Granville Island Rustic Photos
Markus standing by a garage gate behind the Bridges restaurant
Every now and then, we like to take Markus out on a photography walk. We enjoy the outdoors a lot and while we're not professional photographers, there's no shortage of scenic views in Vancouver for great photo opportunities. On this particular day, we were looking for something with more of a rustic feel as opposed to the forests or mountain photos that we've become so familiar with in the Pacific Northwest.
Our choice of location for this post should be a familiar one - both for those who live in Vancouver and for visitors or tourists of the area. To find our rustic-themed photos with Markus, we ended up in Granville Island, an iconic place that we've reviewed on The Markus Project in the past and we made our way through its backsides and corridors for photo opportunities.
Granville Island is a beautiful space that juts into the water and sits right under a major bridge. It is filled with shops, restaurants and activities that resonates with the unique feel and culture of the community there. As a dog owner, it's worth noting that there aren't many places where dogs are allowed indoors on Granville Island, so your visit here with your dog is going to be limited to mostly the outdoors.
Normally bustling with people during the day and over the weekends, Granville Island was a lot quieter this time around due to the ongoing pandemic. Even for our walk, we mostly kept to the edges where the people were few and far between, making sure that we were doing our part to slow down the spread of COVID-19.
Granville Island Photo Walk
Our update this week is going to be a little different from our usual posts with a focus on the photo op locations on Granville Island. If you're looking for something to do, especially with your dog, we hope that this can be useful for you!
1. Parking
Parking at Granville Island's been free since the pandemic, but we're not sure how long that's going to last. This is usually where we end up parking on our trips to Granville Island, but depending on the time and day you come, you might find yourself having to park elsewhere and that's fine. This was just our starting point, but everything's a loop so just start the walk wherever you end up parking!
2. Stairwell
Along the line of shops and storefronts down this street, there's a little nook off to the side with a stairwell going up. In this little area, there are metal panels and stairs to really capture that rustic look and feel. That said, while the stairs look great when the photo objects are other humans, it doesn't work nearly as well for dogs since they're so much shorter.
3. Granville Island Pet Treatery
Okay, so this isn't a photo spot, but your dog will thank you for stopping here. Granville Island Pet Treatery makes their own cookies and treats including some of Markus' favourite Tuna Flakes and Sardine Treats. This is one of a few places on Granville Island you can bring your dog in and if you're not sure where it is, just look for the boxcar!
4. Corridor
Markus making a stop next to some metal panels along a corridor
Towards the middle of Granville Island and away from the main roads where the cars are, there's a corridor that goes down with different shops and cafes lined along it. Around this area, there are barn-like metal and wooden doors and panels along with decorative accents like wine barrels off to the side. This spot was quieter with less traffic than the main areas and great to capture a few photos without being interrupted.
5. The Love Mural
Markus trying to figure out what love is and how it’s not dog treats
By the parking lot of the Arts Umbrella building and long the side of the wall is an interactive mural for people to write messages of what love means to them. We're not sure if this is a temporary mural and although not everyone takes it as seriously as others, there are quite some inspirational thoughts written on the wall!
6. The Wooden Walkway
Markus walking along the wooden walkway
Along the backside and by the water is a long wooden walkway that takes you down to Ron Basford Park. Depending on the day and weather, you may find dragon boat paddlers training in the water around the docks down below. Whether you're trying to capture the views of the water or photos of the wooden walkway, this is a great place to stop and enjoy the quiet scenery.
7. Another Corridor
Markus is upset at us for making him pose again
By the Performance Works building, there is a shorter corridor that connects the wooden walkway to Cartwright St. While there isn't too much going on here, there are a few more spots for rustic panels mixed with wooden fixtures, stairs and bright red doors where Markus didn't seem all too happy to be photographed with.
8. Ron Basford Park
At the end of the wooden walkway is Ron Basford Park, one of our favourite spots on Granville Island because of the views and how calm it is there. The park is a large hill, which gives you a great view for looking out into the water. The hill also makes for really neat photos if you're able to get the right angles and lighting (and if you can get your dog to stay still long enough to capture the shot).
9. & 10. More Metal Panels!
Markus looking brighter standing next to a bright turquoise wall
Are you starting to detect a trend yet? It's almost like when we talk about going rustic, we're really just going on a hunt for metal panels. Well, Granville Island is definitely the place to find those.
Next to the Opus Art Supplies building are some metal panels beautifully coloured in a bright turquoise and down that street on the other side, there's a building with panels on the side with cement blocks for sitting. We were fortunate that the sunlight created a nice dynamic with the shadows in our photos!
Markus with a barred shadow cast upon him
Another bonus location is further down this street towards The Sandbar Seafood Bar where there are some wooden panels in the little lot next to the building. Normally, this space is occupied by performers, but since it was empty, we took advantage of the opportunity.
11. The Ferry Docks
If you're hoping to capture some photos of the water, docks and bridges, this is the perfect spot to do it. Depending on the time of the day, this area gets a lot of natural sunlight so there are usually always quite a number of people sitting and relaxing or enjoying a meal while fending off seagulls here. This spot attracts people because it's right next to the Granville Island Public Market which has a food court and shops for other fine eats like deli meats, seafood, bake goods, oils and so much more.
If you're looking for food in this area, let me recommend stopping at Popina Canteen (along the outside) and picking up a spicy chicken sandwich!
Our dog Markus developed reactive tendencies in his years as a street dog and living in a rescue shelter in South Korea. He went unadopted because he was unfairly labeled as aggressive. Now given a second chance, Markus has made incredible strides towards reintegrating into the dog world in Vancouver, Canada.
We want to make the distinction that Markus is reactive, but not aggressive. He allows dogs to approach him - to smell and do the dance and he gets along with most, but there are triggers that’ll set him off into a growling, barking or, at the worst, a snapping frenzy. We understand the stress of not knowing what to expect. That feeling of being accused of being aggressive when he isn’t or being on an on-leash trail and an off-leash dog approaches us with their owner yelling from a distance that their dog is friendly? We get it.
In our Parks & Trails and Overnight Adventures series, we’re creating a guideline for reactive dogs to the parks and trails (even hotels and Airbnbs) that we explore in the Pacific Northwest. We want to equip you with things to look out for (do other dogs tend to be off-leash on the trail, does it get overwhelmingly busy, are the paths wide or narrow, etc.). Ultimately, there are varying levels of a dog’s reactivity and only you can decide what you think is appropriate for yours. Our hope is that our experience allows you and your dog to explore the beautiful Pacific Northwest we call home.
We’re so grateful for your support of The Markus Project. We mostly choose our locations through searching and word of mouth. If you know of a park, trail or location you think we should check out, please share it with us. We’d love to know!
