Vancouver’s Must See Attractions – The grand final – Part XII

A daytrip into the nature!

Vancouver’s last  “Must See Spot” is an attraction for all outdoor fans which like to immerge in the nature around Vancouver and who want to experience the freedom Canada has to offer.

I am talking about the Hell’s Gate Airtram in the scenic Fraser Canyon.
The Fraser Canyon is located in the heart of British Columbia and is accessible through a scenic route through the B.C. Mountains and 7 huge mountain tunnels.
Already the drive to the Canyon itself is a great adventure. Several different landscapes and a vivid wildlife can be found and experienced on your way to Hell’s Gate Airtram.

The air tram itself goes up 160 meters in height. The distance the tram is traveling from the rim of the Canyon to the upper mountain amounts to 300 meters. Once you arrived at the top rim of the Canyon, at the observation deck, you will have an amazing view all over the Canyon and the masses of water that are floating down the Canyon!

Additional facilities and activities at the Hell’s Gate Air tram are Gold Panning, a suspension bridge, the Gold Panner Gift Shop and a nice little restaurant where you are able to eat some tasty food for a reasonable price!

It is advisable to schedule a whole day for the trip to Fraser Canyon.  Start your trip relaxed in having some stops on your way to Fraser Canyon to enjoy the beauty of BC’s nature.  The Airtram is located 2,5 hours in the east of Vancouver.

Directions:

Take the #1 Highway and take the exit 170 at Hope!

Dates of Operation:

The Fraser Canyon is accessible all year long (depending on snow conditions)
Hell’s Gate Airtram is open daily from Mid – April to Mid – October.

More information can be found on the official website.

Cheers,

George

 

 

Top 5 things to do in the Rockies!

If you are working in the Rockies or are planning to go there be sure to check out this top 5 things to do.

1. Banff Gondola

Take the eight minute gondola ride up to the top op Sulphur Mountain to enjoy a 360° view of Banff and its surrounding peaks, Lake Minnewanka, and the Bow Valley stretching from east to west. At the top of the mountain there are several scenic hiking trails you can do. You can also encounter the local wildlife, including bighorn sheep, squirrels, marmots and many more. For only $25 you can go up and down the mountain. Looking to save a few bucks? You can also hike up the mountain. It’s a 5.5 km strenuous walk that will take you about 2-5 hours but I am willing to bet you enjoy the view so much more when you hiked up the mountain

2.   Sunshine Meadows

The Sunshine Meadows are known as the most stunning alpine setting in the Canadian Rockies. At 2220 m high, the meadows straddle the Continental Divide and the boundary between Alberta and British Columbia. Surrounded by some of the Rockies’ highest peaks, the unobstructed views are beyond compare. Wildlife around in the meadows, and the brilliance of the summer flowers and autumn larches guarantees spectacular scenery on every visit.

Spend your day on top of the world and away from the crowds at Sunshine Meadows. Mt. Assiniboine, “the Matterhorn of the Canadian Rockies”, and Banff National Park’s highest peak, can be your backdrop! A network of gentle trails wind their way through the Meadows and offer a range of walking for all abilities; from easy one and two hour strolls, to challenging full day hikes to Quartz Ridge, Healy Pass, or beyond.

3.   Tunnel mountain and Hoodoos

One of Banff national park oldest trails Tunnel Mountain is a still one of the most beautiful walks in the area. It takes about 2-3 hours to hike and it is a 4.3 km (2.7 miles) round trip. It is the smallest peak in the Rockies to be called a mountain. Standing guard around the top of the mountain are hoodoos. People looking to do this track often have two questions:

• What are hoodoos? They are giant freestanding pillars several meters tall that are made of silt, gravel and rocks cemented together by dissolved limestone. That was the technical answer, to make it so that everyone understands here is a picture.
• Where is the tunnel? That is the other frequently asked picture. Because the trail is called Tunnel Mountain people are wondering were the tunnel is. Well… there is no tunnel! So why did they call it tunnel mountain? That’s because of a proposal from the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1882. They wanted to blast a half mile tunnel through the hillside, but luckily they quickly decided that this was to expensive and that it would be easier to go around.

4. Lake Minnewanka

It’s the largest lake in Banff National Park at 24 km (15 miles) long and 142 m (466 ft.) deep. Only scuba divers can view the remnants of a small town called Minnewanka Landing, after a dam was built in 1941 causing the lake to rise by 30 m. But you can walk along the lakeside trail or sing up for the interpretive boat tour to learn about the history, native folk lore and geology.

5. Vermillion Lakes

This is the perfect place for a picnic lunch on the dock, with stunning views o Mount Rundle and Sulphur Mountain.There are three lakes along this road, where bald eagles nest in trees, Canadian geese breed in the marshlands and tundra swans stop by during each spring and fall migration.  A natural hot springs bubbles into

the third lake. You’ll hear the mournful whistle of the Canadian Pacific Rail trains as the cross the tracks at the far side of the lakes, a sound which has echoed through the Bow Valley for more than 100 years.

If you are a big fan of nature and love to go on hikes, the Rockies are the best designation for you.

There is so much to do and see that even if you were to live there your whole life you won’t get to see everything. But this top 5 gives you a start.

Are you in the area at the moment or have been to the Rockies and would like to add an something to our top 5? Let us know by sending an email to pr@internexcanada.com

–          Manouk

Upcoming events:

June 23 PuB NiGHT at the Metropole

July 4 Bike Ride Through Stanley Park

July 8 Let’s Go Paintballing!!

July 31 – Aug. 4 Roaring Rockies Mountains Trip

Enjoy Stanley Park!

Hey guys!

Did anyone get outside this weekend? The beautiful weather made it impossible for me to stay indoors. I joined in on a trip to Stanley Park with my housemate Melissa and her friends – who are visiting from Germany!

I guess we weren’t the only ones with that idea, because as soon as we reached Denman street, there were people everywhere! Robson street was also quite chaotic as people hopped in and out of stores to get the latest deals on clothing.

As we stepped off the bus, we made our way over to a bike rental shop. If you’re looking for a nice way to spend the day, there are many stores which rent out bicycles and roller-blades for a nominal fee. I rented a mountain bike for 5 hours, and it cost me less than $20.00 CAN. Melissa’s friends rented roller-blades from Spokes for an hourly rate of $9.00 CAN. Did I mention you can also rent tandem bikes? These are bicycles with two seats, so if you have a friend or significant other, it makes for a fun day!

Once everyone was geared up and ready to go, we were off! We made our way around the boat harbour, and soon came across the 9 o’clock gun. Cast in England in 1816, brought here in 1894, the gun was used by mariners to set their chronometers and also to warn fishers of closing. Neat!

As we continued our trek, we passed a lovely scene of totem poles at Brockton Point.  This was a great place to stop and take pictures. The totem pole display area is the most visited tourist attraction in all of British Columbia and has an interesting history. In the early 1920s, the elected Park Commissioners of the day supported the idea of constructing an Indian Village in Stanley Park near the Lumbermen’s Arch area. This site was chosen as it had been the location of a massive midden, or cultural mound, resulting from years of habitation by the native aboriginal peoples.

As we continued our journey around Stanley Park, I realized that every view was a gorgeous view! Around every bend, and every corner was a breathtaking sight. I took many pictures on Saturday to make sure I never forgot what a fun time I had! This is a picture Melissa took of me. I love it because in the background there’s water, mountains and a sailboat.

There are many beaches along the route we took, so we decided to stop at Second Beach. A couple of feathery friends payed us a visit while we relaxed and listened to music. Two bald eagles sat, perched on a branch on the tree beside us. They remained there for quite some time – I guess they were enjoying the sunshine too!

Make sure you get a chance to check out Stanley Park, it really is a great way to spend the day with some friends! Click here for a map, which shows all the nice things to see along the way. I’ll be back there sometime soon, because I didn’t get the chance to go through Stanley Park – just around. It’s that big!

The best thing about this park is that it’s free to enjoy. Also, there’s so much to see. Lionsgate bridge, Inukshuk, even an aquarium hidden in the area. Make sure to check this while you’re here in Canada. Hope to see you guys out at the Calling on Wednesday for INTERNeX PuB NiGHT!

Cheers,

Laura

Cherry Blossoms are Back!

Spring is here!

Ah…what more is there to love than seeing Vancouver’s trees blossom and bloom with pink flowers right before our eyes. That’s right, folks! It’s that time of the season again when Vancouver’s scenic landscape is covered with gorgeous pinks of cherry blossoms.  It always puts a smile on my face when I see these pink flowers glisten with the clear, blue skies behind them. My favorite cherry blossom sight seeing locations are walking down Lower Mall Street at the University of British Columbia near the Nitobe Garden and driving along Marine Drive. Reason? Mainly just because these two places are extremely accessible for me and I go to school there! Don’t fret though, these gorgeous flowers can be seen almost anywhere in Vancouver such as at Stanley Park, Queen Elizabeth Park and even in some parts of Downtown Vancouver.

Every year, the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Society, a non profit organization, organizes The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival. The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival hosts several activities where visitors and local residents can participate in to share the blooming experience. Some of their events include entering a written haiku piece in the “Haiku Invitational Competition” and also, riding bikes in the “Bike the Blossoms” event on April 17th.

So, if you fancy writing a haiku about cherry blossoms, you should enter your submission on the VCBF website before May 31^st.

And, if you are interested in viewing cherry blossoms while partaking in a great bike expedition, hurry and register with the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition now! Each ride will cost $10 and participants can check in anytime between 10:00 AM and 12:30 PM.

For more information about the haiku competition, please visit: http://vcbf.ca/
And to register for the “Bike the Blossoms” event, please visit: http://www.greatrides.ca/

For more information about the haiku competition, please visit: http://vcbf.ca/