It didn’t seem right to have lived in Vancouver for 16 years without ever visiting Wreck Beach. So, when I happen to be at UBC early one morning, I took the opportunity to nip down and check the place out.

Check out the place, I said! Not check out the naked people. No, it was too early in the morning for anyone except a few hungover partiers, who appeared to be dragging themselves off the sand.

It’s a gorgeous beach.

And I had to laugh, in an English-geek sort of way, at this sign:

It made me want to ask the parks people: what exactly IS the difference between staring and gawking? And can you gawk without staring?

Maybe if I ever go back in full daylight, I’ll find out…