2009 Vancouver Official Travel Planner Guide - (Page 32) Family-Friendly Vancouver Photography: Family fun at Granville Island ©Tourism Vancouver/John Sinal; Family ski trip ©Tourism Vancouver/John Sinal What’s New Minter Gardens’ New Children’s Garden A new garden was created at Minter Gardens with the goal of creating an interactive and engaging garden where children can learn, explore and have a lot of fun. The addition is just the newest reason to visit these spectacular show gardens, nestled against 7,000-foot Mount Cheam and enhanced by the brilliant colour and design of 11 individual gardens, water features and hidden vignettes. Along with two fantastic dining facilities, wedding sites, and a gift, plant and sweet shop, each day of each season offers a new opportunity to dazzle the senses! mintergardens.com/minter.htm Top 13 Places to Find Family Fun in Vancouver 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Check out the largest free water park in North America at Granville Island. (Make sure you take one of the mini ferries from downtown to Granville Island.) Afterward, dry off as you explore the nearby Kids Market. Take the Grouse Mountain Skyride to the top of the mountain and enjoy restaurants with majestic views, entertaining shows, snow-based winter activities and outdoor adventures in the summer. Explore Kitsilano’s Vanier Park, complete with the Vancouver Museum, Vancouver Maritime Museum and H.R. MacMillan Space Centre. It’s a great spot to fly a kite, and it’s also the home of the Vancouver International Children’s Festival every May. Hit Science World at TELUS World of Science for a plethora of hands-on activities, including blowing giant soap bubbles, playing a piano with your feet and freezing your shadow on a wall. There’s also an OMNIMAX big-screen cinema. For an even bigger screen, head to The IMAX Theatre at Canada Place on the waterfront, where you can soar over mountains or stare into the faces of the wildlife towering over you. Dare the kids to look down as you cross the river at Capilano Suspension Bridge and Park, complete with a towering rope bridge, rainforest nature trails, a collection of totem poles and Treetops Adventure — a network of smaller bridges strung between the trees. Visit Maplewood Farm, where kids can take a close-up look at 200 farm animals and birds, pet the bunnies and pat the horses. Spring is a favourite time — that's when the baby animals are born. Have more fun with animals at the Greater Vancouver Zoo. Family excitement includes the daily lion and tiger feedings, the “Meet a Reptile” weekend program, falconry presentations, a Safari Express miniature train and plenty of furry friends. The Vancouver Aquarium has developed a wide range of fun and educational programs for kids, including sleepovers, summer day camps and unforgettable birthday parties. Fairmont Hotel Vancouver Tea at the Castle Traditional afternoon tea is now offered daily 2–4:30pm in the 900 West Lounge. Service includes exclusively blended Fairmont teas, finger sandwiches, tasty pastries, and house-made raisin scones and fresh strawberries with Devonshire cream. Those seeking a twist on tradition can add a glass of Moët & Chandon, Belgium chocolate-dipped éclairs, fruit tartlets and mini-cheesecakes to the fare. If your little prince or princess wants to tag along, they can enjoy a Children’s Bubblegum Tea, which includes tea, finger sandwiches (PB&J, of course), fresh strawberries and cream, a giant chocolate-chip cookie and a seasonal fruit tartlet. fairmont.com/HotelVancouver Vancouver Art Gallery’s Family Programs The gallery’s Family Programs spark curiosity and creativity, inviting children and adults to explore art and the people who create it. Through hands-on activities, games, exercises in “close looking” and age-appropriate information and questions, Family Programs open up the world of art and artists by providing opportunities to engage, discover and debate. For more information on the programs, visit vanartgallery.bc.ca/events_and_programs/childr en_family.html. Infuse some fun into learning about the past at the Burnaby Village Museum, Fort Langley National Historic Site, Vancouver’s historic Gastown neighbourhood and the BC Museum of Mining. Playland, an amusement park at the Pacific National Exhibition, will keep kids grinning for hours on end with more than 35 thrilling rides, a special Kids Playce for little ones and the new Pacific Adventure Golf. For winter fun, Vancouver’s three local mountains, Grouse Mountain, Cypress Mountain and Mount Seymour, offer skiing and snowboarding as well as other non-ski activities such as sledding, ice skating and snowshoeing. Kid-friendly restaurants abound in Vancouver and include Red Robin, the Old Spaghetti Factory, and Romano’s Macaroni Grill; lots of affordable and delicious Asian restaurants (Hon’s Wun-Tun House and Kirin Restaurant) where sharing is in order; and gourmet grocers and public markets for building the perfect picnic (Granville Island Public Market and Lonsdale Quay Market). The Kids’ Guide to Vancouver A comprehensive guide to attractions, parks and activities for family fun, the Kids’ Guide to Vancouver is available throughout the Metro Vancouver area. Your clients can pick up a copy at the downtown Visitor Centre just across from Canada Place or the satellite Visitor Centre location at the Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza on Robson Street. 32 t o u r i s m va n c o u ve r. c o m / t ra d e http://mintergardens.com/minter.htm http://fairmont.com/HotelVancouver http://vanartgallery.bc.ca/events_and_programs/children_family.html http://vanartgallery.bc.ca/events_and_programs/children_family.html http://tourismvancouver.com/trade
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