Tag: Parks

One of the best parts about Vancouver in the summer is the number of places to go and things to do that are free, or very inexpensive. On a hot day, nothing beats a water park.  These are my favourites in or near downtown Vancouver: Variety Kids Water Park at Lumberman’s Arch in Stanley ParkThis water park is located just off the seawall along the north side of Stanley Park, across from an attraction known as Lumbermans’s Arch.  There are plenty of things to climb on and kids can run through water geysers and canons. The waterfall is lots of […]

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Vancouver has lots of, pardon the expression, tourist attractions.  For those who prefer to explore where the natives go, Yaletown, a neighborhood near downtown, has lots of possibilities.  What it also has is the potential for elasticizing its boundaries beyond what is, to begin with, a rather amorphous set of metes and bounds. Furthermore it has something for many different tastes: Walking.  The Sea Wall along False Creek that lies at the southern edge of Yaletown that itself lies on the southern edge of downtown. To the east this can lead to Edgewater Casino with slot machines, poker tables and […]

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Local and foreign news has been covering the birth of eagles in Sidney BC, on Vancouver Island, that has been on a live web cam provided by the Hancock Wildlife Foundation.  This is a remarkable way to watch bald eagles. In Vancouver, however, you don’t need to go further than Vanier Park, which is on the north side of English Bay and is right next to the Burrard Street Bridge.  It’s not exactly a peaceful in the summer down there.  The tree the birds nest in is close to where cars park when they come to the annual Shakespeare Festival, […]

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Minutes up the NE side of the lake is Hot Springs Retreat, a quaint B&B. The cozy cedar home offers two private entrance/bathroom suites. Guests are welcome to enjoy the private gardens which back up against Bear Mountain. Across the road you may want to watch the sun set over Harrison Lake. Down the road a little further is Sasquatch Park which has a boat launch and an extensive picnic area by the water. This is a great place to get away for the day with the family. A shallow swim beach is roped off, and a sandy beach provides […]

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Nestled within the stunning landscape of the East Coast of Vancouver Island is “Fairwinds” at Nanoose Bay – just south of Parksville and north of Nanaimo.  Located on the leeward side of the mountain Nanoose Bay has the bragging rights of the mildest climate in Canada. As you drive down Powder Point Road past Enos Lake to Fairwinds, you may wonder where these names originated.  The forest engulfs the relics of bygone years, but a little delving into the past soon uncovers a colorful history here.  The first settler on the Nanoose Peninsula was John Enos.  Originally from the Azores, […]

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