North to Alaska, Part 5 (Last)

So if you are tired of reading about our travels, you are in luck, because this is the last episode regarding our trip to Alaska. And actually, this is about Vancouver, because after leaving Ketchikan, we had one nice day at sea passing through the inside passage on our way to Vancouver. When we arrived in Vancouver, the sun was shining and it was early in the day. Since we couldn't check into our hotel right away, we checked our bags and set out to explore the city. The hotel is right next to the cruise ship terminal, so everything was very convenient. We walked along the seawall west toward Stanley Park. Along the way, there were lots of flowers and works of art, including this piece from the 2010 Winter Olympics that you may recognize.

This is "Digital Orca", though I thought it might have been called "Legos Orca."

This one was called "Pillows", appropriately enough.

Here are some houseboat residences.

Kathie took this one. She wanted me to look relaxed. Ever since I retired, the only thing I am is relaxed (well mostly).

Does anyone know what this plant is called (the one with the green flowers in the back)?

This is called "The Meeting", and it first appeared at a G8 summit.

At Stanley Park, which is about 900 acres of old growth forest and which is named for the same Stanley after whom the Stanley Cup in hockey is named, we decided to take a horse-drawn carriage ride to tour the park.

Downtown Vancouver is across the bay. Our hotel is at the left.

One part of the park featured these various totems.

There is our cruise ship across the bay, filling up with the next group of passengers and preparing to head back north to Alaska (is that song out of your heads yet?).

Vancouver asked Copenhagen for permission to duplicate the Little Mermaid statue, but permission was not given. So, Vancouver created a young woman in nearly the same pose but outfitted in a wet suit with fins and a face mask.

The Vancouver Aquarium is in Stanley Park, and we purchased tickets to see it along with our carriage ride. The aquarium was very interesting. Here are some beluga whales.

And a cute sea otter, who kept rubbing his eyes.

And some white-sided dolphins.

I had a wonderful breakfast the next morning layered as follows: hash browns, salmon, scrambled eggs, hollandaise sauce, and asparagus spears with chives and capers.

We visited Chinatown the next morning.

There we enjoyed the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen park and garden.

This is a steam powered clock, believe it or not. Photographs of it are evidently a must. The clock is in a part of Vancouver called Gastown, where we found a great microbrewery and restaurant.

We passed this homeless person several times while coming and going through Gastown. He and his dog were very tightly bonded, and they made an interesting study. Yes, I gave him a donation for allowing me to take his picture.

The next morning, we visited the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. Of all the museums we visited during our trip, this was my favorite. The collection was clearly organized both for the public and for scholars.

Our last afternoon in Vancouver was spent at the Capilano Suspension Bridge which sits 250 or so feet above a river. It is a little spooky to cross, but the trip is worth it. On the opposite side was an old growth forest more than 2000 years old.

By the way, I asked one of the attendants if anyone every freezes up in panic part way across. She said yes, about twice a week. They have a process for going out to rescue them.

The floor of the old growth forest was fascinating in and of itself.

But the trees were astounding, especially for someone who appreciates wood as much as I do. There were western red cedars, douglas fir, and other trees that were simply immense and very, very old.

They had built a set of platforms and suspended bridges about 50 feet above the forest floor, so that you could experience the trees and the forest in quite an intimate way. The platforms had been fastened to the trees with collars that could be adjusted as the trees grow, so that the trees were not harmed.

Here you can see the river far below the suspension bridge.

I've always been fascinated by the RCMP, so I could not resist this picture. We later found an RCMP shop where we could purchase souvenirs.

Our last day in Vancouver was also my birthday, so my best gal took me to a very, very nice restaurant called the Blue Water Cafe, where I feasted on fresh oysters on the half shell and one more great salmon dinner. Being 67 isn't so bad!

That's it! No more stories about our trip to Alaska and Vancouver.