We are up early – as always – but jet lag doesn’t help either. We spend time checking up on Asheville, the power is out, of course and it doesn’t really look good for the river flooding either.  We’ll just have to wait to see what happens as the rivers aren’t supposed to crest until later this evening.  Nerve wracking, glad we aren’t there, but guilty we’re not.  Total mix of emotions.

Here, on the other side of the continent, the weather has broken and we have clear skies and chilly temps.  Not wanting to waste any second of good weather, we close our web browsers and head out to Stanley Park for our morning adventures.  Arriving early is the key here, as we are the only car in the entire information center parking lot!  We now have the parking payment thing handled, but lo and behold, the park uses the Passport Parking app, which we have for Asheville as well. Super simple.  And it isn’t all that expensive.  We end up paying for a full day – only $12 total – and this way we don’t have to worry about our timing. 

So off we go, following the Seawall path around the outer edges of the park, with great view across the yacht club marina over to Vancouver city centre.  Then we veer off to the Lost Lagoon and wander its banks to a trail that takes us more into interior of the park with those magnificent pine trees and wild tree stumps.

We reach the pedestrian and equestrian bridge (cool!) that takes us across the road heading to Beaver lake, which is a lovely lily pad strewn lake (spoiler alert: we didn’t see any beavers, but we did look!), all the while watching the float planes that seemed to endlessly take off and land on Coal Harbour on the other side of the park.

The trail brings us out onto the other side of the park, now walking along Burrard Inlet with long views across to North Vancouver and the Lion’s Gate Bridge.  Oh – and of course – our Great Blue Heron sighting.  Always with us wherever we go. 

We pass the Empress of Japan figurehead – a replica of the figurehead of the SS Empress of Japan that was in use for 31 years carrying commerce from Vancouver to the Orient – as well as the Girl in a Wetsuit statue, perched out on a rock in the water, representing Vancouver’s dependence on the sea.

Then it is back around toward Brockton Point, past the crazy busy area where the Totem poles are that we are not going to visit.  Then around and under the little lighthouse there at the point to the 9 o’clock gun – a cannon that is shot off every evening at 9pm.  Who knows?  Coming around the other side of the Totem pole area, it is a zoo review here too – tons of buses and people everywhere.  Um, yep. Totem poles are definitely not in our future!  And finally all the way back to the parking area that is now almost full to the gills.  Timing is everything! 

Although it is fairly early, and we still have loads of time on the parking pass, we decide to head out to lunch at the Stanley Park Brewing company, winding our way through the park around where we just hiked and to the English Bay side where the brewery is located.  We should have looked at our map more closely.  We could have just walked here – but oh well!  Park Mobile is here too, so we just leave the car figuring that we’ve paid for all day parking and they have our license plate number (we did ask the hostess at the brewery and while she wasn’t 100% certain, she did think that was a correct assumption.  Ok! We’re going with it!).

The brewery is a great choice. The food selections are great – all pub food – but that’s what we want.  Ed has a Halibut fish sandwich, and I stick with the fried Cauliflower app (it is obviously a thing here, everyone has it!), this version a battered buffalo style.  Both are excellent and a nice way to spend an early lunch (and once again, timing!  It was peaceful when we arrived and slam packed when we left).

Since it is still early, we decide to walk a little way further on the seawall, this time heading out around the beach on English Bay. It’s a nice little jaunt in gorgeous sunshine with good views across to the city. 

After an hour or so, we return to our car and to our side of the city for a quick stock up at Safeway – where we find dinner for tonight and tomorrow then retreat to our little cozy treehouse for phone calls and check ins with our friends at home (no power, but so far cell service).

Later in the evening we watch as a Princess ship sails out of the harbor – cool – and relax in the treehouse, enjoying the atmosphere, the scenery, the backyard pond and later a great sunset and the Lion’s Gate bridge all lit up for the night.

Dinner tonight is an excellent pork tenderloin stuffed with apples and brown sugar on the grill, accompanied by sauerkraut.  Perfect after our heavy lunch – and an evening of TV watching before turning in for the night.