Like Bright, Colorful Places? I have the place for you!

If you like fun, colorful places with an artistic flare, Vancouver and Victoria are a must visit! When I planned my visit to these wonderful cities, people told me about the great places to see. Stanley Park in Vancouver. Butchart Gardens in Victoria. Don’t get me wrong, both these places are amazing. The totem poles are a real highlight of Stanley Park. And riding around in the horse drawn carriage is a fun treat! Then, the fabulously manicured, endless flower gardens of Butchart Gardens are beyond magnificent. Not to mention the yummy restaurant for afternoon tea (so British) and a scruptuious dinner. These wonderful places should definitely make your “must see” list.

Totem Poles in Stanley Park

Just Some Amazing Flowers at Butchart Gardens

But, no one seemed to gush about the two places that I found the most unusual, most interesting and the best place for shooting amazingly colorful, unique photos. What places? Granville Island in Vancouver. And Fishermans Wharf in Victoria. People did mention to visit these spots and travel guides have them high on their lists, but no one prepared me for the virtual FEAST for my eyes! Perhaps this was a good thing since my excitement was that much higher and my eyes popped out even more upon the seeing these marvels.

What makes these places so great for me? Firstly, Granville Island is a place with wonderful arts and crafts, maritime shops, plentiful public market and fabulous restaurants. One shop that I particularly liked was Funk Shui on Railspur Alley. To have a store on this street you MUST make handmade objects. Funk Shui uses the antique art of felting to create one of a kind, fun, playful clothing. I could not resist buying an amazing “scarf” and an adorable hat, both of shades of orange, my favorite color. If you like unique pieces of clothing, Funk Shui is your place.

But, even though I LOVED Funk Shui, the shops were not what totally blew me away. The buildings themselves is what was the main attraction for me. Buildings made of corrugated metal, a reflection the industrial history of Granville Island painted in bright colors and adorned with lively banners and signs resulting in a lively, happy, eye catching views in every direction you look, down every street and at every corner! If you like to shoot bright, fun, artistic photographs, this is a find! Check out some of my favs from a day of shooting.

A Sampling of the Colorful Granville Island

Then, off to Victoria. The beautiful capital of British Columbia! The city is centered around a beautiful harbor with the grand dame of hotels, The Fairmont Empress, standing in all it’s grandeur. At night, the amazing Parliament Building that is adorned with lights that outline the magnificent outline and imposing dome. A beautiful site! Even though I loved walking home each night taking in these sites, the place that really attracted me was Fisherman’s Wharf. A short walk from my hotel brought me to a world of house boats, painted in all different colors, stripes, designs…an amazing joy to behold! Just walking up and down the quais I could not stop shooting these marvels. Who would have imagined such kaleidoscope of colors! A dream come true for someone who loves taking fun, colorful photos. This is a MUST visit! A small sampling of what you will see.