We repacked our bags in readiness to leave for the ship before noon and raced off to downtown Vancouver. Included in our Alaska trip were tickets to visit Harbour Center Lookout Tower. Jean double-parked and we hopped out lickety-split as the impatient traffic was horrendous. An attendant at an information desk gave directions to another elevator as the one across from her was down. Great. A good opportunity to get lost as we also needed to find a Ladies and the street floor teamed with busy, bustling humanity, everyone with an agenda. Mary surprised me by not stopping at the many stores we passed. “Maybe later,” she said, “if there is time.” Was I hearing her right?
The elevator had room for about three more people. We whisked up 28 floors in no time, though I had no idea how many floors there were upon our arrival. This skyscraper of a Lookout Tower opened in 1977 and is the sixth tallest building in Vancouver: 147 meters tall (160.761 yards or 482.283 feet). Good thing I’m not afraid of heights (liar) and only suffer claustrophobia in small spaces.
All I can say is wow! The whole top floor was made of glass from about chest-high. Had the glass been lower, I would have raced to the elevator and hugged the floor on the way down.
I photographed all the plagues below with accompanying pictures. They are not my own but are part of the exhibit at the Lookout. Credit goes to various people and organizations as shown on the plaques.
Taken from the 28th floor, the harbor is still breathtaking. (Photos two and three below are my own.)
Quick Facts:
- British Columbia is larger than any U.S. state except Alaska
- It is four times bigger than Britain
- The size of France, Germany and the Netherlands combined
- 637,699 square miles
- 2014 Population 647,540
- Average summer temperatures 72°F; in winter 43°F
- Snow about 2.4″ per year
- Ranked best city in the world to live
- Ranked most expensive city to live
- University of British Columbia largest in Western Canada (campus and students)
- UBC created 1908; first lecture 1915
- Relocated to Point Grey 1925
- Well-known for medical and engineering programs
- One of top 40 in the world
- UBC home to 41,000 undergrads
- UBC home to 10,000 graduates
- Hosted Olympic games 2010
- Last World’s Fair in North America in 1986
- Della Falls highest in
- 75% is mountains (3280 feet above sea level)
- 60% is forested
- 5% suitable for growing crops
- The National Geographic tree is in Stanley Park
- 98 feet in circumference, considered largest of its kind in the world
- Sitka Spruce, (The Heaven tree) is 800 years old
- Some cedars in the park considered over 1,000 years old
Included here are just a few of the zillion pictures I took.
~ * ~
Next on March 9th: North to Alaska: Bye-bye Vancouver
© 2018 Tess @ How the Cookie Crumbles
March 2, 2018 at 6:17 pm
Wow, Tess. I enjoyed the photos and had to laugh out loud at the commentary. I could see you jumping back away from the glass had it been to the floor. The plaque photos were very interesting.
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March 9, 2018 at 5:48 pm
Thanks so much for reading and visiting. I love Vancouver. I wonder is my sister living there has anything to do with anything. 😀
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March 10, 2018 at 8:42 am
I think it might. ;-D
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March 2, 2018 at 6:38 pm
Okay, so I’ve put Vancouver Lookout on my list of ‘want to see’ when I go there in May.
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March 9, 2018 at 5:49 pm
Glad to hear it. The mountains, the air, the people–they’re all good. Hope to hear about your experience when you do go there. 🙂
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March 2, 2018 at 8:14 pm
Vancouver is one of those cities I really need to visit. Thanks for this, Tess.
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March 9, 2018 at 5:51 pm
It IS a marvelous city, not that I can compare it to other large Canadian cities: Montreal or Toronto. I love the air and the mountains. They make me feel small and insignificant in the scheme of things. ❤
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March 2, 2018 at 9:53 pm
Vancouver is a great city. It’s been a while since I’ve been there. Never been up the Lookout Tower, though. What a gorgeous view that must have been.
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March 9, 2018 at 5:52 pm
Thanks for reading and commenting, Carrie. Long time no-see. My fault. Yes, great view from the Lookout and that’s from me who doesn’t like heights. 🙂
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March 3, 2018 at 6:54 am
Great photos 💜💜💜
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March 9, 2018 at 5:57 pm
Thanks, Willow. XX
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March 9, 2018 at 6:01 pm
💜💜💜
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March 3, 2018 at 7:00 am
It’s like you take us on the trip with you, sure, with the awesome photos, but mostly with your words. Tess, they make me feel like I’m there with you. Thank you for letting us travel with you. 🙂 Hope this weekend treats you kindly. 🙂 xoxo
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March 9, 2018 at 5:58 pm
Wonderful to see you, Donna. My fault. My apologies.
Thanks for the kind words. Hopefully, my passion shows in my scribbles. I do like Vancouver! 🙂
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March 3, 2018 at 7:27 am
Fantastic photos, although my stomach flipped over just looking at the one from the lookout tower 😆
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March 9, 2018 at 5:59 pm
Haha. I know what you mean. Nice to see you, Cathy. Thanks for the visit. I struggle to carve time to visit around blog world but haven’t had a lot of success. XX
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March 3, 2018 at 2:32 pm
Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
My other stop over each week is with Tess Karlinski and her travels. She is currently on the North East of Canada on her Alaskan trip..looking down on Vancouver from the Lookout with all its history.
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March 9, 2018 at 6:01 pm
Thanks so much for the reblog and visit, Sally. I struggle to be around more often but so far, haven’t had much success. 😦
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March 9, 2018 at 6:14 pm
go with the flow Tess… we miss you but always keep your spot warm.. hugs xx
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March 3, 2018 at 2:51 pm
Tess, this is such amazing and joy…the great combination of the photos. You should took me to a new journey, this is going to be so enjoyable!!
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March 9, 2018 at 6:01 pm
Thanks so much for your kind words and for the visit. 🙂
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March 3, 2018 at 6:29 pm
Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
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March 9, 2018 at 6:03 pm
Danke! ❤ ❤ 😀
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March 3, 2018 at 10:51 pm
Thanks for this! I lived in Vancouver from 1973 to 1980, and a lot of this was new to me.
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March 4, 2018 at 10:12 am
I’d love it up there, my city is so low rise any chance I get to go high I will!
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March 9, 2018 at 6:05 pm
Haha. I don’t like heights but I somehow managed to get through this experience. Glad I did.
Well, come ON, then, Gilly. Come on UP. 😀
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March 4, 2018 at 5:15 pm
This is great, Tess. I lived and worked in Vancouver for 25 years and loved it. There used to be a revolving restaurant at the top of Harbour Tower and you got a fabulous view. It took an hour to revolve once so you got to see the entire city during a meal. It is true it is the best city in the world to live but it is also the most expensive city to live so that is why we retired to Span. Great pictures.
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March 9, 2018 at 6:07 pm
Expensive is right! I have a sister living there about 45 years. She went to visit a friend and never came back. That says SOMEthing, doesn’t it. She has us all hooked. ❤ 🙂 Thanks so much for visiting. XX
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March 7, 2018 at 10:40 pm
Loved your commentary. I’m terrified of heights, as well. Thanks for this little peek into Vancouver, Tess.
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March 8, 2018 at 8:25 pm
Thanks so much for visiting and reading. There is more to come, a little later, about Vancouver again. 🙂
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March 8, 2018 at 9:08 pm
I really liked Vancouver. We also went up in the tower, although my husband is afraid of heights. Fortunately, as you said, the glass was only chest-high so he was able to tolerate it! Even so, your large picture looking down on the city gave me vertigo! 🙂
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March 9, 2018 at 2:01 pm
Thanks so much for reading. I love that you share your experience at Vancouver’s Lookout. I don’t like heights either. Holy vertigo! 😀
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March 9, 2018 at 4:35 pm
I SO want to visit Vancouver, and your encouragement to do so has put it further up to the top of my list. I wouldn’t even mind a top floor with glass! 😉 But I like the image of you hugging the elevator floor. Haha.
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March 9, 2018 at 5:47 pm
Vancouver is outstanding. I absolutely love it and the clean, clear air and stupifying mountains. They make me feel so small.
Haha. Cannot lie about hugging the elevator floor. What a fraidy cat. 😉
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March 13, 2018 at 8:23 am
Wew! Tess your photos make me want to visit Vancouver. Lovely!
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