I’ve never made any bones about loving Los Angeles. My first visit was when I was 5, then 7, then not again until I was 30, but each time I go there it makes an impression. Yes, those of us who live on the Wet Coast are lucky we have such easy access to our sunny lower half, but with school schedules and bills to pay, it’s not the easiest to hop onto an airplane and zip down to LA when your rain-soaked brain really needs to.
Los Angeles leaves something on my insides that’s getting harder and harder to wipe out during the rather long Vancouver winters. And it’s not Vancouver’s fault exactly, but there are definitely 3 reasons why Vancouver makes me miss Los Angeles:
Vancouver does not have waves
Beaches yes, waves no.
Vancouver has some pretty nice beaches if you really look for them. Yes, a lot of them have logs and rocks and not the greatest sand (translation:mud), but they’re OK if you just want to be near the ocean. The one thing Vancouver beaches are truly lacking? Waves.
Yes, I know this is impossible because we’re blocked by islands, and if we want waves we need to go to Tofino. It’s just that sitting at the waveless beaches in Vancouver really makes me miss Los Angeles and the sounds of big, beautiful waves crashing.
Vancouver does not have a colorful history
Vancouver didn’t choose when it would be created, but it’s really a young’un as far as history goes. It’s only really been around
since 1862, and no offense to Gassy Jack and the entire story of how Gastown came to be, but it’s just not that interesting for a history buff.
Also, I just have to add, when I tried to explore local museums for a bit of a culture fix, I had to decide between a nautical museum (which was OK) and an exhibit at one of the main museums of the History of the Sex Trade Workers on the East Side. Or was it West side? I have no idea. I didn’t attend. Funnily enough, they hosted that exhibit on Spring Break when desperate Moms around the city were trying to fill time with new and interesting things to do.
Vancouver makes me miss Los Angeles because of the history. Old Hollywood, gorgeous old houses like the Witches House, old buildings, walks of fame, missionaries, museums…I have to stop. I could spend every single weekend just roaming around these places.
Playland is not an amusement park
You give it a good, solid try Playland. I’ll give you that. And over the years I’ve seen attempts to improve, move, and restore the place to the point where the West Coast has a great amusement park. I feel your pain, because it can’t be cheap to improve something like that.
But as it stands, Playland is not fun.
I’ve been there, given them my money, even bought seasons passes one year. Whether it’s the lack of enthusiasm from the ride operators or just the lack of…well everything, Playland isn’t fun. I will give a shout out to the new Atmosphere ride, which I did indeed go on with my 10 year old, and I will admit to almost losing my mind up there, but ‘scared to die’ isn’t a feeling that gives me the warm fuzzies at an amusement park.
Vancouver makes me miss Los Angeles because they have Disneyland. They have Knotts, which isn’t as great as Disneyland but it’s still kind of fun, and they have Six Flags Magic Mountain, where you can fry an egg on the pavement it’s so hot but damn, those roller coasters are a hoot. Also, you just can’t replicate the experience of having your photo taken beside Green Lantern and then heading into the bathroom and hanging out beside him at the urinal. True story, and my son loves to tell it.
When the Langley local government decides to improve Aldergrove park to the tune of millions of dollars and they are excited about the ‘nature play’ that’s going to be happening, well I just get depressed. Put a Ferris wheel down there like they did in Seattle and watch the people come down on the weekend. The trees won’t mind, I swear. The trees will feel much more appreciated.
Nothing against you at all Vancouver. You are very lovely in your own special way, but with a wet fall predicted and a long winter ahead, I’m missing Los Angeles. And I’m already making plans on where I’m going to camp out in Metro Town when the weather gets really nasty.
