The Great Northwest

At the end of the summer during Jeremy's break we got to take a trip up the Northwest, a trip that had been on our mind for quite some time. Our friends Cheryl and Justin, Emily and Jacques had both moved to Seattle over the past year so that was our first stop. Unfortunately Emily and Jacques were out of town. We stayed with Cheryl and Justin and Zephyr in their new, house, all of which were a delight to see. We got to make a crumble that included blackberries from their back yard, as well as see the sproutings from their very own garden. A big highlight of this trip for us was not only getting to hang out with Cheryl and Justin again, but going kayaking with them through parts of Seattle. It was beautiful! We also went to a lakeside beach where we were able to swim and jump off a diving board. Unfortunately, I don't have photos of these events. Didn't want to capsize with my camera!

The next day we had a wonderful rainy run along Seattle's beautiful trail that wraps around the city. We got VERY wet, but enjoyed returning home to snacks and tea and a hot shower. Afterwards we went downtown where we walked through the sculpture garden and ate the most fabulous pizza, cooked in this portable clay oven. We considered walking through the hemp festival that was taking place down there, but the odor and the admission price (but mostly the odor) kept us away.

Sculpture gardens.


Not a great photo of the people, but gives you nice idea of the view!


Pigs of Seattle


After walking through the market where they throw the fish, we went grocery shopping for dinner, cooked it and had a nice meal at home followed by games. So fun to hang out with Justin and Cheryl again!

We drove from Seattle to Vancouver the following day and after much driving about found parking close to our hotel, only to be turned away from an early check in. It was raining so were hoping we could check in and get settled since the weather was supposed to clear.
So we drove down by the water and walked along the path that circles the entire city. We went as far as Granville Island market, where we ate lunch. We ended up walking around a good portion of Vancouver that day and were quite taken with the city right away. I loved the little water busses that putted up and down False Creek, taking passengers from the South to North side of the city.

On Walk to Market


View of Burrard Bridge from Granville Bridge, Sea bus en route.


Granville market on the left.


We ate at an absolutely fabulous Indian restaurant that night, called Rangoli.

The next day we had grand plans to swim in one of Vancouver's heated sea water pools right on the beach. Unfortunately they were both closed because the workers were striking. Very sad. We still had a fabulous day. We rented bikes and rode through Stanley Park, which was so fun, and scenic. I was lucky, and got the wide, comfy seat. We rode past Lost Lagoone where we saw a raccoon and egret, rode past the sculpture of the scuba diver out on a rock in the bay, a light house, up to Prospect point with a view of the Lion's Gate bridge and bay. After descending from Prospect Point we stopped off at Third Beach, where we had snacks and waded and climbed on rocks. We rode through some tree covered dirt trail (so serene) and past a lily pad covered pond. Before returning our bikes we took a swim in the non-heated waters of English Bay. It was pretty cold, but quite refreshing after our long ride. We returned the bikes and walked down Denman St where we had a seriously tasty fish-n-chips meal. We also stopped at a grocery store close by, where I picked up my favorite Brit treats.

Bike Ride through Stanley Park




Lion's Gate Bridge--Just one of the ways Vancouver reminded me of home...






That evening we drove out to North Vancouver to Lynn Canyon Park. Here there is a suspension bridge and beautiful trails and river to walk along. We saw a mama black bear and her cub searching for food in the waters. We were so close when we spotted them--they totally took our breath away.







As we drove back over the bridge, the sun was setting so we exited into Stanley Park and watched the sunset at Prospect Point, where a violinist was playing to set the perfect mood. We then drove back down to Third Beach to sit and watch the remainder of the Sunset.



That night we went over to the East side of Vancouver to walk around, and then we went to the Casa de Gelato, where they had an incredible number of flavors to choose from, including some very funky ones.

The next morning we had breakfast at a little cafe in Kitslano. It was quite delicious. We went by Granville Market once again to pick up some food before driving South to catch our ferry to Victoria.

The ride to Victoria was incredibly beautiful. We sat on the deck so that we could see the view and watch for wildlife. We saw some little harbor seals. I was watching intently for orcas but never saw them, so I was a wee bit sad.




We drove off the ferry and straight to the coastline to check out some of the beaches.


These jelly fish are very prevalent in the waters around Vancouver island. We could see them floating in the water from the ferry and there were several on the beach.


After we'd had our fill of the beach we headed to downtown Victoria, where we checked into our suite and then had dinner at a place by the harbor. It was a beautiful evening and we followed it up with a moonlight walk where we watched a brilliant sunset.






The next morning after a run along the coastline and breakfast, we drove up the coast on the other side of the city to see what that was like. We saw a sea otter up close, rolling around on the sand. When he saw us he slipped back into the water and swam away.



Our next stop was downtown Victoria where we checked out the famous Empress hotel, the town hall and the beautiful inner harbor. Victoria is so well-maintained.




The ferry ride back to the mainland was awesome! We finally saw some orcas, along with more harbor seals and plenty of brilliant scenery. We drove back to Seattle in time for quick Teriyaki take out in a park, returned our rental car and flew home!