Grouse Mountain and Capilano Suspension Bridge

To the top of Grouse Mountain!   It is a fun thing to do and you could spend a full day there with  hiking trails and chair lifts to areas off the peak .  There are some impressive zip lines. 


A panorama of Vancouver from the gondola which took minutes to the top of
Grouse Mountain.  The same mountain view that Grants have from their deck.

  

The largest metropolitan area in Western Canada, Vancouver
ranks third largest in the country and the city proper ranks eighth.
The 2006 census showed Vancouver with a population of 578,041
and the metropolitan area exceeds 2.1 Million.  It's residents are
ethnically and linguistically diverse;  52 % do not speak English
as their first language.                                        



Incredible carvings from 400-600 year old
standing dead Douglas-fir trees. These
depict loggers.   

 


The gondola going up Grouse Mountain,
to the peak at 4,400 feet.

 

Vancouver is a coastal city located in the Lower Mainland of British
Columbia.  Vancouver has ranked highly in the worldwide 'livable city"
rankings for more than a decade according to business magazine assessments.



Of course, he fell!!  As we all screamed,
he went right down the zip line (left).



These young actors made us laugh and reminded us of the
loggers history.

  


We enjoyed a fun logging show. A race
to the top, 40 feet.

The carvings were all wonderful, great artistry.

 

Another beautiful carving,
the children had to have a
.photo with them inside.

   



Phil and Isabel to the right with Phil pointing.  Very Nice
lookout with restaurant. just like the Alps.

Welcome in every language!!







Our adventure started at the tree house and
continued on seven suspension bridges
through magnificent old growth Douglas-firs.



Photos and memorabilia bring to life the
stories of the pioneers whose vision
shaped Vancouver and Capilano
Suspension Bridge.  



Isabel photographing
honeymooners. Great place
for those framed views.

    What are you, Nuts?  Phil and Isabel buying tickets and are we sure that we really want to do this?  Ever wonder where fear lives?  Take the edge of the cliff, then go over it. The Cliffwalk was redesigned 12 times to reach its current, scare-the-bejeebers-out-of-you form.  Build it and they will get nervous.  Think the construction of Cliffwalk sounds daunting?  Try walking out on it.  At its highest point  Cliffwalk dangles 300 feet above the Capilano Canyon floor.  The platform is 20 inches wide and the only thing between you and 30 stories is a two inch hand rail.  Did we do this, read on!






Capilano Bridge is located in this West Coast rainforest.
From the bridge; 230 feet to the bottom and 450 feet long.

 

This tree house is a real  Robinson Crusoe house covered by a canopy of rain forest with three floors.

 That wasn't bad at all.  Just remember to go to the bathroom first.  The park is a walk through nature and
how many times do you have the opportunity to walk through a canopied rain forest? We missed Raptor's Ridge with legendary birds of prey, the Canyon Lookout with views of the bridge, canyon and cliffwalk, and yes, we missed the cliff walk.  We ran out of time.   Next time!!!

BC's earliest human connection to nature. Totem Park has the world's largest private collection of totem poles.  Colorful photo opportunity.

This is nature's edge, natural beauty.We saw the remains of the 46 ton tree that fell onto the bridge during a spectacular winter storm in 2006.  What a wonderful way to spend a day.  Or a date, I mentioned to Spencer, Isabel and Ray's handsome son that he should acquaint his Aussie girlfriend with Vancouver and start by bringing her to Capilano for the day. Especially, the cliffwalk with suspended walkways along sheer granite cliff facing the canyon.  It is a heart stopping walk and she may want to hold on tight.

We saw all ages in the park.  There is a 'Kids Rainforest Explorer' program.  In the event of missing children, they are given a double expresso and a free puppy to take home.  Isabel told me that a mama bear and her two cubs were romping around a few days after we were there, causing some excitement. How fast can you run on that bridge??? 

Bridge House Restaurant, across the street from the entrance to Capilano Suspension Bridge.  This charming place is story-book beautiful and offers patio and indoor dining.  So typical of all Vancouver.