After a lazy morning, we made our way to the tourist information centre, where we met up with Kiwi. Walking through the slushy Vancouver streets, we headed to the Sea Bus, which took us to Grouse Mountain, which stood 3700 feet above sea level. Catching a bus right to the base of the mountain, we then caught a gondola (which could carry 100 people) up to the top, swaying gently each time we passed one of the towers....very cool). The gondola provided us with quite breath taking views!!!
Wandering through the Chalet, we took a few snaps before heading the lookout, where we could see back down the mountain and watch the gondolas arrive, very cool!
A trip to Santa beckoned, with Kiwi, Kate and myself deciding it had to be done (since we were away for Christmas) and Santa was more than welcoming - we were the only adults in the line.... :) Leaving Santa, we got to see some live reindeer (caribou), which were a lot smaller than we had imagined them being. Deciding it was time to get out of the cold for a bit, we headed indoors for a wonderful lunch, that was reasonably priced considering where we were!
Heading back down the gondola, we took lots of photos, before again catching the bus - this time towards Capilano Canyon & Suspension bridge. We had been informed that most of the reserve was closed due to the large dumping of snow the day before, which had frozen, causing very slippery conditions. This did not deter us, as they had reopened the bridge and were in the process of having the paths open for the christmas lights.
With a tour guide giving us background information on the reserve (who owned it etc), we made our way to the suspension bridge, which was 450 foot from one side to the other and 230 feet from the canyon floor. The many trees - Douglas-fir, Hemlock and Cedar filled the forests around us, with lovely snow covered tops - making it a true winter wonderland.
As darkness settled in, the winter lights brightened up the evening. The trails were opened (after a lot of shovelling and sanding) allowing us to wander through the treetops, taking in the beauty of the area.
Kate and Michelle were lucky to see a Bald Eagle glide gracefully through the canyon, in search of some food. It was truly breath taking and they both wished they could have taken a photo!
Time disappeared rather quickly so we decided it was time to head back to Downtown Vancouver (again on the sea bus). A quick dinner at a wonderful Asian restaurant followed, before retiring for a well earnt rest.
The three of us have thoroughly enjoyed this day - considering the weather forecast is looking a bit inconsistent in the coming days, with another 30cm of snow forecast....we'll see!
No comments:
Post a Comment