Keep It Surreal

Coming back from the last day of the Mountain West Music Festival at Whistler, we pulled over at the Tantalus lookout to watch the amazing sunset.

This is my favorite peak on the Sea to Sky Highway, it looks like it would be an intimidating mountain to climb.

My Dad was in town last week for a visit. He loves bird watching so I took him to the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in the Ladner area. When we were walking on the coastal dikes these Sandhill Pipers walked about 300 feet across a shallow lagoon and come right up to us!

The winter sky lit up like fire over the calm waters of English Bay. You can see how the clouds look earlier in the afternoon here.

The clouds opened up just before the sunset, lighting up the sky.

A surreal glow to the sky over English Bay.

It’s easy to get blown away by the sunsets here on the West Coast.

War canoes out in the bay after the sunset.

A ray of light streaking across the bay.

The sky light up with orange glow over the peaks of Howe Sound.

The sky lighting up over English Bay. I love how the sky reflects on the ocean below.

The different patterns of the clouds swirling over the bay made for an amazing sunset.

I went to a Saturday afternoon pool party a few months ago on the rooftop of the 42 story Melville building downtown. It had to be the sweetest pool party I’ve ever been too, with incredible 360 degree views of Vancouver and the surrounding mountains.

The rooftop patio and grassy field for playing frisbee or lounging around.

The view of the Burrard Inlet and North Shore Mountains from the top deck.

Looking due east toward the Burrard street business district.

The view of English Bay and the opening of the harbour through the towers of the West End.

Some nice plants enjoying the sunlight, with the North Shore Mountains behind the glass.

Liz and Dustin enjoying the awesome rooftop pool.

The marinas of Coal Harbour and forest of Stanley Park down below.

The 61-story Shangri-La Hotel dwarfs the 48-story Wall Centre (seen to the right), the second tallest building in the city.

The most famous natural landmark on the Stanley Park Seawall, Siwash Rock. It is a giant pillar of basalt rock that is close to 32 millions of years old. Originally, it was named 9 Pin Rock by British settlers who appreciate it’s similar shape to a bowling pin. Siwash is from the local Coast Salish language and means “he is standing up”. The western part of the Seawall around Siwash Rock is an excellent to watch the clouds break over English Bay after a storm.

The modern glass skyline of downtown Vancouver rising above the tall, mystic rainforest of Stanley Park. You can see the fog rolling out of Coal Harbour in the distance. This photo was taken from the lookout on the Lion’s Gate Bridge.

A nice view of Third Beach from grassy fields around Fergusson Point. At low tide you can walk hundreds of feet along the sand flats and go for aswim in the warm, shallow water.

A nice place to stop and gaze at the snow-capped mountains along a Stanley Park bike path.

The mysterious God Head in the morning fog. This famous landmark was carved from an old-growth stump in the early 1970s by an anonymous artist. It still brings awe and wonder to those fortunate enough to stumble across it.

The clouds reflected on the surface of Beaver Lake.

A duck swimming in Beaver Lake. Buried deep inside Stanley Park, Beaver Lake is a refuge for city dwellers seeking a closer connection to nature. It is an excellent place for bird watching.

A stump-tree at Third Beach, just above the Seawall.

Lost Lagoon through the trees. Nestled beside the high-rise towers of the West End, Stanley Park is an ecological paradise and a well-loved escape for active Vancouverites.

Morning fog on Lost Lagoon with the silhouette of West End apartments int he background. Lost Lagoon is a refuge for all kinds of birds, including swans, ducks, blue herons, bald eagles and hawks.

The bright sun blasting it’s way through fog in the rainforest near Prospect Point.

Fergusson Point in the western section of Stanley Park.

The sunset at Second Beach.

The long span of the Lion’s Gate Bridge, taken from the Seawall below.