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Capilano Bridge Wobbly, Suspenseful
Posted by Brendan on Monday, October 03 @ 03:00:00 PDT
Look at that, ain`t that something... No seriously, is it or isn`t it? |
With our energy and attentions waning we ventured to hit one last big attraction in Vancouver before heading back out on the open & closed road. One could veritably argue we saved the best for last, but one could varitably argue just about anything they wanted, couldn't they?
The must see Capilano Suspension Bridge just across the bay from Vancouver, B.C. really is something unique and singular though. I said you could argue it and I'm prepared to do just that. Like nothing I've seen for sure and the elders just about concur. They've seen it once before, but they saw it here too, so that does carry much weight, does it not?
There's a lot of neat stuff and I'll cover it in a minute but first I gotta say what I've gotta say first.
The part that impressed me the most was how someone told them I was coming and they rolled out the red carpet. It wasn't just a bridge, there's tons of bridges, nature trails, walking tours, kids exploration books and stickers, live music, park host staff in period costumes and a bunch more. I mean, come on, they can't afford to do this for everybody that swings by the attraction, can they? Certainly not.
 LEFT -This was some nice lady all bent on her profession of teaching us junior folk all about recognition and conservation. I'd have been all like "whatever, see-ya!" except that she had stickers and a kindly disposition. She didn't even know I was a reporter!
Our first endeavor in excitement came once we walked through the front gates. There were all kinds of grown-ups in the craziest get-ups you could hope to imagine imagining. They looked like those old black and white pictures you see, except they were in vibrant living color. They didn’t even stop there. The black and white photos they represented can also be seen in silent film form, but these people weren’t silent a bit. They were all talking and answering questions and in some cases even singing folk songs.
Then came the bridge itself, and oh my what a monster it was. At fifteen million miles it’s the longest suspension foot bridge in the universe, and I’ve seen it, done it, walked across it both to and fro, it’s for surely at least fifteen million miles.
Patrick was terrified of it, so that made it really tough. It was too wobbly for kids like me and Dominic to walk, so we had to be carried. That’s where it got particularly tricky. Mama carried Dominic, Daddy-O carried me and then Mr. Patrick had to go on his own, and he’s the most feline of cats ‘fraidy this side of the prime meridian. Getting across was a chore with such pre-wobbly legged boys, but we did it and the rewards on the other side were ours to enjoy.
Once across we were greeted with an enchanted forest decked out with all sorts of Ewok tree roadways, as can be seen in one of our big photos at the bottom. Patrick, still a smidge spooked from having traversed the chasm from the park to deep space, had no interest in going up into the trees. I played it cool and agreed to go, but totally chickened out at the last minute. As such, we didn’t get to see any Ewoks, but I’m told they live there in peace and often cook lunch for the tourists.
Did I say I chickened out? Nonsense, I did nothing of the sort, I was busy checking out other things. The sticker station lady told us how to learn about the ecology thingy (about which I’ve heard but still aren’t sure I believe in) and she even gave us a little glossy booky thing to play with. Also there was a big play exhibit, and with these two factors in mind it’s just about impossible for me to show interest in going up in the trees, right?
In case you suspect I may have made it up or just pretended I went, here's your proofy pudding, the sign inside the place. Read it and (or) weep, baby-parents.
Okay, so I did chicken out, but what am I supposed to do? Those bridge things are high up off the ground and I’m just a lot more interested in playing. Come on people, you’d have done the same, wouldn’t you? Free stickers or precarious heights, you do the arithmetic!
We walked the trails, played with the toy/exhibits and learned perhaps one or two things, but as the day (and the parents nerves) wore on we had to head back out. That’s when things really got ugly.
Patrick didn’t want to walk back across and neither did we. The view from the bridge is really fantastic, so that wasn’t the reason why. You can see your own parents sweating, freaking out, trying to hold your hand and comfort you, really there’s a lot to enjoy all around.
In summary, we were hesitant to go to the Capilano Suspension Bridge because we didn’t think it would be kid friendly enough or fun enough, after all it’s just a bridge, right? In the end, however, it turned out to be the most fun-filled and action packed of all the events we did in Vancouver, and that is precisely something to write home about. Like I said in the beginning, they must have known I was coming.
Oh, and also we learned a bunch of history and ecology stuff -- that’s what brings in the old people -- that ain’t my reason for recommending nothing, not even schooling.
The Capilano Suspension Bridge attraction is open 9:00am to 6:00pm and are located just minutes north of Vancouver on the aptly named Capilano Road.
ABOVE -This is my Ewok forest picture. Note me at the bottom of the shot all blurry in my hurry, but notice also the network of walkways up and above. Ain't that something? "How do they do it?" is a fine question, but the one that struck our party was more of a "Why?"
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