A cherry blossom ride around False Creek April 10, 2009

With a better than forecasted weather day - it was clearing off - I decided to get out on the bike - the original plan was to bike down Hornby pass the Convention Center and then into Stanley Park and come out at the False Creek seawall and clockwise ride it back to my condo - well leaving the building I ran into one of my fellow residents out walking his dog who I also know from the Y and we got talking and an hour later I was finally able to get under way but I shortened the route by heading down Davie street and directly onto the seawall.

The warming weather has started the cherry blossoms to come to full bloom - this in pictures is the story of my ride among the blooms:


Stop#1 - along the Seawall near the foot of Davie street.




Stop #2 - this one might surprise you - it is located outside the McDonald's at Main and Terminal - this was my lunch stop today.



Stop #3 - while not in bloom what would be a trip around the Seawall be without a couple of images of the Athlete's village for the 2010 games.




Stop #4 - Commodore Drive - near Monk McQueen's - south side of False Creek




Stop #5 - Pond along the seawall - other flora is coming into bloom as well




Stop #6 - Grove of trees near the entrance to Granville Island - this one was especially beautiful because there were about 8 big trees all in bloom and providing a very pink canopy of cover - many other people had the same idea as me and were taking pictures as well.




Stop #7 - Near the entrance to the False Creek Fishermen's wharf - great place for fish and chips there and there was a large lineup waiting to be served.




Stop #8 - Plaza above Fishermen Wharf - while this plaza is on private property it is open to the public - it was a bit ironic that in the second image here that the students sitting under a Japanese cherry tree were Japanese language students from one of the schools here in Vancouver. The bright yellow building in the second image is Bridges Restaurant on Granville Island.





Stop #9 - Planetarium and Museum complex at Vanier Park - there was actually a lot to photograph here as it is a fairly large complex and had a number of scenic stops - these are just a couple of my favs from that stop.




From here it was over the Burrard Street bridge and home - the weather was becoming more cloudy in advance of rain scheduled for Sunday.

Then it was time to meet Jim for a coffee at the new Tim Horton on Davie and await the results of the Calgary - Edmonton game - Edmonton won so that means a Canuck win this afternoon against the AVS and first place is ours.

HAPPY EASTER EVERY ONE !!!!

Cheers

Dennis

A cherry blossom show at last April 9, 2009

Well the Cheery blossoms are finally starting to bloom here in Vancouver and two of the best places in the downtown core to view them are at the Burrard Sky train station plaza and the old courthouse or north side of the Vancouver Art Gallery.

While the weather was cloudy and cool today I was able to capture these images with my Blackberry.

Daffs in bloom at the Park Place Building Plaza in the 600 block Burrard St

The next four images are taken at the Burrard Sky train station plaza - a number of other people were also snapping away - it provides quite the canopy of color.




These last three images were taken at the Art Gallery Plaza on Georgia St - yes that is the official Olympic countdown clock location as well.




Cheers

Dennis

Inside tour of the new Vancouver Convention Center April 4, 2009

This is the second photo essay from my recent visit to the open house at the new Vancouver Convention center - an inside look at the facility and if first impressions are anything - it is massive, bright, open and airy.

The walls are done in wood and the large glass windows provides spectacular views of the mountains and waterfront landscape.

There is a bee colony on the roof that well known Vancouver Courier columnist Allen Garr is the curator of as well as a real grass roof.

The Ballroom featured here can hold up to 6000 people - there are a large number of class room size rooms for those business seminars.

The first large convention happens in a couple of weeks when the American Bar Association holds there annual gathering here so that will be the first real test of the facility and if anyone is likely to find faults it will be lawyers.











This is the underground passageway linking the new center with the existing one adjacent to Canada Place - it is done in a first nations art deco and will also allow access to the Waterfront Plaza food court - so someone staying at either the Pan Pacific or Fairmont Waterfront Hotel could literally not need to go outside if they were attending an event at the center or going on a cruise from Canada Place.

Cheers

Dennis

New Vancouver Convention Center Outside views April 4, 2009

Finally have gotten around to preparing a photo essay on my recent visit to the open house celebrating the opening of our new and expanded Vancouver Trade and Convention center - the most recent addition to our waterfront landscape. Yes it was pricey coming in a way over budget but it does give the City the chance of drawing much larger conventions and thereby generating more tourist dollars. A total of over 64, 000 people toured the facility during the two day open house.

A second photo essay will follow showing some of the inside features of the building. There is now a fully accessible multi-purpose walkway that circles the building starting at the first image which is taken from the Plaza at the foot of Hornby St and continuing past the Canada Place promenade and ending at the corner of Thurlow and Cordova - if you click on the last image you will see the Bayshore Tower in the distance.

I also can't wait for the first of the cruise ships to arrive late this month as those berthed on the west side of Canada Place will now provide many new photo opportunities.

Enjoy the show.
















Cheers

Dennis