We headed toward the mountains in West Vancouver after lunch. The weather was gorgeous -- clear blue sky with a cotton candy shaped clouds. The mountain skyline were crisp; and the mountain tops were sprinkled with snow like sugar powder on a French crepe. We drove into a luxury community on the mountain where we can overlook the whole city of Vancouver.
After some picture-taking fun, we moved on to Stanley Park. This is my first time visiting Stanley Park after the disaster caused by strong wind last year. A lot of big old trees fell because of the wind and they have been hacked down and cleaned up now. The bushes in the park became a lot thinner where you can actually look out at the ocean. I really miss the trees but I guess this new view is giving Stanley Park a few different characteristics that I'm quickly falling in love with. 
After a short trip to Stanley Park, we started heading to Richmond Olympic Oval where we can try out the new speed skating rink.
The Oval uses some interesting space utilizing ideas. For example, in the middle of the 400m speed skating rink, there are indoor sports courts for basketball and badminton. There are two sets of stairs you could take to get to the inside and outside of the skating rink. The third level is a mini fitness center with various aerobics and weight training equipments. I guess the most spectacular thing about Oval is its wooden ceiling design. Not sure how many wood panels were used on the ceiling, but it sure was impressive!
Public staking doesn't open until 6pm today, so we decided to pass on it. Before we went home, we enjoyed watching the sunset by the river bank outside the Oval.
We concluded the day with mom's Birthday cake and a glass of tasty dessert wine, 2006 GEWÜRZTRAMINER, from Castello di Amorosa in Napa Valley.
