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Vancouver: Magic and Muscle in Western Canada!

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada is the place to go if your vacation plans include partaking in a thriving cosmopolitan area that is set against a backdrop of scenic natural wonders. Vancouver started modestly as a mill town, but exploded when the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) decided it would be the ideal place to terminate its western line. Today, Vancouver rivals New York and San Francisco in diversity. It is possible to hear more than twelve different languages spoken on a stroll through town. Vancouver is also an outdoor play land, named one of the best cities in North America by Outside magazine. A day in Vancouver can include skiing, snowshoeing, sea kayaking, fly-fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and working on your tan on a sparkling beach.

To get a thorough understanding about the region's natural history and development, visit the Museum of Anthropology. What started out in the basement of the Main Library of the University of British Columbia has evolved into Canada's largest teaching museum, with one of the best collections of Native artifacts in the entire world. The museum is best known for its collection of towering totem polls created by First Nation craftsmen. The huge wooden carving, The Raven and the First Men, by Haida artist Bill Reid is worth a visit in itself. The carving depicts a Haida myth about how mankind was coaxed out into the world, away from its birthplace. The museum houses over 500,000 artifacts, most of them originating on the northwest coast of British Columbia.

Kids of all ages will enjoy the Vancouver Aquarium. The aquarium, one of the largest in North America, houses more than 8,000 marine species, most in meticulously re-created environments. In the Arctic Canada exhibit, you can see beluga whales blowing water at wide-eyed onlookers. The Pacific Canada exhibit is dedicated to sea life indigenous to local waters, including Pacific salmon and the giant Pacific octopus, the largest octopus species in the world. Aquatic life from all over the world, from the Arctic to the Amazon, is represented. Dolphin shows and feeding time for the sea lions are favorites among the younger visitors.

The aquarium is located in Stanley Park, a 1000 acre park in downtown Vancouver that is a permanent wilderness preserve complete with dense coastal forests and an abundant wildlife. The park, named after Lord Stanley, the same guy who gave the world the Stanley Cup, is the perfect place for those who want to spend some quality time with Mother Nature. Hiking and cycling enthusiasts will want to ply their hobbies on the Seawall Promenade, a 6 mile loop along the shore with excellent views of the city. Third Beach, on the southwest portion of the park, is a long, sun-drenched swath of sand that is popular with tanning enthusiasts and anyone looking for a good picnic spot.

All you have to do is look at the towering mountains just outside of Vancouver to know that this is a skiing paradise. Grouse Mountain Resort overlooks the Burrard Inlet and Vancouver's skyline, and offers wonderful skiing to match the incredible views. The resort has 24 runs, and can accommodate skiers of all ability levels. A 300-foot half-pipe will please snowboarders. Summer or winter, the gondola ride up the mountain should be added to any itinerary. Mount Seymour Provincial Park offers snowboarding, snowshoeing, and tobogganing along its 22 runs. The resort is known for its wonderful ski school dedicated to helping kids of all ages onto the slopes for the first time. Cypress Bowl has the area's longest vertical drop. In addition to runs that will challenge all abilities, the resort has 10 miles of cross-country terrain, with 5 miles dedicated to night cross-country skiing. For further alpine adventure, both Whistler and Blackcomb Resorts are less than 2 hours away.

Vancouver has something for every vacationer. Take in a play, or listen to a concert given by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Go see a Canucks hockey game. Go shopping, or have lunch at one of the bistros on Granville Island. Walk across the narrow Capilano Suspension Bridge, the world's longest pedestrian suspension bridge. Anglers will love the five species of salmon, rainbow and Dolly Varden trout, steelhead, and even sturgeon that abound in the local waters. Whatever your interests, Vancouver is waiting to show you the vacation of a lifetime!