Oh, Canada! (cont.)

The view from the top of the Grouse Mountain SkyRide!

On our last day in Canada, we woke up early and walked from the apartment to 999 Canada Place to catch the FREE shuttle to Grouse Mountain! I'd bought our Alpine Experience tickets ahead of time online, so we loaded up on the bus and took off for our mountaintop experience!

Grizzlies at Grouse Mountain

Just as we did with the Capilano Bridge Shuttle, we drove over beautiful Lions Gate Bridge and up to the mountain. (A note - If you want to do Grouse Mountain in the morning and Capilano Suspension Bridge in the afternoon, you can take the Grouse Mountain shuttle to the mountain, and then it will drop you off at Capilano on the way back to Vancouver. Be advised, though, that they DON'T pick UP passengers at Capilano.)

Clay LOVED the corny lumberjack show!

When we got off the shuttle, we were at the boarding station for the SkyRide, the aerial tram which takes you on an 8-minute ride up the mountain. This was fun!! Views are amazing, and the tram swings a bit as it passes each tower supporting the cables it rides on. (Clay loved this. If we could have swung more dramatically, he'd have loved it even more!) Once we got off the tram, we explored the chalet and took in the views from there. Then, we watched a free, short film about the evolution of birds in the Theatre in the Sky. (Their ancestors are dinosaurs!) After that, we checked out the bees in The Hive, where you can lift coverings to view hundreds of the tiny creatures buzzing about their business through plexiglass. We observed park workers putting in a new bee garden directly adjacent to the hive.

After that, it was off to visit with the resident grizzlies! We walked along a paved path, through tall carved wooden statues, to find them. They were obligingly active, eating fresh grass, swimming in their pond, and coming right up to the fence! Then, we noticed that one of the park rangers was giving an owl talk. He brought out a lovely barn owl with a white face and dark brown eyes. He spent about half an hour discussing owls, answering our questions, and showing off the beautiful bird. It was a chilly day, and by the time he finished, we were getting cold. Hot chocolate from a nearby stand was just the ticket! We each got some (with loads of marshmallows) and explored the Pollinators' Garden while we sipped, talking about plants and bees.

The Lumberjack Show was about to start, so we settled ourselves in front row seats and got ready for some fun! The show was hokey, but the performers were adorable, and their lumberjack skills were real. They threw axes at targets, climbed poles, carved wood into simple statues, and showed off their log rolling skills. Clay LOVED this show (the cornier, the better), giggling like a small blond fiend throughout. I was glad we were right up front so he could take in all the action at close range.

Closing in on lunchtime, we strolled back to the chalet and got a table with a gorgeous view at Altitudes Bistro, where Clay had chicken tenders, hubs had a giant plate of nachos, and I had an Asian shrimp bowl. The service was quick and friendly, the food was delicious, and the atmosphere couldn't be beat! Once we finished, we caught the tram back to the station, then rode the free shuttle back to Canada Place. A short walk back to the apartment, and we met up with my sweet in-laws.

Science World has so much to see and do!

After a little rest, we decided to enjoy one last adventure! My in-laws had a special treat in store for us; they took us to La Casa Gelato! At this bright pink building, they serve up 238 flavors of ice cream, gelato and sorbet, on site at any time. We giggled at flavors like wasabi, olive oil, and red bean. (You KNOW I tried the roasted garlic one. Not bad!) In the end, Clay got vanilla with chocolate chip, and I had the amaretto cherry with chocolate flakes (AMAZING). They also make their cones on site, and they are delicious! A fun stop!

After that, we had about one hour until TelUs Science World closed. We figured we'd explore all we could, so in we went. They had a REALLY cool interactive exhibit on spies and spy skills, and we spent all of our time there. You start with a case file and a notebook you can use to record clues. We tried our hands at code-breaking, phone-tapping, and safe-cracking. We also monitored some satellite transmissions, did some detective work at the scene of a crime, and peered through windows at the bad guys. In the end, we solved the mystery!! This place was FUN, and I wished we'd been able to spend more time there. BUT they closed at 5 p.m., so we had to go.

Tracking down the bad guys in the interactive spy exhibit . . .

To end our final day in the city, we ate dinner at Pacifico Pizzeria, where I had a delightful seafood pasta with a nice glass of white wine. The food here was really good, and the place was PACKED!

After dinner, it was apartment-pack-bed! We caught a cab to the airport early the next morning, and flew all the way back to New Orleans. Tired from traveling, we enjoyed a surprisingly delicious dinner at Don Jose's, a Mexican place close to the airport, and then a restful night at the Radisson Hotel New Orleans Airport. Then, it was HOME! (I dearly love traveling. But I also LOVE coming back home! My own bed! My own sweet pillows! My little garden! Even grocery shopping and cooking feels like a novelty for a while!)

We loved Vancouver, and I'd recommend a trip there to anyone. A beautiful city, fairly compact (walkable), tons of activities (particularly outdoors), and great food! We can't wait until our next visit!