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Bird's Eye Views of Vancouver: More than 250,000 fans have descended on Vancouver for the 21st installment of the Olympic Winter Games. Streets are packed with international revelers and slopes are full of world-class athletes going for gold. But all that excitement can get a little overwhelming: so much to see and do, so little time. Fortunately, there are plenty of places in Vancouver to get away from it all and soak up some great views of the Olympic city. Here are a few of the best spots.
Less than 30 minutes by car from downtown Vancouver, Grouse Mountain and its 4,000-foot peak offers panoramic views of the city. The popular ski resort is open 24 hours a day during the Olympics and also serves as the set for NBC's Today show. The only way to get to the top of Grouse in winter is aboard the Skyride, a special gondola that travels a mile up the thickly forested mountain. At the top of Grouse is an even more spectacular vantage point: the viewing pod on top of the massive wind turbine. Known as the Eye of the Wind, Grouse Mountain offers sustainability tours that encourage guests to make a positive contribution to the planet while providing them with the most breathtaking views.
Just outside downtown Vancouver is the breathtaking Queen Elizabeth Park. The highest point within the city, the meticulously manicured park and gardens offer unobstructed views of Vancouver's skyline and the Coast Mountains beyond. The park is also home to an indoor tropical conservatory, where rainforest plants, birds and fish flourish beneath a massive acrylic dome.
Consistently rated one of the best drives in North America, the Sea to Sky highway is a rugged stretch of mountain road that connects Vancouver with the resort town of Whistler. The highway hugs the cliffs along the edge of Howe Sound, a Pacific fjord filled with rocky islands, and there are several specially designated look-out points along the way.