Winter Wonderland

It was prettier in person, but isn't the world of Grouse Mountain a Winter Wonderland? You have to take a tram, trolley, whatever you want to call it up the mountain ($30), but for that you get beautiful views and the closest thing to the North Pole I've ever seen (oh, and there's skiing).

You can even take public transit there from North Vancouver (or Vancouver if you take the seabus) and it's only about a 20 minute ride, which in itself is interesting. To see public transit buses make it part way up a mountain on narrow, mainly residential roads is a truly West Coast experience.



There are even reindeer. And that's not all.

There is a skating rink (they have rentals incase you forget your skates), Santa's workshop, a roaring fire and lots of snow. (When there is more snow cover than there was Dec. 1, they even offer sleigh rides...)





That's me (duh!). I took about a dozen photos of myself while standing in calf deep snow near the edge of a hill and they sucked. As does this one taken by a stranger, but it was improved with cropping. (I do have a cute one of me in a toque...)


Below: that's the view from the top on a cloudy day. I now like The Gimp and have been experimenting with its features (some people are getting Gimp-related Christmas gifts...)




Those are wolves. I thought they were real wild wolves...being all well behaved behind that oh so convenient fence next to a big-ass parking lot. Yah, I'm stupid when it comes to nature. The Grouse people keep them and some bears for the tourists.