Friday, September 25th, 2026
After a good night’s sleep and breakfast, we got back on the Hop On Hop Off bus. It was cloudy with some rain but that didn’t hinder us from getting off at the Stanley Park, Prospect Point stop.
We hiked from Prospect Point down to part of the Vancouver Seawall. It was the the world’s longest uninterrupted waterfront path, over 17 miles. We only walked part of the path!
The Brocton Point Lighthouse was a historic landmark on the eastern tip of Stanley Park and was built in 1914. It was a white tower with a signature red band and its supports were arches where the lower Seawall path runs through it! It was deactivated in 2005.
We walked by the Lion’s Gate Bridge that officially opened in 1938. It was a historic suspension bridge that was built during the Great Depression by the Guinness Family. The bridge spans Burrard Inlet and connects downtown Vancouver to West Vancouver.
After our morning walk we needed to get back to our hotel to get ready for our afternoon excursion. We booked a “Granite Falls Zodiac” tour. It was raining when we arrived at our meeting point. They had us get fitted with a warming suit to wear over our clothes and we were also provided with a disposable poncho to wear over our warming suit.
Our zodiac captain was James. The four of us were the only passengers on the tour!
When we walked to the zodiac we felt like “teletubbies”! ⬇️
As we left the marina, a harbor seal followed us for a short time.
This rock outcropping has a legend among the indigenous Squamish people. It was a basalt sea stack that formed around 32 million years ago. Molten magma pushed up through a crack. The Squamish legend was about a man who was transformed into stone by the transformers as an indestructable monument to clean fatherhood and unselfishness. It was also called by early European mariners called it Nine Pin Rock because its shape resembled a bowling pin.
We passed by the Prospect Point Lighthouse. It was a historic landmark located on the northern tip of Stanley Park. This current structure was built in 1948 and it’s a square cement tower with a red horizontal stripe.
Some cruise ships were in port as we left the Burrard Inlet.
The drizzle stopped and our zodiac ride was comfortable. James took us by harbor seals that were relaxing on some logs.
We traveled into the Indian Arm fjord. It was created by glaciers during the Ice Age. It was flanked by the North Shore mountains that were very steep. There were no bridges or roads that cross it.
We saw several waterfalls as we went through the fjord. Granite Falls cascaded down the mountain and we saw some kayakers that had set up camp at the base of the falls.
Below was the private Wigwam Inn with a waterfall up the mountain. You could only reach this by boat. There were no roads in this remote area of the Indian Arm.
A couple more waterfalls that we saw on our ride.
The historic Buntzen hydroelectric powerhouses were built in the early 1900s. They were located on private property that was owned by BC Hydro. The Buntzen Power Station #1 was still functional but #2 was shut down some twenty-plus years ago.
A pair of bald eagles were hanging out on two neighboring trees.
Our ride lasted longer than advertised and we were thrilled to have extra time on the water. James took us up to the dry dock area where a yacht was being updated.
It was a beautiful sunset as we traveled through the Port of Vancouver.
The lights of Vancouver looked beautiful as we headed back to the marina.
What a way to spend an afternoon and early evening!
