VANCOUVER - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 67

NORTH SHORE
North of downtown lie the incorporated cities of North Vancouver (pop. 52,000) and West
Vancouver (pop. 47,000), both of which are dramatically sandwiched between the North
Shore Range of the Coast Mountains and Burrard Inlet. The North Shore is accessible from
downtown via the Lions Gate Bridge, but the SeaBus, which runs from Waterfront Station
to Lonsdale Quay, offers a more enjoyable alternative to getting caught in bridge traffic.
At the lively quay, a small information center (to the right as you come out of the SeaBus
terminal) dispenses valuable information, and transit buses depart regularly for all nearby
sights.
Capilano Suspension Bridge
Admission at Capilano Suspension Bridge (3735 Capilano Rd., 604/985-7474, 8:30am-
dusk daily in summer, 9am-5pm daily the rest of the year, adult $32, senior $30, youth
$26, child $12) is a bit steep, but it's one of Vancouver's most popular sights. The first
bridge across the Capilano River opened in 1899. That remarkable wood-and-hemp struc-
ture stretched 137 meters (450 feet) across the deep canyon. Today, several bridges later,
a wood-and-wire suspension bridge spans the canyon some 70 fearsome meters (230 feet)
above the Capilano River. Allow at least two hours to walk the bridge, step out onto the
numerous cantilevered decks, take the Treetops Adventure and the Cliffwalk over suspen-
ded walkways, and wander along the forested nature trails. Back near the main entrance,
First Nations carvers display their skills in the Big House, and you'll find the requisite gift
shop and eateries. To get there by car, cross Lions Gate Bridge, turn east onto Marine Drive
and then immediately north onto Capilano Road, continuing to 3735 Capilano, on your left.
If you don't want to drive, take the free shuttle from Canada Place; check the schedule at
www.capbridge.com .