A Trip to the
North Shore Part I:
West Vancouver -
Courtesy of
Tourism VancouverWest Van, as
locals call their stretch of home along the North Shore's Coast Range mountains,
is a beautiful community missed by most tourists who cross the spectacular Lions
Gate Bridge. The bridge connects the City of Vancouver through the 1,000-acre
(400-hectare) forest of
Stanley Park to the North Shore. West Van is often overlooked as visitors
pass by on their way to the Upper Levels Highway, bound for Whistler or the
Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal to Vancouver Island.
West Vancouverites lay claim to reading more library books, to
earning more per capita income than any other group of Canadians and to hosting
Canada's first (and still modern) shopping mall, Park Royal.
A
curious mix of old cottages and multi million dollar homes, West Van has no
industry and little in the way of large scale tourist attractions. Yet there's
much to do if you follow the lead of the locals: stride the two kilometre
seawall to
Dundarave pier and beach, drop in at a neighbourhood bar for snacks and
refreshments or partake of the seasonal beach concession for burgers.
Saunter along Bellevue Street to 31st - between 14th and 16th,
fashion boutiques, antique stores and coffee shops abound. Great shopping
options are also available in the two Marine Drive villages, each a block long:
Dundarave and Ambleside.
Other local hangouts: the 1913 Ferry Building, where you'll
find free art shows, and Ambleside's scenic pitch and putt. Dogs are so
important in this area that they have their own section of beach or 'doggie
park' at Ambleside and a parallel fenced runway on the seawall.
Located
along the water and beneath the mountains, West Vancouver offers opportunities
for many sports - golf, skiing, biking and hiking or your choice of sailing,
motor boat rentals, fishing charters and much more. Scuba buffs head for rocky
bluffs of
Whytecliff Park, one of Canada's first undersea parks, near Horseshoe Bay.
Serious hikers-or skiers, in the winter-head for the hills, namely Cypress
Mountain, located on the northern side of West Vancouver. And after it all,
catch the breathtaking view, fantastic food or a casual drink at the Salmon
House on the Hill.
Also, make sure not to miss Lighthouse Park. The scenery,
particularly the views of Howe Sound, is among the most picturesque in the
world. Forest trails (dogs allowed) wind past giant Douglas Firs to one of the
last working lighthouses on the coast.
Note: A quick note on the somewhat confusing geography of the
Greater Vancouver area: North Vancouver District, North Vancouver City and West
Vancouver are all municipalities that sit side by side on what Vancouverites
term, as an all-encompassing phrase, the North Shore. All three communities are
physically north of Vancouver and are separated from downtown by Burrard Inlet
and English Bay. West Vancouver is really west of North Vancouver District and
the District surrounds North Vancouver City. Whew! Should we now mention that
Vancouver City itself has a west side and a West End? I didn't think so.
