Our one day tour of Must Visit Places in Vancouver covered Stanley Park, Capilano Suspension Bridge and Park, Grouse Mountain and Prospect Point.
We had made our bus booking in advance through an online tour company. Our bus driver for the next 2 days was also our tour guide for our tour of British Columbia. The next 2 days were choc-full of beautiful coastal British Columbia!
Weather in Vancouver-
It was cloudy and drizzling for most of the time. Temperatures were around 70F (around 21C). We were prepared with rain jackets and footwear as there was a lot of outdoor walking to be done! For all those who plan to visit this region carry rain protective gear because it gets grey and overcast very frequently and can rain often in the peak of summer months. Also, on such days, it really gets quite dark since there is barely any clear sunlight. That combined with actual rain can make it quite challenging to take good quality photos.
Our day in Vancouver began with the sights of downtown, Canada Place and beautiful mountains. We drove around in the big green bus as we went north to the North Vancouver area.
Stanley Park-
This was our first stop. It is a top tourist spot and a Canadian Heritage Site with over 1000 acres of park land surrounded mostly by the Seawall. The greens of the park are full of picnic benches, trails and open spaces. There are man made memorials, museums and an aquarium also, but, the natural beauty of Stanley Park is its real highlight.
Age old cedar trees older than a century are the real show stoppers!
The Totem poles at Stanley Park –
The totem poles are multiple tiers of symbols carved out of cedar wood which are of symbolic importance to the Kwakwaka’wakw people. They are the original pre- British natives who inhabited the region before the westerners arrived on this part of the land. The meanings of the symbols on totem poles varies. They may either describe a story or depict a guardian, an ancestor, or a hierarchy with the chief’s seal at the top of the structure.
In this North Pacific region the mythological “Thunderbird” is most often the symbol at the top tier of many totem poles. It signifies the belief that the Kwakwaka’wakw people are descendants of the mythical animal “Thunderbird”.
This location also has some of the most impressive views of downtown Vancouver. The urban sprawl of gleaming glass facades reflects the mood of the skies and thus is a favorite of photographers. It definitely makes for some good pictures!
