Well we’re pretty much two for two coming to the Midwest; our baggage missed our connecting flight and is somewhere in the Denver Airport vortex (here I thought ORD was bad for that). Not entirely DEN’s fault though, our first flight was late and that only left us 20 minutes to connect.
Landing in KCMO (Kansas City Missouri) we got a rental car from my favourite place – by favourite I mean we’ve rented from them so many times at so many locations and they always have a free upgrade or some type of add-on for us.
Tonight we enjoyed probably the tastiest room service I’ve had in ages and we’re settling in for a night of rest before big eventful family times for the rest of the week. It’s tough to disconnect and not reply to emails however I’ll spare everyone the auto-reply for now and address things as soon as I’m able. As for tonight, our 10 hour journey with no food breaks has come to an end on this king size bed, with this bottle of 2005 Merlot. I’ll definitely be making the disconnect very soon on one of these medium down pillows where I will be “cradled in its feathery support” until morning.
Despite going through a painless “random agriculture check” we’re soaking up some of the free public wifi here at YVR. It’s is a pretty great airport (actually it’s one of the best in the world) but getting here in the months before there Canada Line opens up is a bit of a challenge if you don’t know your options. If you do not have access to a car you’ll have to rely on shuttle services and taxis to get you to YVR and back so allow me to lend a hand and share some of the options for locals and those visiting our fair region.
The YVR Airporter
This is the most convenient option if you are traveling alone and have extra time to get to the airport. Purchase a round trip ticket from one of many departure hotels in downtown Vancouver for $28. This will get you to the airport and secure your way home when you return to Vancouver. This does make many stops at other hotels along the way (you don’t necessarily need to be a guest at any of the hotels) so it takes about 1.5 hours. [website]
Taxi Service
In non-peak hours (afternoon rush hour) this could be a quick 20 minute trek across town. This morning we got from downtown to the airport in 30 minutes and our total far was $29.00 for the two of us. Many local cab companies have shiny new cars (YVR boasts they’re all 6 years old or newer) and some operate hybrids, in case you’re concerned about adding to the smog. [YVR Taxi Listing]
Public Transit – Bus
From downtown you can take the 98 B-line express bus (Burrard Station Bay 9) to Richmond’s Airport Station (Bay 2) from there you can connect to the 424 airport bus. After 6pm and on weekends this will cost you all of $2.50 and will take about 50 minutes from downtown depending on traffic. [Translink]
Of course my preferred option is having a family member drop us off as this is also conducive to plenty of hug time.
Update: If you’re looking for 2009 listings, visit the Outdoor Movie Series Facebook page for all of the details.
Outdoor movies have taken Metro Vancouver by storm this summer, with sunny days outnumbering the wet ones, it’s a picturesque way to spend a warm evening. So far folks have already seen Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium at Killarney Community Centre and E.T. at David Lam Park in Yaletown as well as at Hastings Racecourse.
There are several locations across the region that continue to show film gems after dusk (for FREE), here are some of the upcoming listings:
Monsters in the Meadow
Location: Ceperley Meadow – Stanley Park (near Second Beach)
Movie: Dracula – Friday, August 22, 9:00pm
Movie: The Creature from the Black Lagoon – Friday, August 29, 9:00pm
Rain date: Friday, September 5
More info: City of Vancouver
Movie Nights
Location: The Hastings Racetrack (McGill and Renfrew, Vancouver)
Movie: The Wizard of Oz – Tuesday, August 5, 9:35pm
More info: Fresh Air Cinemas / Facebook Group /Hastings Racecourse
Movie Under the Stars
Location: Fraser Heights (10588 160th St, Surrey)
Movie: Night at the Museum – Friday, August 8
More info: City of Surrey
Location: Holland Park (King George & 100 Avenue, Surrey)
Movie: Grease – Saturday, August 16 with BBQ starting at 4:00pm
Location: Station Tower at Gateway (West Whalley Ring Road & 108 Avenue, Surrey)
Movie: Nim’s Island – Saturday, August 23
More info: Downtown Surrey BIA
Fresh Air Cinema has been moving across the province, popping up screens in parks for free public viewing all summer long. You can check out a full event listing on their site, which also include several dates on Vancouver Island.
John and I have pretty much been having a staycation this long weekend. We have friends over on the Island celebrating BC150, we took a day trip to Seattle, and yesterday we spent all of $2.50 in bus fare to experience the most amazing trails Metro Vancouver has to offer. As such, here is another installment of the Park Series featuring Lynn Headwaters.
Metrics: 4,685 hectares with many “easy” to “expert” trails.
How to get there: North of Lynn Canyon Park, the Headwaters open up into vast mountain hiking terrain. Take Lynn Valley Road to its terminus and you’ll hit the parking lot. You can also take the 210 Upper Lynn Valley bus from downtown or 228 from Lonsdale that both let you off in the vicinity.
There is a basic “loop” trail, and several kilometers of flat creek-side strolling. You will have to check in near the parking lot (and check out when you leave) and be sure to chose your route wisely as even on the easy trails there are several steep portions on the mountain (naturally).
You can choose a relatively gentle, half-day creekside walk along the Headwaters Trail (9.5 miles/15.5 km return) to Norvan Creek, or a full-day trip to either Lynn Lake (15 miles/24 km return) or the top of Grouse Mountain on the rigorous Hanes Valley Loop route (9 miles/15 km one way) via Crown Pass.
Although Lynn Headwaters Regional Park is characterized by a rugged landscape, there’s no need to feel that every hike has to be in the thigh-burning category. Far from it. Two gentle trails, Lynn Loop Trail (1 mile/1.7 km) and Cedar Mill Trail (1.3 miles/2.1 km) follow the creek for much of the way towards Norvan Falls. Pick the length and degree of difficulty that best suit you. [BCParks]
Features: Red cedars that are hundreds of years old and what we dubbed the “interesting boulders” the size of houses that are perched above the Lynn Loop trail. There are outhouses near the parking lot, some trails have muddy patches, there are loose roots and rocks so you definitely need to be careful. There is some great interactive information plus trail photos available on VancouverTrails.com.
History: This was the home of North Vancouver’s water supply from 1883 to 1981. “In 1981, when storms damaged the intakes, Lynn watershed was abandoned as the source of North Vancouver’s water supply; in 1985, Lynn Headwaters Regional Park came into being. This extensive wilderness area, logged in the 1800s, is now accessible to hikers.” [Trails.com] Considered “logged out” by the late 1900’s, this area was also mined for zinc and copper.
The next time I’m in the area I’m going to stop at the Lynn Valley Ecology Centre for a free lesson about the natural history of the park.
Notes: Remember to bring bug spray because when you stop at the top of that 1km incline for some rest, the flies and mosquitoes landing on your legs, feet, back and chest might drive you batty. Dogs are allows on leashes. Be bear aware.
Dozens of people have had to be rescued from the park over the last few years so make sure if you anticipate going up on the trails that you are fully prepared, give yourself lots of time before dusk, check the weather reports and always let someone know where you are going.
Although this is mountain hiking territory, trails like Lynn Loop, Cedars Mill and the lower Headwater route provide nice afternoon walks (40 mins – 2 hours).
Being born and raised in the Vancouver area if the sport I’m watching doesn’t involve a puck or stick I usually don’t get that too excited. However when I moved to Boston I couldn’t help but fall in love with the Red Sox. Years later, having married a Cubs fan, baseball has become a summer afternoon tradition in our family. Heading to the ballpark (to watch the C’s play over at the Nat) or catching a game on WGN, allows for a slow, simple enjoyment of this pass time – even moreso if hotdogs are involved.
I have to make a note about the food selections at Safeco as there are so many varieties that was fairly reasonably priced based on location and portion size. You could have garlic fries, fried clams, grilled chicken burger, a taco salad, Thai food, sushi (with the keenly branded “Ichiroll”), and hot dogs. Caramel and candy apples seemed to be a favourite in our section and I had to cave and get soft serve in a tiny helmet (to match my Boston collection). There was even a woman walking around with a skewer of marshmallows and chocolate-dipped strawberries.
Safeco still seems like a fairly new building (just about 10 years old) but the folks in the stands (young and old) are all seasoned Mariners fans. The organization knows how to get the them going and they don’t need much prompting even when their team is not victorious.
Despite the lack of replay footage on the big screen and the three hour border line up to get down there, it was a lovely night out with friends and my man – the guy who always says, “root, root, root for the Cubbies,” during the 7th inning stretch… no matter what park we’re in (which I don’t really mind at all).
