On Thursday we took a BC Ferry from Nanaimo to Vancouver, British Columbia. The ferry was even larger than the one we rode to Victoria, as many folks from the big city (Vancouver) head to Vancouver Island for holidays and weekends. We loaded on a cool, sunny morning at Nanaimo’s Departure Bay and a couple of hours later drove off at Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver, fortunately only 30 minutes from our campground near the Lion’s Gate Bridge. I got in a 45 minute walk on deck; it wasn’t only a good workout, but I enjoyed being back aboard ship on a sunny day…
We set up camp near the Capilano River in a campground run by the Squamish Nation, one of Canada’s First Nations, what we would call Indians in the US.; one negative is that this campground is the most packed tight we have ever stayed in. There is only about 18 inches between the sides of our coach and a fifth wheel on one side and a hedge on the other. It is also very expensive – almost the same price as a moderately priced hotel! Simple supply and demand is the reason, of course. Being the closest campground to Canada’s major city on the West Coast is a major benefit, and it was worth the steep price. This time of year, every spot was taken the night we arrived, during a long holiday week.
It didn’t take us long to break out our bikes and head across the very long and high Lion’s Gate Bridge to Stanley Park, an extremely popular place for Vancouverites to go to walk, roller blade and cycle, especially on one of the first warm, sunny days they’ve had this summer. The bike/skate path is separate from that allocated to walkers to prevent collisions, and bike have to ride in a counterclockwise direction around the park’s perimeter. Here is My Lovely Bride checking the map board with a few of Vancouver’s many high rises in the background.
I was quite taken by this attractive young woman in a wetsuit sitting on a rock just off the shore. She must have been meditating, because I watched her for several minutes, and she never moved…..
This replica of a figurehead form the SS Empress of Japan was on display in Stanley Park as well. The ship sailed from Vancouver to Japan for decades in the period 1891-1922. 
Friday morning provided a unique experience – the Capilano Suspension Bridge, which allow you to cross the Capilano River with a 230 foot drop. My Lovely Bride doesn’t normally like bouncy suspension bridges, but since this visit was her idea, she was resigned to putting on a brave face and “sucking it up”. She did very well, even when the bridge bucked and swayed enough to make you grab the rails for support!
We then climbed into the 100 foot high tops of Douglas Firs and Western hemlocks for a bird’s eye view of a coastal temperate rain forest. The seven suspension walkways between the trees are attached to the trees with metal bands and no nails. It as a very ecologically-friendly way of allowing many visitors to see the rain forest. 
We also got to see a raptor handler with her young Harris Hawk on her arm. These hawks are used for “bird control”, a euphemistic phrase for “pigeon population reduction” in industrial and farming areas. The hawk looked well fed, so the program must be working…
The final treat was the Cliff Walk, a cantilevered walkway high above Capilano Canyon. No trees were cut or felled when this area was developed. It was an extraordinary morning. We were glad we had gotten up early, because when we left around noon, the flood of visitors at the ticket booth was mind-boggling. One interesting synchronicity occurred when we got into the car; as I started the engine and the XM radio came on, the new song that popped up was Paul Hardcastle’s Rain Forest! (It also happens to be one of our favorite smooth jazz selections!)
On Friday evening, we met Austin and Mary Hennessey, the ministers at Unity of Vancouver, where we presented the Messages of Hope documentary to 135 members of the Vancouver community. 
The documentary was very well received, and was followed by a Q&A session and book signing. It was a wonderful start to the spiritual side of our visit to Vancouver!