We took a bus (using our Compass card) to Stanley Park and rented bicycles from Spokes.
Although the store was kind of crowded, we were fitted with bikes and helmets in about fifteen minutes.
D and I had bicycled the approximately four miles around Stanley Park during our 2005 visit. I rarely bike and I remember being a little uneasy. Doing the ride and watching out for a ten year old and an eight year old on a fairly crowded Sunday afternoon was even more nerve-wracking (for me, not the kids)! D led the way, then k, then n, and I brought up the rear.
There were plenty of sights to be had, such as the totem poles.
We also saw wedding photos being taken…
…and geese swimming in the waves.
We pulled over several times to take a break and let the faster riders pass us up. The bicycle lanes and pedestrian lanes are separate, but there are parts where the bicycle lane is quite narrow. Even so, some riders still tried to pass through. Thankfully, there were no major accidents, but can I just say that people should not be riding bicycles while using their phones?!
Lions Gate Bridge
Since we did not have a real lunch, we were pretty hungry after our ride. We ended up at Me-No Kura on nearby Robson Street for some authentic ramen. Two bowls plus 2 servings of extra noodles filled us up.
Had to laugh at this sign in the bathroom.
Next we took the bus to Canada Place and experienced Flyover Canada.
I had reserved tickets online, so we saved some money and time. The ride is very similar to Soarin’ Over California, except it features Canada, of course. The kids have not been on Soarin’, (I know!), so they did not really know what to expect. It was kind of expensive for what it was (even with the favorable Canadian exchange rate), but it was a fun and touristy thing to do.
We walked around Canada Place a little more, I bought my Vancouver Starbucks mug, and we headed back to the hotel.
We met up with my parents and sister at the concierge lounge. They had eaten at a restaurant called Joey Restaurant and brought us some leftover chicken banh mi.
It was really good! I think n ate most of it, even though it was a little spicy.
To D’s dismay, we had missed the free appetizers offered in the concierge lounge, but they did have this dessert:
I think it was supposed to be crème brulee, only it was not “bruleed” as there was no crunchy shell. It was still tasty, though.
We then headed back to our room and prepared for bed. There was a pretty sunset that night.
It was not difficult for us to fall asleep after that long day!