What to do in Vancouver BC???

[colinsmommy]

Any MN'ers in BC or have travelled there and can let us know fun things to do? We are leaving next week, and I haven't been there in a forever. When I was there before, all I did was go out clubbing at night and sleep all day, so I never saw the city in the daylight. Thanks.

haven't been since i was little, I remember a really amazing aquarium, think it was in a park? It had all the usual aquarium stuff and also killer whales. so cool. We always went to a big indoor market thing with lots of little shops and a food hall. not much help since i can't remember what it was called! It was on a kind of semi-island.

Really jealous, have fun!

beansmum - i remember the indoor market place on an island too - very colourful, but sorry forgot the name!

Collinsmommy - don't know how old your kids are but a seaplane ride is an experience to remember! Fantastic views. Also the cable car up the mountain (can't remember it's name - the one you can ski on in winter). The suspension bridge is also good fun (but not if you don't like heights and things that sway about a lot!). (Capilano - the names just come to me).

The mountain is Grouse mountain.

The Aquarium is fantastic.

Granville Island is where the kid's market is, lots ofshops just for children, great places to eat.

Take a stretch limo ride for an hour, only costs about 50$, we sent our two teens on one, thery loved it! Actually to take a white stetch limo from the airport downtown only costs the same as a taxi, about £15 ( $30)

My children's favourite city from the first time they went, aged 7 & *, now 18 & 18 and still talk about,....do you remember, etc. Infact they gave me all the details for this!
Hire roller blades and do the Stanley Park roller tour, or hire bikes and do the same. Visit the Tea Garden restaurant in the park.

Stay at the Pan Pacific for fantastic service, or the Four Seasons for brilliant service for kids, - own mini bath robes, cookies and milk delivered to their room, on arrival, gratis, own kids check in desk.

Expo is also brilliant, spend a whole morning there watching the birth rate grow by the second, alll sorts of interactive displays andeasy to get a 'turn'

Maybe this is for the grown-ups (sorry, didn't have kids myself when we went so can't remember if it's got any child-friendly exhibits) but do go to the museum at the university ? stunning collection of native Canadian art. Even if you find totem poles completely tedious, go, and you will be amazed.

I don't know but my Mum and Dad went there on Sunday. She phoned me this morning at 5.15am!!!!! to say they'd got there OK..... Zzzzzz

Thanks all for your posts. Will try most of that (except definitely for the bridge-hate heights and the rollerblades-am a giant klutz). I went from what are we going to do there now to how are we going to fit this into 3 days?

Holidayed in Vancouver this summer and its totally fab!!.

The Vancouver aquarium is in Stanley Park and is well worth a visit. Don't walk to Stanley Park from Vancouver itself though - its a long trek and not very interesting. A taxi or bus is your best bet.

Conquer your fears and go over the Capilano suspension bridge!!. It's great fun.

Grouse Mountain has a bird of prey show and two orphaned bear cubs. Wear comfy shoes. Views down to the city are great.

Granville Market is also good and has lots of toy stores (fab for little kids).

You can get a seaplane to Nanaimo or Victoria on Vancouver Island from Canada Place. It's expensive but worth the ride. Otherwise the best way of getting to Victoria is by ferry from Tsawassen (90 minutes each way). Gray Line are also good for day trips out.

For shops try the ones underneath the Pacific Centre. There's a massive Sears and the Bay is also well worth a look around.

One last thing and this is very important - keep ALL your receipts over $50.00 (except for the ones for meals; these are exempt). You can claim the GST back on most purchases made over $50 Canadian. The same applies to hotel accomodation. You will need to get your receipts stamped at the Customs office prior to leaving Canada. Ask the concierge at the hotel for one of the official Government customs forms. Lots of companies provide this service but they do take a large cut of what you get back hence me suggesting use the official govt form. You can complete the form in the UK and return it to Canada together with all the receipts (they have to be the original stamped receipts - no photocopies are accepted).

HTH, have a fab time. Any other questions just ask.

I have gone from dreading this trip (1st trip with baby) to looking forward to it thanks to you all.

The aqurium is great, I saw a whale nursing her baby! I really liked Granville Island and the Anthropology musuem at UBC. Stanley park is lovely though and the flower conservatory is worth seeing. Loved the Vancouver Art Gallery but maybe because it was an Andy Warhol show.
I would also suggest a day visit to Victoria.

PS Found this page as well, hope you find it useful: www.findfamilyfun.com/granvilleisl.htm

Thanks for the website, Chandra. Actually we are spending 3 days in Victoria, but know many people that have been there, so we pretty much know what to do there. Nobody's been to Vancouver, though.

This is part of the same website but seems to be the index:
www.findfamilyfun.com/main.htm

I would love to hear how it went, Vancouver is my favourite city, I would like to take DH ans DS for a holiday there.

it's been pissing down over the last few days....

Stanley Park is lovely for kids - there's a lovely playground round by 2nd beach.

Granville Island Market is great for parents and kids, as there's a dedicated kids' market. You can get the Aquabus from the bottom of Burrard St/Howe St

The cable car up to Grouse Mountain is cool, but expensive ($27). Great views, but time your visit to coincide with the lumberjack show etc. The bear refuge is alod wortha visit, but they do sleep during hot days!

Capilano Suspension Bridge costs ($16), but the suspension bridge at Lynn Canyon along the road is just as good AND FREE!!

The Chinese Evening market (Fri/Sat/Sun) is worth a visit, if only to see the vast array of dried reptiles! Sadly, not much in the way of hot food stalls.

Yikes, just realised everyone has already written all this!

A good guidebook is 'The Irreverent Guide to Vancouver'. Having lived here for 6 months now, it's pretty much spot on.

Have a great time

Word of warning - pubs will not let you in with kids - even a baby. Have not experienced this myself yet (due in 2 weeks) but it has happened a few times to my Irish neighbours.

If you want, contact me and I'll give you my phone number for emergencies.

colinsmommy - don't know if it's too late and you've already left!

I've emailed you back with the food info!

Hope you get this, have a fab time

H x

Thanks! I really appreciate it.

arrrrrrrrrgh - your email ended up back at MN! Have redirected it back to you.

I'm so thick

Thanks all for your advice. We ended up doing most everything. Have to say the best part of the trip was meeting all the vacationers from the UK. Everyone was great with the baby, and did everything from making funny faces to playing peek-a-boo with him to taking him on rides in their wheelchairs. I have become a complete Anglophile now.