what to do with kids for a couple hours on a sunday afternoon in vancouver?

[jtba]

for our upcoming alaska cruise, we will arrive in vancouver on a saturday afternoon. i figure we'll check into the hotel, have dinner, then call it a day.

on sunday, we'll head to stanley park for the aquarium, have lunch (nearby?), and maybe head back to the hotel for a couple hours while the little one naps.

any suggestions as to what to do during those few hours between the afternoon and nap? we will be staying a few blocks from canada place. i only know of "fly over canada" (not even sure if it would hold my preschooler's interest). anything else worth checking out in that area?

 

[bumbershoot]

Walk around. Have a crepe. Do some shopping. Robson is great for that. If anyone is adventurous, have a hot dog (or veggie dog) with Japanese style toppings at a JapaDog cart. Buy sporty clothing for lots of money at Roots. Enjoy the atmosphere of downtown Vancouver.


That said...it took us hours to explore the aquarium. DS was on my back in the Ergo and we saw as close to everything as we could. Back in '05 there was an amazing black tip reef shark display in one of the indoor places...if that's still there, go see it! Aquarium is too expensive to just do half a day! And there's a lot to see, too.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Fly over Canada at the pan Pacific is great, it's like Sorin' at Epcot, ore book it's cheaper, walk or cycle Stanley Park.

 

[lorimay]

Granville Island is a very nice place to see, you have to access it by a water taxi.
There are shops and restaurants. We had a nice afternoon there and would definitely go back.

 

[SoozCruise]

Our kids (aged 8 and 11 at the time) liked Science World, although it may be too far away for the time you have. It's accessible by public transit and if you have a membership at your local science museum, you will get free or reduced admission. They have an awesome dinosaur!

 

[xlxo]

In addition to Japadog... Bella's Gelato
http://www.news1130.com/2012/07/08/international-recognition-for-local-gelato-maker/

Ride the Seabus ferry would be another.

 

[Carie Baker]

I've been really researching this as well. We are coming in the day before our Alaska cruise too this summer and spending the day we arrive back too. There is a hop on hop off trolley that takes you around the area highlights ($44/day or something per person). Capilano Suspension Bridge seems to be a very popular draw (free shuttle from Canada place but about $40 adults and $25 teens don't know about kids...would take a couple of hours I think. There is the Vancouver Lookout on Hastings St. $16.25 adults and $11.25 teens not sure about kids (it's like the Seattle Space Nettle I understand), it's an all day pass so you can go as many times as you want (I'm hoping to go during the day and then again at night). There is a really cool steam clock on Water Street just down from Canada Place in Gastowne. We are going to have dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory also in Gastowne, it has a trolley car in the restaurant and some interesting local history plus it's Italian, who doesn't like that haha. There is a chocolate shop with award winning chocolate bars called Mink's Chocolate on Hastings St. which is a few blocks from Canada place. Plus the things mentioned above. Hope you have a blast. We can't wait.

 

[xlxo]

Some thoughts...

• they say one in 20 is unable the make the Capilano Bridge crossing. Are the kids afraid of heights? Otherwise, everyone likes the bridge.
• I like to visit the Lookout at twilight. You see the light and the dark at the same time.
• fyi... the trolley is haunted...
  http://ghostsofvancouver.com/spaghetti_factory.htm

 

[bumbershoot]

There is a really cool steam clock on Water Street just down from Canada Place in Gastowne. We are going to have dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory also in Gastowne, it has a trolley car in the restaurant and some interesting local history plus it's Italian

Trying to temper expectations...the clock is small and you could walk by it without realizing that that is the clock you're looking for.

Spag fact is part of a chain that has locations in the US. In case you know that, know that the menu varies. While I'm normally one to throw the food in the US under the bus at the first opportunity, I have really disliked vancouver's SF the three times we have been there. It's not authentic Italian but it's not the tasty menu I've experienced my whole life at te locations in San Jose, Tacoma, Seattle, or near Portland either.

But I will say very positive things about the slightly different menu at the Red Robin off Robson! I like the American menu at rr but like the Canadian menu more.


But I go back to the op still being at the aquarium with no time to do these other things, unless they rush through it, which would be a huge shame.

 

[jtba]

wow, thanks, everyone! so many great ideas!

@bumbershoot hmmm will rethink plan re. aquarium...

 

[dotfurio]

I was also going to suggest Capilano. We all loved it.

Stanley park was just beautiful. We spent the whole day there and could've spent another. We spent about 2-3 hours at the aquarium, then explored the trails, saw the totem poles, and the kids enjoyed the playgrounds.

We also visited the Museum of Vancouver for a couple hours. They had some interesting interactive displays of different eras in the history of Vancouver that the kids enjoyed - like a 50's diner, a hippie apartment, etc.

 

[sharksfinatic17]

Granville Island is a very nice place to see, you have to access it by a water taxi.
There are shops and restaurants. We had a nice afternoon there and would definitely go back.

I have googled this and from our hotel (near Canada Place) we can take public transportation. It looks like a bus the whole way can get us there. Is that not in fact true?

 

[Carie Baker]

I have googled this and from our hotel (near Canada Place) we can take public transportation. It looks like a bus the whole way can get us there. Is that not in fact true?

The hop on hop off trolley i know goes there.

 

[lorimay]

I have googled this and from our hotel (near Canada Place) we can take public transportation. It looks like a bus the whole way can get us there. Is that not in fact true?

Maybe you can get there by trolley, my husband may have just wanted to take the water taxi. He handles the transportation on vacations I just follow along, LOL
I'm sorry if I gave wrong information.

 

[disprincess4ever]

Has anyone been to the Maritime museum? Is it worth a visit? Also, what is there to do on Granville Island? Is it just the market and walking around and looking at things?

 

[xlxo]

Maybe you can get there by trolley, my husband may have just wanted to take the water taxi. He handles the transportation on vacations I just follow along, LOL
I'm sorry if I gave wrong information.

To clarify.... there is the Seabus downtown North... then there's the Granville Island ferries downtown South.

• http://buzzer.translink.ca/2014/12/the-burrard-otter-ii-seabus-makes-a-splash-in-burrard-inlet/
• http://www.granvilleislandferries.bc.ca/

"water taxi"? There's a water taxi that takes you downtown to Bowen Island.
http://eblaunch.com/bowen-island-ferry-routes-schedule

 

[xlxo]

Has anyone been to the Maritime museum? Is it worth a visit? Also, what is there to do on Granville Island? Is it just the market and walking around and looking at things?

thoughts...

• not high on my list of tourist priorities, kinda small
• significant walk from public transit, Vancouver trolley Hop On does have a stop there

 

[MousseauMob]

Walk around. Have a crepe. Do some shopping. Robson is great for that. If anyone is adventurous, have a hot dog (or veggie dog) with Japanese style toppings at a JapaDog cart. Buy sporty clothing for lots of money at Roots. Enjoy the atmosphere of downtown Vancouver.


That said...it took us hours to explore the aquarium. DS was on my back in the Ergo and we saw as close to everything as we could. Back in '05 there was an amazing black tip reef shark display in one of the indoor places...if that's still there, go see it! Aquarium is too expensive to just do half a day! And there's a lot to see, too.

I'll second JapaDog, Aquarium and Stanley Park with the horse drawn trolley.

 

[KatieMill]

any particular place to get a crepe? sounds yummy!!

 

[glk2009]

I'll second JapaDog, Aquarium and Stanley Park with the horse drawn trolley.

I love the idea of the horse drawn trolley! My kids will love that.