***PHOTO Vancouver walking tour & Renaissance Harbourside, pre-cruise (August 2010)

[daliflor]

Stanley Park - located just off the main downtown core, this park is one of the finest in the world.

 

 

Encompassing a variety of gardens, animals, activities and spectacular ocean views, Stanley Park has something for everyone.

 

 

 

 

Surprise?! Stanley Park is one of the 30 stops for the Sightseeing touristic bus, so here I've seen it again!

 

 

 

Garden of Remembrance - Air Force Memorial plaque

 

[daliflor]

By 1913, the Park had become an important tourist destination, drawing some 50,000 visitors on foot per week.

 

 

 

 

Non, Rien de rien

Je ne regrette rien!

 

Like Edith Piaf's lyrics said, I didn't want to get to Embarkation with any regrets, so the smartest thing to do at the time, I thought, was to tour the park using the park's shuttle

(the 45 minuted complete ride was actually about 32 minutes at $10.00 CAD. The ticket is good for the whole day and you can hop in and off as you wish. I only took it full circle as I wanted to catch the cruise ship that Friday afternoon!).

 

 

 

Inhale fragrant blooms at the Stanley Park Rose Pavilion!

 

 

Stanley Park Rose Garden is absolutely spectacular to see!

 

 

 

The view is the Downtown core with all the high rise office buildings

[fleckle]

Well, from now on whenever anyone raises that recurring question of whether or not it is worth spending some time in Vancouver before or after an Alaska cruise, the only reply necessary is to post a link to this thread and the correct answer will be obvious.

[kasijab]

Fantastic photos. We are going to Vancouver (and Canada in General) for the first time next June, and you have really whetted the appetite. Thank you

[daliflor]

Stanley Park, named for Lord Stanley of Preston Governor General of Canada in 1888, has maintained a unique status as Canada's largest and most loved, urban park.

 

 

Statue of Robert Burns

 

 

Queen Victoria Memorial Fountain (located across from the Rowing Club, it is placed to commemorate her death)

[daliflor]

All your comments are appreciated - thank you for taking time to review those images as I did enjoy the day spent in Vancouver last month, pre-cruise.

 

 

My shuttle tour continued with the Stanley Park seawall that goes around the outside of the park making for a great drive, walk, jog, bike or roller blade anytime of year.

 

 

Starting right at the entrance to the park the paved walkway is 8 km (5 miles) long.

 

 

Coal Harbour is the body of water you see on the right hand side as you come into Stanley Park from downtown Vancouver.

 

 

 

 

[daliflor]

The fresh sea breeze and the clip clop of the horses hooves are a recipe for a relaxing good time.

 

From the seawall on the Stanley Park side of Coal Harbour you can look across and see the high-rise buildings that make up the downtown core.

 

 

Coal Harbour - the harbour got it's name because in the mid 1800s coal was discovered here.

 

 

Back in the 1920s they started building the Stanley Park seawall to stop erosion.

It took almost 6 decades to complete it.

 

 

[daliflor]

From the seawall on the Stanley Park side of Coal Harbour you can look across and see the high-rise buildings that make up the downtown core.

 

 

Vancouver's skyline by Canada Place with Vancouver Lookout Tower in the background

(viewed from Stanley Park on Friday, August 27th 2010)

 

 

Walking the seawall in Stanley Park is the number one recreational activity for locals and visitors alike.

 

 

 

The seawall - it makes a stunning backdrop and a great contrast between the natural beauty of Stanley Park and the architectural beauty of the city.

 

 

Unique collection of Totem poles that share the history and longevity of British Columbia's first people; messages of courage, strength, and dignity are emitted from these eight totem poles.

[daliflor]

Stanley Park is undeniably Canada's most beautiful and, considering its urban context, best preserved park!

 

 

 

 

Vancouver's Naval Reserve Division, HMCS Discovery, is strategically located on the Deadman Island in support of the security of Vancouver Harbour.

 

 

Deadman's Island is a 3.8 ha island to the south of Stanley Park in Coal Harbour in Vancouver, British Columbia.

 

 

 

Hallelujah Point - a former site for Salvation Army prayer meetings

[daliflor]

The seawall leads visitors through the impressive urban jungle with views that include sandy beaches, sculptures, and stunning gardens that reflect the unique geography of British Columbia.

 

 

The Harry Jerome statue in Stanley Park is a viewpoint that looks towards downtown Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada, North America.

 

 

The statue of Harry Winston Jerome is a memorial of his great life as a Canadian track and field runner who broke many world records and competed in the 1960, 1964 and 1968 Summer Olympics.

 

 

Many memorial statues have been erected in Stanley Park in Vancouver, Canada but this Harry Jerome statue overlooks the magnificent complexes of the downtown core.

 

[daliflor]

One building that you'll spot easily is Canada Place. It's the one with the roof that looks sails on a ship.

 

 

Radiance of the Seas docked by Canada Place in Vancouver, B.C. (August 27, 2010)

 

 

No matter when or what time of year it is, a brisk walk or a casual stroll around the seawall is a pleasurable activity.

 

 

The most peaceful time to walk the seawall seems to be in the early morning when not too many people are up and around yet and the most distraction you're likely to get is from the seagulls.

 

[daliflor]

An 8.8 kilometres (5.5 mi) seawall path circles the park, which is used by 2.5 million pedestrians, cyclists, and inline skaters every year.

 

 

 

In the summertime the seawall can get very crowded. Not only are people walking the seawall but there's also all the cyclists and roller skaters (good thing they have their own lane).

 

 

 

 

 

There are two paths: one for inline skaters and cyclists and the other for pedestrians.

[daliflor]

We were told by the tour guide that moderate temperatures in the springtime make the 8 km (5 mile) walk around the entire seawall the most comfortable (or when the cherry and plum trees start to blossom).

 

You can also find the occasional benches that invite you to stop and sit awhile and just take in this little peace of heaven.

 

The Lions Gate Bridge on the horizon:

 

 

 

The park's trails and the popular Totems are popular with visitors.

 

 

[daliflor]

Brockton Point Lighthouse located at the east end of Stanley Park:

 

 

A life size bronze statue of a woman in a wetsuit, with flippers on her feet and her mask pushed up on her forehead, sits on a large intertidal boulder just offshore of Stanley Park:

 

 

September 1968 - Douglas Brown talked to sculptor Elek Imredy about his desire to commission a sculpture inspired by the famous Copenhagen mermaid, which could be sited on the great granite boulder just off the northern shore of Stanley Park.

 

 

"Girl in Wetsuit" has become a landmark for visitors to Stanley Park and to boats that enter the harbour.

 

 

"A symbolic figure of the future exploration of the continental shelf... She represents Vancouver's dependence on the sea and the necessity to use the sea for the benefit of all."

[daliflor]

The tour (using the park's shuttle) continued along the Waterfront as we were approaching another landmark of Vancouver: Lions Gate Bridge!

 

 

 

Lions Gate Bridge - The total length of the bridge including the north viaduct is 1,823 metres (5,890 feet).

 

 

On 24 March 2005, the Lions Gate Bridge was designated a National Historic Site of Canada.

 

 

The term "Lions Gate" (bridge) reflects the Lions, a pair of mountain peaks north of Vancouver.

 

 

The Lions Gate Bridge crosses the first narrows of the Burrard Inlet, connecting the City of Vancouver to the NorthShore municipalities of the District of North Vancouver.

 

[daliflor]

"Here is what Lions Gate Bridge is: one last grand gesture of beauty, of charm, and of grace, where civilisation ends... and eternity begins."

 

 

The Lions Gate Bridge has three reversible lanes, the use of which is indicated by signals (here view from the South end in Stanley Park).

 

 

Millions of visitors have explored the forest oasis that boasts hundreds of years of history through its sculptures and art.

 

 

Much of the park remains forested with an estimated half million trees that can be as tall as 76 metres (249 ft) and hundreds of years old.

 

 

The forest gives the park a more natural character than most other urban parks, leading many users to consider it an urban oasis.

 

[daliflor]

Stanley Park is the only park of its kind and relays valuable stories about its city, its province, and its country.

 

 

 

Arriving at the Prospect Point - a popular stop in the park; the tallest point in Stanley Park

 

 

From the Prospect Point you can get a gorgeous view of the Lions Gate Bridge and the North Shore mountains and watch ships and cruise liners as they pass under the bridge.

 

 

 

The forest - it is primarily second and third growth and contains many huge Douglas-fir, Western Red cedar, Western Hemlock, and Sitka Spruce trees.

 

 

[daliflor]

Trees growing out of stumps show the regeneration of the park forest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[daliflor]

In addition to logging in the 19th century, large swathes of the park were deforested by natural causes on three occasions in the city’s history.

 

 

 

 

 

The Squamish "cut down large cedar trees in Stanley Park for making canoes and other purposes" utilizing "nothing but stone chisels and a big round stone for a hammer."

 

 

Tea break anyone? : )

 

[jaxbeachmimi]

We are staying in Vancouver next May pre cruise for 2 days. We would love to stay @this hotel, however it is $$$$ to book directly. How can we ensure we can get this hotel w/priceline? Were you just lucky when you booked? Thanks for any help.

[Putterdude]

We are staying in Vancouver next May pre cruise for 2 days. We would love to stay @this hotel, however it is $$$$ to book directly. How can we ensure we can get this hotel w/priceline? Were you just lucky when you booked? Thanks for any help.

 

Unless there is a promotion of some sorts the rack rate for the hotel will be more than $200 p/n. On Priceline there is no assurance as to which hotel you will get. However Vancouver's downtown is very compact and therefore any downtown hotel is very close to everything. If you go on Priceline after the begining of the year and choose Vancouver-Downtown then click on 3*+ and begin your bidding at about $100 you will end up with a great hotel in a good area at under $150. Hotels will include the Marriott, the Renaissance, Hyatt Regency, Sutton Place, Weston Bayshore and occasionally the Pan Pacific.

[jaxbeachmimi]

Unless there is a promotion of some sorts the rack rate for the hotel will be more than $200 p/n. On Priceline there is no assurance as to which hotel you will get. However Vancouver's downtown is very compact and therefore any downtown hotel is very close to everything. If you go on Priceline after the begining of the year and choose Vancouver-Downtown then click on 3*+ and begin your bidding at about $100 you will end up with a great hotel in a good area at under $150. Hotels will include the Marriott, the Renaissance, Hyatt Regency, Sutton Place, Weston Bayshore and occasionally the Pan Pacific.

 

Sounds good...thanks so much!

[daliflor]

We are staying in Vancouver next May pre cruise for 2 days. We would love to stay @this hotel, however it is $$$$ to book directly. How can we ensure we can get this hotel w/priceline? Were you just lucky when you booked? Thanks for any help.

 

The knowledgeble, trusted local source had spoken below, so I can't agree more! : )

 

Just to reiterate - it was my first time on Priceline and I started biding bit low for 4* and 5* hotels as recommended on this forum (for Downtown location). I got simply lucky on the first try as the online site asked me to go up to $90.00 USD as they had a winner for me at that price; and I did.

 

I am not associated in any way with this hotel or vendor, so I could have gotten probably any of the hotels mentioned below. After I knew what I have, I did a little online research and at least for this year, I observed that this particular hotel seemed to have promotions around $90.00 (sometimes bit higher or even lower) at the beginning and at the end of Alaskan cruise seasons, especially. It may (or not) have something to do with the cruise season or the recent remodelling.

 

So Good Luck to you! Be persistent and do not give up! You will get lucky and as already mentioned by the local EXPERT, you can't go wrong with ANY of the Downtown/ Canada Place hotels if you get a promo (otherwise, you may use Marriott points or miles to avoid the expensive rack rate - just some other options available).

 

Unless there is a promotion of some sorts the rack rate for the hotel will be more than $200 p/n. On Priceline there is no assurance as to which hotel you will get. However Vancouver's downtown is very compact and therefore any downtown hotel is very close to everything. If you go on Priceline after the begining of the year and choose Vancouver-Downtown then click on 3*+ and begin your bidding at about $100 you will end up with a great hotel in a good area at under $150. Hotels will include the Marriott, the Renaissance, Hyatt Regency, Sutton Place, Weston Bayshore and occasionally the Pan Pacific.

 

Thank you for once again promptly sharing your expertise with us!

[daliflor]

Located just off the main downtown core, this 1000 acre park is one of the finest in the world.

 

 

 

 

Our shuttle tour continued around the park's trails and the kids playground:

 

 

 

Should I say it? Well, came across another touristic bus in Stanley Park!

 

[daliflor]

In addition to being nearly surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, Stanley Park is home to several other bodies of water in Vancouver.

 

 

Lost Lagoon is a captive 16.6 hectare (41 acre) body of water, west of Georgia Street, near the Georgia Street entrance to the park.

 

 

Surrounding the lake is a 1.75 km (1.09 mi) trail, and it features a lit fountain that was erected to commemorate the city's golden jubilee.

 

 

 

The Lost Lagoon is a nesting ground to many species of birds, including swan, Canada goose, duck and great blue heron.