Friday, September 14, 2012

Vancouver redux

I've just finished the first full day of a grand Canadian tour I'm taking with my Mum and Dad.  I hired a car at Vancouver airport yesterday which proved a wise move.  It's given us maximum flexibility to see almost everything Dad had thrown on to his bucket list.

Yesterday we went to the Calipano suspension bridge, a 450 foot long footbridge that sits 175 feet above a rather ominous canyon.  Dad was thrilled to finally tackle the treetop walk on its far side where a series of elevated, suspension bridges guide you through soaring Redwood trees, at time the walk takes you 50 feet up into the air.

Today we started our day with a leisurely brunch in a cafe Garry and I enjoyed two years ago.  We then went on to tour the massive green expanse of Stanley Park, before heading downtown to walk along the waterfront where seaplanes come and go with surprising frequency. 

After lunch we caught the gondola up Grouse Mountain to take in a sun drenched view of the entire Vancouver region. The mountain park also hosts two captive Grizzly bears, one of which put on a cheeky water show for us while we were there. Another tick on Dad's bucket list. It's been a wonderful start to our vacation.

We have an early rise tomorrow to ensure we catch our scenic Rocky Mountains train at 7.30am. The train will be our home for the next two days as we wind our way from Vancouver to Banff.

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