David Lam Park is close to the Roundhouse and Yaletown.
Yaletown Self Guided Walking Tour
David Lam Park includes free sports courts, playgrounds, lush plantings, and a large open lawn perfect for kite flying and the occasional festival. There are several interesting sculptures implanted in the waterfront.
An eastward view of David Lam Park and some interesting architecture to the north.
At the southwest corner of the park is a dock for both the Aquabus and False Creek Ferries in case you're ready to cross over to Granville Island. Alternatively you can keep walking to the next park knowing that you can always catch a ferry across further up along the path.
This is George Wainborn Park.
At the south side of the park is found a 40 foot tall wind sculpture entitled Khenko (below). Khenko is a Coast Salish word for "heron" and the sculpture celebrates the return of this bird species to the once industrialized False Creek.
Here the Khenko, an environmental symbol, is juxtaposed across from the cement yard, one of the last vestiges of heavy industry remaining on False Creek. (Perhaps one day it'll be reconfigured into an enormous 5-note pipe organ?) Ocean Cement was purposefully designed into the Granville Island concept by developer Michael Geller. A little further east...
...just above the house boats, find the yellow Crane, another symbol of the heavy industry that once dominated False Creek. To some it's also a symbol of the omnipresent construction cranes that have been part of Vancouver's cityscape skyline for, at least, the last 50 years.
Snapshot of a west coast lifestyle
Granville Street Bridge History
Just on the other side of the Granville Bridge, by the False Creek Yacht Club, you'll see the Stonegrill Restaurant.
A little further along is C restaurant which offered excellent, 5-star, seafood cuisine. It's about to come under new management. This is at the foot of Howe Street. Venture up Howe Street one short block, turn right on Beach Ave., and you'll find Tartine, a bakery/cafe favoured by the locals with excellent food fare. Their catering excels as well. One block further up,...
...at the corner of Howe and Pacific, on the southwest corner, look up to see the copper Weathervane. Note that the rider of the horse (Erasmus) is seated backwards reading a book.
The photogenic little deco period fixer-upper, on the right, is/was? found on Howe Street along the way. Now, return back down to the seawall. Don't dally.
An Aquabus dock, to Granville Island can be found at the foot of Hornby Street, on the east side of the Burrard Bridge. There will be another ferry terminal to Granville Island just a little further along (west) at the Vancouver Aquatic Centre.
When these photos were taken above was the BA BO JAI Chinese and vegetarian restaurant. Now gone on this seawall corner was also found Ten Ten Tapas and The Burrard Bridge Bar & Grill aka The Pirate Pub situated behind the folded red umbrellas below.
When the The Burrard Street Bridge was designed the open spaces between the footings were intended for the future use of an electric railway corridor which never materialized.
Just beyond the bridge you'll find the Vancouver Aquatic Centre and the last False Creek Ferry terminal. A ferry from this dock also travels to Vanier Park/Kits Point. Further along the seawall is English Bay Beach and, beyond that, Stanley Park . The walk around the Stanley Park seawall alone, is 9 km (perhaps 3 hrs) so adding this to your outing could make it bit of a marathon. This tour continues by taking this ferry across False Creek to Granville Island. Below is the island's Northwest corner.
Granville Island
The famous Granville Island Public Market encompasses most of the island. There are too many features and establishments to list here so here's the current Business Directory. These include the Granville Island Brewery, Kids Only Market, a water park, numerous restaurants, galleries, and theatres. The colourful buskers, or street performers, are the best in the business including musicians, magicians, comedians, daredevils, and more.
These prodigious young fellows sounded amazing. Granville Island hires the most entertaining buskers just like Skytrain hires some really good musicians.
Boat rentals and charters, of all types and sizes, are available all around False Creek including from Granville Island. Kayak around the creek, sail away to the Gulf Islands, or charter a yacht. Here's a list of Granville Island boat rentals.
Just off the island, to the west on 3rd Ave., the Vancouver Trolley Company has their "Granville Island" stop for their hop-on/hop-off tours. Dress up like tourists (Mabel and Harry? Harriet and Walter?) and take a hop-on, hop-off tour to all the most engaging downtown destinations.
The first time that we took this excursion we ended up spending the balance of the day with the ample distractions Granville Island and then taking the ferry back to Science World and the Skytrain. The second time that we went on this excursion we made a B-line through Sutcliffe Park to continue the circumnavigation trail.
One passage from the market into Sutcliffe Park is found just past the front of Cats Social House.
From there it's not hard to find the seawall walk again.
The tiny, distant, silvery orb in the centre of the above photo is Science World with the tip of Granville Island's Sutcliffe Park appearing on the left and Island Park Walk, on the south coast seawall, on the right.
The eastern tip of Sutcliffe Park on Granville Island
The old benches along this section of the seawall have no back support. If you have a sore back you either lay down or persevere.
The walkway splits at Spruce Harbour Marina.
This nondescript little garden walkway is found along the seawall right about in the middle of Charleson Park. Walk through...
...and you'll find this big rock from which refreshing drinking water erupts. Good for both humans and dogs.
Turn around, hike up the path to the top of Charleson Park...
...and you'll find this unusual passageway. It's actually a landscaped pedestrian bridge crossing railway and roadway far below. It extends all the way to the residential area of 7th Ave. & Laurel Street.
Often this serene water feature in Charleson Park looks like a seagull sanctuary.
A wooded path known only to those who are willing to venture off of the seawall.
Then it's back to the seawall to continue this tour.
