Visit Vancouver in the Summer

October 9th, 2010 admin

Vancouver, home of the 2010 Winter Olympics, was showcased as a wonderful place to visit and enjoy numerous winter sports. True the mountains at Whistler, a village outside of Vancouver about 90 minutes by car, bus or train away, do provide spectacular skiing, but it is in the summer that they really are at their very best. Well that’s my opinion anyway.

Sea To Sky Highway

Well the names sort of says it all, the highway between Vancouver and Whistler is spectacular if a little daunting.,The drive takes you up a twisty windy road much of which, between Vancouver and Squamish, which is half way there, overlooks the Pacific or at least the various bays and coves along the BC coast between Vancouver and Squamish. There are places to stop and just drink in the views and there are some wonderful little places where you can enjoy great food and still soak up the scenery. It doesn’t get more spectacular than this road with these massive pines trees and the rugged mountains along the shore kissing the blue Pacific, under a bright blue sky.

To tell the truth my favorite time to do this drive is at sunset, coming back from Whistler after a day full of activity. But that is of course up to you. Be sure to go through the Britannia Beach abandoned gold mine, fascinating if you have never been in a gold mine before. Stop to see Shannon Falls then take a drive into Garibaldi Park. This is an interesting road, enjoy it. If you want you can even do a little mountain climbing at Squamish. The Chief is quite famous for its variety of climbs, from walking a path (it’s a little challenging) to scaling cliffs with pitons and ropes.

If your thing is golfing, this is really only available in the summer months, stop at Furry Creek, and expect to be blown away. The PGA course at Pebble Beach is not more spectacular than this. Probably no more challenging either. You might lose a few balls but you will have an incredible time and after the game. the Club House offers some spectacular dining. Once you get to Whistler you will find more fabulous golf courses, but none with the spectacular scenery of Furry Creek.

Vancouver City

In the city there is almost anything that a big city can offer you. Many wonderful libraries, two world class Universities, museums, a lot of theater, musical venues and dining venues abound. Because of the diverse cultures to be found in the Vancouver population the variety of restaurants is unparalleled. Want to eat mid eastern cuisine in a tent, enjoy Russian food or East Indian, Pakistani, Chinese Italian. You name it and it is available in a restaurant run by someone who grew up in the country of that food. Authentic to the max.

Then of course there is the seafood. Fresh wild Pacific salmon is featured on many tables along with raw oysters and dungeness crab, halibut, tuna and so much more. Or you can have giant wild Alaskan crab legs. The Cannery is always one of my favorites where you can sit right on the ocean’s edge and enjoy your 5 star meal. ‘But there are so many wonderful seafood restaurants. Come and spend a month or two and you might get to try half of them.

There is Gastown which gives you a taste of the past in a refurbishment of one of the oldest parts of Vancouver. This is now an area of artist lofts and young singles, with lots of great bars and wonderful, not expensive, restaurants near at hand.

Do you love to walk by the seaside? In Vancouver there are many, many places where you can do that. In West Vancouver you can stroll along the wooden seawalk and step away a short distance and enjoy a variety of delicious foods. Visit Vancouver’s famous Stanley Park where you have seven kilometers of seaside walking in one of the most beautiful parks in the world. This park offers rose gardens and lily ponds for those who like nature a little tamed and huge dark natural forest areas where you can truly get off the beaten path. Be a little bit careful as there are actually men who live in some of the underbrush, it is that wild. But there are always lots of police nearby and they patrol the park on horseback so they can easily go anywhere. You will find lots of open areas where you can lie on the grass and stare at the sky, enjoy a picnic lunch and throw a little frisbee or a football. Forgot your picnic basket? No problem.You will discover a variety of concessions and even restaurants offering some of the finest dining in Vancouver right in the park.

Continue north across the Lions Gate Bridge from Stanley Park and head for Grouse Mountain. You can take a Gondola to the top and enjoy a view of the whole city, spectacular, especially at night. If you are fit you can climb to the top of B Grouse through something called The Grind. Need I say more.

Do you love boating. There are so many nearby islands that the whole Vancouver area is a boater’s paradise. If you don’t have your own boat you can easily rent one for the day or the week, but you may have to show some knowledge of how to run a boat. But you don’t have to do it yourself. Take a ferry to a number of the islands and enjoy a day away, make it longer if you wish.

There are many things to see and do in and around Vancouver, summer or winter, spring or fall. I just personally love it more in the summer time. The only way for you to know is to come and try it. Visit Vancouver anytime.




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