Biking in Stanley Park

Dear Liza,

On Saturday, we went for a bike ride … a nice, long bike ride!

Auntie Bridgett and I had meusli and yogurt for first breakfast at the apartment, then we all walked to Breka for seconds. They have doughnuts for Grandpa Nelson and the coffee was very good, as well.

Then we walked the Pacific Sports Bicycles and some friendly folks rented us bicycles and helmets and gave us directions, and we headed off.

On Hornsby Street, which is the main road right through downtown, there is a dedicated bike lane! We felt so safe and easy, riding along without having to worry about being squashed by traffic. We rode past public art and beautiful old and new buildings.

and along the waterfront, all the way to Stanley Park.

In the park, we found that everyone else in the city chose today for their ride in the park, as well. There were actual traffic merging issues and crosswalks for pedestrians. Fortunately, good manners and smiles ruled the day.

The park and the city merged together very well, with just the right combination of views of high rise buildings and thick green forest.

There were views of historical statues and places, cute beaches if you wanted to get your feet wet, and places to buy snacks. We enjoyed fish and chips for lunch, then headed out of the park and into the city…

Where we found this!! This grouping of 14 statues had everyone posing and taking each other’s pictures. It was so much fun! Each was about ten feet tall, and showed the same man in various poses, laughing like crazy.

We rode along the Harbor on the bike path and ended up right where we started, at the bike shop. It had been a busy day, but we weren’t ready to head home yet.

We took the water taxi back over to Granville Island and wandered a bit more. We visited the Public Market, got some snacks and sodas and watched the parade of people, babies, and dogs go by. We visited Malaspina Printing and got a tour of their wonderful shared studio space from Stefan, a woodcarver. After a while, though, there was no denying it. We were pooped.

An hour or so later, and Grandpa Nelson had not only rested, but found us the perfect place for dinner… about a block away at The Tap House…salmon salad, huge baked pretzels, wine, beer, and a lovely waitress named Julia who just got back from her first-ever visit to Portland! Considering this was our first-ever visit to Vancouver, we all had a good laugh about how life is funny that way.

We walked a bit, wishing the grey sunset was a little bit pinker, then got home to read until bedtime.

Love,

Grandma Judy