VA2007 - Vancouver Attractions Guide

Architecture

AIBC Walking Tours
100-440 Cambie St., Vancouver, BC, 604-683-8588
Look up, eh. For $5 and a couple hours of your time, the Architectural Institute of B.C. will walk you through the city's beginnings in Gastown, the industrial lands of Yaletown or the unique storefronts of Chinatown.

Canada Place
999 Canada Pl., Vancouver, BC, 604-775-7200
Built as the Canada Pavilion for Expo 86, Canada Place — known for its distinct, 27-metre-high fibreglass sails — is primarily used as a convention centre and cruise-ship docking point, but views of the harbour are impressive from its perimeter.

Lions Gate Bridge
Nearing 70, the grande dame of Vancouver bridges still looks like a million bucks, especially since she was decked out with lights (a gift from the Guinness family in 1986) and a $100-million reconstruction effort. From Stanley Park you can walk across to the North Shore for the full experience.

Marine Building
355 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC
Architect George Nairne intended the 27-metre lobby of this 1930s building to resemble a treasure-filled Mayan temple, featuring etched brass renditions of turtles, crabs and sea horses, elevators inlaid with 12 British Columbia hardwoods, and lavish murals celebrating historic voyages of ships like the Golden Hind. A $20-million renovation in the 1980s restored its glory, with the Marine retaining its status as one of the world's great art deco monuments.

Sam Kee Building
8 W. Pender St., Vancouver, BC
When the city of Vancouver appropriated all but two metres of owner Chang Toy's property in 1912 to widen Pender Street (without compensation for the leftover strip), he built the Sam Kee Building. At just 1.5 metres (5 feet) deep, it's the world's shallowest commercial building, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Simon Fraser University
8888 University Dr., Burnaby, BC, 604-291-3111
Concrete has its limitations, but as Arthur Erickson's first major project (designed with the Acropolis and Italian terraces in mind), the SFU campus is renowned as a benchmark of integrative architecture.

Vancouver Public Library
350 W. Georgia St., Vancouver, BC, 604-331-3603
One hundred million dollars buys a lot of critical commentary. Designed by architect Moshe Safdie and completed in 1995, the Vancouver Public Library building was the most expensive public project ever approved by the city. Its Colosseum-like appearance sparked an ongoing local and international scuffle, with many critics sniffing that its striking design was too derivative and, well, too striking, but Vancouverites — mostly — loved it. The nine-storey spiral structure of taupe-hued concrete incorporates 315 arches, as well as an atrium plaza and outdoor amphitheatre-style courtyard.

Casinos

British Columbia Lottery Corporation
British Columbia Lottery Corporation invites you to discover a new entertainment experience at one of our casinos throughout the province. Whether you're in the Okanagan, the North Interior, Vancouver Island or the Greater Vancouver area, there is a casino to meet your needs. Each casino offers a unique atmosphere with many featuring live entertainment, restaurants and hotel accommodations. Visit a BC casino and try your luck today! For casino hours and locations call 1-866-815-0222

Edgewater Casino
311-750 Pacific Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, 604-687-3343 or 1-877-688-3343
Vancouver's only full-service casino is located at the Plaza of Nations, steps from GM Place and BC Place on False Creek. Enjoy over 500 slot machines, all of your favourite table games and Vancouver's largest poker room. Take in the sites of the city from another point of view at VUE Bar & Lounge or grab a quick snack at Splash Bistro. Complimentary shuttle service available. Where Winners Play!

River Rock Casino
8811 River Rd., Richmond, BC, 604-273-1895
At 70,000 square feet, River Rock is Western Canada's biggest casino — with poker rooms, craps, slots (a good 900), blackjack and, if your timing's right, a concert with Burton Cummings or Howie Mandel.

Markets

Granville Island
Under the Granville Bridge, Vancouver, BC, 604-666-5784
The Public Market is an excellent place to spend a couple of hours seeking out local gourmet items before treating yourself to the best food-court meal around. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Lonsdale Quay
Foot of Lonsdale St., North Vancouver, BC, 604-985-6261
North Vancouver's answer to Granville Island. Take the SeaBus in Gastown to the market shops and get great views of the Vancouver skyline on the way. Open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Punjabi Market
Main St. at 49th Ave, Vancouver, BC
The authentic epicentre of Punjabi shopping. Find saris, spices, jewellery, trinkets galore and buffets serving up saag paneer and traditional desserts like laddoos and gulab jamun.

Trout Lake Farmers' Market
East 15th St. at Victoria Dr., Vancouver, BC 
A Vancouver tradition, this farmers' market on Vancouver's east side is filled with local organic produce, handmade goods and buskers. Don't leave without a wheel of Little Qualicum Cheeseworks brie, made fresh in the Cowichan Valley.
Saturdays, May 19 to October 6, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Aquariums

Vancouver Aquarium
845 Avison Way, Vancouver, BC, 604-659-3474
Come to face-to-fin with over 70,000 animals at the Vancouver Aquarium including beluga whales, steller sea lions, dolphins, seals and more! Enjoy dolphin and whale shows, sea otter feeds, and shark dives. Free-roaming animals abound in our popular Amazon Gallery and be sure to stop by our newest gallery that's full of interactive exhibits and a children's play learning area. For a unique handson adventure, ask about our Animal Encounters program. Open 365 days of the year from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with extended summer hours. For more info, call 604.659.FISH

Outdoor Recreation

Gear
For equipment and advice, your best bet is the series of stores on West Broadway between Alberta and Ontario streets: Mountain Equipment Co-op (130 W. Broadway, 604-872-7858), and a dozen other outdoor gear specialty stores and outfitters, including Taiga Works, which sells locally made products (301 W. Broadway, 604-875-6647), and Eco Outdoor Sports (202 W. Broadway, 604-875-6767).

Golf
Vancouver's Mediterranean-like climate means that golfers have the privilege of practising their game year-round (though the odd snowstorm does slow them down). The novelty of golfing alongside stunning views of Howe Sound is Furry Creek's greatest draw (Furry Creek Golf & Country Club, 150 Country Club Rd.,1-888-922-9462), though it's a little farther out of town — not far from Squamish. McCleery Golf Course is a local favourite, recently redeveloped and open year-round (7188 MacDonald St., 604-257-8191). Find a comprehensive listing of courses at bcgolfguide.com.

Hiking
Try Best Hikes and Walks of Southwestern British Columbia by Dawn Hanna (Lone Pine Publishing). Two other local favourites: Golden Ears Provincial Park (canadatrails.ca/hiking/bc/goldenears.html), and Grouse Mountain (604-980-9311, grousemountain.com).

Mountain Biking
The folks at Cove Bikes (1389 Main St., North Vancouver, BC, 1-877-919-2453) in North Vancouver can set you up with gear and a trail map for North Shore (read: challenging) riding. Or try one of the hundreds of city paths that wend their way along the seawall or on city streets: no visit here is complete without a ride around the 8.8-kilometre oceanside loop of Stanley Park. Denman Bike Shop, 604-685-9755.

Skiing/Snowboarding
Whistler Blackcomb is home to more than 7,000 skiable acres including 12 alpine bowls, three glaciers, 200 trails, 33 lifts and the highest vertical drop of any ski hill on the continent (1-866-218-9690, whistlerblackcomb.com). Locally, try Grouse, Cypress and Seymour. 604-980-9311, grousemountain.com; 604- 986-2261, mountseymour.com; 604-926-5612, cypress mountain.com. Just across the border, Mt. Baker has a 1,500-foot vertical rise. 360-734-6771, mtbaker.us.

Snowshoeing
Find dozens of groomed snowshoe trails on Cypress, Seymour and Grouse mountains. Check out A Vancouver Guide to Snowshoeing by Devon Girard for maps and route descriptions or call the snowshoe centre at Mount Seymour. 604-986-2261, mountseymour.com.

Sailing
Yacht cruise charters, boat rentals and daylong or multiday sailing classes can be booked at Granville Island through Cooper Boating. 604-687-4110.

Windsurfing
Jericho Beach is good for beginners, and the school there has lessons for all levels (Windsure Windsurfing School, 604-224-0615). Squamish is more challenging and offers some of the best windsurfing in the country. squamishwindsurfing.org.

Paddling
Rent a canoe from Mountain Equipment Co-op (130 W. Broadway, 604-872-7858) and head an hour north of the city toward Squamish to paddle the Squamish River Estuary (mysquamish.com); sea kayak at Deep Cove (604-929-2268, deepcovekayak.com).

Fishing
Painter's Lodge (800-663-7090) is home of the original Tyee Club (whose members must reel in a 30-pound fish from a rowboat), and King Pacific Lodge (888-592-5464) is one of the most luxurious wilderness resorts on the continent. Locally, call Sewell's Marina in West Vancouver. 604-921-3474.

Wreck Beach
One of Canada's two officially sanctioned nude beaches, Wreck Beach is located below UBC’s hallowed halls of academia. It's named not for the physiques of the beachgoers but for several sunken barges in the vicinity.
Off Trail 6 along N.W. Marine Dr., wreckbeach.org.

Parks and Gardens

Bloedel Floral Conservatory
Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver, BC, 604-257-8584
The Conservatory's triodetic dome looks like a prop from a 1960s sci-fi flick but is really habitat for hundreds of tropical, subtropical and desert plant and bird species. If lousy weather's got you down, head here and talk to the parrots.

Capilano Suspension Bridge
3735 Capilano Rd., North Vancouver, 604-985-7474
They call it bungee walking and swear it's strong enough to support a loaded 747, but you'll still be scared.

Cypress Provincial Park
Cypress Mtn., 604-926-5612
In winter, Cypress Mountain features terrific skiing and snowboarding, including night skiing. Once the snow melts, head to Cypress Bowl for easy to challenging hikes; for an easy one, start the base of the Black Lift for a one-hour loop known as Yew Trail.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
578 Carrall St., Vancouver, BC, 604-662-3207
Named for the revolutionary who overthrew the Qing dynasty, the garden was built in the mid-1980s by 52 master artisans from Suzhou using 15th-century methods.

English Bay
Denman St. at Davie St., Vancouver, BC
Bring a blanket and lounge on the grass with your book, or walk the seawall path and see how many dog breeds you can name.

George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary
5191 Robertson Rd., Westham Island, Delta, 604-946-6980
If you can't remember the last time you saw a rednecked phalarope or Hudsonian godwit, you may be in luck here. The 850-acre wetland provides habitat for more than 250 bird species and now attracts 60,000 annual visitors as one of Canada's top bird-watching sites.

Grouse Grind/The Skyride
6400 Nancy Greene Way, North Vancouver, 604-984-0661
The Grouse Grind is the summer hike of choice for resident masochists, but the view-heavy Skyride is the year-round preference for those who want to do more than gasp once they reach the top.

Jericho Beach
Jericho is a quiet, family-oriented beach that begins just west of Alma Street and stretches more than four kilometres down to Spanish Banks. Find picnics, barbecues and the occasional bocce tournament — and enjoy the sunset on the Galley patio at the Jericho Sailing Centre, possibly the best public (and licensed) patio in town. 1300 Discovery St., 604-222-1331.

Kitsilano Beach and Pool
2305 Cornwall Ave., Vancouver, BC, 604-731-0011
The beach is densely populated in summer with distractingly attractive volleyball players, Frisbee flingers and sunbathers. There's also a giant heated saltwater pool (137 metres) where you can swim a mile in only 11 laps.

Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve/ Rice Lake Loop
North end of Lillooet Rd., North Vancouver, BC, 604-990-0483
The birthplace of North Shore-style mountain biking (steep, fast and tricked out with jumps), the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve is renowned as some of the "sickest" mountain biking terrain on the planet — so if you're looking to test your mettle on some classic trails, this is the place to be (check out Darrin Polischuk's Mountain Biking British Columbia for the inside scoop). There are tamer pleasures to be had, including 25 kilometres of hiking trails that vary in length and strenuousness. There's even a paved, 10- kilometre wilderness path around Rice Lake that's ideal for strollers and in-line skaters.

Lynn Canyon
3663 Park Rd., North Vancouver, BC, 604-981-3103
This North Vancouver park is 250 hectares of temperate rainforest surrounding Lynn Creek. A local favourite for easy hikes, summer river dips and a lesser known but still no less nerve-wracking suspension bridge.

Maplewood Farms
405 Seymour River Pl., North Vancouver, BC, 604-929-5610
Peacocks, goats, donkeys, ponies — it's a kids' paradise at Maplewood Farms. The last remaining farmland in North Vancouver, Maplewood has been serving kids a rural experience in an urban setting since 1975.

Nitobe Memorial Garden
University of British Columbia, 6804 S.W. Marine Dr., Vancouver, BC, 604-822-9666
One of the most authentic Japanese tea and stroll gardens in North America, the Nitobe Memorial Garden offers a place for quiet reflection.

Stanley Park
Downtown Vancouver, BC, 604-257-8400
More than 400 hectares of mixed evergreen forest and open green spaces are bounded by the 8.8-kilometre seawall, an essential experience beloved by local runners, in-line skaters and first-date couples. Kid alert: stop by the miniature railway and children's farmyard, featuring free-range sheep, goats and potbellied pigs that intermingle with visitors.

University of British Columbia Botanical Garden
6804 S.W. Marine Dr. (at 16th), Vancouver, BC, 604-822-9666
UBC Botanical Garden is a fascinating world of plants. Vancouver's mild climate means that visitors will find something of interest in this 70-acre garden yearround. Should your visit be in April or May, you'll find the garden flush with magnolias and rhododendrons. With more than 10,000 different plants on display, visitors can stroll through 110 acres of gardens to see Alpine & Asian treasures, medicinal and culinary plants and the towering trees of a B.C. coastal native forest. Mobility scooters & audio guides available. The Shop in the Garden/Plant Centre specializes in gifts, books, rare and indigenous perennial plants and seeds. Relax in the Garden Shop Café. While visiting the UBC campus, see the Nitobe Memorial Garden, one of the best traditional Japanese gardens in N. America.

VanDusen Botanical Gardens
5251 Oak St., Vancouver, BC, 604-878-9274
Seventy-five hundred plant varieties equal garden paradise — and an Elizabethan hedge maze, too! The annual plant sale in Spring draws thousands.

Vanier Park
North foot of Chestnut St., Vancouver, BC, 604-257-8400
On-shore breezes and long stretches of lawn make Vanier Park a kite's best friend. Pick up a beginner's model at Kites & Puppets on nearby Granville Island (in the Kids Market, 604-685-9877) and put your Charlie Brown phobias to rest.

Spas & Salons

Absolute Spa
604-684-ASPA (2772)
Our talented estheticians and massage therapists pamper locals and visitors, including celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Alba! Come in and try our "Westcoast Cool Stone Massage." Show your room key at Vancouver's #1 and 30 time-awarded Absolute Spa at the Century Plaza and receive a special spa gift to go as well as free spa cuisine, ozonated swimming pool, eucalyptus steam and parking. Book your Absolute experience at Vancouver's largest, most luxurious and renowned spa.

Blo
1150 Hamilton St., Vancouver, BC,  604-909-9495
Blow. Dry. Bar. Blo, Canada's first blow dry bar, offers 8 catwalk-quality blowout styles for only 30 dollars in about 30 minutes. Try the "Holly Would" if you're feeling sexy and playful or ask for the "Red Carpet" if you want the paparazzi to go postal! Located in the heart of trendy Yaletown, Blo has a luxurious lounge feel and is a must-do pit stop before a big dinner date or just because. We do extensions too! Walk-ins welcome. Wash. Blow. Go.

Miraj Hamam Spa
1495 West 6th Avenue, Vancouver, BC,  604-733-5151
Experience a traditional Middle Eastern Hammam and Gommage steam and body exfoliation. The Hammam will cleanse your body in low-mist and high intensity steam chambers while stimulating your senses and imagination. Lay relaxed on Jerusalem gold marble while an esthetician exfoliates you with authentic black Moroccan soap then indulge in a massage and/or aroma-therapy facial. Retreat to the sumptuous Sultana Lounge to enjoy Middle Eastern tea and sweet cake before floating outside to rejoin the world.

Perfect Health Spa
2525 Arbutus St., Vancouver, BC, V6J 4S2, 604-736-2111
6080 Russ Baker Way, Richmond, BC,  604-821-0000
Perfect Health Spa is rated #1 for facials and is the first and only spa with wallsized movie screens! Perfect Health Spa is where you can be pampered like a celebrity by their friendly staff. Indulge in chocolate spa treatments or sensuous mango pedicures. For the ultimate in rejuvenation, try the infrared sauna that detoxifies and provides instant relaxation even after just one session. Perfect for corporate, birthday or bridal parties.

Spa Ethos
2200 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, 604-733-5007
Voted No.1 Day Spa in 2006, by Consumers' Choice Awards and the Georgia Straight. Spaethos is a refined day spa located in the trendy Kitsilano area of Vancouver. Spaethos reflects natural, earthy elements with unique water features, curving cobble-stoned passageways, beautiful decor and finishing touches. Guests can completely relax and enjoy an aromatic steam and unwind by the fire in the Intention Room. Request facial, pedicure or massage in the comfort of a treatment room specifically designed for two guests.