The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, located in the heart of the city, is just one of the hotels, stores and restaurants gearing up for the 2010 Winter Olympics. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
The Gastown Steam Clock in Vancouver, Canada, is a treat for the tourists and locals who stop to watch the clock blow its whistles every 15 minutes. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
A jogger gets a view of Coal Harbor and the city of Vancouver during a run along the seawall in Stanley Park. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Pedestrians stroll past Vancouver storefronts and a billboard mural anticipating the start of the Winter Olympics. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Umbrellas are a requirement during a rainy night on Vancouver’s Robson Street, an upscale shopping district. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
A staff member at the Vancouver Aquarium reaches out to a beluga whale calf during one of the daily feedings. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
The Vancouver Biennale is displaying Chinese artist Yue Minjun’s “A-Maze-Ing Laughter,” which uses the artist’s own face in different poses during a state of laughter and arranges them in a maze-like configuration. The 14 bronze figures are on display at the Morton Triangle near English Bay. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Diners enjoy a panoramic view of Vancouver, Canada, from the tables of the rotating restaurant atop the Empire Landmark Hotel. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
The lounge at Vancouver’s Wedgewood Hotel is a quiet gathering place with an upscale vibe. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Customers chat over dinner at Hon’s Wu Tun House on Robson Street. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Waffles topped with fresh fruit are a popular breakfast choice at Cafe Medina in Vancouver. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
The Olympic rings glow in Vancouver harbor, mounted on a floating barge near Brockton Point. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
The attractions, dining and people of Vancouver, one of the hemisphere’s most ethnically diverse cities, will be on display when the Olympics begin. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
