Vancouver

Boy, a lot has happened in the last month or more of radio silence.  A lot of sweet memories with the kids and a lot of patience being practiced as well.  However, in the spirit of why we started this blog in the first place, a little about our trip to Vancouver from the middle of June!  Joel and I went with another couple to Vancouver, and it was everybody’s first time.  The city did not disappoint!  It was wildly beautiful and the people were very pleasant.  We only had a few days, so we really had to pack a lot in to our time.

The first day, we hit up an English style pub where our very friendly bartender, Michael, told us a little about the city and insisted that we rent bikes and ride around Stanley Park (a peninsula at the end of downtown Vancouver).  We walked along the water to the bike rental and then went on the most amazing ride around the edge of the tree and water-lined park.  It was beautiful and the air felt so clean.  Aside from a breakdown for Tammy and Brett and a near collision with a pack of deaf cyclists (who obviously could not hear our shouts of “on your right!”), it was amazing.  In case it isn’t obvious from my description, this was my favorite part of the trip.

The second day, we rented a car and drove up to Whistler.  The one and a half hour trip up was majestic.  I am going to run out of suitable adjectives to describe the scenery, but that is really the only way to describe the trip up to Whistler.  You are flanked on one side by the ocean with mountains in the distance and on the other side by more snow-capped mountains.  I have the similar feeling when I’m at the beach and in the mountains—a feeling that God is powerful and good to have created such beauty and shared it with us.  On the way back to Vancouver, we stopped by Shannon Falls.  So pretty.  Wish we'd had more time to explore.

The third day, we took a seaplane to Victoria Island.  We walked briskly in the rain (partly because we took quite a circuitous route to the dock), but we managed to arrive just in the nick of time.  Although I have traveled many miles in my life, little planes tend to make me airsick.  This one did too.  I was doing my yoga breathing for most of the trip.  At some point, Joel had put the vomit bag in my lap.  When we arrived and I opened my eyes, I saw it.  I then looked around still a little queasy but getting better.  Then man sitting across the isle from me, which is about 10 inches wide, pointed at the bag and said "I'm so glad you didn't have to use that."  Apparently, he had been staring at me the whole trip with a concerned face. Victoria Island was beautiful and so much fun.  We went to Butchart Garden, which far exceeded mine and Joel's expectations.  We both kind of thought, how fun could a garden be, but it was quite lovely and impressive.  Afterwards, we went whale watching.  Having been motion sick once already that day, Joel loaded us all up with Dramamine.    I saw A whale ok, but I was basically drugged when I did.  Poor little guy kept bobbing up and down every 10 or 15 minutes while no fewer than 10 boats pursued the little guy.  Ironically, had we biked around Stanley Park again, we would have seen not one but EIGHT orka whales off the shore--they made local headlines.

Our last half day, Joel and I got up exercised, went for breakfast and then went to Cartier.  I'm in love with the love bracelet.  I didn't end up getting one, but something about being in Cartier or Tiffany's (or any other pretty jewelry store) makes me happy.  Our last stop was to buy a few things for the kids.

All in all, it was a very successful trip.  If there weren't so many places I want to go in my life, I'd want to go back soon.

More later this week...I have some spare times on my hands.

Butchart Gardens

The seaplane.

Shannon Falls

On the way back from Whistler.

Whistler--Have to take a pic with the Olympic Rings.