Like Willie Nelson, we couldn’t wait to get on the road again.

After a month of downtime at home base in Bellingham, we were eager to launch into our spring travels with a sweet celebration in Vancouver, British Columbia.

That beautiful city holds many special memories, but at the top of the list was a honeymoon visit in April 1986. For our 37th anniversary this year, we were back, exploring Vancouver as we never have… on two wheels.

Oh, John has ridden around the city plenty, but never before with Leslie following. Thank goodness for that electric bike, which means she can almost keep up.

The trip began with the massive task of organizing and packing our 23-foot Thor Gemini. We’re going to be away from May to August, so decisions had to be made about what to take and what to leave behind. For seasoned travelers, you’d think we’d be more savvy but something usually is forgotten. Or, worse, packed and never used.

This overnight trip to the Great White North allowed us to do some fine-tuning while spending an action-packed day enjoying the bike paths that make this jewel of the West Coast such a pleasure to visit.

We first settled in at the excellent and surprisingly affordable Capilano River RV Park in West Vancouver. This pretty place is surrounded by towering evergreens and features spectacular mountain views. There’s also a seasonally operated pool, as well as a clubhouse with laundry, showers and a hot tub. But the RV park’s most outstanding feature is its location.

Just outside the entrance, a bike path leads directly to the Lions Gate Bridge. This impressive span over Burrard Inlet was built in 1938, connecting West Van to Stanley Park and the heart of the city. It’s often clogged with traffic during commuting hours, but we flew over it on the well-used bike paths and plunged right into a two-wheel tour of Stanley Park.

It’s such a pleasure to experience the park on a chill weekday. We headed for the seawall, and were treated to beautiful views of  English Bay on a bluebird day. Thank you, Mother Nature, for the welcome break in the rainy spring weather.

In no time, we found our way to the water taxi to Granville Island, one of Leslie’s favorite places. OK, it’s a bit touristy, but the market is home to some incredible merchants. Hello, Oyama Sausage, Co., and yes, please, we’ll take a dozen oysters from The Lobster Man.

After lunch, we hopped back on the water taxi, then began riding back to the RV park, this time taking a different route through Stanley Park. We stopped to admire the famous totems carved by indigenous artists. John had visited the spot when he was a kid and somewhere in storage, there’s a black-and-white photo to prove it.

We also took a moment to snap a few photos with Canada Place in the background. During our honeymoon, we visited Expo 86, though our lone memory of that experience was spotting a sad-looking Princess Diana passing by in a limo.

Before settling in for the evening, we rode to nearby Ambleside, a charming community where residents were out in force, walking dogs, pushing strollers, enjoying the lingering light.

Leslie made dinner using a few items picked up on Granville Island. Morel mushroom risotto with smoked salmon and fresh spinach seemed like the perfect one-bowl celebration meal.

Cheers to 37 years and here’s to more fun adventures -- on the road again.

 

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