Seattle/BC Summary

An exciting and packed trip. Seattle is a very beautiful place, best to visit late July-early August. Vancouver is a very clean and busy place. Whistler village is a small bustling community serving tourists primarily. Victoria & Sidney are very pretty places - no wonder it is called the Garden City. Vancouver Island is huge, we managed to only see a tiny portion of it. Their ferry system is awesome.

View Seattle/Vancouver,BC in a larger map

What we couldn't do:

Mt. Rainer - Burroughs Trail
http://www.everytrail.com/guide/burroughs-mountain-loop-via-glacier-basin/map
http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/upload/sunrise-area-trails-aug11-2.pdf

Driving Tour of Orcas Island or San Juan Island
http://www.visitsanjuans.com/what-to-do/Orcas-Island-Driving

Granville Island

http://www.findfamilyfun.com/granvilleisl.htm

Capillano Park - http://www.capbridge.com/

• Kia'palano/Totem Park
• Suspension Bridge
• Treetops adventure
• nature edge boardwalk
• canyon lookout
• cliffwalk

Grouse Mountain - http://www.grousemountain.com/

• Grouse Grind - 2 mile hike
• Skyride up/down, Lumberjack show - 4:30 pm
• Elevation change 2800 ft. 2 hrs. 
  

Seymour Moutain : Mt. Seymour Hike: 4 km. 2.5 hours. Elevation change, 450 metres. This busy trail starts near the north end of the top parking lot, traversing Brockton Point and First and Second Pump Peaks. From the summit there is a panoramic view of Vancouver, the lower mainland and, on a clear day, the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island. 

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/mt_seymour 

Vancouver Island: Vancouver Island is huge, we saw only a tiny part of it. Speaking with the locals, the remaining places are supposed to be more scenic and serene.

Seattle/BC Day 7 - Seattle

This was actually a buffer day to cover some spill over. We decided to checkout some city views from vista points of Kerry park and Alki beach. Our hotel was right next to Space Needle and a short walk away from OSP.

Walk Map

Olympic Sculpture Park

The park has transformed a nine-acre industrial site into open and vibrant green space for art. This new waterfront park gives Seattle residents and visitors the opportunity to experience a variety of sculpture in an outdoor setting, while enjoying the incredible views and beauty of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. If the sculptures aren't enough to hold your attention, turn your eyes toward the views of Elliott Bay and the distant Olympic Mountains. Down along the water, you'll also find a perfect little beach that was constructed as part of the sculpture park.

Exhibit in OSP

View of Space Needle from OSP

Kerry Park
For one of the best views of Seattle head to Kerry Park, a small park located on the south side of Queen Anne Hill.  A photo from here is Seattle postcard-perfect, featuring ferries crossing Elliott Bay, the city skyline with the Space Needle in the forefront and, if weather conditions are favorable, a view of Mt. Rainier

Alki Beach Park

Alki Beach is the principal tourist attraction at Alki Point. It features sand, saltwater, bungalows, and unique local restaurants. It is generally not a popular swimming beach, owing to the cold waters of Puget Sound. It offers stunning views of the Olympic Mountains and downtown Seattle from all points. Attractions include  a lighthouse and a miniature "Statue of Liberty" - replica of the original!

 

References

http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/visit/OSP/default.asp

http://www.seattle.gov/parks/environment/discovery.htm 

http://www.spaceneedle.com/visit/ 

http://www.seattle.gov/parks/park_detail.asp?ID=445

Seattle/BC Day 6 - Sidney, Seattle

Sidney, BC:

Sidney is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island on the Saanich Peninsula - just a 20 minute drive from downtown Victoria.  Sidney is home to the Sidney/Anacortes Ferry Terminal and is just minutes from the Victoria International Airport and the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal. Sidney is a year-round tourist destination with 3.6 kilometres of waterfront and a bustling downtown core. Our hotel was just 10 minutes away from Sidney downtown.

Pirate at the Sidney beach park

WSDOT Ferry (Sidney, BC to Anacortes, WA)

Our Ferry

Sidney Island

Another WS Ferry in opposite direction

Mt Baker from WS Ferry

References:

http://www.sidney.ca/

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/

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Seattle, WA

Columbia Center: At 943 feet, this is the tallest building in Seattle (twice as tall as the Space Needle & Smith tower), with more stories (76) than any other building west of the Mississippi. On the 73rd floor is an observation deck with views that dwarf those from the Space Needle & Smith tower.

 

Smith Tower: This building was the tallest building west of the Mississippi when it was completed in 1914. The observation floor on 35th floor, near the top of this early skyscraper (42 stories), is open to the public and provides a very different perspective of Seattle than does the Space Needle. The ornate lobby and elevator doors are also worth checking out. [ Not sure why the ticket prices are almost same as Columbia Observation deck for half the elevation view ]

Waterfall Garden Park: The roaring waterfall here was much talked about in various websites. The park is built on the site of the original United Parcel Service (UPS) offices and was closed when we went. Spare the walk (it goes through shady areas)

King Station Tut

Seattle Waterfront: Relax here before getting on a sunset sail. The Seattle Aquarium is at Pier 59The popular Water Taxi to West Seattle leaves from Pier 50, Washington State Ferries from Pier 52, and Metro's free Route 99. The waterfront is to Seattle what Fisherman's Wharf is to San Francisco, Stretching along Alaskan Way from Yesler Way, in the south, to Bay Street, Myrtle Edwards Park, and the Olympic Sculpture Park, in the north, the waterfront is Seattle's most popular and touristy destination.

Bainbridge Island: The Bainbridge Island ferry takes only 35 minutes for the crossing. The big car ferries that shuttle back and forth across Puget Sound to both Bainbridge Island and Bremerton leave from Colman Dock at Pier 52. Once on Bainbridge Island, you can wander around the downtown area, where you'll find coffeehouses, restaurants, boutiques, galleries, and restaurants.This is the pathway to Olympic peninsula - on weekends there is a huge waiting period for vehicle crossings.

Sunset on Bainbridge Island

Space Needle: It looks like a flying saucer on a tripod, and when it was built for the 1962 World's Fair, the 605-foot-tall Space Needle was meant to suggest future architectural trends. Today the Space Needle is the quintessential symbol of Seattle, and at 520 feet above ground level, its observation deck provides superb views of the city and its surroundings. FYI: Columbia deck is almost double this height and provides better views.

 

Walk Map

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References:
http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/

Seattle/BC Day 5 - Victoria

BC Ferries (Tsawwassen, BC to Swartz Bay, Sidney): A cold ferry ride from Vancouver mainland to Vancouver Island.

Scenic Marine Drive: Provide excellent view of Mt. Baker and the Olympic mountains. Lot of small communities and beaches along the way.

Olympic Mountains

Mt Baker

Victoria Downtown: A pretty little downtown, can be easily covered by walk. Lot of entertainment and activities (horse chariot rides, vintage cars, whale watching, sea lions etc). Victoria is the capital of BC.

Undersea Gardens: An unique adventure for the whole family, the undersea gardens provides the world with an exciting and convenient way to view the marine life of the BC coastal region. Visitors to the lower level display area of the vessel descend 15 feet beneath the ocean to watch a variety of marine plants and animals. Through the many viewing windows,visitors can look right into the underwater world of the Pacific Northwest.

British Columbia Parliament Buildings: The Neo-baroque buildings face north on Belleville street facing the Inner Harbour and diagonally across from The Empress Hotel. A statue of Queen Victoria stands on the front lawn as well a statue of a soldier. 

Fairmont Empress Hotel: One of the oldest and most famous hotels, it is well known for its classic Victorian afternoon tea service. During the summer months, the hotel serves tea (along with tea sandwiches, fresh scones, preserves and clotted cream known as Empress cream in its 'Tea Lobby' to more than 800 guests and tourists daily. Afternoon tea is approximately CAD $60 per person,and reservations are often required one or two weeks in advance.

 

Butchart Gardens: Clearly the most romantic things to do, our primary purpose of visiting Victoria. The gardens is one of the world's premier floral show gardens. Jennie Butchart began to shape this magnificent landscape to evoke a range of aesthetic experiences. An abandoned limestone quarry was transformed into the dramatic Sunken Garden. Through successive generations of the Butchart family, The Gardens has retained much of its original design, and continues the Victorian tradition of seasonally changing the outstanding floral displays.

Sunken Garden

Ross Fountain

Saturday Fireworks

Saturday Fireworks

Night Illumination

Map Summary

 

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References

http://www.butchartgardens.com

http://www.bcferries.com
http://www.butchartgardens.com/images/stories/PDF/MarineScenicDrivetoVictoria.pdf 
http://www.fairmont.com/empress-victoria/

Seattle/BC Day 4 - Vancouver

Mt. Seymour 

There was a plan until we realised that the trails were modified due to construction. We strolled for a short while and captured this view of Mt. Baker.

View of Mt. Baker from Mt. Seymour Parking Lot

Lynn Canyon

Twin Falls Trail & Beyond : Breathtaking Waterfalls, If you cross the suspension bridge and would like to get to Twin Falls, follow the boardwalk towards the right after the bridge and then follow the trail East to Twin Falls. There is a sign that will point you in the right direction.

Vancouver Downtown Walk

• Robson Square: Robson Square is a landmark civic centre and public plaza of modernist concrete, located in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the site of the Provincial Law Courts, UBC Robson Square, government office buildings, and public space connecting the newer development to the Vancouver Art Gallery.

 

• Chinatown: Canada's largest chinatown (North America's 2nd after SF Chinatown). It is surrounded by Gastown and the Downtown Financial and Central Business Districts

Millennium Gate (back)

Millennium Gate (front)

Dragons on street lamp posts

• Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden is one of Vancouver's living treasures. In the midst of Chinatown, lies a tranquil yet vibrant expression of Ming Dynasty culture. The first classical style garden built outside China.

• Creekside Park: This attractive park is both a gateway to Science World and a popular venue for summer events and festivals. The Park has many benches and grass berms for relaxing in the sun or enjoying views of False Creek and the downtown core.

BC Place from Creekside Park

• Science World

• Steam Clock: Named after saloon owner "Gassy Jack" Deighton, Gastown is the original site from which modern Vancouver sprung forth. The varied shops and boutiques along the way make this area a popular tourist shopping district. The famous steam clock will fill the air with music every 15 minutes during your visit.

• Vancouver Lookout

 

• Canada Place: A national icon, Canada Place in downtown Vancouver is home to the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre, easily identified by the ten white sails representing each Canadian province.

 

• Olympic Cauldron: The Cauldron has a distinctive icy appearance as it is made of steel and glass. It is lit only for special occasions. The five, leaning glass pillars of the cauldron now remain as one of the Winter Olympics’ strongest legacies. They sit in the middle of a fountain, which protects both the pillars and the public. Views of the Shore Mountains and the city of North Vancouver are spectacular from this spot.

 

• Stanley Park: One cannot go wrong with this one. Very popular among tourists and locals, plenty activities to do.

• Rose Garden: The Rose Gardens, situated just steps from the Georgia Street entrance to the park, is a true inspiration and a "must see" for garden enthusiasts as well as Vancouver’s most popular destination for wedding or romantic photos.

• Totem Poles: The totems found here are representative of the art and society of many of B.C.'s Native Nations.

 

• 9 O'Clock Gun: Cast in England in 1816, brought here in 1894, was used by mariners to set their chronometers and also to warn fishers of closings, the gun promptly fires at 9pm local time.

• Prospect Point: Go to this landmark to get the best views of the North Shore Mountains, the Lions Gate Bridge and the Burrard Inlet. The Prospect Point Lookout is "A Vancouver Tradition" at the highest point in Stanley Park.

Lions Gate from Prospect Point

• Seawall Trail: The seawall refers to the 13.7 miles walking, jogging, cycling and inline skating path that lines Vancouver's waterfront from the convention centre on Burrard Inlet (Coal Harbour), around Stanley Park and False Creek, past Granville Island and ending at Kitsilano Beach Park. It is the most popular recreational facility in Vancouver and is on the "to do" lists of many visitors.

Downtown from Stanley Park Seawall

Canada Place & Vicinity (from Stanley Park Seawall)

• Lost Lagoon: An artificial, captive body of water, west of Georgia Street, near the entrance to Stanley Park. There is a 1mi perimeter trail.

Map Summary 

  

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References
http://lynncanyon.ca
http://www.scienceworld.ca/
http://vancouver.ca/parks/parks/stanley/