Saturday saw us heading straight out, after checking into The Listel (artistic, quirky, green), to locate the nearest Vancouver Trolly Company Hop-On, Hop-Off stop. These classic old trolleys, styled on those in San Francisco, have two circuits - the Green/Park route and the Red/City route, each about an hour and a half if you just stay on board to orientate yourselves. Guess which we chose?
The trolley may be red but we were headed for Stanley Park ... on the green route.
Harry Jerome, Canadian athlete, immortalised in bronze and set against the Vancouver skyline.
Heading over Lions Gate bridge to the north shore and the foot of Grouse Mountain. This was not THE bridge ...
This is what we'd walked over!
What's more, once you get to the other side there's more excitement to be had with an extensive network of treetop boardwalks to navigate waaaay up in the temperate rainforest amongst some of the tallest cedars I've ever seen. It's not easy to portray a sense of height but it was thrilling and a unique experience to be up there. 
HRH ... or is it Tarzan? ... up ahead in the distance.
This section protrudes about 25 ft out, attached at each end to the rock face. 
Honestly, you can't take some totem poles anywhere without them impersonating Grommit!
Grinder (or possibly Coola - they had forgotten to put their name badges on that day) who stands as big as a full grown cow, when on all fours.
Heading back down the mountain.
Teardrop grapes!
... followed by a long walk in the glorious sunshine along the water's edge from Canada Place to Stanley Park and just time to change for dinner with an old colleague of HRH's in the revolving restaurant at The Lookout. 
Now that's just greedy.
Past the harbour, the yacht club, through the rose garden, alongside the Lighthouse, the 9.00clock gun, English Bay with its beautiful beach, to Prospect Point and beyond, all lovely places with fabulous views but with so much else we wanted to see, and another pre-booked tour planned for later in the day we chose to stay on the bus and did the complete circuit. Great way to see loads and get the commentary to boot.
It was later yesterday afternoon that the big fun started. Having been picked up from our hotel we set off on what we remembered from booking ages ago as an 'Evening Combo - Capilano Bridge and Grouse Mountain'. And then we'd promptly forgotten the detail ...
Capilano Bridge is in fact a 450ft span pedestrian suspension bridge crossing the 230ft distance across the waters of Capilano Canyon - and yes, it sways, and wobbles and is somewhat unnerving to walk across but is brilliant fun!
And as if that wasn't enough then there's the Cliff Walk that sees you navigating more pathways over the ravine but this time hugging - but not always - the cliff face.
Honestly, we had the best fun, finished off with a giggle or two amongst the totem poles, and all the more enjoyable for being unexpectedly better than we'd anticipated.
Think that's it? Nope - combo part two was still to come. Back to the bus and another 15 minute journey saw us at Grouse Mountain base station, which was where we boarded .... the mountain aerial cable car for a thrilling 8 minute swoop up to the top for the most glorious views over Vancouver at dusk. Sadly my photos are rubbish. You'll just have to take my word for it. What are not so rubbish are the pics of the grizzly bears we got to see, up close and pretty personal! Ok, so they are in a protected yet semi-wild habitat but we were able to get a real sense of their size and strength all the same.
And that was just Saturday.
Today, Sunday, saw us on the red/city Hop-On/Hop-Off route, calling at Granville Market for a spot of drooling at the fresh produce and lunch ....
Downtown, from Granville Market
What a weekend. Off to Vancouver Island and Victoria tomorrow. Early start to pick up our wheels. Night night.
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