For the ladies that act as docents for the Pickett house, this is truly a labor of love. Their…read moreexcitement about the house and it's history are contagious. When you visit, donate well, as the house needs a lot of care. Many of the repairs are done by the ladies themselves.

This trail leads from Lighthouse Point Rd down to Sheringham Point Lighthouse. Most likely you'll…read moreaccess it after walking down from the Sheringham Point Lighthouse and Trail Parking Lot onto Sheringham Point Rd, which ends at Lighthouse Point Rd. That's a lot o' Sheringhams, Points, and Roads! In any case, it is a little steep and not wheelchair accessible. Additionally, it will be slick because the area tends to be damp, even without rain. The trail itself zig-zags until the Lighthouse opens up among the trees. You'll be treated to a wonderful view of the water, waves, and wind surrounding Sheringham Point Lighthouse. It is a short trail, but will take 10 minutes to safely traverse. See my review of the Lighthouse for more info about it. This trail is a great place to take pictures from afar on the way down or back up. Even without the sun, it is quite spectacular!

Hatley Castle, tucked away on Victoria Island, was a serene and picturesque stop on a crisp…read moremorning. Even though the air was chilly and the castle didn't open until 10 a.m., wandering the grounds beforehand felt like a moment out of a storybook. The expansive, beautifully kept gardens and coastal views made the stroll well worth it, offering a quiet and peaceful way to take in the surroundings. Paid parking is available, making it an easy stop to add to a morning itinerary.

Cool to view but tours are closed in the winter, so we were able to wander the grounds only. Not…read morethe size expected for a castle, it's part of the university and classes are held in the winter which is why there weren't any tours available.

If you love Art Deco, pop into this 1930s office building near the water. It's open to the public…read moreto see the architecture inside. Most of the design is in the lobby and don't sleep on going inside one of the elevators. There are a few shops in the basement. Restrooms are in the basement but they aren't open to the public unless you ask a shop owner to let you in.

Went there under renovation, but the side decor is still able to be seen alongside the building…read more Very iconic, but wish it was not under construction

While passing by this behemoth one night in December, the males I was walking with mistook the…read moreknees held against the sculpture's chest for a pair of boobs. Perhaps that has soured my experience with said behemoth, though only slightly, as I can now gaze upon it and smile at what could have been if only the artist were more boobily inclined. But really, it's intended to showcase the diversity of Vancouver with all its different letters and number making up a person. It's also fun to walk around in it.

Review #1 for 2026 I…read morewas determined to go to the Parliament buildings when we did a day trip to Victoria from Vancouver. The building itself is huge from the outside and does feel a bit smaller on the inside, but it is beautiful! They do free tours and I was afraid we would not be able to catch a tour, but during the summer, they do tours everyday of the week! The tour tickets are first come first serve. We managed to get tickets for the 12pm tour the day we were there. You just go towards the entrance and there will be volunteers passing out tour tickets for the next available tour. The tours are all done by volunteers. The parliament buildings are part of British history and now used for government business. We had roughly 30 minutes before our tour. So we went and took pictures around the outside of the building. To get the entire building, you have to take a picture from the sidewalk since the building is so big. There is a water fountain in front of the building as well as across the street. There is also a massive totem pole near the building. The tour was filled with information. Make sure you go to the bathroom before they start the tour. I think the tour is about an hour long, but it flew by as all of it was so interesting and there was so much so see. I enjoyed the tour. There is a gift shop at the end of the tour. The gift shop is TINY! I ended up getting some pins as I collect them and I also bought some Parlia-Mints! Get it? HAHA. My husband loved it and had a good laugh. I think I should had gotten some more to hand out to people when I got home. It came in a cute metal container. Apparently there is also a cafe here which I would had liked to try but it was not open when we were there. Also at night, the buildings are lit up. We had to leave before the lights came on as we had a ferry to catch back to Vancouver, but the pictures I have seen look absolutely stunning. Would I come back? Yes I would! I would love to see the buildings all lit up at night... and of course I have to buy some more of those ParliaMints!!

Take a stroll through history. Just walking the grounds is great with a lot to see…read more Monuments, grass, architecture, and a lot of people. This is a great place to stretch your legs before going next door to the museum.

The longest walk I've ever done to get to a lighthouse. It's about 5 miles to and back, not…read moreincluding the walk from the parking lot. Direct sunlight, so wear a hat and sunblock. The nice part is you're next to the waters and there's sea shells and neat rocks to find along the way. Once you get to the lighthouse, you can go up to observe the views, and there's a bathroom. It's just a very long walk!

Definitely worth the hike to the lighthouse. 5.5 miles one way or 11 miles round trip. Took me…read moreabout five hours including the lighthouse tour. Beach is clean and waves crashing is loud so kind of cool. Staff at park entrance are friendly and will answer questions if you have them. $3 to enter the park.

Irving House, completed in 1865, is the one oldest homes in the Lower Mainland and it is the oldest…read moreheritage house museum in B.C.! Being a fan of Burnaby Heritage Museum, I never knew about this place until my family told me about it. I came here with my parents, and there were no other visitors other than my family during the entire tour of the house. Tracy, the tour guide, was super friendly and helpful with the tour and I was able to stop and ask any questions during the tour. I loved how Tracy did a vintage vacuum demonstration as I haven't seen anything like it before. I loved the fact that visitors could go upstairs and see the entire house! Many of the items in the home were original from the original owners, though some were purchased or donated from other sources.

Irving House was built in 1865, back when New Westminster was striving to be the capital of British…read moreColumbia. It was lived in by family members up to about 1950, when it was sold to the city of New Westminster, and turned into a historical centre. Thus, if you're a history buff, love antiques (especially Victorian-era pieces), or ever watched the show "America's Castles", you should take a tour of Irving House. The house was built in high style by Captain Irving, a man who made a lot of money in the California, Alaska, and BC Gold Rush, and virtually poured it into the house. The architectural details of the house are interesting and well explained by the costumed guides. Since I was practically the only visitor at the time, I pretty much got my own personal tour. According to them, all the furniture and pieces displayed in the house are authentic to the period - no reproductions (except for some fake food in the kitchen, perhaps). Many belonged to the Irving family and their descendants; others were donated. The house is currently decorated, Victorian-style, for Christmas. Lots of garlands, an amazing Christmas dinner setting, and a beautiful little Christmas tree. Those into old-fashioned decorations should check it out. Legend has it too, that the house is haunted by none other than Captain Irving himself. At the very least, you can see the bed he reportedly died in, and it's one enormous piece of furniture. My guide demurred on confirming the story that an indentation of a body can sometimes be seen in the bedcovers. I saw nothing on my visit, though. In any case, it is New Westminster's oldest surviving home, and thus probably one of the oldest homes in the Vancouver area. It's a wonderful glimpse into what life was like in the early years of British Columbia, if you were high society folk. Admission is by donation, so it's affordable even for writers to visit.

The Stanley Park Hollow Tree stump, standing approximately 40-50 feet tall, is a popular spot for…read moretaking photos. It is worth checking out if you're already in the park, but I wouldn't go out of my way just to see it. The Hollow Tree is located towards the interior or central part of the area, away from the water, while Siwash Rock is closer to the shoreline.

Honestly, I'm not sure what the big deal is. It's an oddly big and hollow tree. You can see hollow…read moretrees in nature all the time as there are always in some sort of state of decay or rot if they're not alive. This is nothing special and would be more impressive if it were a live tree that was still flourishing whilst being hollow. There is a metal substructure holding the wood together and upright. It's a remnant of the past & a dead upright lower trunk of a tree. You can see trees of this size in the redwood forests in California and maybe even the large spruces in the Hoh Rainforest. Granted it's been around since grass began to grow (more than 700+ years old) but I feel like it's nothing but a place for free photos op. It was slightly nice to read the informational placard nearby dealing with the history of the tree and how it's always been a tourist destination because apparently people don't see big trees often. I can say I've seen it though.

Okay, I don't know why I like this art so much, but I really do!!…read more The statue was presented to Vancouver by the city of Olympia, Greece to commemorate the 2010 Olympics. It is made of bronze and was installed in 2014. It's located at the intersection of Cordova and Thurlow Street, in the median.

In Greek mythology, Nike (Greek: , "Victory", pronounced [nk]) was a goddess who personified…read morevictory, also known as the Winged Goddess of Victory. The Roman equivalent was Victoria. Depending upon the time of various myths, she was described as the daughter of the Titan Pallas and the goddess Styx, and the sister of Kratos (Strength), Bia (Force), and Zelus (Zeal). Nike and her siblings were close companions of Zeus, the dominant deity of the Greek pantheon. According to classical (later) myth, Styx brought them to Zeus when the god was assembling allies for the Titan War against the older deities. Nike assumed the role of the divine charioteer, a role in which she often is portrayed in Classical Greek art. Nike flew around battlefields rewarding the victors with glory and fame, symbolized by a wreath of Laurel leaves. Nike is seen with wings in most statues and paintings. Most other winged deities in the Greek pantheon had shed their wings by Classical times. Nike is the goddess of strength, speed, and victory. Nike was a very close acquaintance of Athena, and is thought to have stood in Athena's outstretched hand in the statue of Athena located in the Parthenon. Nike is one of the most commonly portrayed figures on Greek coins. Names stemming from Nike include among others: Nikolaos, Nicholas, Nicola, Nick, Nicolai, Nikolai, Nicolae, Nils, Klaas, Nicole, Ike, Niki, Nikita, Nika, Niketas, Nikki, Nico, and Veronica.