Vancouver - Things to do, need help

I need help planning how to do the things that I want to do In Vancouver. We will be there half day (about 12 noon) one day and get on the ship at noon the next day.

We want to at least go to suspension bridge and the Stanley Cup game 5 will be playing and we are from Nashville (if series goes that far). I would like to be where I can watch the game.

We are staying Pan Pacific Hotel

any suggestions would be appreciated.

Try this forum. There are many answers from locals. If you don't see what you want just ask.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2203845

I need help planning how to do the things that I want to do In Vancouver. We will be there half day (about 12 noon) one day and get on the ship at noon the next day.

 

We want to at least go to suspension bridge and the Stanley Cup game 5 will be playing and we are from Nashville (if series goes that far). I would like to be where I can watch the game.

 

We are staying Pan Pacific Hotel

 

any suggestions would be appreciated.

Smashville!!! You can the hockey anywhere lol....we LOVE our hockey! Sooooo hoping you beat the Penguins!!! The Shark Club Bar and Grill will have lots of TV's.

You can walk from Pan Pacific everywhere, including to Stanley Park. I would recommend the attraction Fly Over Canada. It's right there at Canada Place and it's not a long thing so easy to fit in. I would take the False Creek Ferry to Granville Island Public Market if it's a nice day here.

Lots of places close by to watch the game, Tap and Barrell, Mahoneys,Rogue wetbar ,the Lions pub,Elephant and Castle all within 5 minutes walk from Pan Pacific

Thoughts....

• noon arrival means you will be at checked-in an ready to go at 1:30pm at the Panny
  
• game starts at 5pm in Pittsburgh, this would be 2pm in Vancouver. Basically you will be looking for a viewing party right after the hotel.
  
• I guess you can try for the Capilano suspension bridge shuttle right after the game. The bridge is open until 8pm. Take advantage of the 30% discount by arriving after 5pm at Capilano.
  
• Upon returning downtown... head to Fly Over Canada before they close at 9pm.
  

Pz7SlP3FiM4

Thoughts....

• noon arrival means you will be at checked-in an ready to go at 1:30pm at the Panny
  
• game starts at 5pm in Pittsburgh, this would be 2pm in Vancouver. Basically you will be looking for a viewing party right after the hotel.
  
• I guess you can try for the Capilano suspension bridge shuttle right after the game. The bridge is open until 8pm. Take advantage of the 30% discount by arriving after 5pm at Capilano.
  
• Upon returning downtown... head to Fly Over Canada before they close at 9pm.
  

Pz7SlP3FiM4

No ... all the Preds/Penguins games are 5pm Pacific time ...

My favorite must do attractions are

1) Grouse Mountain– www.grousemountain.com – this isa wonderful scenic mountain only about 15 mins from downtown Vancouver. Ride the airtram to the top for lots of fun activities that include aloggers show, birds of prey show, 2 movies (1 about the Vancouver area and 1about the 2 Grizzly Bears who make their home on Grouse Mtn) ride a chair lift higherup the mountain to visit the wind turbine that generates approximately 30% ofthe power required for Grouse Mountain Resort and visit with 2 live GrizzlyBears. Thrill to a 2 hour Zip Line Tour.Enjoy a meal in any of the restaurants. Caveat only spend the money to go up on a clear day.

2) Capilano Suspension Bridge – www.capbridge.com– this is Vancouver’soldest tourist attraction and I still enjoy visiting it! Located on Capilano Road just before you reach the Grouse Mountainparking lot. Walk across a suspensionBridge originally erected in 1889 over the Capilano Gorge. This bridge stretches 450’ end to end andhovers 230’ above Capilano River. Wonder the trails thru the rain forest, walkthru the treetops on the new Tree Top Adventure, traverse a Cliff Top walk,visit the trading post for a huge selection of souvenirs, watch native weaversand/or carvers at work.

3) Capilano Fish Hatchery isalso located on Capilano Road and is a great place to view salmon jumping upthe fish ladders to get around the Cleveland Dam. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capilano_River_Regional_Park

4) Lynn ValleySuspension Bridge – www.lynncanyon.ca - is also located in North Vancouver and ismuch less touristy than Capilano but it also is not as spectacular. The bridge is slightly higher above the waterbut much shorter in span. Located in a Provincial Park this bridge comes with some nicehiking trails and you will find an ecology centre in the park as well as picnictables and a food concession outlet. Should you choose to enjoy the Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge alwayscross the suspension bridge first and then hike down the trail to the lower(Twin Falls wooden) bridge to cross back over the Lynn Valley River and returnto your car – that way you are hiking downhill rather than uphill. It is alsofree to visit this suspension bridge!

5) Stanley Park– www.vancouver.ca/parks/parks/stanley/- is the crown jewel of Vancouver's parks. As one of North America's largest urban parks, covering over a1000 acres and offering an abundance of activities. Enjoy the totem pole collection near theBrockton Point Light House, hiking trails, beaches, water parks for the kids(young & old), rose gardens, miniature train, aquarium –www.vanaqua.org– many view points, and severalrestaurants.

6) Vancouver Aquarium – www.vanaqua.org – is Canada’slargest aquarium and is committed to the conservation of marine life andeducation. Located in Stanley Parkthis is a fun place for the family to visit.

7) Fly Over Canadaincorporates state of the art technology in an Imax theatre to show yousupernatural Canada, Fly from coast to coasttaking in breath stealing views of Niagara Falls, Lake Louise, The Rockies& more. Spectacular! http://www.flyovercanada.com

8) Gas Town– the location where Vancouveroriginated. The name is derived from avery colorful character named Gassy Jack who was one of the first settlers inthe area and a salon keeper – while in Gas Town don’t miss your photo op withthe statue of Gassy Jack and by the Steam Clock.

9) Atthe start of Gas Townis the Harbor Centre Tower www.vancouverlookout.com a greatspot to start your tour of Vancouverwith a birds eye view of the city. Either take the elevator up to the lookout level or go to the top andenjoy a meal in the revolving restaurant.

10) China Townis only about 6 blocks over from Gas Town and is the largest ChinaTown north of San Francisco. While in China Townenjoy a visit to the Dr Sun Yat Sen Classical Gardens www.vancouverchinesegarden.comand also make sure you visit the world’s thinnest building it is only 6’ wide!

11) Granville Island – www.granvilleisland.com – is a hugepublic market area which not only sells fruit & veggies but you can alsobuy frozen fish to be shipped to your home. Many artists make this their home and you can watch them at work intheir studios – making this a great place to buy unique souvenirs. The Granville Island Brewery is also locatedhere and you can stop in for a free tour & tastes. There are theatres for live performances andmany fine restaurants. A fun way to getto Granville Island is via the Aquabus – www.theaquabus.com

12) Burnaby Village Museum – www.burnabyvillagemuseum.ca – isan open air museum with over 30 restored homes, shops, school, church and a1912 carousel situated on 10 acres

13) Gulf of Georgia Cannery – www.gulfofgeorgiacannery.com– is a restored fishing cannery located in the historic fishing village of Steveston(part of Richmond). Here you see exhibits that showcase thehistory of the fishing industry in British Columbia. Oncefinished in the museum it is great fun to walk along the fishing docks and seethe fishing boats which are selling their catch. There are also some excellent restaurantslocated here.

14) The Vancouver MaritimeMuseum located on the shore of English Bay is fun for the whole familywith lots of hands on exhibits for the kid in all of us. Here to you will find the ship St Roch whichthe RCMP sailed from Vancouver to Halifax via the Northwest Passageand then completed the return journey in 1944. You actually get to tour this ship. www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com

15) Queen Elizabeth Park http://www.vancouver.ca/parks/parks/queenelizabeth The130 acre (52 hectare) park is one of the most beautifully maintained publicparks in the world. Second only to Stanley Parkin annual visitations, it receives nearly 6 million people a year who marvel atits superior standard of garden plantings.

The park was originally quarried for its rock which served to build Vancouver's firstroadways. In 1929 the Board proceeded to acquire the property which hadbecome an abandoned eyesore but still served as the site for two holdingreservoirs for the City's drinking water. Dedicated as a park by King George VIand his consort, Queen Elizabeth (the present Queen's mother) on their muchlauded visit to Vancouverin 1939.

16) Fort Langleyis the restored wooden fort built by the Hudson’sBay Company as a trading post. It is theorigin of British Columbiaand was the first capital. This Fort isoperated by the Federal Parks Board. http://www.fortlangley.org

17) If you area wine lover you might want to rent a car and spend a day visiting a few of themany (23 Licensed) excellent wineries located in the Fraser Valley only about a1 hour drive from your hotel. Almost allof the wineries offer free tastes & tours. Two of the wineries have excellent restaurantson the premises. This makes for a veryfun and relaxing day. www.bcwine.com (click on the Fraser Valleybutton)

18) VanDusen BotanicalGarden is a scenic 55- acre garden ofinternational renown – a living museum of plants collected from around theworld and artistically displayed amidst rolling lawns, woodlands and fivetranquil lakes, all in the heart of Vancouver and just 15 minutes fromdowntown.

Due to Vancouver’smild climate, plants bloom at the Garden year-round. This same climate createsa unique environment where plants from varying climate regions thrive and grow– at VanDusen you will see plants from the southern hemisphere, tropical areasand the high Arctic tundra along side native species. The Elizabethan Maze (one of only six in North America) provides year-round fun.

19) UBC Botanical Gardenlocated at the University of British Columbia covers 110 acres and includes anAlpine, Asian, Native, Food, and Japanese Gardens. www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org There is also a treetop walk which is greatfor “fit” explorers who are not afraid of heights – however I would notrecommend it for anyone who has anymobility issues. Also these gardens arenot as well maintained as I would expect a botanical garden to be!

20) Enjoy FREE guided walking tours of Vancouver. The Gastown tour starts at the Howe & Georgia Street entrance to thePacific Center Mall and ends at the statue of Gassy Jack in Gastown. The Downtown tour starts at the Howe & Georgia Street entrance to thePacific Center Mall and ends at the Olympic Cauldron. The China Town tour starts at the Howe &Georgia Street entrance to the Pacific Center Mall and ends at the Chinese memorial statue. All of these tours start at 11amCheck thesetours out at www.tourguys.ca The Tour Guys have added an afternoon walkingtour of Granville Island and 2 evening tours….. The Granville Island Tour starts at 3pm at the bus stop just at theentrance to Granville Island.

21) For theFOODIES in the gang! Check out 2companies that offer food tasting tours www.foodietours.ca and www.offtheeatentrack.ca – both offer an excellent tour!

www.foodietours.cavisit much more high end restaurants in the heart of the west end of Vancouver(tourist/hotel district)

while www.offtheeatentrack.ca concentrates on more casual independentlyowned eateries in various areas of Vancouver! (Gastown, Main Street Area,Vancouver East)

I just enjoyed Foodietours “GuiltyPleasures Gourmet Tour” and was very impressed with the organization, qualityof restaurants & refreshments, guides knowledge of foods and the eaterieswe were visiting as well as the area we were walking in. Felt it was excellent value for the moneyprovided you did not spend the extra $20. For the alcohol! This company also offers a tasting tour onGranville Island Public Market and of the Vancouver Street Food Carts.

As for Off the Eaten Track - thiscompany offers culinary tasting tours of various areas of Vancouver. The brunch tour visits local establishmentsin East Vancouver while the dinner tour concentrates on the Main Street areaand the Railtown Urban Eats tour is an area adjacent to GasTown. All are Fabulous! The Railtown Urban Eats tour would blend wellwith the free walking tour offered by www.tourguys.ca… you could easily do the free walking tour of GasTown and then meet up withthis tour company for your lunch - thefood is plentiful & wonderful you will not leave any of the tours hungry!

For the tourist in town youactually meet at Waterfront Station and the company drives you to the tourlocation and then of course back at the end. Just to give you a hint of what to expect - the Gems of Main Street tourstarted in a Chocolate Shoppe – how can it be anything but wonderful when onestarts out with chocolate…. And of course we must mention the rum cocktailconcoction at the Tiki Lounge paired with a pork slider & the Pizza Jointowned and run by a chef who actually worked at the Vatican making pizza for thePope – now if it is good enough for the Pope it has to be good enough forus! After 5 great stops with the historyof the area being shared by our guide Bonnie we were all absolutely stuffed!Great job Bonnie!

22) A new addition to the Vancouver scene. TheRichmond Olympic Experience locatedat the Richmond Olympic Oval. Visitorsare welcomed by a sculpture paying tribute to the volunteers who made the 2010Vancouver Games possible. You will then be whisked away on an interactivejourney that celebrates the Olympic spirit. A multimedia theatre takes you tothe heart of the Olympic dream through a series of multimedia galleries evokingthe triumphs, tragedies, controversies and celebrations of Olympic history.Thrilling interactive sport simulations including a virtual ski jump will get yourheart racing. Outside the Oval, you can follow the incredible journey of theOlympic torch across Canada via a commemorative torch relay trail through theoutdoor plazas.

23) Rogers Arena Get a behind-the-sceneslook at one of the premier sports and entertainment facilities in North Americawith a Rogers Arena tour. See where, for over 15 years, we’ve thrilled andentertained fans from all over the world, staged the best of the best inentertainment and sports, and welcomed over 25 million fans through our doors.Experience first-hand the “cathedral of hockey” that brings in millions of fanscoming to see the Vancouver Canucks live (Hockey), and where history was made whenthe Canadian women's and men's hockey teams marked their moments in historyduring the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Stadium behind the scenes tours are Wed – Sat at 10;30am, 12 (noon) and1:30pm!

24) BC Place is BC’s Premier multipurpose stadium, hosting sport,exhibitions and live entertainment, right in the heart of Downtown Vancouver. Homeof the BC Lions Football Club, Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Soccer) and the BCSports Hall of Fame. This state of theart facility intrigues with its retractable roof, 800 WIFI ports and 1,100digital screens. The 36’ façade is litup by thousands of individually- addressable LED lights that create colouranimations bringing life to the Vancouver skyline.

Vancouver has a bunch of hop-on hop-off buses

http://www.vancouverpinkbustours.com/

http://www.vancouvertrolley.com/tours/hop-on-hop-off

http://bigbus.ca/home/