Vancouver Off The Beaten Path Tips by rmdw Top 5 Page for this destination

Lynn Canyon - The treasure beyond the bridge Lynn Canyon Review

If you can find the courage to cross the suspension bridge, then be sure to walk down the path (about 10 minutes) to the stunning blue-green pool being fed by a somewhat hidden waterfall.

You won't be disappointed!

Take a Harbour Cruise!

If the weather is sunny then try taking a cruise around Vancouver. The one I went on took us all the way up to "Indian Arm", northeast of Vancouver.

The scenery was absolutely beautiful. I even learned several things about my home town that I didn't know before. Most inspiring!

The food was above average though not life-changing. The service needs much improvement!

Other Contact: tours@boatcruises.com

Phone: (604) 688-7246

Outdoor Art

Vancouver has started placing a number of new pieces of artwork around the city. Some of them look great, while others look ... well ... "a little strange".

But sometimes art is in the eye of the beholder. The piece of art you see shown at Kitsilano Beach is an interesting example. From the side it looks like a strange thing with two interlocking components. But if you sit on the bench behind the art, it has a striking similiarity to a Killer Whale rising above the water. I must assume that this was intentional!

Storyeum

I have mixed feelings about this multi-million dollar addition to Vancouver's tourist industry.

WHAT IS IT?
Storeyeum is unique to Vancouver, with more in common to an attraction you might see at Disneyland. It consists of well decorated sets, multimedia presentations, and live actors. It tells the story of British Columbia, through stories and songs.

WHAT DID I LIKE?
The presentation & performances are top notch. It's like being in the middle of a live play/musical/video presentation. It definitely was on par with any live performance I've ever seen at Disneyland or Universal Studios.

WHAT DIDN'T I LIKE?
The price, for starters! I simply don't believe the hour long presentation is worth $21.95 for adults and $15.95 for children [aged 6 - 12]. The other thing that bugged me was the overly politically correct script, implying that every Caucasian person in history was a rogue and ever minority person was a victim. Without a doubt, bad things happened back then but it was a different time and a different people. It's easy to condemn people from the perspective of our modern eyes, but we never walked in their footsteps.

Other Contact: info@storyeum.com

Phone: 1.800.687.8142

Website: http://www.storyeum.com

A Super Luxury Condo in Vancouver

In the 1990's Vancouver saw a tremendous amount of new buildings to house its explosive population growth during that period. Unfortunately many of these were built as fast & cheaply as possible and have severe drainage problems.

But there is one outstanding building that epitomizes the finest attention to detail & quality. This building, called The Kingswood, sits on the SouthEast corner of 14th & Fir, 1 block West of Granville. You won't be able to go inside but it's great to see, especially on a sunny day!

Other Contact: info@thekingswood.com

Website: http://www.thekingswood.com

Interesting Houses

If you get a chance, go to the 1000 block West 15th Avenue (just west of Oak Street) and take a look at the houses. There are some really remarkable gems that bring back memories of yesteryear.

And speaking of the good old days, my elementary school (Grades 2 - 7) is just a little further up the road. It's now called L'Ecole Bilingue but was named Cecil Rhodes when I attended.

Compare the Old & New Architecture

Vancouver is a much younger city than most in North America. And much to my disappointment, a great deal of it has been demolished. But there are some gems left.

I love scenes that contrast the old with the new.

Vancouver City Hall

Vancouver's City Hall sits on the NE corner of Cambie Street & 12th Avenue. It was built in 1935-36, under the leadership of Mayor Gerry McGeer. The building is described as having a “Moderne” design albeit with some Art Deco styling inside and out.

The location of the building was symbolically significant, reflecting the 1929 amalgamation of the previously separate municipalities of South Vancouver and Point Grey. These two and Vancouver all met at what is now 16th & Cambie, 4 blocks to the south.

It was designed by the architectural firm of Townley and Matheson, and built by the Carter-Halls-Aldinger Company. The $1 million construction cost was provided via a special bond issue. It was opened on December 4, 1936 and was designated a heritage building in 1976. A four-storey annex, immediately to the north, was added in 1968-70, designed by Townley, Matheson, and Partners.

If you get a chance to tour inside then be sure to notice that the ceiling of the double-height lobby is decorated with gold leaf. The lobby directional signage is original, using a classic art-deco font. The interior of the elevators still retain their superb rich inlaid wood marquetry.

City Hall's address is 453 West 12th Avenue and is open Mon - Fri: 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.

Phone: 604-873-7011

Website: http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca

BC Cancer Research Building

If you're driving or walking on Broadway between Cambie and Oak then you will notice a very interesting looking building a block south that has a large number of huge round windows. It almost looks like something leftover from the 1960's but is actually circa 2004.

This is the home of BC Cancer Research. The actual address is 601 West 10th Avenue. Definitely worth a look!

Here is some interesting info about the building:

Size − 231,000 square feet
Cost − $95 million
Opened: Dec 2004
Architects: IBI Group Henriquez Partners

Over 50 principal scientists
Capacity for up to 600 scientific and medical personnel − an increase from 318 positions

A further 125,000 square feet dedicated to future research is planned for Phase 2, immediately to the east

Phone: 604-877-6010

Website: http://www.bccrc.ca

Vancouver's Historic Buildings

Though Vancouver isn't as old as most other cities in North America, it does have its own unique interesting history. One great way of learning more about the history of a city is to visit its older buildings.

A great starting point is to visit the website, which has photos and images of the hundreds of buildings that have been identified as historical landmarks.

Website: http://www.seevancouverheritage.com/vhr/vhr01/vhr01.htm