VANCOUVER - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 50

DOWNTOWN
Vancouver Lookout: For immediate orientation from downtown, catch the high-
speed, stomach-sinking glass elevator up the outside of 40-story Harbour Centre
(555 W. Hastings St., 604/689-0421, 8:30am-10:30pm daily in summer, 9am-9pm
daily the rest of the year, adult $16, senior $13, student $11, child $7.75). The ride
takes less than a minute and ends at the Observation Deck, an enclosed room 130
meters above street level, from where views extend as far away as Mount Baker, 140
kilometers (87 miles) to the south. Walk around the circular room for 360-degree
views. Keep your receipt and you can return at any time during the same day (the top
of the tower is a great place to watch the sun setting over the Strait of Georgia).
Down on the Waterfront: From Vancouver Visitor Centre, continue down Bur-
rard Street to Canada Place and wander around the west side promenade for neck-
straining views of the city close up, as well as North Vancouver and the rugged
mountains beyond. For a look at the skyline and sparkling Canada Place from sea
level, take the SeaBus from the adjacent Waterfront Station across Burrard Inlet to
Lonsdale Quay.
Stanley Park: Drive, walk, or cycle Stanley Park's 10-kilometer (6.2-mile)
Seawall Promenade to appreciate the skyline to the east, the busy shipping lanes of
First Narrows to the north, and the sandy beaches of English Bay to the west. Sunsets
from English Bay Beach, in the West End, are delightful.
NORTH SHORE
The best views from the north side of Burrard Inlet are gained by taking the Grouse
Mountain Skyride (Nancy Greene Way, 604/980-9311, adult $40, senior $36, youth
$24, child $14; includes on-mountain activities) up the slopes of Grouse Mountain.
The panorama extends back across the inlet to downtown and beyond to Mount
Baker, in Washington state, and west to Vancouver Island. In summer, the gondola
departs from the base station every 10 minutes 9am-10pm.
Head west along Highway 1 from the Grouse Mountain turnoff to Cypress Bowl
Road. At the second switchback, there's a particularly good city skyline view.
Continue west to Horseshoe Bay, then return to the city along Marine Drive, which
parallels Burrard Inlet, providing many glimpses of the city skyline. At Lighthouse