Living on the coast we are no stranger to the steady sound of a fog horn or passing beam from a lighthouse when the weather turns, making you want to stay inside on a blustery autumn day clasping a hot cup of a pumpkin pie-flavoured beverage. Today’s roundup of photos from the City of Vancouver Archives features bright beacons in times of darkness that offer light and hope: the noble lighthouse.
Vancouver History Photos: Lighthouses
1890s: Prospect Point. Archives# LGN 468. Photo: R.H. Trueman and Co.
1890s: Brockton Point Lighthouse, Stanley Park. Archives #St Pk P275.
1940s: Brockton Point Lighthouse, Stanley Park. Archives# CVA 1184-2708.
1936: Brockton Point Lighthouse, Stanley Park. Archives# St Pk P124.2.
1916: Point Atkinson Lighthouse, West Vancouver. Archives# Out P613
1940s: Point Atkinson Lighthouse, West Vancouver. Archives# Out N140.
1930s: Prospect Point Lighthouse, Stanley Park. Archives# Bo P10. Photo by J. Fred Spalding.
1938: Prospect Point Signal Station and Lighthouse. Archives# CVA 260-974.
Read more about Point Atkinson, Brockton, and other local lighthouses »
The Stanley Park Halloween Ghost Train will be pulling out of the miniature railway station and into Mother Goose’s Ghastly Garden starting October 10th, 2014. Tickets are on sale now for this mystical, magical ride for all ages with creepy tales and spooky good times.
Stanley Park Ghost Train for Halloween
Experience Mother Goose’s Ghastly Garden, the theme for 2014:
Bridge collapses. Little girl eating cheese terrorized by spider. Hysterical mother found living in shoe. Horrendous headlines from trashy tabloids? Or simply the real goods that classic nursery rhymes are made of To find out, come to the Ghost Train as we present a twisted cabaret of timeless nursery rhymes and bedtime treats perfect for a Halloween night.
The miniature railway area will feature an array of activities like the pumpkin patch and pumpkin carving tent, a costume contest, a lantern-lit nature walk (Creatures of the Night) with Stanley Park Ecology Society, and the new Spooky Barn with matinee and evening shows. The Stanley Park “Cob House” will also be open for hot and devilishly delicious organic popcorn. Proceeds support gaps in funding for Stanley Park Ecology Society’s School Programs.
Stanley Park Ghost Train Hours and Admission
The Stanley Park Halloween Ghost Train will operate Friday, October 10th to Saturday, November 1st, 2014 but will be closed on Monday, October 13th for Thanksgiving.
Matinee train ride: Friday to Sunday, 11:00am to 4:30pm
Evening train ride: day of, starting at 3:00pm
From 3:00pm on the day of your train ride, you can purchase tickets at the ticket booth in the Stanley Park Miniature Train Plaza. You can buy same-day tickets only. A full schedule of admission prices is available online. Tickets are now online or by calling (604) 252-3700.
Tips from the organizers:
- At least half of the tickets for each night are reserved for on-site purchase, so even if online tickets are sold out for that day, there will still be tickets for sale on-site. However, since this event is so popular, tickets for the day can sell out quickly. Come early!
- Evening train rides include live performances and displays. The last train leaves 30 minutes before closing time.
- Train tickets are sold in half-hour time slots. Several trains will depart within each time slot.
- Avoid the crowds and come out Monday to Thursday in the first two weeks.
Follow the Stanley Park Halloween Ghost Train on Twitter and Facebook for more information about group bookings, snacks and dinner packages, and more this season.
Win Tickets!
Update: October 9, 2014 — Enter to win 1 of 2 pairs of tickets for the Stanley Park Ghost Train on Thursday, October 16, 2014. Here’s how:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw two winners at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, October 14, 2014. Tickets will be valid for Thursday, October 16, 2014.
Update The winners are Lyn and rebecca!
Thrill the World, the annual zombie dance that takes place in cities around the world on the same day, has broken records for the most number of people simultaneously dancing to Michael Jackson’s Thriller — and it’s coming to Surrey. Previously only in Vancouver, the new Surrey event will happen on the same day but give the dancing un-dead an opportunity to stay local and support a cause in their area.
What: Thrill The World Surrey
Where: Cloverdale Youth Park at 6188 176 St beside the Rec Centre.
When: “THRILL TIME” is 3:00pm sharp on Saturday, October 25th, 2014. Arrive at 12:30pm to register, 1:00pm to 2:45pm is practise, pointers, makeup and pictures.
Thrill The World Surrey will benefit the Surrey Food Bank, simply bring a donation (of cash or a non-perishable food item) to the dance to participate. This event is for all ages.
For practice events, to learn all of the dance moves, to choose a character, and more follow Thrill The World Surrey on Facebook. They have the full list of moves, the music, and information about practice dates/times.
During our was our first visit to Portland I searched online to find the best viewpoints in the Rose City. Not knowing the lay of the land aside from what we’ve seen on 2D Google Maps, John and I like to get above our destination to get a feel for its geography. I found Five of Portland’s Best Outdoor Viewpoints on a blog and we decided to hit two of them in one afternoon, starting with the Portland Japanese Gardens.
Getting There
Staying downtown at the Westin Portland we walked a block south of the hotel to find the red and blue Tri-Met Max streetcar lines. In hindsight, we should have used the Tri-Met Trip Planner and taken a bus instead, but this rookie move led to a scenic detour once we reached Washington City Park.
We purchased transit day passes for $5 a piece from outdoor fare kiosks and hopped on red line street car which ended up carving into the west hills and going underground. We got out at Washington City Park, overshooting our destination, but it was interesting to see another transit system in action, and to ride the elevator 600 feet up from track level to daylight.
While we had passed our stop for the Japanese Gardens, and prepared for a 40 minute walk through the hills, we spotted the #83 bus which was heading our way through the park. We stepped up, were told it was a free ride, and we got dropped off right at the entrance to the Japanese Gardens about 8 minutes later.
Portland Japanese Garden
The Portland Japanese Garden admission coast was $9.50 per adult and this 5.5 acre oasis, reminiscent of Queen Elizabeth Park’s locale in Vancouver, features the Strolling Pond Garden, a 100 year-old five-tiered pagoda, a Natural Garden, Sand and Stone Garden, Flat Garden, and Tea Garden.
Portland Japanese Garden Photowalk
We enjoyed the tranquil stroll over stones and koi-filled ponds, by trickling water and up moss-lined paths, and we did eventually find the overgrown lookout area. We did spot our hotel, which was nice, since we know it’s right beside the giant tower that’s under construction.
The walk through the garden was lovely, and there were many unique features like the raked patterns in the sand and stone, and warm benches on which to sit in the sunshine the peeked through the trees and listen to waterfalls that seemed to come from every direction.
We did a full walk around each path and were ready to head out after that. While the garden provided beautiful photo opportunities, we both felt like we didn’t quite get our money’s worth. Perhaps it’s because we’re so used to feeling much more connected with nature on free hikes and walks in our own parks back home. Perhaps we should have done the complimentary guided tour. Regardless, it was lovely to visit and have this little adventure (even the part where we got lost on transit in the beginning). We found a new-to-us place, had a peaceful walk, appreciated the history and culture, and enjoyed seeing more of Portland.
After exiting we walked through the free International Rose Test Garden as we descended the hill and made our way back to our hotel on foot. This is the oldest public garden of its kind in the United States and it has over 200 rose cultivars that are tested each year.
Roses of all shapes and sizes, with layers upon layers of unfolding petals, released fragrant aromas into the late summer air as they dotted the landscape with yellows, pinks, and oranges. Nearby in the Shakespeare Garden, a wedding party posed for photos.
We kept walking, past a reservoir, past a Sacajawea statue, up another hill, and found ourselves on SW Park just on the other side of Providence Park where we caught the Whitecaps and Timbers FC match the day before. We knew our way home from here and continued on foot, soaking up some sunshine and exploring another neighbourhood before reaching familiar streets and shops back downtown.
Flashdance is coming to Vancouver this fall and Broadway Across Canada is hosting a pre-sale today only! This electrifying live show will hit to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre stage November 11th to November 16th, 2014.
The pop culture phenomenon of FLASHDANCE is now live on stage. With electrifying dance at its core, FLASHDANCE-THE MUSICAL tells the inspiring and unforgettable story of Alex Owens, a Pittsburgh steel mill welder by day and a bar dancer by night with dreams of one day becoming a professional performer. When romance with her steel mill boss threatens to complicate her ambitions, Alex learns the meaning of love and its power to fuel the pursuit of her dream.
FLASHDANCE-THE MUSICAL features a score that includes the biggest hit songs from the movie, including the Academy Award-winning title song “Flashdance – What a Feeling,” “Maniac,” “Gloria,” “Manhunt,” and “I Love Rock & Roll.” In addition to these hits, 16 brand new songs have been written for the musical with music by Robbie Roth and lyrics by Robert Cary and Roth.
FLASHDANCE-THE MUSICAL features a book by Tom Hedley (co-writer of the original screenplay), and Robert Cary with direction and choreography by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, Memphis).
Flashdance Vancouver Pre-Sale
Pre-sale tickets are on sale today only and Miss604 readers can use the code OWENS to book online until 10:00pm tonight, using this ticket link. Regular tickets will go on sale Saturday, September 20th at 10:00am.
Follow Broadway Across Canada on Twitter and Facebook for more information about their shows coming to Vancouver in 2014-2015.
