I liked the orca statue, it's a cool thing to check out if you're near the convention center or…read morewalking along the water front. Not that I need to compare but it's a lot cooler looking than the Olympic sticks statue in the same area. The orca made up for the lackluster impression the Olympic structure left me with.

This is a sculpture of a killer whale made in 2009 by Douglas Coupland. It is installed next to the…read moreVancouver's convention center. It is an aluminum sculpture on a stainless steel frame and it kind of looks like legos or a pixelated image. It's located along the waterfront area near to Vancouver downtown. It's definitely worth taking a walk along the seawall here for great views, and why not stop at the Digital Orca for a fun photo while there!

Looking for something cool to check out while you're in Vancouver, stop by A-maze-ing Laughter…read more I went after Canada beat Qatar during the World Cup, so the whole area had such a fun atmosphere. Great time to be in Vancouver period! There were visitors everywhere, people celebrating, and you could really feel the energy around the city. The sculptures themselves are a sight to see, very large. You can't help but smile walking through them and they're perfect for taking pictures. They even had soccer jerseys on some of the statues for the World Cup, which was a fun little touch. It's a quick stop but definitely worth it if you're already exploring the waterfront. I had a great time, got some fun photos, and left with a smile. Sometimes it's the simple attractions that end up being the most memorable.

Such an interesting, fun and interactive public art installation. Would definitely recommend making…read morea quick stop here!

Came across this lone girl while bicycle riding around Stanley Park. It was low tide, so you could…read moresee the entire boulder that she is on. And you could also walk/jump amongst the rocks to get a closer look. I find her gaze to be quiet and contemplative. I find the setting serene and peaceful. Nice :)

This was one of those landmarks in Stanley park that either you completely understand and love or…read more... like me, admire for the given moment and then look for the next. I'm not saying it's not worth your time but this is a 'your mileage may vary' situation. I've seen the Little Mermaid in the Copenhagen harbour. It's crowded as it's surrounded by a never ending mountain of tourists. Girl in a Wetsuit is MUCH further out from the shoreline and you could miss it if you're not paying attention. When I was here.. she was alone and if anything, I would say the sombre weather was mimicked in her too. I could have approached her since it was low tide and she perched on top of her rock. For me, the only interesting tidbit I found about her was a simple plaque on the side of the path. It mentioned she was placed in 1972 and her meaning is Vancouver's dependence on the water. A simple sculpture with a simple meaning. Perhaps it'll resonate with you but to me, her solitude was one of longing and poise. Perhaps that's Vancouver but I dont see it quite represent the current Vancouver.

Having watched the 2010 Winter Olympics on television, I hoped then to someday get the chance to…read morevisit Vancouver to see it in person. Today was that day of a wish coming true. While it seemed more impressive on the tv screen back then, I nevertheless appreciated the moment.

This history with the 2010 Winter Olympics makes this thing seem cooler than it is. I saw some…read morepictures from back when it was lit up with flames and it is in fact pretty spectacular looking. Now it's only lit for special occasions. But besides that as a "landmark" it's just meh. Since I was in this part of Vancouver it was somewhat worth it to stop by just to see it. The big black LEGO dolphin nearby is much cooler.

"Gate to the Northwest Passage" is a large sculpture by Chung Hung located at Vanier Park in…read moreKitsilano and close to English Bay. It is shaped like a gate or arch. But given its locale, it could also be taken to be a clear mirror looking at the beauty of Vancouver. Although the art piece caused some initial controversy after its unveiling, I think it is a cool piece of art that stands out from its park surroundings.

This review is written during the Covid-19 Pandemic!…read more As you can see from my Photos, a lot of major stores have closed their doors due to this health crisis! Normally, this will be a major shopping and business area in Downtown Vancouver, it attracts visitors from all over Canada and the World! We all pray that this crisis will be over and all the boards will be taken down again very soon!!

It's changed a lot since my youth. We used to spend countless hours walking along Robson, window…read moreshopping and enjoying the sights. As of late, it seems a hope are more high end at its center and less full. People walking along and enjoying the sights are are fewer and mostly tourists. (Maybe cruise season?) Many of our favorite small shops and cafes (Bread Garden!?!) are now a thing of the past and chains (Starbucks, Tim Horton's) have inundated any uniqueness that once was Robson Street. Still full of restaurants and cafes, shops and boutiques, you'll find something to do and see as you make your way, but know that there is little here that you won't find in any other big city across North America.

Driving in Vancouver, not Washington [BC Canada]…read more First... Canada uses the metric system (distances, speeds, weights, volumes). Parking garages are called "parkades." There are no freeways in Vancouver!! Gaaaaahh!! Vancouver is a nice city but oh, the traffic! Twice we had to drive through this city. The first time to pick up the rental car before heading up to Whistler (and, of course, to return the car). Read somewhere that winter tires or chains are required to travel the Sea to Sky Highway (aka Highway 99) from October 1 to March 31 so we rented a car for one day and the rental company was located in Downtown Vancouver inside the Pan Pacific Hotel. GPS led us to a bridge which they have closed to through traffic and we had to find another route to get there. Road signage is not the best in Vancouver and plenty of construction going on. Didn't look like we needed the rental when we reached Whistler though. The views on Hwy 99 in West Vancouver was so pretty! The next day we visited the Capilano Suspension Bridge in -- you guessed it -- Vancouver. Once again we encountered so much traffic. It didn't matter what time of day it was because we didn't have to be at the park until 11:00a ¯\_('~')_/¯ We had a nice time at the park though and we recommend visiting that famous suspension bridge. Since you're already in Vancouver I recommend this European bakery if you like chimney cakes, Transylvanian Traditions Bakery on Davie Street. We had bangers and Canadian bacon at OEB Breakfast Co - Ambleside in West Vancouver. It was also pretty cool to see the Vancouver Police Mounted Unit on patrol in the West End side. "Vancouver's traffic was ranked the worst in Canada, again.." Again? That was in 2020. I wonder what it is now. Well, at least now we know ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Review #3625

I have nothing but respect and admiration for the City of Vancouver's Parks & Recreation…read moredepartment. As a relatively new resident of this fine city (2 years now), I have to say, the city's green spaces are probably the #1 reason why I moved to this city in the first place. Especially Stanley Park, and the seawall. The parks and seawall are magnificent features of the city and they not only attract tourists but people like myself who are so impressed with the beauty and upkeep of these city features, we choose to move here and make Van our home! I walk the seawall nearly every day (yes, over 10 miles). I am now on a first-name basis with some of the regular park maintenance people. They are the hardest working people around, and the nicest, too. They are fastidious with maintaining the grounds and natural features of miles and miles of grounds. The day after huge events (like the Celebration of Lights, or various 10k/marathons, or major festivals), you'd never know a big event took place, with thousands of people the night before, as the grounds will be immaculate, fences and bleachers taken down, all the trash picked up. It amazes me how fast the city workers clean up and fix grounds immediately after huge events. I see them fixing cracks in the pathways all the time, and retaining the integrity of the stone walls, and painting those lined dividers for the pedestrian-bicycle lanes, and putting up wasp traps and taking them down months later, and spraying for Japanese beetles, and pruning the trees, and mowing the grass in various parks, and cleaning graffiti off structures, and more. They are always busy, beautifying this beautiful city, and I always thank them when I see them in my travels. These people are what make this city so special. Many of these Parks workers and I feel that it's unfortunate that the parks and seawall aren't better monitored by officers who have the authority to enforce the posted by-laws (i.e., no smoking, keeping dogs on leashes, and, especially, bikers staying in their designated lanes). The Parks folks really commiserate with me about these issues. (I chat with them often about this very issue. They feel our pain!). Here are some interesting facts I've learned about Van's P&R dept (taken from the City's website): -the VanPark Board is the only elected body of its kind in Canada. Formed in 1888 as a committee to manage the new Stanley Park, its history is as old as the city's itself -it has exclusive possession, jurisdiction, and control over more than 230 public parks in Vancouver and a large public recreation system of community centres, pools, rinks, fitness centres, golf courses, street trees, marinas, playing fields, and more I want to also send a shout-out to the Park Dept's dispatch center. Did you know you can call 311 if you have a question or concern or problem related to the parks in the City? I've called 311 when I saw someone vandalizing a park bench, and also when I had a question about a promo I heard about for a city recreation pass (there are occasional deals where you can purchase a pass for 10 pool visits but they load your card with 2 or 3 extra visits. Great deal!). The 311 dispatchers have always been helpful and knowledgeable and they're a great resource when needed.

A great tradition to start the year off right Vancouver-style…read more Ok, so many cities have these but Vancouver's air temperature is probably warmer and weather historically makes for great photos. Don't be a nut and jump in the water but great people watching and to add to a "perfect Vancouver year" list,.

* Another crazy one - to mark 1/1/11! *…read more Crazy again this year! The 91st annual Vancouver Polar Bear Swim today was an amusing sight as always. These folks are NUTS! It was hovering right around a "balmy" 0 degrees today as everyone was getting ready (http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/N-lXXa3ZD6JE-FzVPWLcmA?select=J9qfBUYe8fRRZM8uroeNdA) to plunge into the icy water and swim out for a bit of a New Year's Day shrink your private parts kind of dip (http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/N-lXXa3ZD6JE-FzVPWLcmA?select=_2GDG1q0T825V71HO0X9JQ). Somehow people didn't seem to be shivering as much as in previous years though - perhaps because it was a nice clear sunny day. Some of the highlights were the dancing zombies pre-swim, and the folks dressed as bees. Wacky bunch! To top off a fun event, the sunset post-swim was absolutely beautiful to start this new year with a proper 1/1/11 sunset: http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/N-lXXa3ZD6JE-FzVPWLcmA?select=zNaYAopt9P306S6tCxdbQg Happy New Year!

On top of this 30 story building is the Vancouver Harbor Control Tower for the float plane's…read morelanding and taking off on the Burrard Inlet. This control tower is the tallest in the world.. The building's many retailers provide unparalleled views of Vancouver Bay & Stanley Park.

In the summer, it's the go-to place for munching on your lunch and enjoy the North Shore views…read more In the fall, you avoid this b/c there's no shelter from the rain lol. Quite open and a lot of ppl don't realize the upper level that leads over to the Seabus terminal side. Historically, it's been here for decades with the Province/The Vancouver Sun as well-known tenants. Built right above the train tracks. Aqua Riva sadly went belly up too a few years back, now it's the high-end Miku taking over.

Located where "Dance of Time I" stood last year on Hastings and Hornby, as of May 5th, there is now…read morea new Salvador Dali sculpture, "Woman Aflame". It is part of the Definitely Dali Project by the Chali-Rosso Art Gallery, sponsored by Lao Feng Xiang Jewelry, and will be on display until September 1, 2018. The bronze sculpture is 12 feet tall and valued at $2.5 million, but you can see it for free! [Yelp collections: Public Art]