5 Favourite Things To Do During the Winter Olympics

I got in trouble for my last entry on grumpy Vancouverites, so I thought I’d give some practical suggestions for visitors.  

I imagine someone involved in the Winter Olympics might only have a day or so to play in the city.  So I tried to think of my five favourite things that Vancouver has to offer.

1.  Walk the Stanley Park Sea Wall.  It’ll take a couple of hours, but even in the rain, the vistas of both nature and man-made facilities are unique.

2.  Go to Hamilton Street Grill for a steak.  It’s at 1009 Hamilton Street in Yaletown.  www.hamiltonstreetgrill.com. If you prefer vegetarian? Try the Naam in Kitsilano. 2724 West 4th Ave.  It’s also open 24 hours.  Try the pancakes.  

3.  Granville Island.  Located underneath the south end of the Granville St. bridge.  The shopping is essentially different.  Few brand names and lots of artisans’ products.

4.  Vancouver Aquarium.  It is located in Stanley Park.  My daughter loves the dolphins and the sea otters are pretty adorable.  The facility has a high education and conservation focus.

5.  Views.  If it isn’t pouring rain, try Grouse Mountain Skyride.  www.grousemountain.com/Winter/winter-activities. The view from the top is worth it.  Assuming that you are driving, you can try to get to the Cypress Bowl lookout.  It’s about half way up and there’s a marked pull out.  That doesn’t cost any money, but since it’s the Official Freestyle Skiing & Snowboard Venue for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, make sure to watch out for road closures.

I may be grumpy, but I know what I like.