Alaskan Trip Journal

Date: Sunday, July 27, 2003
Starting Location: Vancouver, BC
Destination: Vancouver, BC
Trip Description: We decided to stay off of the road today and explore Vancouver instead. We got moving around 10:30, since we were in no hurry. After showering and getting organized, we left the RV behind. Laura and I decided to take public transportation downtown. There is a bus stop near the campground, and the Skytrain station is not far away. The Skytrain is basically an elevated subway. I guess that's an oxymoron, but you get the idea. It is fast and comfortable to ride. We arrived downtown in about a half hour. We saw the Molson Indy race from the Skytrain. It's really cool to see Indy cars running through the streets, then under the train and out the other side. Our stop was the Waterfront. We ate in an area called Gastown. It resembles Federal Hill in Baltimore to a small degree. There was nothing special about lunch, except we had a clear view of the harbor. There was a large cruise ship docked there. It might be the same ship we saw in Skagway a couple of weeks ago.

After lunch, we decided to go to Stanley Park. It is a rather large park on a point of land just west of downtown. We took the #135 bus to the entrance of the park. We decided to rent bicycles for the afternoon so we could see more of the park. This was a good decision. We were able to circumnavigate the peninsula along the seawall. The cruise ship was passing under the Lion's Gate Bridge as we rounded the point. We also biked through the hilly interior of the park to Beaver Lake. It was tiring, but worth the effort.

We returned the bicycles and walked east on Robson Street. We were searching for dinner. Laura and I ate at a pizza joint that had decent food. We returned to the Skytrain station and boarded for the trip back to the RV park.

Both of us were very sore from riding around Stanley Park. We changed our clothes and hopped into the swimming pool here a the RV park. They have a hot tub which made us feel better. I'm sure we will not feel so good tomorow morning.
Photos: Joe was forgetful today. He did not bring the digital camera downtown. We took some pictures using a disposable cameras we were carrying.

Joe at the bike rental place near Stanley Park.

Laura taking a break on the seawall bike path (Stanley Park).

Lilly-covered pond in the middle of Stanley Park

A cruise ship passes beneath the Lion's Gate Bridge, exiting Vancouver.

The steam-powered clock in Gastown (Vancouver).
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