<a href="http://studio33design.com/ext/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/skylinesunsetblog.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-13" title="skylinesunsetblog" src="http://studio33design.com/ext/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/skylinesunsetblog-300x200.jpg" alt="Vancouver Skyline" width="300" height="200" /></a>August in Vancouver...Who could ask for anything more beautiful? The long evenings, the perfect temperature, lush gorgeous scenery, and every outdoor activity known to man. Everywhere you look there are photographs waiting to be taken.

If you have the opportunity, you should plan a trip to Vancouver. Everything is so close by. Here are several things you shouldn't miss:
1. Take a couple of hours and go for a serene kayaking trip in English Bay. (I saw three seals on mine!)
<a href="http://studio33design.com/ext/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/dragonblog.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-14" title="dragonblog" src="http://studio33design.com/ext/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/dragonblog-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> 2. Tour around the farmer's market and several artist boutiques at Granville Island. The market there is amazing - very European...you can find most anything there from home made fudge to interesting sausages, to fresh bluberries picked locally.
3. Take a day trip up to Grouse Mountain. This is a local ski mountain, but in the summer time they have several activities for the family including a fun lumberjack show, a chair lift ride that goes down the other side of the mountain and provides some breathtaking views of the city, a falcon show, and if you're lucky there just might be some paragliders <a href="http://studio33design.com/ext/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/sailboatblog.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-15" title="sailboatblog" src="http://studio33design.com/ext/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/sailboatblog-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a>taking off from the top of the mountain. The ride up and back in the gondola is worth the entire trip!
4. Spend a day or two at Stanley Park. This is no small park - it's about 1,000 acres of beautiful scenery everywhere you look! It is a wonderful place that has everything from a marvelous aquarium, a petting zoo, a miniature railroad that young children really enjoy, and a 6 mile bike or walking path that meanders all along the sea wall.
5. Visit Queen Elizabeth Park for some wonderful views of the city (it's the highest point in Vancouver!) as well as walk the beautiful grounds. It used to be a quarry, but has been <a href="http://studio33design.com/ext/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/4totemsblog.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-16" title="4totemsblog" src="http://studio33design.com/ext/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/4totemsblog-300x200.jpg" alt="Totem Poles" width="300" height="200" /></a>transformed into a lovely display garden with many exotic plants and flowers. This is a favorite spot for weddings.
5. For a little local flavor, head down to Kits Pool (Kitsilano) - the local public swimming place. For a small admission fee, you can spend the day basking in the sun and swimming in this 135 meter long pool. It is by far the largest pool I have ever seen! There are lap lanes for those interested in long distance swimming, slides, and a wonderful shallow end for the little guys. There are no steps into the pool, but rather a gradual slope down into the water making it easy for people of all ages to access the pool. You have an incredible view of the city, too as the backdrop for your swim!

One thing that I didn't get to do while in Vancouver was to take a walk across the Capilano Suspension Bridge. I will definitely do this the next time I'm there. The pictures I saw of the 230 ft high/ 450 ft long bridge were thrilling...I'll let you know what it's like when I try it.

The photos above are of 1) the Vancouver skyline, 2) a dragon figurehead along the seawall at Stanley Park, 3) a sailboat heading out into English Bay, and 4) totem poles from Stanley Park.