West Coast Travels: Day 7 - Canyons and Views

We are nearing the end of this vacation but it isn’t quite over yet. With our first full day in Vancouver we decided to visit some sights just outside of downtown. This was also our last day with the car so we made sure to take advantage of it. To start we headed off to Lynn Canyon Park. Lynn Canyon in North Vancouver has been open to the public since 1912 and features a stunning suspension bridge towering 50m over the canyon. Lynn Canyon Park has grown to over 627 acres over the years and contains many trails to explore amongst the 80 to 100 year old trees. After an hour of exploring we were off to Cypress Mountain. On the way up this mountain road is a stunning view of downtown Vancouver. We stopped here to enjoy the view as well as eat some lunch.

With our stomachs full we were back in the car to work our way closer to the airport in order to return the car. Where to next? How about under the Cambie St. Bridge? Why would anyone want to see the underside of a bridge? Well it just so happens that an augmented reality artistic installation has been added under the Cambie St. Bridge called Voxel Bridge  The underside of the south end of Vancouver’s Cambie Bridge has been transformed by artist Jessica Angel into a 19,000 square feet public art installation that comes to life as the biggest blockchain-based augmented reality experience of its kind. At first glance, the artwork takes the form of a massive two-dimensional vinyl mural that wraps the pedestrian walkway, supporting columns, and underside of the bridge, providing an immersive experience reminiscent of a computer circuit board slightly askew.

We were getting very close to the airport now but decided one more stop was needed. Just south of the airport in Richmond is Terra Nova park. The expansive park opened in 2014 and includes a play experience unique to the Lower Mainland. It is the result of an extensive and highly successful community planning process, and reflects the agricultural traditions of the area and complements the City’s growing collection of innovative parks. The play environment represents a major departure from other contemporary playgrounds in that most of the features are custom designed and manufactured using British Columbia sourced Yellow Cedar and sustainable design practices.

It was then finally time to return the car and then hop on the Sky Train back to our hotel in order to enjoy a turkey dinner from a nearby restaurant since it was Thanksgiving Sunday.

Our last day in Vancouver is tomorrow. What will we get up to next?