Montana --- Vancouver
The 6.5-hour drive from Montana to Seattle was absolutely gorgeous. I was on a mission to reach the city by dark and did not have any time to stop for pictures so you will have to take my word that the views were wonderful! After another cozy night in a planet fitness parking lot, I headed north for Vancouver. I made a quick stop for donuts and a walk down the pier in the lovely town of Emerson.
After making it through border patrol with only a few strange looks after telling the agent I was living in the van, it was a short drive into the city. Vancouver might have one of the best views while driving into a city. The mountains are set perfectly behind downtown as you come over the bridge into the city. I was already having a good time in Vancouver and I hadn't even left my car yet!
The first thing that I noticed when I did get out of the car after making it to West Vancouver was that it was finally warm!!! A whopping 42 degrees but it had never felt better. I took the opportunity to get my bike off the roof and rode down to a park on the bay for sunset.
The next few days I spent walking around downtown, looking at buildings, and enjoying another wonderful public library.
The Vancouver public library takes up an entire city block and looks like it belongs next to the colosseum! I had a hard time capturing the sheer size of the building so you will all have to go visit and see it for yourself:)
While looking for a place to make up some food for the night I found myself in the parking lot of the Cleveland Dam. The dam is set at the base of Grouse Mt. and shares a stunning view of Crown Mt. in the distance. It was the perfect spot to make some food and a lovely surprise spot for taking photos!
Stanley Park
My final day in Vancouver was spent biking around Stanley Park and visiting the Granville Island Public Market. I left the van in West Vancouver and started my ride by going over the Lions Gate bridge to reach the park. Stanley park is Vancouver's first and largest urban park complete with a 5.5-mile shoreline biking/walking path, mountain views, city views, and totem poles; Stanley Park has it all!
After completing the trip around Stanley Park I was very hungry and headed toward Granville Island for food and treats! The market had more shops and options than I knew what to do with but I can highly recommend a visit as everything I did have was fantastic. The following photo was the view of the Burrard St. Bridge that I enjoyed while enjoying my sushi and pastries:)
Due to the wonderful bike lanes in Vancouver, my day of biking around was an absolute joy. It felt good to be back on two wheels and exploring another city!
Shoutout to cities with good bike lanes!!
My time in Canada was coming to a close but I had one more stop that I had to make before leaving the country...
Golden Ears Provincial Park
Allouette Lake from the Poseidon cabin
My fellow Percy Jackson fans can start geeking out now because I visited Camp Half Blood!! Ok well, actually just the filming location for Camp Half Blood but still, geeking out!!
The trail leading to Alouette Lake goes through the dense coastal hemlock forest that makes up the landscape of the park. It seriously felt like I was in a movie walking through the forest and I kept my ballpoint pen handy in the unlikely scenario that a minotaur came running out of the undergrowth.
The 6-mile trek through the canopy-covered trail, snaked up and down the mountainside with some of the most beautiful natural growth I have ever seen.
It felt like I had been transported to an entirely new place when I got to the end of the trail. The trails ends at the South Beach of Allouette Lake and offers a stunning view of the mountains in the distance. This is the view that Percy gets to enjoy every day from the dock of Poseidon's cabin and I am jealous...
After hiking back to the van (for a grand total of 12 miles) I was ready to bid Canada adieu feeling very satisfied with all that I got to do and see. I loved Vancouver (minus the traffic) and will definitely be making plans to visit again in the future!
NEXT TIME ON THE BLOG...
I start the journey south from Vancouver to Seattle and the Olympic Peninsula. Get ready for stunning city views, a trip through a temperate rainforest, and snowcapped mountains later this week!
