Alaska Cruise
July 2014

7:00 am	Arrive at King Street Station
7:30 am	Amtrak departs for Vancouver
11:30 am	Arrive in Vancouver at Pacific Central Station
4:00 pm	check-in Rosedale on Robson Hotel (we were able to check in at noon)
11:30 am-dusk	explore Vancouver: Plaza of Nations, Science World, Gastown

Fitbit stats:
To bed: 9:42 pm, Got up: 5:50 am (7:32 asleep)
Steps: 17,367 (8.15 miles)
Floors: 26

We took a cab from the train station directly to the hotel, where we were able to check in early. We dropped our bags off at our room and headed out on foot to explore the area. I had done extensive research on Highlander locations I wanted to visit, and led my cousins on an only-slightly-circuitous route from our hotel to their first location of interest, the TELUS Science World. (I left them on Cambie Bridge while I crossed over to Spyglass, and at Pacific Blvd while I ran up to the stadium for photos.) Then I dragged them along on a bit-more-circuitous route up to Gastown.

Distance walked: 9.1 km (5.65 miles) (as estimated by Google maps)

Our hotel in Vancouver.

all day	explore Vancouver: Chinese Garden, Chinatown, Aquarium/Stanley Park
overnight	explore Vancouver: Plaza of Nations, Science World, Gastown

Fitbit stats:
To bed: 11:55 pm, Got up: 8:00 am (7:41 asleep)
Steps: 23,319 (10.94 miles)
Floors: 45

Our second day in Vancouver. We started the day off by walking down to Reckless Bike Store and renting bicycles for the day. We biked up to Chinatown and visited Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden, then had lunch in Chinatown. I had a long list of Highlander locations I wanted to visit, so I left my cousins to explore on their own and met up with them again in Stanley Park at the Vancouver Aquarium. They had already explored Stanley Park a bit before going to the aquarium, so I split off from them again after the aquarium to see the Stanley Park locations and then biked along the False Creek side of the west end back toward Reckless Bikes. I turned the bike in around 7 pm (which I thought was when they closed -- turns out they are open later hours during the summer, so I could have taken my time instead of rushing back. Oh well.) I walked back to the hotel, rested a few minutes, then left a note for the cousins who weren't back yet, and set out on foot to visit the Highlander locations closer to the hotel.

Distance biked: 17.3 km (10.75 miles) (as estimated by Google maps)

Distance walked: 6.7 km (4.16 miles) (as estimated by Google maps)

Vancouver Aquarium

statue

colorful fish

ctenophora

sleepy dolphin

moon jellies

Neat leaf prints in the sidewalk around some of the trees near the hotel.

noon	check-out Rosedale on Robson Hotel
until 2 pm	explore Vancouver: Robson Square/Art Gallery, Library, MacLeod's Books (didn't go to Art Gallery or MacLeod's Books, something for next time!)
5:00 pm	MS Statendam departs Vancouver (room DA #540)

Fitbit stats:
To bed: 10:53 pm, Got up: 6:30 am (7:23 asleep)
Steps: 6,864 (3.22 miles)
Floors: 21

I was able to see pretty much everything I wanted to the day before, so while the cousins visited Robson Square, I spent the morning uploading photos to facebook and visiting the public library next door, which has interesting architecture. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to visit the Art Gallery or MacLeod's Books. We checked out around noon and took a taxi up to Canada Place to board the Statendam.

We boarded the ship, had a late lunch on the Lido Deck, and settled in to watch our departure from Vancouver. When the announcement came that we would be passing under Lions Gate Bridge, I suddenly realized I would be able to get a few more Highlander photos on the way out of the harbor, so I did. Then we attended the lifeboat drill, unpacked, explored the ship, ate dinner, etc.

Vancouver Public Library

entrance

atrium

floorplan

This library has interesting architecture. In the atrium photo, there are small coffee-type shops along the outside wall on the right, and the library is on the left.

Statendam Stateroom DA #540

Leaving Vancouver

the Lido Deck

Canada Place from Lido deck

Photos from Cousin Kim

Lionsgate Bridge