Vancouver and Whistler - Always Harriet

A summer holiday in the Pacific Northwest always offers beautiful vistas. I've learned that taking your grandchild on a train ride brings sure-fire success! And that going first class is worth the expense for the extra space and quiet. I took my grandson, Dillon on a four day sojourn to Vancouver and Whistler in British Columbia. We went from Seattle to Vancouver via Amtrak and the same returning. It was a wonderful ride along the coast. Sometimes we went along right by the water, watching birds in the salt marshes.

Vancouver is a newly built city. Along the water you see tall, new condominiums and office buildings. But in the city center there still remain a few buildings more than fifty years old. One is the Fairmont Hotel where we stayed on our last night. Clearly she is a grand dame amongst hotels--wonderful service!

On our second day we took the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Whistler. This is a luxury train ride that goes along the coast for a while then turns inland, going slowly up and up through deep and dramatic gorges. Each car had a tour director telling us what we were seeing. He even let us know in advance when a great photo op was coming up! Often the train slowed for us to take pictures!

Whistler, though known for its winter sports and for hosting the Olympics, actually brings in more tourists during the summer. The mountains have biking and hiking trails. The mountain bikers of all ages are there in full force with all their gear. We went up the mountain in a jeep looking for black bears. And as promised we saw a few!

Back in Vancouver we enjoyed Stanley Park (yes, the same Stanley as in the hockey cup) for its totem poles and old growth trees. We took a ferry ride around the city to Granville Island, which is home to a delicious market and lots of shops and restaurants. A tour ride away is Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, where bridges hang from tree to tree high above the green forest floor.

Travels with Young People