by Annie | Jun 27, 2010 | Travel
After a 3am courtyard brawl woke us up in the middle of the night, Joe and I arose this morning more than a little out of it but still determined to go through with the Whistler excursion we’d planned. Coffee in hand, we headed out on the 2-hour drive to one of North America’s top destinations. When planning for this day trip, we were completely overwhelmed by the endless menu of outdoor options and activities available within the small resort town. Mountain biking, frisbee golf, river rafting, alpine hiking, bungee jumping, ziplining, kayaking, sky diving, canoeing, ATV tours, geocaching, mountain climbing, horseback riding, wine tasting, and helicopter tours were all possibilities, not to mention spa visits and a myriad of dining options. And these were just the summer activities! During our short time in Whistler, I think I figured out why the town is thus named. We were whistling quite a lot throughout the day, though for several different reasons. Reason 1: [Continuous whistling] “Ah, I’m so happy to be here. What a wonderful place. I’m having so much fun.” Reason 2: [Downward whistle, accompanied by widening eyes] “That costs HOW much?!” Reason 3: [Upward whistle, followed by scrunched eyebrows and flared nostrils] “Sofie, get over here, NOW!” Reason 4: [Downward whistle, with eyebrows raised] “Wow, that’s frickin’ gorgeous.” Reason 5: [Downward whistle, accompanied by fast walking] “Finally, a bathroom!” Truly an amazing place that we will be visiting as often as...
by Annie | Jun 23, 2010 | Other
Sunny and 70. There could not be better conditions for my first solo bike ride to downtown Vancouver. Having just taken a bike safety class this weekend, the warnings, words of advice, and proper hand signals were fresh in my mind. Anxious to get on the road for my 2 o’clock Nexus appointment at the Canada Border Services Agency downtown, I unlocked my bike from the basement bike rack around 1:15pm. Speeding through the smooth concrete floor of the garage, I rode up the exit ramp and emerged into daylight. A couple turns later, I was on the Seaside Bike Trail, headed east. I breezed past beaches, picnickers, swimmers, and joggers, all basking in the afternoon sun. Turning off the Seaside Trail, I made my way up the Burrard Bridge with the downtown skyline growing more and more in focus. At the peak, I took a few deep breaths of relief, then sailed down toward increasing traffic and busy-ness. Without a dedicated bike lane, I had to ride in traffic with the cars. As I was taught, I took over a whole lane, huffing and puffing over hills and dodging parked and turning cars, using the proper hand signals the whole way. By the time I reached my destination, my shirt was soaked, and my face was beet red, but alas, I was alive! With just a few minutes to spare, I locked up my bike and headed inside for my appointment. After being directed to the proper counter, I gave the agent my name and informed her I had a 2pm appointment. “Um, no, you don’t,” was essentially...
by Annie | Jun 20, 2010 | Travel
How do you turn a 3-hour trip into an 8-hour one? By leaving something important behind, of course. On our way back to Vancouver from Seattle, we decided to stop in Bellingham, two hours north of Seattle and just south of the Canadian border. Why? Because Bellingham has the only Chick Fil-A in the state of Washington. Round and round we went, weaving in and out of the quiet residential streets of suburban Bellingham with only an iPhone to guide us toward the fast food beacon. Unfortunately, as we soon discovered, iPhone maps are a little less than accurate when it comes to tiny suburban streets. More than one street the iPhone promised as a through street ended up leading straight into someone’s driveway. Several minutes later, we made it onto the campus of Western Washington University, home of the Vikings and a branch of Chick Fil-A. Unfortunately, classes were out for the summer and the campus was almost completely desolate. Nevermind. Back to the highway toward Vancouver. Until… [iPhone rings] Bad news. Joe’s work computer was left behind in Seattle. Two hours later, we were back in Seattle to pick up the computer, then turned around and headed back toward Vancouver. Four hours into the trip, we were back at the starting gate. We just had too much gas in our car, that’s all. Felt we should release some to the environment so our car didn’t have to work so hard on a full stomach. It was the only responsible thing to do. All in all, I suppose it’s good to know we could travel to Seattle several...
by Annie | Jun 13, 2010 | Other
Due to the relative scarcity of squirrels in Vancouver, Sofie has taken up a new pastime: seagull chasing. She has yet to grasp the fact that wing power can outmaneuver her four short legs any day, so she expends lots of energy in the hunt. In the spirit of the sunny day, we did some hiking in the Endowment Lands, a gorgeous 14-square-kilometer area of forest and beaches just west of the Vancouver city limits. As soon as the leash came off, the hunt was on. Slow…one step at a time…sudden full-on seagull chase! Stop to gulp seawater. Back to the chase! She did come close a couple of times, but I don’t think she would’ve had the slightest clue what to do had she actually caught up with...
by Annie | Jun 9, 2010 | Other
It’s hard to describe how elated I am to finally sleep on a real bed after almost 3 weeks of sleeping bags and hard ground. After a late start, I spent most of the morning staring quizzically and turning my head one way, then the other, at various Ikea instructional diagrams for our new bed frame. There was also much squinting and head scratching involved. Slowly but surely, the thing came together. Later in the afternoon, an Australian delivery guy dropped off our mattress, made to order from the Bedder Sleep Store where we’d tested out several mattress options last week. The mattress we chose was the one I nearly fell asleep on while testing. Fitted with pocket springs and a firm foam core, it’s ready for the sleeping. Sweet dreams,...
