual feet of rain. So when our work team decided to do our second (now annual) team bike ride around Stanley Park we were expecting to work up a sweat. Of course it rained. Not hard and not for long but it was cool and damp. Another expectation I had was that it would be crowded on the sea wall walk, which is a 10 km scenic trail around this massive park. I’d heard of incidents of cyclists, inline skaters, pedestrians […]

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The official name of the difficult to photograph Christmas Train in Stanley Park is called “Bright Nights Christmas Train in Stanley Park“. It’s great. You’d think it’s just a kids’ thing with all the tons of lights and Santa and elves and a train through the woods, but I recommend it for adults who want to sneak in a moment of feeling like a kid. There’s everything you need. Lights, popcorn, pretzels and donations to the burn BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund. The whole layout is far bigger and grander than you’d expect. Of course by now you have […]

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At the 2014 Halloween Train, I happened to learn about squirrels. There was a booth operated by the Stanley Park Ecology Society. It was there that I learned that in the park are northern flying squirrels. I was shocked because I’d never heard of these before. And, there’s a reason. You are as likely to see one of these as you are a magical pixie. This is because they are nocturnal and live only in the high canopy. But of course it’s sad there are no moose in the park because then you could have more Rocky and Bullwinkle jokes. […]

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I’ve enjoyed The Stanley Park Halloween Ghost Train in past years, but there was something special this year. Maybe it was the teeming rain. Seriously, it was teeming rain and we were in the middle of an urban rain forest. Strangely the dark woods seemed to protect us, even though we were going to see something scary. Perhaps the side effect of the rain was a smaller crowd. About 15 of us convened and there simply wasn’t a crowd. It was 6 PM, which is prime family time. Most 6-year-olds are mush by 8 PM. Doing something scary after 8 […]

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On a rainy night I and the family enjoyed the Halloween Train in Stanley Park.  This year it was an Alice In Wonderland theme and I thought taking some of the traditional images from the book and films and making them creepy was well done.  I particularly liked the Black Queen, who was on stilts and looking pretty nasty. As for the ride’s fear factor, my two-year-old was more mesmerized by the image of Alice’s huge leg sticking out of the White Rabbit’s house.  It is definitely PG rated and there’s no gore or anything jumping out at you. I […]

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In the summer of 2010, I lived in an apartment hotel in Vancouver’s West End.  (Specifically 910 Beach Ave Apartment Hotel.)  I was enjoying Stanley Park’s Second Beach which has a good playground and a marvelous pool as well as the ocean.  My ride back had left and I was happy, during a warm stunning sunset, to walk along the Stanley Park Seawall, which leads to a waterfront walk along English Bay. Vancouver’s West End is known for its eccentrics.  So, people-watching is great.  Somehow with a stunning sunset and warm conditions even the more erratic people have a (relatively) care-free […]

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