This weekend is going to be super warm, up to 30 degrees. So the A/C has to be turned on, for sure.
Here are a few great things to do on the weekend.
Of course INTERNeX planned a cool activity for you. On Sunday we are going on a hike at Lynn Canyon. The trail contains waterfalls, beautiful nature and clear turquoise water. You also have the option to jump off the cliff into the ’30 foot pool’, as long as you are brave enough! The name ’30 Foot Pool’ is a reference to the depth of the water which varies with flows and by location. After our cold plunge we’ll finish the trail and might get some good food as a reward. We think that’s a great opportunity to escape the daily routine and enjoy the great weather.
You can’t go wrong with going to the beach, right? Especially English Bay Beach! 🏖 That’s a great spot for young people to meet especially when the sun comes out. Just take a towel with you, go for a swim, relax with a book, play volleyball or enjoy the sunset, maybe you’ll even make new friends.
Another cool activity you can do is renting a bike and riding through Stanley Park, it’s a 10km ride if you go around the seawall. You can rent a bike e.g. at Spokes Bike Rental or Jo-E Cycles right on Denman Street, next to the park. If you’re lucky enough you can see some seals, otters, or beavers on your way through the park. One of our INTERNeXers even saw an Orca once! When you need a little break you can go for a swim or have a picnic at one of the beaches or grass areas. So, better bring your picnic stuff with you to strengthen yourself for the rest of your ride.
Whatever you want to do, just enjoy the coming summer! ☀️
Happy Easter Weekend everybody! Are you excited to have some time to explore and relax? I sure am. 🙂 There’s a few things you could do this weekend.
My first recommendation is going on a hike with INTERNeX! We are going to Quarry Rock in Deep Cove which is a great viewpoint to look over the water, forest and houses along the North Shore (awesome for social media pics). The trail is pretty easy without getting boring, so if you’re a beginner you can definitely do it, and if you’re advanced you’ll still enjoy the walk. It leads past multiple streams, provides ups and downs through the beautiful rainforest of BC with its calming green colour all around you. I think it’s an awesome little hike and an amazing way to spend the day.
If the hiking doesn’t intrigue you then I have another catch for you. At Deep Cove there’s one of Vancouver’s most famous Doughnut Shops with usually still warm, fluffy buns in different flavours such as coconut cinnamon, chocolate, or Canadian maple. They also serve coffee, so after your hike you could warm up and reward yourself. How does that sound to you? And don’t worry you won’t miss it, there’s only a few shops and cafes around and I guarantee you in front of this one you’ll see a line. 😉
I hope the weather doesn’t stop you from joining the trip, it can be very unpredictable, but if you wouldn’t explore just because of a little rain, then you’d live a boring life in Raincouver. I encourage you to go despite the weather like a real Canadian adventurer. Make sure you check the forecast and dress accordingly, it’s always good to bring a rain jacket, trust me, I’ve been there and I’ve learned.
Another thing you could do is watch a sports game, there’s Ice Hockey, Soccer and Baseball going on this weekend, all of which offer unique stadium experiences! Grab a footlong hotdog, peanuts and sushi at the Baseball Game with multiple game highlights. Watch one of the last Ice Hockey Games live in Vancouver for this season with lots of action on the ice and fun entertainment during the breaks, or cheer on a soccer team with fans around you chanting, drumming and passionately following their team through the 90 minutes of action. Each sports event has their similarities but in the end is quite unique and definitely worth checking out!
Since it’s the Easter weekend, how about a little bunny hunt? Not literally of course, I’m talking about just watching them hanging out by the beach, enjoying their company from a distance. You might wonder where to look for them, and I can tell you: Jericho Beach Park. There’s lots of wild bunnies hopping around the grass and sand. Seems like the perfect Easter spot! Count for me how many bunnies you see. 😉
BUT: Please respect their environment and do NOT touch or feed them. This is very important because it can cause possible health threats for the fluff balls and the public, plus it has negative knock on effects to the environment. If you touch them they are in distress and might bite or scratch you which can transmit deadly diseases to humans. Feeding the bunnies can end up in a $500 fine and it’s not only unhealthy for the rabbits, but they can also become more vulnerable to predators and spreading disease. The food can also attract other rodents which might lead to infestations and further opportunities for spreading disease.
Of course the beach offers not just the experience to watch cute animals, but it also shows off with nice views over the mountains and the city skyline. There’s trails in the park and you can go on a long beach walk basically all the way to UBC! If you’re looking for a nice Sunday walk, this is it. 🙂 Maybe you want to explore the Pacific Spirit Regional Park, or check out some local cafes close in the area as well?
Whatever you decide to do this weekend I hope you enjoy it!
We’ll see you again next Wednesday at Pub Night and then you can tell me all about it. 🙂
Hey Internexers! What a packed and stunning trip to the Rockies! This blog is going to be a review on the amazing countless things we did on this trip. So let’s start with the first day on Friday:
Friday, 14th of October
In the early morning, we met at the Burrard Skytrain Station with our totally experienced bus driver Terrance from Moose Bus Travel Network. We headed onto the road and made our first stop at the Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park to see the beautiful waterfalls there. The falls were so thin and hazy that it created a nice atmosphere and explains the name. We then headed to the grocery store to pick up some food for lunch at the Lightning Lake. Although it was a bit smoky because of the forest fires happening at the US border, we enjoyed our lunch and the view. After we collected new energy from our lunch we drove towards Penticton to go onto the Skaha Lake with Stand Up Paddleboards. The feeling you get when you are on the lake and just enjoy a 360 degrees stunning view of the mountains is amazing! Fortunately nobody fell into the water because it was freezing cold! To conclude the day we had dinner together at the Kekuli Café with some Tacos and went to a Pub in Kelowna with Live Music!
Saturday, 15th of October
Since the Rockies are not around the corner you need to drive a lot, so we met early in the morning again to head on the road to Banff! The first stop we made was a historical place, because we went to the place where the very last spike was driven into the ground completing the Canadian Pacific Railway from ocean to ocean. Besides the fact that this place was so important historically we also enjoyed a beautiful river beside the monument and the trees slowly getting into fall colours of red and orange. After another bus ride we stopped at Revelstoke where we had lunch and saw a huge river which is called Columbia River. That one got a huge current so it’s rather dangerous to swim in there in the summer. When you do a trip to Banff in Alberta you actually pass a timezone. But there’s one exception with the town Golden. It is located in British Columbia but has the same timezone that Alberta does. That was a cool experience because you normally cross some timezones by plane =). In the evening we finally arrived in Banff and had a good lookout spot to watch the sunset in the Rockies. After checking into the Hostel, we had dinner and went to the Dancing Saskwatch for some club dancing! All in all it was a great day with a great ending!
Sunday, 16th of October
Sunday was Funday! We had lots of things to do on this day. We started with a tour to the most beautiful lake I’ve ever seen in my entire life: Lake Louise. It’s located 45 mins away from Banff with a beautiful mountain view around it. When we were arriving it was freezing outside and you could see frost on the benches around the lake. Next on the list of Lakes was Two Jacks Lake and Lake Minnewanka which were both so stunning! Did you know that there is a lost city called devils creek under the lake just like Atlantis? How crazy is that! The view was amazing and it was the best place to have lunch. Next we headed towards the adventure centre in Banff to rent some bikes. We did a really nice trip around a golf course and we even saw approximately 30 elks there! That was a moment I will remember for my whole life. Right now the Elk’s are in bugling season so you need to be careful when you are around them. But we managed to get some good footage which you can see in the pictures below. The roundtrip went on with a nice lookout spot and the last lake for today. We met up in the town centre in the evening to do the hike on Tunnel Mountain which gives you the best view over Banff and the area around it. We watched the sunset and ended our day with a dinner in the Elk & Oarsmen and a fun Karaoke Night in the Beaver Pub! That was truly a funday =)
Monday, 17th of October
Since Banff is far away from Vancouver the whole drive takes up about 10-11 hours with the car or the bus , so we drove a lot on this day. But regarding the fact that you are in the most beautiful country on earth you can just look outside the window to see the best nature. We did some stops in Golden, Revelstoke and Rogers Pass to sum up our big trip this month to the Rockies. We arrived again in the evening in Vancouver at around 8:30 PM.
During this trip I met so many nice people and have been to breathtaking places which I will never forget. I was so happy to be on this tour with this group. If you are interested in going to the Rockies be sure to not miss the next big trip there! =)
This weekend was really great. On Saturday morning we went to Grouse Mountain to challenge the Grouse Grind trail. I’ve been longing for a hike for weeks and we finally got to experience this beautiful mountain and everything it offers. The average trail time was between 2-2,5h and some of us did it in 1.45h and the others in 1.55h. I knew we could beat the time! The hike was challenging but so worth it! I totally enjoyed every minute of it. Hiking and trail running was my everyday life back home in Sweden, when I was living a life among the northern mountains a few years ago, so of course I’ve missed every part of it and I am so happy to experience all that here in Canada!!
Once at the face of the mountain we enjoyed the view in search of the traditional Beavertails. Sadly we didn’t get any Beavertails because the booth was closed.. But hey, we saw two grizzly bears – Grinder and Coola!
Thereafter we saw a LumberJack Show – an outdoor set that features two logging camps from the early 1900s, such a cool show!! Right after the LumberJack show we took the chairlift to the mountain peak, and wow, the view from up there – the whole city surrounded by nature, incredible! I can’t wait for the ski season to start!
After a long but an awesome day we took the gondola lift and the bus back to Lonsdale Quay, as we mentioned before there was a Shipyard festival going on at Lonsdale Quay. The event offered live music, a lot of food, entertainment and so much more with a beautiful view of downtown. I took a day off yesterday so Tino will let you know below what he did on Sunday:
Yesterday, I was on Granville Island to do a little tour with a friend and to watch a show at the Fringe Festival. First, we headed towards the Granville Island Licorice Store to grab some sweet and salty treats for a hand-picked array for the tour. Afterwards we went to the Kids Market, a big place to buy anything you like for kids which is also a lovely place for adults to meet their inner child! The nearby craft house is great for those who love artificial crafts, so you should definitely check this out! Watch out for the Liberty Distillery, which offers awesome products to mix with your own drinks, just like a whisker spoon or a shaker :). Right next to the Distillery is the Railspur Alley, an artisan-lined alleyway full of creative businesses. After browsing around there, we headed towards the Public Market, which is home to so many good things like fruits, vegetables, meat, sweets, treats, baked goods, and more. It’s definitely worth a visit! Another highlight was the Popina Canteen where we went to grab a unique ice cream that you can only get there. The ice cream was sandwiched between a sweet bun and you got to choose special toppings on the side. You can see it on one photo:) We then headed towards the Net Loft, a place lined with intriguing boutiques where you can buy cool gifts for your family back home. After shopping and exploring the markets on Granville Island, we went to the Fringe Festival which is happening at the moment. It’s a festival with many theatre shows and we watched one of them. The show was about a war in the future and a woman who was living alone in a bunker for 10 years, which was interrupted by her action of saving a soldier’s life, but I don’t want to spoil too much, in case you’re still interested in going. 😉 To conclude the day, we jumped in the Granville Island Brewery to do a beer tasting! That was a lot of fun!
We hope you had a nice weekend as well! Maybe you can tell us about it next PubNight?
This weekend INTERNeX is going on a bike ride along the sea wall around Stanley Park. Definitely a must do while you are here. The route offers beautiful views, close to the ocean and the parks forest, while technically being in the city. It’s a unique park with lots of different areas to explore. We could of course walk around as well, but that would take a long time and it’s not quite as fun as biking. Don’t worry you don’t need to have your own bike, we can just rent them right at Stanley Park. 🙂
Another great activity for weekends is hiking. Vancouver is perfect for a day in the nature since it’s so close and has so much to offer. There’s numerous trails around that you can choose from. I recommend getting the AllTrails app. It shows you maps, routes, difficulties of the trails, time, etc. There’s also comments and tips from others that have been hiking those trails which can be really useful. Make sure to check out our ‘Hiking Survival Guide’ as well before you head out to your adventure.
If you like Music Festivals at the beach this one’s for you. The Vancouver Folk Music Festival takes place at Jericho Beach this weekend. It’s a unique, community-based celebration of contemporary and traditional folk and roots music. There’ll be artists from Korea, Chile, Mexico, Taiwan, India, Finland, the USA, and Canada. A day pass is $68.60.
In case you want a cultural program, but are short on money, you can get a free guided tour through one of the most beautiful and historic concert halls in North America. Vancouver Civic Theatres offers a 90 minute walking tour, led by the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame at the Orpheum theatre, which was built in 1927 and is now a National Heritage site. Fun Fact: Frank Sinatra got kicked out of the theatre once, for breaking one of the dressing room lights while practicing his golf swing.
Looking for something to do in the evening? Good news, the Richmond Night Market is still going on till October! It is the largest Night Market in North America and attracts over 1 million visitors each year. There’s lots of booths and unique food, sometimes live music on the stage and other fun activities. General Admission is only $6, so I’d say if you have the chance you should definitely go and check it out. These are their hours of operation: Friday: 7PM-12AM; Saturday: 6PM-12AM; Sunday: 7PM-11PM
So, what are you going to this weekend? Are you team active or team culture? Or maybe both?
I look forward to hearing about your weekends next Wednesday at pub night. Hopefully I’ll see lots of you on our bike ride. 🙂
INTERNeX Canada 