Hopefully everyone had an amazing Christmas. My Philadelphia Eagles locked up a first round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs, not to mention the final play of that game sent me to the "ship" in two fantasy football leagues - turned out to be the greatest Christmas gift EVER.
I hope you were able to check out my blog on my visit to BRIGHT NIGHTS at Stanley Park. There is just something about nature and Christmas lights that makes for a perfect combination. Words are such useless things at times, the mind simply is absorbent, drawing up impressions from all its senses. You just have to physically be there, but I do hope the shots I capture will provide a good insight into these amazing locations.
CANYON LIGHTS at CAPILANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE
Location: 3735 Capilano Road, North Vancouver BC V7R 4J1 CANADA
LED lights + Suspension Bridge = Pure Magic!
The next night of my Christmas tour in Vancouver brought me to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. This is the second time coming here, but the first time seeing the Canyon Lights displays. I suggest arriving earlier before sunset to see the bridges in the day time and return for the light displays after dark. The views of the Capilano River are amazing during the day, which is not visible during the night.
The front entrance of Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
admission
Admission is not cheap... $43 for adults, kids prices varies from Free to $27 depending on their ages , and there are discounts for seniors & students. BC residents can get a free one year pass for the price of a one day admission. Canyon Lights also donates part of proceeds to the BC Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund for fire/burn education in schools.
Capilano suspension bridge
A little facts & history about Capilano Bridge. Suspension bridges, as we know them today evolved from the “simple suspension bridges”. These bridges are one of the oldest types made by man. They have load-bearing cables but don’t have towers. Originally built in 1889, Capilano Suspension Bridge stretches 450 feet (137m) across and 230 feet (70m) above Capilano River. It is the equivalent to the height of the Statue of Liberty up to her shoulders and the length of two NHL ice hockey rinks!
This is the 4th edition of the bridge, while the first edition in 1889 was made out of hemp rope and cedar planks. I think bridges are such amazing structures and fun to walk on! If you are afraid of heights or have vertigo, then this attraction might not be for you. Seen a lady hold on for dear life as she crossed. The more people on the bridge, the more it swayed - making it a hard to capture a steady picture. Again, cold weeknights will be best to get those epic pictures.
THE CLIFFWALK
The Cliffwalk. is the park’s newest attraction – a metal walkway clinging to the edge of the cliff high above Capilano Canyon. The following picture is from my first visit. Getting a good shot is very tricky. First of all I didn't have a wide angle with me and then there was a fair amount of people. The
treehouse adventures
Treehouse Adventures (or as I like to call it Ewoks Adventures). Treetops Adventure, seven suspension bridges through the evergreens taking you up to 100 feet (30m) above the forest floor, offers a unique squirrel’s eye perspective of the forest. The bridges are attached to eight 250 years old Douglas-firs with viewing platforms.
TIPS
- When you arrive, be sure to wait for a tour to listen to Capilano's history.
- If you don't want to pay $43, Lynn Canyon is just beside it and it's free with its own suspension bridge.
- If you have a fear of heights, you may want to avoid Capilano Suspension Bridge Park altogether.
- TRY to avoid the weekends - it's a zoo, wait times are long and the suspension bridge can be scary.
- Dress warm and also wear comfortable shoes (I wore hiking boots).
While it’s definitely a cool experience in daylight, the night time visit with the festive lights is like a totally different one altogether (in a positive way). The only thing this place is missing is "pictures with Santa."
Feel free to comment, share and please SUBSCRIBE if you haven't already.