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Right outside of the downtown area, Vancouver turns from a mega-city... into an urban shopping district... into residential homes. Within each 9 block area, there is a park... some big some small. On our first day in town, Lauren and I went to the VanDusen Gardens to walk around and take in a classic british car show. I am more of an american muscle fans, but the old skool Triumphs & Morgan were pretty sweet. After eyeballin' some autos we wandered around the grounds for about an hour and got ourselves a good workout.
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Vancouver has a very large asian population and their influence can be seen throughout the city. One of the highlights from my trip was the opportunity to visit Dr. Sun Yat-Sen’s garden. It is located in the downtown Chinatown district... and amazingly quiet & serene spot in the middle of urban chaos. The gardens present numerous photo opportunities of both plants & landscapes. Our tour guide was extrememly knowledgable, although I spent most of the time wandering around by myself.
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Also located near downtown Vancouver we discovered the UBC Botanical Gardens. They have over 110 acres of gardens to walk through with over 10,000 plant species on display. Lauren and I enjoyed a sunny afternoon stroll around the grounds.
At the center of the gardens was their domed indoor habit where there were numerous tropical plants, as well as a large population of colorful birds that were willing to pose for the camera.
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On one of the last days of the trip, Lauren and I journeyed to the island of Victoria to visit the world famous Butchart Gardens. Lauren will tell you it’s the reason she wanted me to go to Vancouver with her. After a long ferry ride, we arrived to some drizzle. I know Lauren was a bit peeved, but I think the dampness added to my photograph quite nicely. I was very impressed by these Gardens. I cannot even begin to tell you how many different themed areas they have planted. My photos will give you some idea, but by no means do it justice. This is a must see in person.
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Since Vancouver is just about surrounded by mountains, there is a lot of scenery around. On the other days of our 1 week stay, we drove to around trying to take it all in. There was a trip just over the Lions Gate Bridge into Northern Vancouver where we went to a suspension bridge & Museum of Natural History. We even managed to journey north into the mountains to Whistler for the day. An amazing drive, although the rain and fog didn't provide me with many photo opts. All and all.... one kick ass trip!
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