Our plans for the day we got off the cruise ship changed three or four times. What we thought was our final plan was to rent a car and drive to Shannon Falls, British Columbia’s third highest waterfall. But when we arrived at the rental car place and the line wrapped around the block and we were told it would be 3 hours before we would get our car, we punted on that plan. My brother and sister-in-law had been planning to stay in the city and take my niece to Science World so we decided to join them. While …

In addition to our scheduled outings in Vancouver, we had some time to just wander around the city. Vancouver is a big city with lots to see, so we just focused on the highlights that fit in logistically with our other plans. We missed some big ones like the Chinatown and Granville Island but got a good taste of the city. Vancouver Airport This seems like a silly one but if you are arriving in Vancouver via airplane, the airport has some incredible works of art to check out. We came in late at night but the kids still wanted …

At 1,000 acres, Stanley Park is the third largest public park in North America and consistently ranked among the world’s best. Located on a peninsula in the northwest corner of Vancouver, the park is primarily made up of dense forest, making it unique among urban parks. It is a true urban oasis with almost half a million trees and 40 miles of forested trails all just a stone’s throw away from the downtown area of Canada’s 3rd largest city. While the forested interior of the park is unique and impressive, the perimeter of the park often garners the most attention …

Our second full day in Vancouver was supposed to be spent exploring Stanley Park and the city. But when we woke up to rain we had to reassess and come up with an indoor plan. Enter the Vancouver Aquarium. Our family is aquarium junkies. We go to them pretty much every chance we get. So nobody was too upset about this change in plans. Plus the Vancouver Aquarium is actually in Stanley Park, which meant we were poised to resume our plans if the weather improved. Like most aquariums, this one was not cheap. At $38/30/21 CAD for adult/youth/child tickets, …

After a half a day exploring Grouse Mountain, we hopped on the free shuttle that took us directly from Grouse Mountain to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. (Note that you need to have pre-purchased tickets to Capilano in order to use this inter-attraction shuttle.) As of summer 2019, tickets to Capilano are $53.95 CAD for adults, $29.95 CAD for youth 13-16 and $16.95 CAD for children 6-12. While Grouse Mountain tickets are date-specific, Capilano tickets are good for any single day up to 1 year from the purchase date. My husband and I had been to Capilano almost 20 years ago …

There were three things on our “must see” list for Vancouver – Grouse Mountain, Capilano Suspension Bridge, and Stanley Park. We had two full days in Vancouver before the cruise, which was perfect. We dedicated one day to the nature sites outside the city (Grouse and Capilano) and one day to the city itself. Grouse Mountain is about 30 minutes outside of downtown Vancouver and on a clear day it holds a commanding view of the city. It offers both winter and summer activities for year-round fun. In the summer, your ticket includes the gondola ride to the top, access …