Bridges and canyons and mountains, oh my...

Today's Vancouver day-tripping had us heading out of the city once more, for another interlude of communing with Mother Nature. First, we stopped at Lynn Canyon, for a hiking excursion through a Canadian rainforest, which Husband promised would include multiple suspension bridges, captivating scenic overlooks...and whatnot.

One of the most striking characteristics of the locale was that, although we were in West Vancouver, a suburb only a few minutes outside the city, once we walked into the woods we were immediately surrounded by massive, ancient-looking trees, gigantic ferns, and an abundance of moss. Seriously, except for the fact that it was cool...and dry...we could have been in Central America. I swear I almost found myself glancing up into the canopy for howler monkeys. (The prevailing noise did not come from primates, though...just some raucous crows).

Unlike the more technically-challenging outing we had a few days ago, this one took place on wide, dirt-and-gravel paths, with the only obstacle being some fairly steep hills that we had to pick our way down or trudge up, on occasion. Oh...and it was pretty looooong. Fortunately, along the way we got to stop and take breathers while admiring the almost ridiculously stunning landscapes--rock formations and soaring mountain peaks and pine-covered inclines and the Seymour River, to name a few.

Standing next to the roots of an enormous fallen tree!

And then, after absorbing all of that clean, crisp, fir-scented air...and trekking for several hours...we headed back to civilization for our reward: lunch at a little eatery called Blvd Bistro. I was slightly hesitant about agreeing to someplace that hyped up its brunch options, since 3 of the main components of breakfast--bacon, bread, and eggs--are not on my personal menu. So imagine my ecstatic state when I spied the Beautiful Buddhist--sauteed kale, grape tomatoes, smoked tofu, mushrooms, potatoes, onions, and garlic, finished with asiago cheese. It normally comes with a poached egg on top, but they agreed to leave that off for me...and It. Was. Delectable.

With full stomachs, we discussed our next move. Since we were pretty much around the corner from another attraction on our To Do list, we hopped back in the car and navigated toward it. However, this was apparently a popular idea for a Summer Saturday afternoon, given the traffic...and full parking lots. We quickly switched to Plan B, which according to Husband, who had done the advance research on this one, was a "short, easy walk" in a nearby provincial park, ending at a salmon hatchery.

Well...some of this was definitely true. For example, we did make our way to Capilano River Park. And there was a very interesting fish farm there. But the stroll part? Another couple of miles--and hours--on already flagging legs (at least for me. But even the boys admitted they were feeling the burn, if you will, from our accumulated efforts over the past several days). Then again, you can't complain about yet another chance to experience gorgeous scenery, right?

After that, we were really, truly finished for the day. (Sitting down! Yay!!) Now we need to focus on nothing more taxing than eating some dinner at the condo, firming up plans for tomorrow...and hitting the sack early. Peace out, West coast Canada and East coast U.S.!