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Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Looking across Burrard Inlet to West Vancouver (Ambleside Village)
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Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
High-Rises on Ambleside Beach
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Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Beach House Restaurant at Dundarave Beach. Lions Gate and Stanley Park in the distance
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Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Horseshoe Bays waterfront shops
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Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Lions Gate Bridge connects the city of Vancouver with the North Shore
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Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Marine Drive at 25th Street in Dundarave Village
By Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Just a ten-minute drive from Vancouver, through Stanley Park and over Burrard Inlet on First Narrows Bridge, (Lions Gate) was our seaside holiday destination of West Vancouver. (The trip ended up being seven action-packed days of adventures, and a lifetime of memories.) We stayed at Capilano River RV Park in West Vancouver, adjacent to the north end of Lions Gate Bridge, next to the Capilano River. The gated RV campground with over two hundred sites, ranging from full service to tenting was the perfect location for day trips driving around Vancouver's Lower Mainland, and taking the picturesque seawall walk along English Bay to Dundarave Park.
The 16 kilometres of highway west from the campsite, to the small village of Horseshoe Bay, is one of the most scenic short coastal drives we have ever encountered.
The nearby Marine Drive follows the north side of English Bay, overlooks Lions Gate Bridge, Stanley Park, Vancouver and the Point Grey subdivision. (Nightlights from the city are stunning.) This is also the marine highway for all shapes of watercraft, including large freighters and cruise ships entering the Port of Vancouver, the third busiest Port in North America.) More than ten freighters could be seen anchored in English Bay waiting to unload cargo.
Per capita, West Vancouver is known as one of the wealthiest communities in Canada. We saw evidence of the wealth as we drove on the Marine Drive shoreline route, traveling from Park Royal to Horseshoe Bay.
At one time this was the only highway to Horseshoe Bay on the North Shore. An express route, known as the Upper Levels, was built for a speedier connection to BC's ferry terminal at Horseshoe Bay, and to the Sea-To Sky Highway to the villages of Squamish, Whistler, and Pemberton.
Small villages located on Vancouver's North Shore were fairly isolated until a bridge was built in 1938, connecting Vancouver with the North Shore Mountains. The roadway crossing Burrard Inlet is suspended by big steel cables connected to 111m (364ft) towers at either end of the bridge. In 2005, Lions Gate Bridge was dedicated as a National Historic Site of Canada. This is a landmark for the city of Vancouver and the North Shore communities.
Park Royal is a three-minute drive from the campsite. Once known as the largest indoor shopping centre in Canada, Park Royal has now been transformed into a unique, classy shopping environment consisting of North and South malls.
After traveling through the middle of Park Royal, we headed west for another five minutes until we came to 13th Street and Marine Drive. This is the start of Ambleside Village business section, lined with specialty shops, clothing boutiques, bakeries, restaurants, and coffee bars. We turned left at 13th Street, crossed over the railway tracks and entered Ambleside Park. The 24-hectare park is popular with local residents and is the outdoor activity centre for the North Shore. You know long before 13th Street approaches, as the landscape to the left is lined with baseball, soccer and football fields, tennis and basketball courts and grassy playing fields all the way to the waterfront of English Bay from Marine Drive. People come from all over the lower mainland to walk their dogs at the designated un-leashed dog park. This is a dog's holiday, as they can run on the beach, go for a swim, walk the forested trails or play on the grassy fields.
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By Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Dundarave Beach on the north side of Burrard Inlet. Point Atkinson and Lighthouse Park in the distance
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By Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Dundarave Pier overlooks Burrard Inlet
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By Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Horseshoe Day is home to the BC Ferries Terminal (Marine Highway connector to Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast)
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By Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Famous Trolls Restaurant
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By Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Entrance to Sewell's Marina Safari Charters
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By Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
Sewell's Marina and Howe Sound
We came to West Vancouver to walk the 5.6 km Seawall stretching from Ambleside Park to Dundarave Village. Most visitors go to Stanley Park Seawall, not knowing about West Vancouver Seawall. The walk is flat and easy, with the best coastal scenery Canada has to offer right out your front door. This was on top of our list of what to do while visiting Vancouver. We spent a few days on the Seawall.
Back on Marine Drive, we traveled west on the outskirts of Ambleside and entered three blocks of high-rises leading into Dundarave. The village main street is lined with old-fashioned style lamp posts, hanging flower baskets and quaint little shops, giving Dundarave the atmosphere of a small cosy seaside village. If you take a left on 25th Street, then cross the railroad tracks you will come to Dundarave Pier.
At the corner of the pier and sea walk is the famous Beach House Restaurant overlooking Dundarave Beach and English Bay. The heritage building was built in 1912 and was first used as a tea room and hotel for weekend vacationers off the steamships at Dundarave Pier. Travelers also arrived from the Pacific Great Eastern Railway when they operated a rail service between North Vancouver to Whytecliffe Station (Horseshoe Bay), starting in 1914.
Today, Canadian Pacific Rail uses the tracks to transport freight through the villages of Squamish, Whistler, and Pemberton to BC's Interior. The restaurant is famous for their local cuisine, and is a must stop for lunch any time of the year on their heated patio deck overlooking English Bay.
West of Dundarave, we followed the seashore, winding around the mountain to Caulfeild Cove, Point Atkinson, and Lighthouse Park.
Point Atkinson is the northern entrance to Burrard Inlet for mariners. The 75 hectare (182 acres) was set aside in 1792. Point Atkinson Lighthouse was designated as a national historic site of Canada in 1974.
The last nautical leg of our journey took us into Eagle Harbour, Fishermen's Cove and the Thunderbird Marina, home to the Eagle Harbour Yacht Club and West Vancouver Yacht Club at the southern entrance to Queen Charlotte Channel.
From here, Marine Drive climbs up to Glenn Eagles Golf Course, then drops down into the seaside village of Horseshoe Bay.
Horseshoe Bay began as a summer resort in the early 1900s. Dan Sewell and his wife Dorothy opened up a hotel and salmon fishing business in 1931. The Bay area became a sports fishing destination, and home to the legendary Sun Salmon Derby. The derby took place every summer for many years, and prizes such as boats, outboard motors, and nautical supplies were awarded. The town's population increased by the thousands for the weekend event but unfortunately, the Derby closed in 1984.
Today, Horseshoe Bay is known for their food and the BC Ferries terminal. (It is the marine highway connector to Vancouver Island, Sunshine Coast, and Bowen Island).
In 1946, Joe Troll and his wife Dorothy started a takeout restaurant for the fishermen. People came from all over to eat their fish and chips and homemade apple pie. Three generations later, people are still coming for the fish and chips. (Sadly, we did not try the apple pie.)
The lunch was spectacular with the setting of the waterfront, looking out into Howe Sound and the Coast Mountains that were sprinkled with a white frosting of fresh snow. We watched the marine activity and people traffic, while eating the best fish and chips we have ever tasted. Next door is Sewell's Marina. They offer boat rentals for sports fishing or exploring, along with Ocean Safari cruises combined with historical tours to view sea life in their natural habitat and learn about British Columbia's local coastal heritage. This is another must-do activity while visiting Vancouver.
West Vancouver is a great place to spend the summer walking the seawalls, hiking the mountains trails, golfing and fishing, island hopping, shopping or eating in one of the seaside restaurants. It was another BC holiday that will stay with us forever.
Contacts
Vancouver's North Shore Tourism
Inquiries@Vancouversnorthshore.com
Capilano River RV Park
886-477-4722
Sewell's Marina and Information Centre
604-921-3474
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Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips
White Sided Dolphin
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Gordon Baron and Cindy Phillips