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| | British Columbia | Vancouver | |||
| Granville Island | |||
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A dozen places in one and an oasis in the heart of Vancouver. Take a water ferry (a deal) from the downtown core across False Creek to Granville Island and schedule the trip around a meal. Then the kids can explore the museums and run around the island |
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Take a boat ride on False Creek – Take a charming pint-sized boat for a ride around False Creek. The rainbow-colored Aquabus goes to and from Hornby St. (downtown) to Granville Island, with stops around False Creek and Science World. The Water Ferry goes to and from the Aquatic Center on Beach St., to the Maritime Museum at Vanier Park, and down False Creek to the Science Center. The round trip around False Creek is about 25 min. | ||
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Duck Pond and Sutcliff Park – The duck pond is always a big hit with toddlers. Lovely emerald-headed ducks chugging around the pond, always ready to be fed. Next to the pond, your little one can take the wheel of the S.S. Tupper, a brightly colored wooden boat. Sutcliff Park has grassy areas, picnic tables and a nice long promenade where you can stretch your legs. | |
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Granville Island Museums – These are all in the same building. The perfect place to spend some time when the fog rolls in. | ||
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Train Museum – What a gem! Scads of model and toy trains,
lovingly displayed in a "great wall of trains." (The pastel-colored
Lionel trains from the 50ties are a hoot.) Best of all is the fabulous train
layout of the Fraser Valley, a thousand feet of track with multiple trains
coming and going through tunnels in the mountainside, over trestles spanning
the gorge below, passing by miniature evergreen forests, log cabins and
boats on the glassy river. |
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Ships Museum – A wonderful collection of model ships, including
models of WWII submarines, local Canadian fishing ships, tugs and barges,
historical sailing ships, and fantasy ships, such as Jules Verne's Nautilus submarine. |
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Fishing Museum – Breeze past the collections of fishing
rods, reels and flies, to check out the colorful lures and models of big
fish, and find out how the tribal groups caught fish. |
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Water Park – Right behind the Kids Market
is a small park with a free water park, open in the summer months, complete with a giant water slide and a pretty stream with banks ideal for picnicking. |
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Street performers – Except in the
case of a monsoon or snow storm, there are always street performers all over Granville Island, from classical violinists to jugglers to martial arts displays. |
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Science World – Take a Water Ferry or Aquabus from
Granville Island to Science World. The geodesic dome that houses Science
World is only the first thing kids love about this place. This is completely hands-on
and kids are encouraged to experience science through every sense they
have in Matter and Forces, Mine Games, Search Gallery, Visual Illusions,
the 3D theatre, Omnimax theater, a piano you hop on to make music, and
visiting exhibits that change often. Everyone in the family will have
a good time. At the far end of False Creek from Granville Island, it's
a bit of a hike from downtown but you can take the water taxi from Granville
Island or English Bay. |
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Shopping – |
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The Kids Market is a building devoted to nothing but kids stuff! Check out the toddler play areas, kid's hair salon, and shops (great selections of kites and stuffed animals). |
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Crafts shops – While there is a great range of shops on Granville Island, what makes it really special are all the crafts people: peek in one window and you'll see glass being blown, or a luthier making a new guitar, or a boatwright building a new canoe. |
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