ADVENTURES IN PARADISE

GARDENS OF DELIGHT IN VANCOUVER

A cosmopolitan city in a setting of unparalleled natural beauty, Vancouver offers the best of many diverse worlds. Just a short walk or drive from The Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver are the antique shops and galleries of Gastown, the 1,000-acre Stanley Park, manicured English gardens, rugged mountain peaks, beaches, one of the largest Chinatown districts in North America, world-class museums, and much more.

At the center of it all is Canada Place, the stunning waterfront complex with its roof of billowing white sails, which is home to the 504-room Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver as well as the Alaska Cruise Ship Terminal, Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Center, World Trade Center and an IMAX theater. The Pan Pacific’s glass-enclosed lobby is the ideal place to take in the majestic sweep of the city skyline, bustling harbor and spectacular mountains of the North Shore.

Just a short stroll east from Canada Place is the historic Gastown district, named for "Gassy" Jack Deighton, a legendary saloonkeeper of the 1870’s whose statue stands in Maple Tree Square. A commercial hub during the days of the Klondike gold rush, Gastown, now known for high-end specialty shops and restaurants, still evokes its 19th-century origins with Victorian streetlights, cobbled streets and hidden courtyards. Gastown’s best-known curiosity is the world’s first steam-powered clock, located at Cambie and Water streets, which puffs out musical chimes on the quarter hour.

Adjacent to Gastown and equally atmospheric is Chinatown, where late 19th-century and early 20th century Cantonese-style buildings with ornate facades house a pleasing jumble of herbalist shops, produce markets, souvenir stores and dim sum restaurants. Among the most remarkable structures is the Sam Kee Building at Pender and Carrall streets, which, at a mere six feet wide, is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the skinniest building in the world. Another unique spot is the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden, a rare example of a Ming Dynasty-style garden that took 52 artisans a year to create. The garden is a small world of ponds, rock sculpture, plants and traditional Chinese courtyards.

Situated on a green peninsula a few blocks west of Canada Place is the 1,000-acre Stanley Park, justifiably considered one of the finest urban parks in the world. For strolling, cycling and roller blading, the park offers a six-mile, car-free waterfront promenade. For hiking, there are dozens of trails winding through thick coniferous forest. One of the park’s major attractions is the Vancouver Public Aquarium where orca whales and some 9,000 other varieties of marine life are in residence. The eclectic aquarium offers everything from a humid rainforest room with piranhas and crocodiles to outdoor pools for beluga whales and harbor seals.

Another of Vancouver’s green gems is the 130-acre Queen Elizabeth Park, a hilltop oasis which offers stellar views of the city, grassy picnic areas, illuminated fountains and ornamental gardens planted with specimen roses. The park’s centerpiece is Bloedel Conservatory, a giant geodesic dome filled with tropical and desert plants and some 60 species of free-flying tropical birds.

While Vancouver boasts many fine museums, the most spectacular is the Vancouver Museum of Anthropology, a dramatic structure with soaring glass walls on the University of British Columbia campus. Focusing on the arts of the native Pacific Northwest peoples, the museum’s galleries are filled with totem poles, ceremonial archways and dugout canoes adorned with carved eagles, ravens, salmon and bears. Behind the museum is an authentic Haida longhouse where totem carvers can often be observed at work.

Not far from the university is Granville Island, a former industrial district where corrugated-metal warehouses have been converted into shops, restaurants, artist’s studios and microbreweries. A favorite lunch stop is the massive Granville Public Market with its stalls selling fresh produce, espresso drinks and gourmet snacks of all kinds.

On Vancouver’s North Shore, just a few miles from downtown, are numerous ways to enjoy the natural wonders of the Pacific Northwest. Among the most popular excursions is the Skyride gondola to the top of Grouse Mountain for panoramic city, water and mountain views. Seasonal diversions at the top include a half-hour video presentation at the Theater in the Sky, a summer Shakespeare festival, walking tours, horseback riding, ice skating, skiing and sleigh rides. Another nearby nature experience can be found at the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Park where a swaying footbridge is suspended 230 feet above the Capilano River. The park features viewing decks, nature trails, totem poles and a totem carving shed.

For information and reservations for the Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver, please call (800) 538-4040.

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