Vancouver: A Nautical Approach
by Nigel Long
Ready to discover Canada's Pacific
City? Just slip into a kayak and paddle toward town.
Ever since the Squamish and Musqueam peoples first dipped their
paddles into the rich waters of Burrard Inlet, locals have been
intimate with the sea. The first European explorer to
 visit
the area, Don Jose Maria Narvaez, arrived under sail and dropped
anchor here in the summer of 1791, just off shore from what is now
known as Spanish Banks. It took nearly a year for George Vancouver to
show up and claim the place for England. Over two centuries later,
visitors wanting to discover Vancouver on their own terms still
approach the city by boat. Some things never change.
Book a kayak, arrange a morning rendezvous,
then slip into the water at Spanish Banks. Off your port side you'll
see the green slopes of the Coast Mountains and giant red freighters
waiting to enter one of North America's busiest ports. They share the
inlet with blue-blooded yachtsmen from the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club
and fresh young boardsailors from the Kitsilano Yacht Club-both
anchored off your starboard side. Along the beach, you'll see
scantily-clad locals soaking up the summer sun. The rest of the year
you'll find them covered in Gore-Tex, walking their dogs, sipping
their ever-present lattes. Whenever you go, paddle confident in the
knowledge that, on this voyage, you are never more than a few strokes
away from espresso drinks, cocktails, and cosmopolitan cuisine.
Only a hundred meters off the coast of Vancouver's Kitsilano
neighborhood, you'll be surprised by the quiet-the absence of traffic
noise, sirens or the usual din of a city. Here the cry of hungry sea
gulls competes with the rhythmic splash of your paddle slicing the
surface of the sea. On this day trip, you are guaranteed to see a
range of shore birds, including cormorants and great blue herons. And,
whether you spot them or not, harbor seals will be watching your every
move.
As you round Kits Point into False Creek, watch out for low flying
kites and the wake of powerboats heading under the art deco Burrard
Street Bridge. On the south shore, in the shadow of the Granville
Street Bridge, you'll see the piers of
Granville
Island -an oasis of market stalls, studios, galleries, and
theatres. Pull up your kayak on the dock behind the public market and
stretch your legs. In its past life, this urban island was crowded
with heavy industrial operations. Since its well-planned
transformation in 1972,
Granville
Island has become an essential part of the Vancouver
experience.
The heart of the operation is the public market. Here the scents of
simmering soup stock, baking bagels and fresh ground curry mingle with
the fragrance of hyacinth in bloom. Choose from among over 70 places
to eat and drink, including the island's own venerable microbrewery.
Pick up lunch in the market, but also be sure to grab some cheese,
fruit, and Indian Candy (sweet salmon jerky) for a late afternoon
repast. Just outside the market, in Triangle Square, a changing roster
of musicians, magicians, jugglers, and dancers provide al fresco
entertainment.
Cruising back under the bridges and into English Bay, you'll find
Vancouver's West End: one of the most densely populated and eminently
livable neighborhoods in North America. The beaches here all have a
west or southwest aspect so sunbathing is at its best. Up from English
Bay beach are dozens of palm and banana trees that always get a
double-take from visitors amazed to find such a mild climate in the
Great White North.
Past the West End is the dense old growth rainforest of Stanley Park.
This massive preserve is one of the most beautiful urban parks in the
world. Covering a peninsula and surrounded by city, mountains and sea,
Stanley Park helps secure Vancouver's rank among Hong Kong and Sydney
as one of the world's most dramatic harbors. Land at Second Beach,
unfurl a blanket, and savor your snacks and the sunset over Spanish
Banks. Then it's only a short paddle back to the Ocean-West office at
English Bay where you'll drop off your kayak. From there, grab a cab
back to your hotel and you'll still have time for a shower before
heading to Yaletown.
Like the rest of the False Creek district you've just explored,
Yaletown has undergone a stunning rebirth. Urban planners from around
the world come here to see how Vancouver transformed a heavy
industrial and warehouse district into one of the hippest urban
communities west of SoHo. Sample the neighborhood's sophisticated
flavor at
Glowbal Grill & Satay Bar (1079 Mainland Street). Here
minimalist lines, natural wood, and warm hospitality welcome the
beautiful people for cocktails, conversation, and elegant West Coast
cuisine. Start with an appetizer from the Satay menu, followed by the
seedling crusted ahi tuna. Finish up with an award-winning British
Columbia ice wine to toast your successful voyage. After all, this has
been an experience, a perspective, and a city you've earned-one paddle
stroke at a time. |
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