Vancouver
2003

Our holiday in Whistler would not be complete without a stay in Vancouver. There are a number of favourite things to do. It starts with a drive to Stanley Park, a waterfront wooded peninsula right next to the heart of downtown Vancouver. The park is full of wonderful forest walks and home to a collection of native totem poles and the Vancouver Aquarium.

After a quick stop for the totem poles it was straight off to the Aquarium. This year a number of major building projects have been completed and a number of changes to the inhabitants have taken place. The killer whales are no more. The last remaining one had been moved on to SeaWorld in San Diego to be with companions and the area converted for seals and sea lions.

Next door though the Beluga whales were in fine form with a new baby member of the pod. We sat and ate lunch at the cafe next to their pool and watched them play before heading underground to the underwater observation area. .

Next call was shopping and off to Mountain Equipment Coop - an outdoor store that covers everything from cycling to climbing. Time to stock up on bike stuff that's not available in the UK while the girls spent ages with a patient assistant trying on climbing shoes and harnesses. One heavily loaded shopping basket of bike and climbing gear later we headed back to the hotel before the last call just down the road on Robson Street - the main shopping street of Vancouver - to the Tsunami sushi restaurant where the food floats past on small bamboo boats. In the Japanese tradition, plates are design coded for price. You choose what you want and they add up the pile of each plate type at the end.

Next morning after a lazy start with the Saturday papers and eggs benedict breakfast we packed up and headed for the University of British Columbia. High up on a headland to the west of Vancouver, the University boasts fabulous views of the sea and mountains and the Museum of Anthropology. Here is housed an extensive collection of the culture and art of the Northwest Indian. With the car full of luggage, Dad sat outside - he can tour the Museum quite easily from memory - while Sue and the girls went inside for viewing and the obligatory shopping before driving back to the airport and home.