(Note: camera battery still dea, but it is charging! Will post more pictures tomorrow)
Today we decided to try to see some of Stanley Park, which is a HUGE City park located on Vancouver’s west side. At 1000 acres, it is the largest City Park in North America and, judging by all of the people there, it is definitely well loved by the citizens.
Of course, I hear the word “park” and I can’t help but think “geocache”. Since we don’t have internet access at the condo, our first stop was the local A&W for breakfast (who knew they had breakfast?) in order to get a few of the caches loaded into the GPS. Once that was accomplished, we headed out to do some exploration.
Our first planned stop was at the Vancouver Aquarium, but that stop turned into almost 4 hours! We really enjoyed it and took our time wandering around all the exhibits. Unfortunately, I realized that my camera had a dead battery JUST as we were entering the aquarium so I don’t have any pictures to share from today. I felt almost naked not carrying it around, but I managed to get over it. J One of the highlights of the trip was getting to see the baby Beluga Whale who was born back on June 10th. She was really cute and is the first second-generation whale to be born in captivity. Her mom was also born at the aquarium 13 years ago.
Moving on, we wanted to try to do a bike ride around the park along the seawall, but my hips were getting angrier and angrier at me all the time. Two days of being on my feet were really taking their toll. We did manage to find 2 geocaches while we were there, but want to go back to try a couple more.
Overall, the park was gorgeous from what we could see from the car. The trees are huge and old, but they lost a lot of them during a huge wind storm in 2006 and are still cleaning things up. There are still many large stumps from the “old growth” trees that once stood here and the second generation ones aren’t that far behind. Hopefully we will get a chance to go back a do some more exploring later this week.
Tomorrow we are hoping to make the drive up the “sea to sky” highway towards Whistler. From what we have heard the drive is gorgeous and well worth the gas money. We picked up food tonight to enjoy along the way and will hopefully get to visit the site the 2010 Winter Olympic Skiing events in Whistler. Everywhere we go there is merchandise and souvenirs for the Olympics and they don’t even happen for another 2 years! I guess they just like to plan ahead.
Monday, September 1, 2008
A Long Day in Capilano
(Note: since my camera battery is dead, I will have to add pictures to this post tomorrow. Sorry!)
Yesterday, we decided to take a short drive upGrouse Mountain on Capilano Road and it ended up taking us all day. Our first stop was the Capilano Suspension Bridge, which is a tourist trap that has been in almost continuous operation since 1893. I thought it was just going to be a bridge, but there was actually quite a bit to the complex. The grounds were beautiful and there were a lot of historical information areas and employees in period costumes. On the other side of the bridge there was a temperate rainforest tour and walking eco-tours that took you through 7 acres of wooded land. I, however, did not make it to the other side of the bridge. It was a steel cable and wood structure suspended 275’ over a river gorge….and it MOVED!!!! I made it about 30’ across before deciding that this was not an experience that I needed. Scott was much braver and I so he took the camera and made the trip across while I enjoyed the view and the gift shop.
Our next stop up the mountain was at the Capilano Fish Hatchery, which is run by the Capilano Provincial Park. It was a really interesting area with some great information and some really neat views of salmon making the journey up the fish ladder around the dam. We took the time to explore a few of the near by trails and were able to get a peak at more of the river gorge from a much more stable foot bridge that did NOT move, thank God!
Stop number 3 took us to the Cleveland Dam and park. Not very much to do there, but see the dam and enjoy the gorgeous park. There were lots of people out picnicking and playing badminton.
Our final destination was the one that took the longest. We braved a large cable tram 2500’ up the side of Grouse Mountain, almost to the summit. In the winter this is a very active ski area, but during the summer it has quite a few other interesting things to do. There were several restaurants, a lumberjack show, a wild bird show, a grizzly bear habitat area, panoramic views of Vancouver below, and many other things that we didn’t even have time to try. We really enjoyed our time there but ended up spending more time there than we intended because although the wait to go UP in the tram was only 2 minutes, the wait to come DOWN was 1.5 hours. We figured it was easier to just check out everything else than stand in line all that time. We ended up eating dinner at a place called Altitudes Bistro, which had excellent food, and then watching the sunset over the surrounding mountains. Couldn’t ask for a better end to the day. All we could manage to do when we got back to the condo was collapse into bed. All-in-all it was a really nice day.
Yesterday, we decided to take a short drive upGrouse Mountain on Capilano Road and it ended up taking us all day. Our first stop was the Capilano Suspension Bridge, which is a tourist trap that has been in almost continuous operation since 1893. I thought it was just going to be a bridge, but there was actually quite a bit to the complex. The grounds were beautiful and there were a lot of historical information areas and employees in period costumes. On the other side of the bridge there was a temperate rainforest tour and walking eco-tours that took you through 7 acres of wooded land. I, however, did not make it to the other side of the bridge. It was a steel cable and wood structure suspended 275’ over a river gorge….and it MOVED!!!! I made it about 30’ across before deciding that this was not an experience that I needed. Scott was much braver and I so he took the camera and made the trip across while I enjoyed the view and the gift shop.
Our next stop up the mountain was at the Capilano Fish Hatchery, which is run by the Capilano Provincial Park. It was a really interesting area with some great information and some really neat views of salmon making the journey up the fish ladder around the dam. We took the time to explore a few of the near by trails and were able to get a peak at more of the river gorge from a much more stable foot bridge that did NOT move, thank God!
Stop number 3 took us to the Cleveland Dam and park. Not very much to do there, but see the dam and enjoy the gorgeous park. There were lots of people out picnicking and playing badminton.
Our final destination was the one that took the longest. We braved a large cable tram 2500’ up the side of Grouse Mountain, almost to the summit. In the winter this is a very active ski area, but during the summer it has quite a few other interesting things to do. There were several restaurants, a lumberjack show, a wild bird show, a grizzly bear habitat area, panoramic views of Vancouver below, and many other things that we didn’t even have time to try. We really enjoyed our time there but ended up spending more time there than we intended because although the wait to go UP in the tram was only 2 minutes, the wait to come DOWN was 1.5 hours. We figured it was easier to just check out everything else than stand in line all that time. We ended up eating dinner at a place called Altitudes Bistro, which had excellent food, and then watching the sunset over the surrounding mountains. Couldn’t ask for a better end to the day. All we could manage to do when we got back to the condo was collapse into bed. All-in-all it was a really nice day.
Busy, busy, busy!
We are running a little behind today so we will try to get an updated post tonight with everything we have done for the last 2 days! Whew! Didn't get back until super late last night and then are getting a late start this morning (just finished breakfast at 10:00!)
We are off to do some geocaching and see the Vancouver Aquarium this morning. Should be a fun day!
We are off to do some geocaching and see the Vancouver Aquarium this morning. Should be a fun day!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Vancouver, here we come!
We didn't get a super early start today, but decided to take our time and make a day of the drive. First up was sleeping as late as possible, but unfortunately with the time change I was side awake at 4 AM (6 AM CST). I did manage to get back to sleep eventually, but it took some effort. Showers, breakfast and packing took us until around 9:30 and then we were off to do a little shopping.
Best Buy was first on our agenda so we could get a cable to connenct the iPod to the car. Way cool being able to listen to our own music without lugging a ton of CD's around. Guess we are finally approaching this decade! The second stop took us to a rather large mall with a really BIG REI. They are based out of Seattle so they are everywhere and much larger than the one we have at home. We needed to find a couple of jackets because we didn't anticipate that it would be so COLD here. The temps aren't too bad by themselves, but the dampness and the wind makes for a pretty chilly experience.
After finding what we needed, we finally pointed the faithful Cobalt north. Of course, the first thing on my mind was doing a little geocaching. Stopped and did a really unique one in Lynnwood, before getting on the interstate and then did two more on at a couple of rest areas while on the highway.
It was a beautiful drive and the scenary was constatnly changing. Lunch time found us looking for something "different" to eat and we decided to experience a "Jack in the Box" restaurant. Typical fast food place that I am now glad I never have to experience again. Not bad, just not good either.
The border crossing was uneventful, just tedious and then it was a GORGEOUS drive up into Vancouver. I will try to add some pictures of the drive in later, but don't have the camera with me in the Starbucks right now. We met up with Scott's friend, Chris, and his wife, Sharon, at their condo and then they took us over to see the condo where we would be staying. Definitely not what I expected. This place is extremely swanky and extremely small. It is about half the size of our first apartment at around 800 sft! When they told us it is valued at over $600,000 I just about fell off my chair.
Once we dropped our things off, it was off to dinner with Chris and Sharon at a place called The Boathouse about 20 minutes away in Horseshoe Bay. Incredible food, most of it local and a beautiful view of the sound and the mountains. It was a challenge to find something on the menu the DID'T have wild caught salmon in it, but I managed. :)
Tomorrow we are off to do a little sight-seeing and possibly a tram ride to the top of a mountain. We will have to see how brave my tummy is feeling. We are looking forward to exploring the city and the surrounding area, but I have a feeling we wouldn't be able to see everything that we wanted to if we had a month!
Best Buy was first on our agenda so we could get a cable to connenct the iPod to the car. Way cool being able to listen to our own music without lugging a ton of CD's around. Guess we are finally approaching this decade! The second stop took us to a rather large mall with a really BIG REI. They are based out of Seattle so they are everywhere and much larger than the one we have at home. We needed to find a couple of jackets because we didn't anticipate that it would be so COLD here. The temps aren't too bad by themselves, but the dampness and the wind makes for a pretty chilly experience.
After finding what we needed, we finally pointed the faithful Cobalt north. Of course, the first thing on my mind was doing a little geocaching. Stopped and did a really unique one in Lynnwood, before getting on the interstate and then did two more on at a couple of rest areas while on the highway.
It was a beautiful drive and the scenary was constatnly changing. Lunch time found us looking for something "different" to eat and we decided to experience a "Jack in the Box" restaurant. Typical fast food place that I am now glad I never have to experience again. Not bad, just not good either.
The border crossing was uneventful, just tedious and then it was a GORGEOUS drive up into Vancouver. I will try to add some pictures of the drive in later, but don't have the camera with me in the Starbucks right now. We met up with Scott's friend, Chris, and his wife, Sharon, at their condo and then they took us over to see the condo where we would be staying. Definitely not what I expected. This place is extremely swanky and extremely small. It is about half the size of our first apartment at around 800 sft! When they told us it is valued at over $600,000 I just about fell off my chair.
Once we dropped our things off, it was off to dinner with Chris and Sharon at a place called The Boathouse about 20 minutes away in Horseshoe Bay. Incredible food, most of it local and a beautiful view of the sound and the mountains. It was a challenge to find something on the menu the DID'T have wild caught salmon in it, but I managed. :)
Tomorrow we are off to do a little sight-seeing and possibly a tram ride to the top of a mountain. We will have to see how brave my tummy is feeling. We are looking forward to exploring the city and the surrounding area, but I have a feeling we wouldn't be able to see everything that we wanted to if we had a month!
Friday, August 29, 2008
We have arrived!
Hello everyone! We made it to the Seattle uneventfully and are really loving the area. There are mountains and lots of water to see and I got my first look at the Pacific Ocean. We even got to see Mount Renier and Mount St. Helens from the airplane on the way in! The top of Rainier may have been in the clouds from the ground but that doesn't matter when you are seeing it from above the clouds!
After getting our luggage and rental car we were a little lost as to what to do first. We decided to drive a little bit south of where we were to see the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Definitely a very interesting landmark for a civil engineer. Of course the original "galloping gurdy" isn't there anymore, but the replacement bridge is still pretty cool.
Then we decided to head back north and find the Pike Place Market. Scott had been there before but it was definitely worth the the stop for me to see it. It was a lot like an indoor farmer's market with fish and some of the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen. Huge bouquets for just a few dollars! Made me want to buy a ton of them, but I didn't think they would last very long in my suitcase.
A couple of hours wandering around and we decided to go a few blocks north to see the famous Space Needle. The view from the top was gorgeous! At 520' I was a little nervous about going up, but it was definitely worth it in the end. The interesting fact we learned was that it only takes a 1.5 horsepower motor to turn the revolving restaurant! Now that is what I call good balance.
After all of the sight seeing it was time to head north and find a place to stay for the night. We stopped in Lynnwood, WA, on the northside of Seattle and then had a nice dinner at a place called McGrath's Fish House. The fresh prawns were delicious and Scott was able to have not only fresh caught Halibut but his favorite beer, Fat Tire, as well. I just wish I could have joined him but stuck with the diet Pepsi instead. After dinner it was all we could do to get back to the hotel before we fell asleep. Thank goodness the bed is comfortable!
Tomorrow we head north for Vancouver, after stopping for some geocaching along the way of course! Have to get a few done in Washington so I can add another state to my list. We should be settled into the condo this evening and then the real exploring can begin.
After getting our luggage and rental car we were a little lost as to what to do first. We decided to drive a little bit south of where we were to see the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Definitely a very interesting landmark for a civil engineer. Of course the original "galloping gurdy" isn't there anymore, but the replacement bridge is still pretty cool.
Then we decided to head back north and find the Pike Place Market. Scott had been there before but it was definitely worth the the stop for me to see it. It was a lot like an indoor farmer's market with fish and some of the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen. Huge bouquets for just a few dollars! Made me want to buy a ton of them, but I didn't think they would last very long in my suitcase.
A couple of hours wandering around and we decided to go a few blocks north to see the famous Space Needle. The view from the top was gorgeous! At 520' I was a little nervous about going up, but it was definitely worth it in the end. The interesting fact we learned was that it only takes a 1.5 horsepower motor to turn the revolving restaurant! Now that is what I call good balance.
After all of the sight seeing it was time to head north and find a place to stay for the night. We stopped in Lynnwood, WA, on the northside of Seattle and then had a nice dinner at a place called McGrath's Fish House. The fresh prawns were delicious and Scott was able to have not only fresh caught Halibut but his favorite beer, Fat Tire, as well. I just wish I could have joined him but stuck with the diet Pepsi instead. After dinner it was all we could do to get back to the hotel before we fell asleep. Thank goodness the bed is comfortable!
Tomorrow we head north for Vancouver, after stopping for some geocaching along the way of course! Have to get a few done in Washington so I can add another state to my list. We should be settled into the condo this evening and then the real exploring can begin.
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