Day 21: Vancouver, BC
Nau mai
Yesterday we played in Vancouver, British Columbia.
We crossed the border into Canada in the early hours of the morning. It was a smooth crossing but after being roused from our beds at 3am we were tired when we awoke.
For breakfast I drew from the fruit salad I had saved from the Seattle rider, a triumvirate of pineapple, strawberries, and blueberries that was met by a powerful duumvirate of Greek Yoghurt and deluxe mixed nuts.
Scott was getting the day started in the front lounge of the bus and relished the opportunity for some bus talk as we all began to emerge from our bunks. It didn’t take much prompting and he put on the youtube video of the most expensive Prevost coach available on the market, a model that has four deployable sliders, among its many luxurious features.
I headed out for a morning walk, relishing my first chance to explore Vancouver’s downtown. Heading north towards the harbour I hadn’t even made it a few blocks before I was distracted at the sight of one of the more unusual sky needles that I have come across in my time. The bullet point is the correct form of information presentation for this architectural marvel, and I delight in leaving you these facts about the Vancouver Harbour Centre.
147 metres tall.
Completed in 1977 and opened by astronaut Neil Armstrong.
Neil Armstrong’s footprint was imprinted in cement and displayed on the lookout deck until it was later destroyed during a renovation.
Operates a revolving restaurant with the two-course set menu starting at $110.
The restaurant completes one full revolution per hour.
Food court available on the lower levels.
The Vancouver Harbour Centre is a connectivity gateway.
I spent ten minutes of my life trying to coach ChatGBT into creating a decent version of this sky needle height comparison chart.
Eventually I made it to Coal Harbour and while the views were hindered by the low cloud ceiling there, I still got to observe the comings and goings of the seaplanes that offer scenic flights around the city.
The Commodore Ballroom was where we found ourselves in the afternoon. Lavonda drove down a grimy alleyway and stopped next to an unmarked doorway, which soon opened to reveal a stairway and a freight elevator that deposited us and our gear onto the second level of an Art Deco brick building built in 1929. The interior of this space was a wide room centred around a stage and a wooden dance floor, with tiered seating climbing gently towards the walls.
We had a cruisey evening from this point onwards. This was another great sounding sounding stage and we got everything perfectly dialled in a soundcheck, leaving us with no choice but to relax into the music and enjoy our time with this great Vancouver crowd.
