North to Alaska: Vancouver Lookout

March 2, 2018 by Let's CUT the Crap! 35 Comments

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.

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Taken from the 28th floor, the harbor is still breathtaking. (Photos two and three below are my own.)

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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.

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Next on March 9^th: North to Alaska: Bye-bye Vancouver

© 2018 Tess @ How the Cookie Crumbles