Canada: Northern Vancouver

June 15, 2008 - Father's Day

We definitely saved the best day-trip for last - to celebrate Father's Day. This is my favorite and most memorable BC experience!

CAPILANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE:
I don't like suspension bridges, nor have i EVER braved crossing one. I broke that rule on this particular case because: 1) it's Father's Day, 2) I don't want to be left alone on the other side of the ridge, 3) There is a special certificate for crossing it and I want to get it! The bridge was 230 feet high and spans 450 feet! I was literally dizzy and near-fainting stage halfway thru it. The worst part is, I have to cross it again going back! Huhu.. One fear conquered!

Evan, on the other hand, enjoyed crossing it, he demanded that he walk on his own, rather than Riki carrying him. He calls it the "shaky bridge". Hay, talo pa ko ng anak ko!

CLEVELAND DAM:
The best picnic area - view of the snowy-capped mountain was simply breathtaking!!! Too bad Evan was taking his nap the entire time we were there. Sigh.

GROUSE MOUNTAIN:
They call this mountain the peak of Vancouver. To get to the top, you can either hike for more than an hour or take an 8-minute SkyRide (cable car). We took the latter of course, which was another fear conquered for me! I have done cable car rides before (HK Ocean Park and SG Sentosa) but I was never completely comfortable with it. And this one is particularly high - more than 4,000 feet. Whew! But once you are on the top, it was again totally worth the sweat. The view was so picturesque and breath-taking!

Trivia (quoted from Wikipedia): Grouse Mountain and its aerial tramway stood in for the fictional "Skyland Mountain" in the Blue Ridge of Virginia, in a 1994 episode of TV show The X-Files in which Dana Scully is abducted on top of the mountain. The X-Files was filmed in the Vancouver region for its first five years.

Happy Father's Day Dad, we hope you had fun! Labyu! :)