Vancouver Info if needed

[Putterdude]

Wonder if PD or others can remember back about 40 - 50 years ago when there was a burger chain called the Lions Drive Inn - I went to school with the owner's son and the Pink Pearl was the location of one of his drive-ins.

 

This is turning into a reminiscing thread for us Vancouver "boomers and pre boomers" yes I remember the Lions Drive Inns, I particularly remember the one up by the Kootenay Loop in Burnaby. There are two names spinning in the old hard drive of my mind, one is Johnny Gerrard and the other is Leo Gagnong; the families were quite close and and even may have been related through marriage. Am I close....did I win the prize?:confused:

[gracecarmo]

Was there a minor earthquake today near Vancouver? Someone just mentioned it to me (I am at work).

[Putterdude]

Was there a minor earthquake today near Vancouver? Someone just mentioned it to me (I am at work).

 

Evidently there was one off the north tip of Vancouver Island but I don't think that it was noticable in Vancouver. Here is a newspaper link on the topic:

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=0f8e2e52-f150-47b7-9883-d0bb7de3abcd

[Urban trekker]

The one by Kootenay loop was actually in Vancouver - there was another one on Victoria Drive about 43rd and of course the one by the Pink Pearl - No the original owners name was McVey. There was a fourth outlet but I can't remember where it was - perhaps it's time to get the high school annual out and check the ads in it.

 

The earthquake was deep offshore off the northern part of Vancouver Island in an area where there are fairly commom and nothing was felt in Greater Vancouver area so no need to worry.

 

Left Coast - yes the next provincial election could be interesting - willing you be watching Obama speech tonight?

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Putterdude]

You are right the Kootenay Loop is in Vancouver for some reason I alway think of it as in Burnaby. I think it and the c-store next door (if it is still there) are on the site of the old Glenburn Dairy where after it was torn down remained a large concrete slab on which I used to roller skate as a kid. The Lion's Burger site became a Chinese restaurant as I recall. The name McVey is familiar and I wonder if Gerrard wasn't a partner with them? Wasn't there one out in the Broadway and Arbutus area? Then they may have sold out to King's Burgers who had a 19 cent burger and I remember them having one on the north side of Marine Dr. in North Vancouver in the early 60's about where Earls is now.

[Putterdude]

The earthquake was deep offshore off the northern part of Vancouver Island in an area where there are fairly commom and nothing was felt in Greater Vancouver area so no need to worry.

 

I was up before 5:00 am to catch the 6:20 sailing. We were to play an interclub match with Seymour G&CC this morning. All 22 of us were on the 9:30 ferry back as it had rained so much over night and early morning their Green Superintendent did not us on the course. We didn't feel any earthquake, just the hostility that the 2 captains did not cancel the match last night.

[gg3]

Putt, U.T. and other Canadians.....just received an email with the Cochrane Mural pictured. Have y'all seen that ?? I think it is one of the most imaginative murals/paintings I have ever seen. If you have not seen it....go to www.muralmosaic.com and you will see several, but the one with the horse being petted (right side of page) is from Cochrane, which I was told is near Banff. Be sure and click on the individual tiles, esp. the horses eye and the tiles around his eye. Fantastic. Enjoy......gg

 

Did no one think this was as cool as g.g. ???:D Question: we are getting sooo close to being in Vancouver. Love your city so much !!! A little extended forecast for Sept. 15, please. Whoo Hoo !!!!!! gg

[Putterdude]

Did enjoy the tile mural site very much. A forecast for 17 days out would not be very accurate I am afraid, however the last half of August has been wet and cool which often leads to a good September. Check back with us around the September 7th or 8th and we can at least give you a weather trend.

[GramaFran]

Is Diet Coke with Splenda available in Vancouver? We are staying

at the Hilton Metro town and have a rental car and need to buy

a 12 pack to take on board 9/15.

Any stores sell this?

Thanks Francine

[Putterdude]

Diet Coke is definitely available as is Coke Zero but I have never looked to see if it sweetened with Splenda.....maybe someone else will know for sure. There are a couple of large grocery stores located close to the Hilton so you won't have and trouble on the purchase.

[TCF]

As I sit here gazing at my Diet Coke can through the magnifying glass I note that this can is sweetend with aspartame....now if that is Splenda then I guess you're good to go.....

In any event if you walk out the front door of the hotel and turn right to the corner, turn left across the street.....and walk staright up that 1/2 block street you will see Save-On-Foods....a supermarket that stocks all soft drinks.

Hope you find the right Diet Coke...

[Urban trekker]

Hey TCF

 

Congrats on your 1000th post in case you didn't notice.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Putterdude]

As I sit here gazing at my Diet Coke can through the magnifying glass I note that this can is sweetend with aspartame....now if that is Splenda then I guess you're good to go.....

Interesting, I all of a sudden spent some time looking at my diet Pepsi today after golf and noticed exactly the same aspartame sweetner was in it. However, it seems that in 2005 Coke did introduce a diet Coke product in the US that is sweetened with "Splenda" which is different then aspartame. I have never spent a lot of time looking for the product but rather suspect that is not available in Canada.

[GramaFran]

Thanks for the information about store and diet coke -

The diet coke I am looking for says right on 12 pack box

sweeten with Splenda - that is not aspartame.

I will try the Save-on-foods and hopefully they have it.

Otherwise while on board - just regular old diet coke for me.

 

Thanks,

Francine

[TCF]

Thanks Ut...I hadn't noticed.

Francine...I checked when I went shopping today and I think Putter is right....it is probably only in the US. None of the packages at sfeway had Splenda on them.

Do I get a freee cruise now that I have over 1K posts!!!!????

Probably not ,eh!

[Putterdude]

Phone my new best friend, David Hann, and tell him I said to give you a free one way trip to Snug Cove. :rolleyes: That and 50 cents will buy you a cup of coffee absolutley nowhere! But I am glad you took care of the inestigative shopping today, I spent my day on hands and knees digging crab grass out of the lawn and re-seeding.

[seeyakids]

Our cruise docs state that there will be no boarding Infinity prior to 8:00PM on 9/19. Does anyone know how strict they enforce this? I'm hoping we won't have to find things to occupy us from noon check out at the Blue Horizon until boarding (we arrive in Vancouver on Wednesday, so we may be running out of things to do for 8 hours on Friday). If we do have that much time on Friday, got any ideas that we could do that day rather than seeing earlier? Hey.....we're on vacation....and flexable. Also, any good wine shops near BH to take a couple of bottles of reasonably priced wines aboard?

Thanks in advance.....you guys have given us a ton of great ideas.

[Putterdude]

Our cruise docs state that there will be no boarding Infinity prior to 8:00PM on 9/19. Does anyone know how strict they enforce this? I'm hoping we won't have to find things to occupy us from noon check out at the Blue Horizon until boarding (we arrive in Vancouver on Wednesday, so we may be running out of things to do for 8 hours on Friday). If we do have that much time on Friday, got any ideas that we could do that day rather than seeing earlier? Hey.....we're on vacation....and flexable. Also, any good wine shops near BH to take a couple of bottles of reasonably priced wines aboard?

Thanks in advance.....you guys have given us a ton of great ideas.

 

I haven't looked up Infinity's itinerary for your cruise but you liklely know that she was homeported in Seattle this year and I see that she is in Seattle the morning of the 9/19. So that means she has to disembark all of her passengers, provision, pump, fuel and then sail the 5 or so hours to Vancouver. I would doubt (but only a guess) that she wouldn't be in Vancouver untill 5 or so. I think that you could meander down there about 7pm but not a whole lot earlier. By the way she is berthing at Canadna Place, not at Ballantyne Pier which is where most X ships have been berthing this year.

By the 19th the tourist season is in the wane so you may be able to get a room extension at the BH even if you had to pay a few bucks. The bell desk would certainly hold your bags for you. You could use up a lot of time by going to Stanely Park, Granville Island or taking transit up to the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mtn. The closest BC Liqour Store to the BH would be at the corner of Alberni and Thurlow, just one block north of Robson and a a few blocks east of the BH.

Have a great cruise and enjoy Vancouver.

[seeyakids]

Thanks, P. We'll try to get a late check out at BH. I guess we'll reavaluate the prior days schedule and shift a few more outings to Friday. I know there has been much talk about restaurants.....but knowing we have so much time, any suggestions for a nice long/casual dining experience with great views (maybe looking out over the water)?

[Putterdude]

There is Aqua Riva just east of Canada Place, good seafood, wonderful views, a little spendy. Joe Fortes, just around the corner from you on Thrulow just north of Robson, steaks, chops, seafood, no views but a touchstone in Vancouver. Cardero's a bit of a walk from you but not bad, an upscale marine pub, great views out over the Coal Harbour yacht basin. The Boathouse, again a bit of walk, casual, great views out over English Bay.

http://aquariva.com/

www.joefortes.ca/

http://www.vancouverdine.com/carderos/home.html

http://www.boathouserestaurants.ca/2004/english_bay.htm

[scottbee]

Thanks, P. We'll try to get a late check out at BH. I guess we'll reavaluate the prior days schedule and shift a few more outings to Friday. I know there has been much talk about restaurants.....but knowing we have so much time, any suggestions for a nice long/casual dining experience with great views (maybe looking out over the water)?

 

It's a cab ride (it's near Ballantyne pier) but The Cannery is hard to beat in this category http://www.canneryseafood.com/ Great food, amazing view (it's located right on the water and has it's own dock)

 

A good website for Vancouver restaurants is http://www.dinehere.ca

[tdk1938]

If we ever go on a Alaska cruise, that's what I like to do.

 

Fly to SEA instead of YVR from Northern CA and go to Vancouver by train. We'll stay in a hotel for a night for pre-cruise and board the ship the next day.

 

When we disembark at Vancouver, we take a train back to Seattle and stay there for a night and fly home the next day.

 

It'll cost us $250 more for each person to fly to Vancouver compare to Seattle and my DW and I have 3 kids. We might invite my inlaws and my DW's niece and that will make us Eight is Enough.

The train will cost us $70 round trip and my DW likes to visit Vancouver and Seattle.

 

 

You think this is a good idea or too much hassle.

[Putterdude]

If we ever go on a Alaska cruise, that's what I like to do.

 

Fly to SEA instead of YVR from Northern CA and go to Vancouver by train. We'll stay in a hotel for a night for pre-cruise and board the ship the next day.

 

When we disembark at Vancouver, we take a train back to Seattle and stay there for a night and fly home the next day.

 

It'll cost us $250 more for each person to fly to Vancouver compare to Seattle and my DW and I have 3 kids. We might invite my inlaws and my DW's niece and that will make us Eight is Enough.

The train will cost us $70 round trip and my DW likes to visit Vancouver and Seattle.

 

 

You think this is a good idea or too much hassle.

 

People do it all the time and no it is not too much hassle at all. Two things that I might suggest though is to continue to watch for promotional airfares to Vancouver because if you can snag them, they can prove to be cheaper than flying to Seattle. The other is that Vancouver is a big beautiful city with a ton to see so allow yourselves as much time as you can to see it, a half day pre cruise really isn't enough time.:)

[Kamloops50]

Visiting Vancouver for half a day is to short. You should plan on spending at least 1 day at each end not including embarkation or debarkation day. To much to see in Vancouver in one day. Another opion is to take the Seattle to Vancouver Shuttle bus . Fares are about $100 round-trip from Seattle to Vancouver Hotels

 

Link to their site:

 

http://www.quickcoach.com/index.htm

 

They have runs a day northbound during cruiseing season. They will deliver you directly to your hotel. If you take the train you still will have take a taxi to your hotel. Depending on where it is the taxi could cost up to $20 each way.

The train runs to Vancouver once a day at 7:40AM all the other runs are buses. The train leaves from downtown , so you will need a shuttle or taxi to get there. Since it leaves that early you will need to flight to Seattle the day before and get a hotel. If you are in Northern Ca why not take the train all the way to Vancouver . Probably cheaper then flying .

[cruising forever]

Hi guys....I've been reading most of your thread, lurking, for some time now....as our Hawaii cruise in 9/09 leaves from Vancouver.......when we were there a couple of years ago, we took a HOHO bus offerred by the Grayline Bus Tour system and got a discount for our online tix via AAA.

 

When I tried to find the discount link again, I can't even find a Grayline HOHO BUs in Vancouver at all - is it still offerred or not?

 

Thanks for your help on this and all of the other helpful posts I've been reading here :)