VANCOUVER - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 124

per hour for nonguests. Guests at these same hotels pay up to $35 per 24-hour period for
parking.
Greater Vancouver
When your plane touches down at Vancouver International Airport, it's landing on Sea Is-
land. Several such islands are part of a massive alluvial fan formed over eons of time as silt
and gravel have washed down the Fraser River and been deposited in the Strait of Geor-
gia. The largest of these islands holds the city of Richmond, which is sandwiched between
the north and south arms of the river. Across the South Arm are Delta and Tsawwassen,
from which ferries depart for Vancouver Island. Across Boundary Bay from Tsawwassen is
White Rock, a large residential area that sits right on the U.S.-Canada border.
When you leave Vancouver and head due east, you travel through the most built-up and
heavily populated area of British Columbia, skirting modern commercial centers, residen-
tial suburbs, and zones of heavy industry. Metro Vancouver extends almost 100 kilometers
(62 miles) along the Fraser Valley, through mostly residential areas. The main route east is
the Trans-Canada Highway, which parallels the Fraser River to the south, passing through
Burnaby. The original path taken by this highway crosses the Fraser River at New West-
minster, the capital of British Columbia for a short period in the 1860s.
RICHMOND
The incorporated city of Richmond (population 190,000) sprawls across Lulu Island at the
mouth of the Fraser River. Most visitors to Vancouver cross the island on their way north
from the United States on Highway 99, or to and from the airport or Tsawwassen Ferry Ter-
minal. Steveston is the main reason to visit Richmond, but on the way, consider escaping
the suburban sprawl at Richmond Nature Park at the junction of Highways 91 and 99 (ac-
cess is signposted from Westminster Hwy.). This 85-hectare (210-acre) park has been left
in its natural state; the only development consists of trails leading to duck-filled ponds and
fens. The park is open dawn to dusk daily and a nature house 9am-5pm daily (free).
Steveston
On Lulu Island's southwestern extremity, the historical fishing village of Steveston is a
lively spot worth a visit. In the 1880s it had more than 50 canneries and was the world's
largest fishing port. Today, a redeveloped stretch of harborfront bustles with activity in
summer. Casual visitors and local fishermen mingle at fishing-supply outlets, shops selling