B is for BURRARD INLET, BRIDGES, BEACHES

Welcome to the 2nd installment of ABC Wednesday's Round 15.  This week, we will look at Burrard Inlet, two bridges that cross it and some beaches in Vancouver.  First, Burrard Inlet is a shallow coastal fjord located in southwestern British Columbia that was formed during the last Ice Age.  It separates the city of Vancouver from the slopes of the North Shore Mountains where you will find the communities of West and North Vancouver.  Two major bridges span the inlet - the Lions Gate Bridge and the Second Narrows (or Ironworkers Bridge).  Please note that all the photos this week are courtesy of Google.  None are my photos.

 
Under the Burrard Bridge is Granville Island, a wonderful place to poke around at the public market, view arts and culture, and perhaps purchase a unique gift. You also might like to stop in at a wonderful restaurant called "Bridges," where you can sit outside on the patio under bright yellow umbrellas to shield you from the hot sun.  While you enjoy your repast, watch the boats - lots of yachts to see here.

Since Vancouver is on the west coast of British Columbia, beaches abound.  On the north side of Burrard Inlet is Ambleside and Dundarave Beaches.  From this vantage point, you can watch cruise ships pass under the Lions Gate Bridge on their way to Alaska and, on windy days, watch surfers.

Coming to the southern side of Burrard Inlet, you'll find downtown Vancouver and English Bay beach.  Palm trees line the beautiful lawns and flower beds along the street and lead to sandy expanses with views across the bay.  Notice the tree growing out of the roof of the condominium to the right.  After swimming or sunbathing, simply cross the street for a sumptuous meal at the Boathouse Restaurant.

Continuing south over the Granville Street Bridge, we come to Kitsilano Beach where you'll find an actual salt water pool (the longest pool in Canada) alongside a beautiful sandy beach.  This is one of the most popular beaches in Vancouver with its spectacular views.

We continue west along the seaside of Burrard Inlet to find another beach - Jericho Beach - with its views to the east of downtown Vancouver and to the north to West Vancouver.  Beach volleyball is popular here.

Next in line is Locarno Beach, which is designated a "quiet beach" with no amplified sound allowed.  It is named after a Peace Conference held in Locarno, Switzerland in 1925 and there are concessions, volleyball courts, picnic tables and a swimming raft complete with couch.  It also has a view of downtown Vancouver and West Vancouver across the water. 

Finally, we come to Spanish Banks, so named "in commemoration of the meeting of the English under George Vancouver and the Spanish under Galiano and Valdés in June 1792." (Wikipedia)  There are three sections to this great expanse of beach:  the east section, the west section, and the expanded section.  Barbecues are permitted everywhere, there are volleyball courts in the east and west sections and a kite-boarding launch zone in the expanded section, which also allows dogs to be off leash.  Also, the west section is designated as a "quiet zone."  At low tide, the water is a kilometer off shore. It is at Spanish Banks where, when I was 5-years-old, let loose a blood-curdling scream when I knelt on a broken beer bottle at the edge of the water.  Stitches were needed and to this day, I sport a scar that runs 2 1/2 inches down from my right knee!

 

We come to the end of the city beaches, but let me tell you that there are lots more beaches in the area.  I live just south of the city and we have our own Centennial Beach that borders on Boundary Bay, so called because it borders the USA.  There are also fresh-water beaches at lakes, like Burnaby Lake right within the city limits.  To read more about this lake just click here.

I hope you'll pardon me if I boast a bit that we had 72 posters for the letter A in Round 15.  Here's hoping that even more people will join in and enjoy the camaraderie we have here.  Please remember the bright and beautiful Mrs. Nesbitt, our creator, and the brilliant and boundlessly blessed Roger, our administrator.  Don't forget that anyone can be on the team, if you don't mind visiting and commenting on about 10 posts per week.  So let Roger know you're a believer in ABCW and ready to begin!