Vancouver - August 2025

[You can enlarge any picture in this narrative by clicking on it - it will open in a separate window and in many cases, show detail you can't see in the smaller version.  (Click on the back arrow to return to the text.)  Many more pictures can be found here.]


Tuesday August 5

We drove up to Minneapolis on Monday and stayed with Katie and George using their new (guest) condo!  It is still a work in progress and there is no HVAC yet but the bed was comfortable, company was good and she took us to the airport the next morning.  Security and the plane trip were smooth.  We had already filled out the ArriveCAN form on line so when we got to Canada we just scanned our passports and they passed us right through.  We took a taxi to the Coast Coal Harbor hotel where we got checked in, met with our Road Scholar Group and leader (Joan), had a buffet supper and then off to bed for a busy day to come.

Wednesday August 6

It was a rainy day, which was not a surprise.  What WAS a surprise was that it was really the only rainy day we had!   After our buffet breakfast we met Alasdair Butcher, an urban planning specialist, who talked about the development of Vancouver and the trials of its expanding population, as well as the issues of the First Nations (what we would call "Native Canadians").

[My bad news of the day was that my trusty Nikon super zoom camera stopped working correctly.  I had a hard time getting it to focus - as you will see in the pictures!  After a couple of days I started using my phone camera and had much better luck.]

We had a charter bus to Van Dusen Botanical Garden – our driver pointed out some sights on the way.  We were given garden maps and sent off to see it on our own.  (They have policy of no guided tours which was too bad from my point of view as we had lots of questions and would have appreciated some guidance about where to go, what to see!)  There were numerous sculptures and loads of trees and flowers - see lots more at the photos file - but here are a few.

On the left, a monkey puzzle tree (above) and a fountain in Livingstone Lake; at the right, 2 (of hundreds) examples of floral borders.  We didn’t have time to see it all, then met back at the Shaughnessy Restaurant for a lunch we had pre-ordered.  That made the meal go smoothly and quickly! 

After lunch we bussed to Queen Elizabeth Park.  Again, we were on our own to explore - but without a map this time.  In front of the Bloedel Conservatory is the Lions Clock (left) donated by the Vancouver Mandarin Lions Club in 1995 (an inscription says "We Serve") to commemorate their relationship with a Hong Kong Lions Club.  Nearby there is an observation point where we could see most of Vancouver, though not very clearly due to the clouds.  At the right see a zoomed view of BC Place (a sport stadium) and Harbor Centre (includes a rotating restaurant on the top). We walked down to the sunken gardens, then to the duck pond, smiled at small children playing and drawing on the path in chalk.  By the time we climbed back up the hill we didn’t have time to visit the conservatory but would like to another time.  Below are a view of the Canadian mapleleaf flower bed in the sunken garden (with a mimosa at the front left), a lacecap hydrangea and part of a sculpture group with a story.  Joan is telling us the backstory: across from these 3 people is a photographer taking their picture.  The story is that the photographer is married to the woman at the left, who is having an affair with the man next to her.  I'm not sure who they are or why we should care but that's the story that is told!

     

It was clear from our surroundings when we entered Chinatown - for instance, the lightpoles in the area have dragon motifs (left).  Our last garden of the day was the Sun Yet-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, created and opened in 1986 as part of the World Exposition held in Vancouver.  Our leader for that center, Thomas, gave us a good history of the kind of garden we were going into – from the Ming Dynasty mid-1300’s to mid-1600’s.  We gathered in the China Maple Hall (plaque on the right) which is an example of Ming Dynasty building techniques that include specific requirements like no nails, screws or glue! 

As a replica of a Ming Dynasty creation, the garden incorporates some basic Chinese design ideas:  Feng Shui, Taoism, Yin and Yang.  It also tries to balance the four main elements: rock, water, plants, and architecture, and is designed so that, as you walk through it, each view of the area is different.  To the left is one view of a water feature and pagoda - you can see all four elements here.  The top of the pagoda features a heron - a symbol of purity, strength and longevity.  Its position at the top is said to assist souls on their journey to heaven.  The Chinese word for heron is lù which also means "good fortune!"  On the right is an example of Chinese Bonsai (Jasmine plant).

On way back to hotel we had a little bus tour through Chinatown and Gastown.  The gas clock on the left plays "O Canada" every 15 minutes and “toots” the hours with a steam whistle.  On the right is a view of the terrace surrounding the Civic Center - the Olympic Cauldron (from the XXI Winter Games in 2010) and the Digital Orca sculpture by Douglas Coupland.  We had an hour or so before supper then went to Earl’s Kitchen.  We had also pre-ordered here (I love this system) - the service and food were fine but it was way too loud for conversation so we left and walked back to the hotel as soon as we had finished dinner.

Thursday August 7

After breakfast this morning we had a presentation by Tracy Kolb, representing the Vancouver Botanical Gardens Association.  One of the things she told us about was "Community Gardens."  The city of Vancouver is very dense, with many people living in apartments and condos, so one way they can help provide more green/garden space is through Community Gardens.  Some of them are relatively permanent, in parks, others are temporary.  As she described this, I realized we had one just across the street that we could see from the window in our hotel room!  Pictured at the left, looking down from our window, each little garden is contained in a box.  When the construction here is finished and the owners want to reclaim the area, they will use forklifts to just move all of the boxes to a new location.

The first field trip this morning was to the Japanese Dr. Inazo Nitobe Memorial Garden.  This was a lovely place - Dr. Nitobe's goal was to create an understanding of Japanese culture in the west.   We had a guide here and were not allowed to wander around ourselves - that's too bad because I think we might have felt the "zen" better given a chance to just sit and appreciate it!  On the left is a picture of the small pond and bridge - an iconic scene found in many gardens.  The photo on the right is from the yard next to the tea house and shows a stone lantern behind a water collector - it's hard to see among the foliage but water runs out of a clay tube and into a collection bowl.   Below are two more photos from that garden: one is a waterfall whose lovely sound added to the serene feeling of this garden; the other another iconic stone lantern (in the photos collection there are numerous pictures of other lanterns).
Just down the street was the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden.  Again, we had volunteer guides to take us through the various plantings here but in this case, they were helpful and shared lots of knowledge!  We saw several hummingbirds at the various gardens but they are quick and hard to photograph!  John caught a black chinned hummingbird here but it's hard to see (near the center of the photo at the left) partly because it was moving and partly because I had to enlarge it!   On the right is a Western Red Cedar tree also called the "Tree of Life."  Its vines and roots are used for rope, baskets and nets; the leaves have been used for herbal cures; the wood is used for furniture, homes, tools and totem poles.  Some specimens have lived for over 1000 years.  Below are some additional pictures: John enjoying the herb garden, the vegetable garden, and our guide, Ryder, explaining that this invasive bamboo has to be cut back regularly to keep it in check.
The bus took us back to the hotel and then the rest of the day was on our own.  We started with lunch at Urban Fare just a block from the hotel - a grocery/deli.  We bought a sandwich and wrap, ate there at the store then headed off to Stanley Park - the aquarium and gardens.   The "gold balls" street art is right by the hotel; we then passed lots of art installations along the harbor - the one on the right is the "Canadian mapleleaf fountain." 

We weren't in a hurry so took about half an hour to reach the aquarium, but it was an entertaining walk.  I had already purchased the tickets on the web so we didn't have to wait in line - just show the QR code on the phone and go right in.  It was a good aquarium but way too crowded indoors.  They have the tickets timed for entry but there is no limit as to how long you can stay.  So that probably limits the line to get in but doesn't help with the crowds once you are there.

At the right is the "Killer Whale, Chief of the Undersea World" in front of the building.  It's a bronze done by Bill Reid.  Once inside, we started with the fish displays.  One of our favorites has always been the jellies (left) so we spent a few minutes just watching them floating around!  There were loads of small aquariums with assorted animal and plant life.  (Lots more can be seen in the main photo collection.)  The picture below includes a couple of lion fish (the black and white spikey ones) and a blue doctorfish (a type of surgeonfish).  Then we moved on to other sorts of critters found in the Amazon Gallery that is full of animals who typically live in Central and South American jungles.

In the top row, below, are a young flamingo, a Goeldi's Monkey and a Linnaeus's Two Toed Sloth enjoying a check up from the tech.  In case you count three toes on the right leg in this picture, you should know that all sloths have three toes on their hind legs, but a two-toed sloth has only two claws on the front legs.  The two-toed variety are larger, more active, more nocturnal, and have a more varied diet than their slower relatives.  (We learned that earlier this year in Costa Rica where both types are prevalent.) 

The second row starts with a Yacare Caiman, a distinct species of crocodile that is believed to have existed for over 20 million years!  At that point we were feeling too claustrophobic and found our way outdoors.  That part is much less crowded but has fewer exhibits, too.  In the center is one of the stars - a Stellar Sea Lion and yes, he poses like that most of the day!  Finally, a pair of young otters who were rescued and now make their home in their own pool here.  They are provided with lots of toys and really do look like they are always having fun!