Marie & Tom's Vancouver Adventures!

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Hiking is best in the snow

We went for a hike near Squamish. We went to Diamond Head Provincial Park. The park was named after the glacier that comes jetting out from behind the mountains, which does make it look like a diamond. The weather wasn't so great in Vancouver, but as we got to the park the clouds parted and sun was shining! We drove with our little Accent along this really bumpy and windy road to about 2000m where we began our hike. At that level there was snow! It was pretty cold, probably around -5C (puddles were completely frozen). It was a great light hike and a beautiful day!


Check out our pics in our PHOTO ALBUM

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!



The very best candy apple EVER!


Isn't this the coolest candy apple you have ever seen?! The orange is orange flavored chocolate and the green is mint flavored chocolate and underneath all that chocolate is a caramel covered apple! The girl at the store told me it takes them 20 mins. per apple! No wonder it cost me $10.50! But it was all worth it....

The Venneri's do Vancouver!

My parents came to visit us for a 4 day weekend Oct. 19-23rd. This was my mom's first time here since she left CPAir and was my dad's first time in Western Canada ever!

Thursday they arrived and we spent the day relaxing.

Friday we started off in Gasetown where we watched the steam clock go off at noon. We then headed over to Stanley Park where we drove around and stopped at some interesting points. We first stopped at the Totem Poles, then we stopped at Prospect Point where we had lunch and went on a little walk in the forest, we then stopped at 2nd beach where my mom put her hand in the Pacific and then ended it off with a little walk in a tree. Yes, I said a walk IN a tree.

Saturday we rented a Ford Explorer and drove the Sea-to-Sky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler! We stopped at a BC Jade store where its run by a family that mines, designs and sells jewelry and status. We also stopped at Shannon Falls Provincial Park, downtown Squamish where my mom bought hiking shoes in record time, a viewpoint where you can see tips of several glaciers peaking out from behind big mountains and then finally Whistler. Unfortunately the gondola was closed for maintenance in preparation for the upcoming ski season (I can't wait!!!) so we couldn't go to the top! Instead we had a picnic and walked around Whistler Village. We then drove back to Vancouver for a great seafood dinner in English Bay.

Sunday we started off at Capilano Suspension Bridge. It's a suspension bridge that was built in 1912 to cross the Capilano gorge and river. We all made it across on the first try - except for my dad!!! Tom & I had to go back over the bridge to get him and bring him back over! On the other side their are several little hikes and a really cool tree top adventure where suspension bridges bring you from one tree top to another. After lunch, we took the gondola up Grouse Mountain where we saw a black bear!!! He was wandering around the ski slope so he wan't exactly close but nevertheless - we saw one! Grouse Mtn. also has 2 grizzly bears that they saved as babies. Now those are big bears. I would definitely NOT want to see one on one of our hikes!!! At the end of the day we lined up for a 2 hour wait for the gondola ride back down. 2 hours!!! We had another great dinner at another seafood restaurant in English Bay. Great day!

Monday we said goodbye until Christmas :(

PHOTO ALBUM