Q: I will visit Vancouver in August for a few days with kids. Will I survive without a car? Cost wise I think it will be about the same with 5 of us. Just don't want to deal with parking and driving in the city. We'll be staying near Stanley Park. Could someone give me advice on what to visit and how to make the 4 days we are staying there worth a while. I had the capilano suspension bridge in mind, is it worthy going? Thanks.
A: You'll manage fine without a car, especially where you'll be staying which is close to bus routes. Lynn Canyon was a good suggestion as was Science World. Go to Lynn Canyon via the Seabus which crosses the harbour so you get a boat ride as part of your bus fare. You could grab a bus out to Horseshoe Bay to have fish and chips at Troll's or ice cream at Baskin Robbins and watch the ferries come and go, and there's a small park there with playground stuff in it. To get there, take the bus that goes out along Marine Drive in West Vancouver(# 259, leaves from downtown along Georgia St) and you can goggle at the million dollar homes along the way, it's a pretty drive. In summer it could pass for the south of France. Sit on the left on the way out for the water views. The Planetarium(actually, it's the H. R. MacMillan Space Centre) has some very cool shows at all times of day. You can get the bus to Grouse Mountain too, which has a skytram, always exciting, incredible views if it's not raining. It's likely to be dry, August doesn't usually see much rain.