Top 5 Activities to Do During Summer
The summer can be an excellent break for many, however, sometimes it can be hard to figure out what to do with all that free time. Below are some activities that can be done during this season!
Source: Unsplash (@ethanrobertson)
1. Visit Steveston Village and walk up to Garry Point Park
Steveston Village is a beautiful spot in Richmond to shop, eat fish and chips, have ice cream, and more! Pajo‘s Fish and Chips is a great location to stop and get something savoury to munch on. After that, you could grab ice cream or gelato from any of the many shops that you can find in the village. Once you have your sweet treat and have explored the village and pier, you can easily walk to Gary Point Park and enjoy the view of the water and nature. Bring a book, something to draw on, or simply chat with your friends or family while sitting in the park. Steveston is a great way to spend a warm day outside!
2. Visit Queen Elizabeth Park
This is a beautiful park with so many beautiful plants and places to walk around. You could bring some food to the park and have a picnic with your friends. At the top of the park lies the Bloedel Conservatory. It is home to many birds and is one of the more affordable things to do in Vancouver. It is definitely a must-do when you go to the park, as there are more than 100 exotic birds and 500 varieties of plants and flowers there.
3. Visit the Richmond Night Market
Home for lots of fun foods and drinks, this is the perfect nighttime activity if you are comfortable with crowds. It is fairly hot during the day, so if you prefer something later at night once it is cooler out, this is for you. You do need to pay for admission, but you can purchase a Zoom pass. It costs 35 dollars for a total of 5 people and you get to skip the long line. The food inside is a bit more pricey, but it is an experience and a once-in-a-while thing. There are also many vendors and small businesses that sell adorable and unique products.
4. Go to Calgary and take a shuttle up to Banff and/or Edmonton
Alberta is not too far away from Vancouver. You could take an airplane since the flight is only around one hour and thirty minutes. In Calgary, you could visit their downtown and take a stroll on Peace Bridge. The Tastemarket is a great place to eat affordable and delicious food, ranging from dessert to a savoury meal. After spending time in Calgary, it is very easy to find a shuttle bus online to go to another destination. Banff is beautiful and has many delicious ice cream stores, wonderful views, and lots of different animals you can spot. One shuttle bus you could take to Banff from the YYC airport is the Vivo Green. It is one of the more affordable buses that can take you all the way to central Banff. The gondola in Banff is a must-try, however, you do need to book it far in advance, as it fills up quickly. If you would prefer a bigger mall and indoor activities, it is fairly simple to take a shuttle bus to Edmonton. With Rider Express, it costs around 38 dollars per person to take the bus all the way from Calgary to Edmonton. In Edmonton, they have Canada’s biggest mall, the West Edmonton Mall. There, you can not only shop, but can also try go-karting, visit an amusement park, swim, and more! Going to Alberta is definitely a great close trip that can be completed in less than a week if you are short on time!
5. Visit Granville Island
Lastly, Granville Island is an amazing place to let your inner child run free! There is a waterpark, amazing food, wonderful scenery, and more! One spectacular place to get a snack would be Lee’s Donuts . There are many unique shops to discover and most, if not all, are small businesses! So go and support them!
I hope that you will try one (or all) of these activities and that you have found this insightful! Have a great summer, and if you aren’t volunteering this term, then we hope to see you soon in the fall!