VANCOUVER - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 73

Harbor Cruises
From late April to September, Harbour Cruises (604/688-7246 or 800/663-1500,
www.boatcruises.com ) offers an hour-long tour of bustling Burrard Inlet on the paddle-
wheeler MPV Constitution. Tours depart from the north foot of Denman Street up to four
times daily; tickets for adults are $30, seniors and students $25, children $10. In the even-
ing (May-early Oct. at 7pm), the paddlewheeler heads out onto the harbor for a three-hour
Sunset Dinner Cruise. The cruise for adults costs $80, children $70, which includes dinner.
While puttering around False Creek on a small ferry is an inexpensive way to see
this part of the city from water level, False Creek Ferries (604/684-7781) also offers a
40-minute guided tour of the historical waterway for just $15 per person. Departures are
10am-5pm daily from Granville Island.
Flightseeing
Flightseeing tours of the city are offered by Harbour Air (604/274-1277 or 800/665-0212,
www.harbour-air.com ) from its seaplane base on the west side of Canada Place. Options
range from a 10-minute flight over downtown ($90 pp) to a full-day trip to Victoria, includ-
ing time at Butchart Gardens ($420 pp).
Sports and Recreation
PARKS
Stanley Park
Vancouver is not a particularly good city to explore on foot, but it does have one redeeming
factor for foot travelers—Stanley Park, an urban oasis crisscrossed with hiking trails and
encircled by a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) promenade that hugs the shoreline. Along the way
are many points of interest, benches, and interpretive plaques pointing out historical events.
Allow three hours for the entire circuit. The promenade can be walked in either direction,
but those on bikes and skates must travel counterclockwise. It is always packed, especially
in late afternoon and on weekends.
Away from the Seawall Promenade, you'll find most trails a lot less busy. A good al-
ternative to exploring one long section of the promenade is to ascend the steps immediately
north of Lions Gate Bridge to Prospect Point (and maybe stop for a snack at the café), then
continue west along the Merilees Trail, which follows the top of the cliff band to Third