Reconnect to Your Routes: The 99 B-Line to the Museum of Anthropology

One of the most fascinating places to discover things you never knew about the planet we all call home is the Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Even the journey out there on TransLink can be an exciting exploration of our hometown. Plus, the Museum is offering 25% off admission to everyone who arrives on transit from now until the end of September.

When the 99 B-Line was first introduced in 1996 it quickly became Vancouver’s most popular bus route with some of the highest ridership on the continent, and it’s been the model for a family of B-Line routes throughout the region. Since the opening of the Millenium Line in 2002, the route makes its way to UBC from Commercial-Broadway Station, which is where our adventure begins.

Board the 99 right in front of Shopper’s Drug Mart through any of the three open doors and tap your Compass Card or tappable credit card on the way in.

Our first stop will be the Kingsway stop where you can get out and explore a part of Mount Pleasant that has really come alive in the past few years. Just north of your stop is Main Street Brewing, a good start to sample the many craft breweries in this area that have dubbed this neighbourhood Brewery Creek. If you’re not quite ready for a pint this early, grab some treats from nearby Cartem’s Donuts and a coffee from Milano Coffee Roasters right from their roastery on 8th Avenue, and park yourself across the street at Jonathan Rogers Park for a spectacular view of downtown and the North Shore mountains.

When you’re ready to move on, you can re-board the 99 just west of Cambie Street. In just a few minutes you’ll be at the Granville Street stop where you can get ready for an afternoon at the museum with a stroll north down Granville, popping into the many galleries along the strip, showcasing local and international artists, including works by Northwest Coastal Indigenous artists at Douglas Reynolds Gallery.

Back to our journey, you may be getting hungry, so hop out at the MacDonald stop and walk west to find blocks full of delicious places to fuel your exploration. No matter what time you arrive, you’ll find breakfast, lunch and dinner favourites served up cozy-diner style at Deacon’s Corner. For something a little lighter try Nuba across the street for vegan-friendly Lebanese delicacies, or Vancouver favourite East is East for tastes of the ancient Silk Road.

For the final leg of our journey, walk up to Alma Street and catch the 99 just before it turns down West 10th for a ride through scenic Point Grey. Sit back and enjoy the window show as the landscape changes over from city sprawl to swaths of trees and rolling green on the world class University Golf Club at the entrance to the grounds of UBC.

The final stop on the 99 B-Line brings you steps away from the Museum of Anthropology where,  as much as we’ve explored so far, the most fascinating discoveries await. Dig into traditional and contemporary art from Northwest Coast First Nations and other cultures as you make your way through the Multiversity Galleries, home to 9,000 fascinating objects from around the world. Take a walk outside along the Museum Grounds, where monumental totem poles, Haida houses and Musqueam house posts capture the dramatic beauty of traditional Northwest Coast architecture and design, all against the backdrop of forested islands and snow-capped mountains that border the Salish Sea.

When you arrive, be sure to show your Compass Card, transit ticket, or proof of fare that day for 25% off admission.

When you’ve had your fill, the 99 B-Line will take you back the way you came. Now’s your chance to hop out one more time and hit one of the many shops, restaurants or parks that caught your eye on the way in.

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