Today we take bus 10 to Granville Island. The bus lets us off at an overpass and we try to follow Google Maps down under the elevated main thoroughfare and onto an underpass walkway that leads to the market and the docks. It isn’t as straightforward as we think it should be, but we manage.

We decide to purchase a day pass for the Falls Creek Ferry service. The little boats remind me of Tommy the tugboat. They are small and round like a floating bathtub, but they move up and down the river through Vancouver. It is a great way to see more of town and we are determined to make all the stops.

First, we take the route into the English bay and the dock near the Maritime Museum. It is windy and the water a little rough, but a beautiful day overall. We walk through Vanier Park to the Vancouver Museum. It is always nice to see how a city defines itself.

The opening galleries nod to the First Nations and the rich flora and fauna of British Columbia. There is display on fishing and logging. Very little is mentioned about forced eviction and assimilation, but an art installation hints at profound sadness.

Another museum section discusses early settlements and makes sure visitors know that Vancouver has always been multicultural. There are nostalgic exhibits of many types of 1880’s era businesses. Early photos show people living and working together from all over the globe. I guess being a seaport and a nearby gold strike can have that effect. People came and some never left. Some made it big and most broke, but they made a life.

There is a section that honors soldiers who fought in the world wars. There is an area dedicated to Japanese internment during WWII internment. Canada, like the U.S., feared fellow citizens of Japanese ancestry and upended their lives. The stories are heartbreaking. It seems that the world has had its issues over the centuries and that humans can’t ever seem to get along.

In the modern era exhibits, I laugh to see an old car that reminds me of my high school friend’s old jalopy. Hers was a station wagon with a hood scoop. But it is close enough that I had to laugh. Each of us had old cars (before they were cool). We had a lot of fun in our classics , when we weren’t trying to make the run.

Back on the ferry dock, we bounce up and down with the waves of the bay while waiting for the return ferry. Mussels cover the pylons. I wonder what makes the little guys leave the water and stack themselves toward the sky? Seems like they would be safer in the water, but what do I know? Most have dried out and become part of the pier. There is a lesson here somewhere, but the ferry has arrived so it will have to wait.

The ferry drops us off back at Granville Island at terry terminal. Before we transfer boats to the interior river route, we decide it is time for lunch. There is outdoor seating on a beautiful deck overlooking the harbor. I think it is a perfect place for fish tacos and relaxing. It would be hard to imagine better weather. It is an absolute pleasure to slip into this easy going lifestyle.

Afterward a great meal, we head across the street to Granville Public Market. It is madhouse of food stalls and people. Some of us are tourists, but others are locals trying to stock up on fresh fish and produce for their homes and restaurants. I salivate over bakery items and specialty cheese. I am heartsick that I don’t live in a place where this is normal. My local Aldi is a little sad by comparison (although this market doesn’t have a tempting aisle of random things I can’t live without at rock bottom prices like my Aldi aisle of shame). If I lived here, I am sure I would be a regular.

Since we aren’t staying in Vancouver, I can’t buy any food. Instead, we head back to the ferry for the river service. Our first stop is Olympic Village. There isn’t much left of the Olympic vibe, but we find giant bird statues in the central plaza and a small park with interesting playscape and sculptures. Across the river, we see the World Cup stadium and the Science World building dressed up like a giant soccer ball.

Back on the ferry, the driver lets a summer intern pilot the boat. He looks twelve, but hurriedly assures me that he has passed his licensing test. He isn’t too sure he wants to dock the boat, which makes me unsure. But, with assistance and lots of encouragement, he helps disembark at the plaza of nations with minimal alarm. He looked as relieved as I felt.

The Plaza of Nations is really just a concrete pier along the river that contains an avenue of national flags. There isn’t much here, but it is a great photo stop. So is the nearby mini-park with its stand of old pine trees. I can still see the giant soccer ball at the science museum, but now the view is of Olympic Village.

We head in the direction of the World Cup stadium thinking there would be a fan event area or something happening for the thousands of people that are in town between games. Unfortunately, today there is nothing but scaffolding, media trucks, and bored security guards. We walk around the stadium and past plenty of hotels (likely where we would have stayed if the prices weren’t triple the usual rates). There isn’t much going on.

We walk along the shoreline. The water is beautiful. There is something about a day on and along the water that is relaxing. We take our time.

Back at Granville Island, we tackle the many shops. I mostly browse, because we have a long journey and there are baggage restrictions on the small planes we need to get us into the Yukon. But I buy a deck of cards to help pass some time in transit and my husband buys a bag of specialty licorice. You never know when you will need a snack.

It has been a lovely day riding the little ferry boats. Tomorrow we will embark on a cruise ship that will ferry us up the coast. The falls creek ferry may be tiny in size comparison, but she is mighty in spirit.