Whistler

June 19 ~ 23

The "Sea to Sky Drive" from Vancouver to Whistler is near the top of the list for drama and beauty.

It's also near the top of Rick's list in white knuckle driving....narrow, lots of switchbacks and up and down the mountain.  But, boy did I enjoy it from the back!

We're staying in a kind of funny place named Riverside RV Resort (whistlercamping.com), but it simply could  not be in a  better location.... in the village and no more than 3 minutes to the resort.  We didn't like our interior site we were first assigned, but the perimeter mountain view location we moved to was just fine.  We looked over their putting course and onto the snow-capped mountains.

It is also bordered by a wonderful walking/biking paved path and a rushing stream.  On one walk, Rick decided he would build his own inukshuk, orginally a First Nation path marker which has morphed into a national Canadian symbol of welcome.

The trail then led us to the most marvelous discovery....Nicklaus North Golf Resort (golfwhistler.com).  Not only did the course look wonderful, the path led around Green Lake, a most extraordinary sight.

Stopped in the pro-shop to book a tee time for the next day and decided since there seemed to be no booking problem, to wait and see what the weather brought.  Middle of June, still nippy and mostly overcast.

Glad we waited, got to wait it out for a perfect day and found a website (golfbc.com), where we were able to book a time for almost half the listed price.

Managed to play pretty well which really surprised me since we hadn't played in three months.  The course is challenging, but fair.  Five sets of tees lets you pick a comfortable length.  It's pretty, with nice mountain and pond views, but not stunning until you get to 15.  The finishing holes border on the gorgeous lake with the float planes.

Dinner on the terrace capped off a terrific day....great food and an incredible view.

Whister Blackcomb Village  (whistlerblackcomb.com) is massive.  Was stunned at the number of hotels and residential units that fill the area.  Couple of weird things though; you really have to search to find all the shops and restaurants.  It wasn't until our second visit that we discovered them.  If you make your way to the chair lifts you will finally find all the action.

The other rather odd thing is that nearly all traces of the Olympics are gone.  The medal ceremony park is being turned into a playground....and what's there now is adorable.  The Olympic store is closed and the mogul hill is turned into a bike run for the summer.

This is the only remmant left....an outdoor table for an ice cream shop that has the mascots strapped in.

Most of the stores are very outdoorsy of the rugged variety...there are, however, two very good markets.  The IGA in the Village and Nestor's on the highway.  I finally scored an Olympic pin, of snowboarding, for Ian...found it at the IGA.

Visited the Aboriginal Cultural Center (slcc.ca) hoping to see some wonderful exhibits about the Squamish and Lil'wat nations that first settled the area.  It is a lovely building with very amatuerish displays...and at $18 a head, very disappointing.  This was a representation of a shawl.

Rick was fascinated, though, by the engineering of an out building called the Pit House that was a representation of a traditional dwelling.

We loved Whistler...lovely and beautiful.  Tomorrow we put Tor on a ferry to Vancouver Island.  Going to go up the central coast to some areas that are a bit off the beaten path.

Vancouver ~ Granville Island & Queen Elizabeth Park

June 17 ~ 19

OMG! No literature prepared us for how cool Granville Island is.(granvilleisland.com) We thought we’d do a drive through to see what was up. Turns out, you can certainly spend the better part of a day; and actually, well into the night. We read Granville Island was a collection of shops, galleries, restaurants and a market tucked under a bridge. Well, talk about an understatement! Must be 100 shops and the best market I have ever seen. And they are all hoppin’.

The mix of businesses is really interesting. Some existed in the early 20th century, like a ship builder, when the area was a rather down and out industrial section. Others are very avant guard. And others are a mix of old crafts revived in a modern world.

The Broom Shop, open only two weeks, is where a young woman carries on the craft of her ancestors. The brooms are artful and utilitarian….but we weren’t planning on buying anything…. then it struck us…..some looked just like a Harry Potter Quiddich broom. Grandson Ian is planning his new room….a Harry Potter room….had to get it. Trying to choose the one that looked most like Harry’s when the artist tells us, her family made the Potter brooms and leads us to the proper style. Turns out it’s also a good ride!

The market is extraordinary...the breads, the meats, the produce, the seafood, the flowers....I am literally a kid in a candy shop.

Can’t help myself…we buy steaks, leg of lamb, souvlaki, breads, muffins, fresh pasta, every kind of veggie and fruit imaginable, fresh herbs, flowers. Everything is exquisite. However, we find the best seafood at a shop not in the public market. Finest at Sea, Granville Island Smokery, specializes in smoked fish. Have never heard of candied salmon…one taste and we are smitten! That also goes for smoked teriyaki salmon and a smoked sable fish. There’s also a smoked halibut/eggplant spread and a salmon pate….all go in the basket. We top off the order with fresh spot prawns, a BC specialty that has a very short season. Tonight we will have a grazing dinner with the prawns sautéed in butter, wine and garlic as the centerpiece.

Queen Elizabeth Park

Another jewel hidden in a residential area is Queen Elizabeth Park, (vancouver.ca/parks) a former quarry occupying 130 acres that was transformed in the 1940’s into a stunning garden and recreation area. It is also the highest point in Vancouver….the city vistas from atop the park are stunning….the contrasts of city, gardens and snowcapped mountains makes quite a picture.

The walk through the gardens has a definite Asian feel....it is serene, perfectly manicured and full of plants we're not familiar with...unfortunately there is very little signage identifying the species.  But it is just grand.

While the gardens are free, there is a conservatory housed in a geodesic dome that has a $6 admission charge. We were planning on going, but when we entered, it looked so unimpressive that we passed….don’t know if that was a mistake or not.

We leave Vancouver in the morning and on to Whistler, just about 75 miles north.  We love it here....not too crazy about where we're staying though.  Called Burnaby Cariboo RV Resort (bcrv.com). There is a nice indoor pool and jacuzzi, game room and small gym.  But the sites are so close together, it's rather uncomfortable.   And the internet simply does not work.

Never been to Whistler....hear it's pretty terrific.

Vancouver

June 14 ~ 16

Have never heard anyone call Vancouver "Oz" or "The Emerald City"....but they should.  The whole huge city seems made of green glass ....quite a striking sight.

Vancouver is chic, sophisticated and incredibly clean. Since I've been here, maybe 20 years ago, the city has absolutely exploded....the skyline looks like Manhattan....shops, the likes of Chanel, line the streets....cozy bistros and uber bars are packed.  And the thing I remember most from that earlier trip is just how tidy and well kept everything is.  Even the most modest of homes, sports a beautiful garden. Fortunately, that still holds true.

The weather is not cooperating again, so we attempt to see some of the indoor Olympic venues. We arrive at The Richmond Oval, where all the skating took place, to find there is really nothing to see (except this statute) as they are converting the facility into an "International  Sports Center".  (Note to self: call all destinations for current conditions, books and websites are not always up to date.)

Do a drive around and find a pretty beach, Spanish Banks Beach, totally bereft of people on this gray day.

Had a wonderful chat with a lonely lifeguard who told us places to go and places to avoid.  He was right about Chinatown...a drive-by proves it uninteresting.  Gastown, however, is pretty cool.  Stroll the shops and find the coveted "red mittens" from the Olympics.  And discover a terrific European-style bistro, Chill Winston (chillwinston.ca) on a pretty little corner.

We'll graze on appetizers again.  The Venison Carpaccio, Proscuitto Wrapped Prawns and the Mussels Tomato Puttanesca simply cannot be beat.  The sun even pokes out and a day that started with several missteps, ends on a fine note.

Stanley Park

We've found on our last few trips into Canada, that this country has the most amazing park system. Public parks and gardens are plentiful and beautiful. Stanley Park is extraordinary....save an entire day to savor it all.

The five mile loop around the park starts with the Totem Pole Park, eight installations dating from the 1920's to the present. They reflect the history and culture of the artist's family. The rise to about 50 feet.

There are beaches along the way.

A fantastic overlook view of Lion's Gate Bridge.

And after much looking around for the Seqouia Grill, we found it had been renamed The Teahouse. It's a beautiful little building overlooking the water from a perfect patio and also luckily serves fabulous food.

This Smoked Salmon Arugula Flatbread Pizza was perfect. Rick's Linguine with Clam Sauce was its equal.

Though we could have spent hours more, we needed to get downtown to the BC Ferry office to figure out the next leg of our trip, so we made the Rose Garden our last stop in Stanley Park. We are so glad we didn't miss this.

There were also many calla lillies, my particular favorite....and the likes of these I've never seen...about four foot stems.

The ferry office is located at the Harbor where much of the Olympic ceremonies took place. It is a very vibrant area now the site of offices, cruise departures and convention space.

We only get more perplexed after talking to the young ferry representative. We are exploring all the possibilities of getting to Alaska....driving....taking Tor on a ferry....and going back to Seattle to take a cruise. We are getting kind of weary of traveling though....it's been eight months...still in the decision making mode of what's next. Right now, we're just going to enjoy Vancouver for a few more days.

Seattle ~ Part Two

June 9 ~ 14

Seattle is a very high energy town….young, vibrant and a tad bohemian…all makes for good sightseeing and people watching. The only unfortunate thing is that all that makes it attractive has swelled the population so much that the traffic is a nightmare. We learn to weave and bob around town and stay off the highways during peak times.

Had read that Chinatown was a very active area and one of the largest in the country. Did a drive-by and really couldn’t find anything of interest. Then to Pioneer Square, the city’s historic district. Some interesting buildings, but didn’t find any shops or an appealing luncheon destination. Remembered I had read about Elliot’s Oyster House (elliotsoysterhouse.com) on the waterfront. Fortunately we had parked within reasonable walking distance and hiked over there.

On a better weather day, it would be great to eat on the deck overlooking the harbor…not in the cards again. Inside at a window table, looking out though, was just fine. I had an appetizer order of mini crab cakes with a jicama salad. It was great. Unfortunately, Rick didn’t have the same luck…his fried oysters went back twice after which he decided to give up. Stopped at a street clam bar for some fried clams for him.

Back to the car to find our way through an industrial area to another wharf to Wild Salmon Seafood Market (wildsalmonseafood.com) in search of something wonderful to prepare for a beach picnic tomorrow…..(please let there be sun!) Bought a Dungeness crab which they cooked and cleaned and Rick will pick. We will have a feast at Akli Park tomorrow.

Akli Park

It’s gorgeous weather…low 70’s and sun. Haven’t seen that in a long time. Make a pesto mayonnaise dip and a wasabi dip for the crab, add a smoked trout spread, baguette, cheese, crackers, Rainier cherries and Rick’s favorite, deviled eggs, for the picnic.

Akli Park is one happening place…it’s mobbed on this first nice day of the season…cars are trolling the streets for a parking place, cyclists, runners, walkers, kids and their parents and teenagers checking each other out pack the sidewalks and boardwalk. The view is striking…Puget Sound backdropped by the Seattle skyline... framed by ferries, sailboats and jet skiers and the Olympic Mountains. Lovely sight.

Turns out it though, the beach isn’t so fab….most of it is a seawall peering over a rocky beach…there’s one small place where they must bring in sand….it’s a magnet for everyone. We try it for a bit, but it’s not very serene……move to the rocky part…much better.

The Space Needle

We figure we should at least do a drive-by of the Space Needle since we are here. Leave the beach and go to Seattle Center, home of the icon of the 1962 World Expo. The 620 foot Needle is the centerpiece of what is now mostly an amusement park. There is also another Frank Gehry building which houses a Music and a Science Fiction Museum. Again, I don’t get it…this architect’s structures all look alike to me….guess the philistine in me is showing again.

A very pleasant day and on top of it all we get to experience yet another weather record…..never in the history of man has Seattle not had a 75 degree day by June 11. Aren’t we lucky to be a witness to that!!!!! Leaving for Vancouver in the morning….crossing our fingers for catching a break with the weather.

Seattle ~ Pike Place Public Market

June 7~8

The drive to Seattle involves some very steep climbs, but Tor makes it just fine and there are many striking views.

Staying at the closest place I can find to the city....  Lake Pleasant RV Resort in Bothell (website seems to only be accessible through Woodall's)....it's a decent mid-tier place...we get a site with a pretty good view. 

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There are ducks, geese and assorted water fowl everywhere.  Rick is having a great time with the camera. Neither of us have ever seen a bird's nest floating on the water....not sure what type of bird it is...Rick thinks it's a coot.

Pike Place Public Market

This market has been continually open for business since 1907 making the longest running market in the country.  Today there are over 200 vendors and it is not only about the products..it's pure theatrics!  The young men that staff the biggest fish stand are charmers.  And you better have good reflexes because all of sudden one of them may shout "low flying fish" and a 20 pound salmon comes flying over the counter.

It's Dungeness crab season.

The produce is gorgeous.

And they're serious about not handling their product!

The flowers are stunning and wonderfully priced.

Very frankly it's more entertainment than fabulous food.....we bought some mussels and shrimp to grill that evening and we're very disappointed in both....but it's fun and a "have to do".

Think we'll stay at least a few days...seemingly lots to do and we're in the mood to sit still for a bit.