Rocky Mountaineer Canada Trip 2019 - Day 2, Part 1: A Walk In The Park

Well, not in extensively...more like to and around and through a little bit.

We woke up that morning to a gray Vancouver day with a forecast calling for rain throughout the afternoon.

At 8:15am we met the rest of the group for breakfast downstairs at the hotel's Oceans 999 restaurant.  I had coffee and an order of Classic Eggs:  Two scrambled eggs, maple-pork sausage, hash browns and rye toast.  Delicious.

At 10 the group split again and Todd, Mom and I walked along the Coal Harbour Seawall to Stanley Park, a 400-hectare (988 acre) park on the edge of downtown.  It's like the Central Park of Vancouver, although the locals would probably bristle at that description.

Watching the ferry shuttle morning commuters across the harbor

Table view at Oceans 999

Morning Mom

Excellent breakfast

Todd had the Brioche French Toast which he didn't like so much - he said it wasn't thick or "eggy" enough and relied too much on the caramel sauce for sweetness instead of powdered sugar.

A light sprinkle as we leave the hotel.  We were expecting a downpour and that we would have to turn back, but a light smattering of rain at the very beginning and end of our walk was all we go.

Here's what a seaplane dock/airport looks like

The Chevron Legacy

Cute houseboats

The Qube building

Fun Facts (from emporis.com):

• This building was portrayed as the "Phoenix Foundation" in the TV series, MacGyver.
• Address was changed from 1333 to 1383 West Georgia in 2005 following conversion to condos.
• Known as the Westcoast Transmission Building from 1969-2000 and Duke Energy Building from 2000-2004.
• Converting to 180 condominiums by mid-2005.
• This building was built from the top down. The core was built first then steel was hung from cables at the top and floors were added all the way down. The first floor starts at the fourth level. Over the years the cables have stretched so that today a pencil might roll off your desk if you're not paying attention.
• Fully renovated in 1990.
• Recipient of the 1970-71 Design in Steel Award from the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Flora

More-a flora

There's our hotel in the center right of the picture

Learn To Row at the Vancouver Rowing Club

Boats of the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club

We've reached Stanley Park, where trees grow on trees

Deadman's Island and HMCS Discovery Royal Canadian Naval Reserve shore facility

Totem poles of the First Nations

Mom sporting her "Temporarily Canadian.  U?" hoodie.

The Nine O'Clock Gun

We were back at the hotel at 9pm, but I didn't remember to listen for the cannon until after 10.  Oh well.

Sulfur

Brockton Point Lighthouse

The Chehalis Cross monument memorializes 8 passengers of the 60ft wooden steam ship Chehalis who died when it was run over by the 300ft ship Princess Victoria in July of 1906.  The seven survivors of the Chehalis were rescued by the keeper of the Brockton Point lighthouse.

Amazing tree bark

Our walk totaled 6 miles and we made it back to the hotel around 1pm, tired but pleased.