Beads • Adornments • Travel - Whole Bead Show

12
A Stroll Through Vancouver BC
By Alexa Wondergem
The first glimpse of Vancouver is breathtaking. The city looms out of the water like a forest of pastel
trees, with glassy sided skyscrapers reflecting the setting Pacific Northwest sun. For just a moment,
you forget to look at the Coast Mountains dwarfing the metropolitan jewel sitting at its feet,
but then your eyes are drawn heavenward and you notice that though it is the beginning of summer,
snow still graces the shoulders of the mountains.
The Whole Bead Show came to this world-class city to host a show in May 2006, marking the beginning
of an international calling. The show was held in The Empire Landmark Hotel on Robson
Street on the northern side of Vancouver. From its location in the heart of Vancouver, the Empire
Landmark Hotel affords a magnificent view of the city, the mountains to the north, and the surrounding
waterways from its guest rooms and revolving restaurant atop the tallest hotel in Vancouver.
Being in such a central location, it allows for easy and leisurely exploration of what the city
has to offer.
If it is shopping you are after, Robson Street offers a wide diversity of high fashion international
chains alongside Canadian specific stores. The streets are packed with tourists and locals, shopping
and people-watching. There are many wonderful restaurants hopping with nightlife, hole-in-thewall
diners with great food, and a gelato store to tempt even the choosiest eaters. Do not forget to
stop in any one of several coffee shops along the strip.
During the long, pleasant evenings, you can explore the city. One enjoyable activity in Vancouver
is walking the Coal Harbour Seawalk. It runs for approximately three miles from Canada Place to
Stanley Park on the northern edge of the city and offers spectacular views of Stanley Park and the
Coast Mountains. If you are lucky enough to be at the Canada Place cruise ship terminal and Convention
Center at 9pm, you will be in time for the 9 o’ clock gun fired from Stanley Park across the
harbor. Unfortunately, there is no actual cannonball, but the noise is terrific.