Friday was a gorgeous day with sunshine and warm temps for January. I was on my way to the Seattle Travel Show, but had some extra time before leaving Vancouver. The previous day had been the grand opening of the Olympic Line - Vancouver's new streetcar system that will operate during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
I decided to take the streetcar for a spin. What a ride! I was not the only local having an adventure that day. Multiple parents were pushing strollers and showing off the streetcar to the kids. Other lucky residents playing hooky from work like me were enjoying the beautiful day.
The Olympic Line connects the Athlete's Village and downtown Vancouver with Granville Island. From downtown, I hopped on the Canada Line to 2nd Ave/Cambie. As you exit the train, you literally walk across the parking lot to the new Olympic Line station. From there it is a quick 3 minute smooth and quiet ride to the fabulous Granville Island Market. Best of all, the ride is FREE! Leather seats, clean and sparkling new, and a bit of adventure makes for a fun travel experience. I only wish the streetcars were a permanent part of the Vancouver transit system. So much more fun than riding the bus, and extremely energy efficient running on electricity. I can just picture these sleek quiet cars whisking visitors and residents along the existing tracks on the North Shore. What a beautiful ride it would be along Marine drive from Lonsdale Quay to Park Royal and then to Horseshoe Bay. Oh...a girl can dream, can't she?
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