Discovering Vancouver Attractions

from

Johnson Heritage House

British Columbia, (BC)

“To see all these attractions you’re going to need a lot of ‘sole'”

(Click on map to view locations of Vancouver attractions)

Map

The following notes are intended to help you plan and organize your trip to Vancouver, BC, British Columbia so that you may get the most out of your time in this fair city.

Johnson Heritage House  is ten minutes by car to downtown Vancouver, and fifteen minutes from the Vancouver International Airport. Most attractions are within a five to fifteen minute drive. Good restaurants, shops, bookstores, coffee bistros, most services and the bus to downtown are all within a five to ten minute walk. We can tell you how long you will need to reach and view any single, or combination of sites. Check out our Home Page

Vancouver is truly a fabulous city with some of the attractions and activities, which lend to its charm, noted in the following abbreviated list.

Museum of Anthropology – at the University of British Columbia   ( UBC )

It’s a fabulous treasure trove of West Coast Indian artifacts and culture. Great exhibits, beautiful building, and a serene setting. A must see. Don’t forget the longhouse outside. (Allow up to four hours)

Vancouver Aquarium – in Stanley Park.  Watch beluga whales swimming above you. Highly acclaimed as one of the best aquariums anywhere. There’s also a miniature train, petting zoo and a totem-pole park nearby.

Public Gardens

Stanley Park. A 1000 acre forest with many walking trails, surrounded by water. A fabulously-spectacular setting and environment for an inner city.

UBC Botanical Gardens (University of BC)  Over 7,000 different plants from around the world are nestled in 70 acres of coastal native forest and designed landscapes.

VanDusen Botanical Gardens . Botanical garden with 7500 species of plants.  55 acres – also lovely and peaceful.

Nitobe Japanese Gardens at UBC. A long time botanical landmark. There are also Japanese gardens in Richmond (a 20 min.drive)

Queen Elizabeth Park.  Flower gardens, city view, Bloedel Conservatory (exotic birds & plants).  And gorgeous restaurant.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Gardens. A Ming-dynasty style Chinese picture garden in Chinatown; the only one of its kind outside of China.  Also visit Strathconna Community Gardens (near Chinatown).

Minter Gardens. A day trip into the farmlands of the Fraser Valley – where there’s a great aroma of cows’ stuff.

City Tours

Lots of city tours are available for inside/outside Vancouver.   We’ve got all the pamplets to make a decision on.  The tours are great if you’re pressed for time.

Lotus Land Tours  Great kayaking and other “wilderness adventures for softies” – free pick up from B&B.

Tours to Alaska / Cruise Watch – An incredible and detailed site related to all aspects of Alaskan cruises.

Walk Vancouver   A dozen casual city walks with location details, maps and photos.

Museums

Vancouver Museum,

Pacific Space Centre,

Both of the above are in one complex.

Vancouver Maritime Museum  This is 1/2 block from the above complex..

Motorcycle Museum ( in Richmond) “varooom”.

Burnaby Heritage Village and operating antique wooden carousel. Take a spin for a “looney”.

Vancouver Art Gallery . In the classic old Court House by Robson Square.

Imax Theatre A five-storey high 3D screen in Canada Place, the unique building with canvass sails for a roof.

Science World   It’s a stainless steel building that looks like a golfball. Great fun for kids. We don’t take kids. It also houses an omnimax theatre with interesting films. The screen is a 360 degree view of the ceiling.

Grouse Mountain Ride the gondola to the 3700 foot summit. Reserve dinner in advance at The Observatory  Restaurant and get the 2000 foot gondola ride for free. Take a helicopter tour from the top, or a guided mountain-bike tour to descend the mountain. Spectacular views of the city, ocean, islands.

Capilano Suspension Bridge A 450-foot-long suspended bridge that is 230 feet above the river, first built in the 1890’s, near Grouse Mountain. Also visit the fish hatchery, with its fish ladders, and see the Cleveland dam nearby.

Chinatown It’s the second largest authentic one in North America, built in the 1800’s for its Chinese residents.  It’s an adventure especially in trying to identify the food on your plate.

Outdoor Fun With Exercise

Check the “Walks”and “Hikes”books in the brochure rack. No, that’s not enough exercise yet.

Forget the TV. It’s broken. Go chase squirrels in the yard or just relax on the front porch with something cool.

Walk, jog or bike the many trails of, and the five mile seawall around, the perimeter of Stanley Park.

Stroll along Locarno, Jericho, and Kitsilano beaches facing the downtown, Stanley Park, and mountains.

Walk the 20 min. path from Kitsilano beach to Granville Island for dinner, then take in a live play.

Hike down the cliff to Wreck Beach ( nudist) by UBC or walk from Locarno Beach (bare fun)

Pacific Spirit Park   Explore the great UBC campus and the walking / jogging trails of  Pacific Spirit Park.

Swim in the 150 yard outdoor heated pool at Kitsilano beach, oceanside. Great city, ocean, and mountain views.

Stroll around our neighbourhoods. Compare the old-versus-new housing. It’s safe day and night.

Rollerblade at UBC or on Stanley Park’s seawall. If you run into Sandy ‘blading’ please ask her to come home.

Bring your figure skates and just follow Sandy daily after breakfast. She won’t let you down.

Kayak in False Creek at Granville Island, or take a mini-aqua-bus tour around the inlet.

Windsurf at Jericho Beach or paraglide from Grouse Mountain. Most B&B guests aren’t that crazy.

Hike the many trails of the mountains; visit Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge & the Ecology Centre.

Trek the famous Baden Powell trail, 25 miles long in sections. You up to the “Grouse Grind”? Ask.

Drive to The Village of Ladner and walk around the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, or go horseback riding.

Relax and people watch from the many sandy, sunning, and swimming beaches surrounding Vancouver. Hellooo bikinis !!

Swat a few balls at the tennis courts.  There’s lots of them around.

Take a gamble and try out our local casinos, or throw your money at the horserace track. Leave your return plane ticket home at the B&B.

Take time to see our new library. It’s in the image of the Roman coliseum and its fabulous !!!

Restaurants – Restaurants

Check out our Johnson Heritage B&B Guest-Guide to Vancouver, in your room. With many ethnic restaurants and other great places to eat you may get to go home heavier.

Brew Pubs

Not too strenuous. In Yaletown & Gastown. Try the samplers. “At our inn leave your car when you hitch your wagon to a bar”.

Dance

Ballroom Dancing

We’re in our fourth year of international-style ballroom lessons, trials and tribulations.   We know five dance floors in the area, most which are open daily, for dancing and practice .  Bring your dance shoes and let us show you where to sweat. 

Night clubs

There’s lots of disco, latin and modern dancing and evening entertainment. The weekly Georgia Straight tells it all.

Live Plays / Theatre / Opera / Ballet

Lots of live theatres. Three on Granville Island. There’s an open-air Theatre under the stars, in Stanley Park, and Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival (An annual summer-time Shakespearean festival held in a circus tent on Kitsilano beach).  Another fabulous annual event is our Celebration of Light Fireworks competition.

Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Regular world-class performances.

Centre For the Performing Arts  Also world class productions.

Chan Centre for Performing Arts    Great productions and accoustics, at UBC.

Movie Theatres

Two classic old theatres are close by and show double recent features for $4.50 to $5.00 total (The Hollywood and Ridge Theatres). Most first-run film theatres are within a five to ten minute drive.

Hollywood Theatre   Movie guide

Ridge Theatre   Movie guide

Shopping

Kerrisdale    ( Our neighbourhood) Lots of nice shops, restaurants and services right here within a five-to-ten minute walk.

Antique Row. Lots of shops on Main Street from 16th to 30th Aves. Ask for more places.

Yaletown. Decor & unusual stuff in our newest upbeat shopping / restaurant area near downtown.

Chintz and Co. Decor and furnishings. Neato!   Leave credit cards at home.

Fourth Avenue. Stroll the six blocks west of Burrard for good things to take home and restaurants.

Granville Island Lots of artisans, crafts, galleries, restaurants and the public market-a must visit.

Gastown. Crafts / souvenirs, restaurants, nightclubs in the oldest but restored section of city.

Yaletown  Our trendy, upscale shopping, eating, nightlife district near the downtown core.

Downtown core  Everything there is to see downtown.

Robson Street Great for shops, restaurants, coffee bars, nightlife and just people watching. Called “Hollywood North” it boasts the highest priced retail in North America. Rub elbows with hundreds or even thousands of other strolling nighthawks past the midnight hour.

Day and Half-Day Trips

Whistler Mountain resort. Ride a gondola to mountain top & hire helicopter over glacier. WOW!

Paddle wheeler cruise around inner Vancouver harbour, or other cruise boats with dinner options.

Take scenic 40 min. ferry to Gibsons on Sunshine Coast or take a 20 min. ferry to Bowen Island.

Ride our transit system Skytrain above-and-across the city, and the Seabus across the harbour to North Vancouver plus any city buses all day after 9:30 AM with a $7.00 all-day pass.

Visit historic Fort Langley on Fraser River. Also visit the many antique shops in nearby Cloverdale.

Take the paddle-wheel riverboat up the Fraser River from New Westminster to Fort Langley and return.

Drive to Britannia Beach along scenic Howe Sound .Visit BC Museum of Mining ( do under ground tour of mine). Visit Horseshoe Bay and oceanside parks, Whytecliffe & Lighthouse Parks.

Drive to Squamish, see “The Chief” rock face and the beautiful Shannon Falls on the way. Visit the historic-train museum and walk through the trains and their various stages of restoration. ( No running on the roof please.)

Try river rafting, sailing, or salmon fishing – all offered by charters. Bring lots of money.

Visit the historic Steveston fishing village in Richmond (a 20 min. drive). Leave your fly rod in car.

And don’t forget a day trip to Victoria on Vancouver Island, either by formal tour or easily on your own.  We’ll show you all you need to know.

Wines of Canada   Take a drive to visit a winery.  300 wineries listed with lots of wine infomation.

Views

Cypress Mountain  Drive up from West Vancouver-a great view of Vancouver, islands & ocean.

Harbour Centre. A 167-meter elevator ride to great view deck and revolving restaurant.

Queen Elizabeth Park   Good city views from the park and from Seasons-in-the-Park Restaurant.

Grouse Mountain    Best view of any city in North America ! (max 30 min. drive or go by city bus)

Mount Seymour   Another mountain just across the water to enjoy the views of the City from.   Hikes galore.

Read “The Georgia Straightpaper in your room (that’s not an order-after all it’s your holiday). Originally Vancouver’s underground newspaper of the 1960’s, The Georgia Straight features the current week’s events, live shows, groups, movies etc. It’s thorough and accurate. Help yourselves to free “2 for 1” restaurant coupons inside.

See our brochure rack – Help yourself – through the French door in our dining room for most attractions. Neat rack eh?

And, oh yes, how could we ever forget GOLF when there are six golf courses within ten minutes of us.

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Note that public buses are nearby our Johnson Heritage House and go to most attractions.  See  the Buses Page in our Guest Guide for directions to all attractions.

Vancouver is a majestic city framed by nature with the pacific ocean coastline and the coastal mountain range. It is blessed with a moderate climate that supports large trees, lush green vegetation, and colorful shrubbery. It shares a rare combination of nature’s beauty with interesting man-made attractions and lovely architecture. It is a playground for the “West-coast lifestyle” encompassing healthy outdoor activities and many kinds of recreational interests. Visitors often spend a week or more without running out of interesting things to do. Many fall in love with Vancouver and call it their favorite city, returning as often as possible. Those of us who live here feel lucky to do so.

Tha-tha-tha-that’s all folks!     Now how’s about a nice carrot for your furry tour guide?

Johnson Heritage House
Innkeepers: Sandy and Ron Johnson
Snail-mail address: 2278 West 34th Ave,
Vancouver, BC, British Columbia, Canada
V6M 1G6
Phone: (604) 266-4175
Email:[email protected]
Web site: johnsons-inn-vancouver.com