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Vancouver's natural charm |
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By Clint Leung » One of the great things
about living in Canada is that every major city has its own unique
charms. Many people fall in love with Vancouver - second only to
Toronto as the
most popular destination for new immigrants - even before they land.
As you fly over Vancouver during the descent into the Canadian city's
airport, you can't help but be struck with awe at the beautiful natural
scenery with mountains on one side and the sea on the other.
Once inside the baggage claim area of the international airport,
visitors are greeted with large Pacific Northwest Coast Indian art
carvings. This adds to the overall flavour of nature and the
environment that makes Vancouver so different from other major cities.
When driving along Granville Street towards the city centre, one can't
help but notice that the trees and hedges in the residential areas are
so much larger and taller than the ones we normally see elsewhere. One
of the locals claims that the superior growth of the area's plant life
is due to the huge amount of rainfall.
Vancouver is close to both the ocean and the mountain range so lots of
rain is expected. In fact, the rain here can actually be a problem as
grey skies, especially during the winter months, are one of the few
negatives of living in Vancouver.
Fortunately, there is very little snowfall within the city so for
Vancouverites, it is a trade off of some sort to have to deal with rain
rather than shovelling snow during their winters.
If you're only making a short trip to Vancouver, rather than settling
down for good, the best time to visit Vancouver is the least wet season
which is during the summer months. I've been told by another local that
September is one of the best months to visit. When the sun is shining
in Vancouver, with both the ocean and mountains as the background, it
really doesn't get any better.
Stanley Park on the west side of downtown Vancouver is the most visited
attraction. A drive around the island will reveal great photo spots of
both the city and the ocean. Vancouver's Aquarium is also on site in
Stanley Park as well as a magnificent collection of Pacific Northwest
Coastal Indian art totem poles. Of course, one can always marvel at the
tall trees which seem to touch the skies here.
The Lion's Gate Suspension Bridge connects Stanley Park with North
Vancouver on the other side of the harbor. On the north side is Grouse
Mountain, the area's closest ski resort to the city that has turned
into an all year round attraction. During the non-winter months, one
can take the gondola up Grouse mountain for some wonderful hiking and
views of the Vancouver skyline.
The Capilano Suspension Bridge which visitors walk across to a nice
nature area is another must see nearby. One of the cuisine highlights
in the British Columbia province is the salmon and one of the best
restaurants to sample it is the Salmon House in adjacent West
Vancouver. Dinner there with the Pacific Northwest Coast Indian art
décor and spectacular nighttime views of the city is one of the best
ways to finish off a day of sightseeing.
Back in downtown Vancouver, the Gastown district is one of the top
tourist areas for boutique shopping and souvenirs. Don't miss the steam
clock that rings on the hour. Vancouver has one of the largest Asian
communities in North America so the Chinatown nearby as expected has
some of the best dim sum luncheons outside of Hong Kong. Further
boutique shopping can be found in the Yaletown and Granville Island
districts.
One of the recommended day trips to do out of Vancouver is to drive up
the Sea & Sky highway to Whistler, one of North America's largest
ski resorts. During the off ski season, Whistler is all season resort
with many activities such as hiking, biking, festivities and shopping
in the village. A ride up the gondola here will enable visitors to get
a bird's eye view of the majestic Canadian Rockies mountain range. The
drive itself to Whistler, about two and a half hours along the
coastline, offers many wonderful scenic points as well.
Vancouver is a great city to live in and reveals how a major city can
still exist in very scenic surroundings. Simply put, on a sunny day
with the sea on one side and the mountains on the other, Vancouver is
really hard to beat.
Related: Accommodation in Vancouver and area
About the Author: Clint Leung is owner of Free Spirit Gallery,
an online gallery specializing in Inuit Eskimo and Northwest Native
American art including carvings, sculpture and prints. Free Spirit
Gallery has numerous information resource articles with photos of
authentic Inuit and Native Indian art as well as free eCards.
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