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7Jan/101

From the Mountains – To The City

Back in June, Wife and I headed up to Canada for some much-needed R&R. This is a post we finally decided to finish so it might be a little off seeing as the trip was 6 months ago and don't remember everything exactly as it happened. Enjoy!

Alas, it was our last day in Whistler. We spent the morning cleaning up our little one bedroom apartment before checking out. We cleaned the place so well it looked like we had just checked in (if we did not they would have charged us for dirty dishes).

We had time to spare, so Wife purchased some postcards and postage, wrote some notes to her grandmothers, and put them in the mail in hopes that they would arrive in San Diego before we did. After that, we walked down to the bus station and played cards on the grass while waiting. Once the bus arrived, the bus driver informed us that he would make a few stops and that one would be real close to our hotel in Vancouver. That meant we did not have to get a taxi once we arrived, which was great. The drive down was fairly uneventful but took longer than our drive up.

Once in Vancouver, we walked the few blocks (it seemed like a lot more when you are tired and do not know where you are going) to our hotel eager to check in and lie down for a few minutes. Once we found the Barclay Hotel, we checked in and walked up the stairs to our closet...I mean room.

Our first room was about a square foot or so larger than a typical walk in closet. With our two sets of luggage and the furniture, we could not move around the room without tripping. The bed and the desk sat so close to together that you could not pull the desk chair all the way out. We grabbed our luggage, walked downstairs to the front desk, and asked to see a bigger room. The attendant showed us to two choices of bigger rooms and we decided the medium-sized room would be acceptable (the chair actually came all the way out).

The size of the room and the age of the building (it needs to be updated, but that would cost money) were the only problems we had because its prices and location were ideal. It sat in the center of Vancouver with easy access to the water, parks, transportation, and restaurants. We walked down one of the main streets and dined outside at an Indian restaurant. There we decided we were ready to come home and to move our flight up by a day since we would be headed to the Cayman Islands just a few days after we returned.

After dinner we walked along the water and tried to spot some of the areas Wife had visited when she came with her mother before leaving on Semester at Sea. We found a few of them and then just enjoyed the rest of the scenery (like a dentist chair that faces out to the water). The big thing we noticed was how all the high rises had really large glass windows. The city obviously did not sit on or near a fault line and as Southern California natives, we were both impressed.

Tired from the drive down from Whistler (funny how traveling, even for a few hours can make you tired), we called it an early night and went back to the Barclay to plan our last day in Canada and to sleep.

: The Bridge of Death

: Postcards to be Sent

: Whistler Finally Gets Cloudy

: Waiting for the Bus

: Flowers

: Flowers Again

: Flowers Upclose

: Flowers, Flowers, And More Flowers

: Wife on the Waterfront

: Dentist Chair on the Water Front

: Why Yes I Am!

: Thinking of Buying a Boat

: Helping an Old Lady Out

: City of Glass (No Earthquakes)

: Our Hotel Sign

Tagged as: 8, bus, canada, day, eight, travel, vancouver, whistler 1 Comment

3Jan/101

From the Mountains – Peak to Peak

Wife woke up very excited for the day because we finally had a chance to go up the mountain. The trails were unfortunately closed due to snow but the Peak to Peak gondola opened that day. She eagerly got ready even though we had to take care of our bus tickets.

Since our flights to Vancouver had been rearranged, we missed our Greyhound bus ride up which meant that we did not pick up our tickets. Whistler Village did have a Greyhound ticket office but all the attendant could do was issue us new tickets and tell us to ask for a refund when we arrived in Vancouver. Well I tried calling the Greyhound customer service and after explaining our situation the rep hung up on me. So Wife called again and this time the new rep talked and listened to her (stupid woman's touch). So the new rep suggested we buy new tickets and call back for a refund. We bought two tickets to Vancouver and called back and the new rep gave us a full refund on our non-refundable tickets (this time, because of a woman's touch!).

Our next stop, Whistler Mountain Peak. We bought our tickets and then waited for the lift to open. We sat and watched the mountain bikers ride as we contemplated if we wore too much clothing or too little. At the base of the mountain we were sweating but we knew at the top of the mountain it would be cooler.

With enough time in the hot sun, we climbed into our own personal gondola and watched the mountain go by during the over 20 minute ride. Once at the top we were happy for our jackets. Snow still covered most of the ground with small pockets of wet mud. We wandered around Whistler Mountain and took in some of the sights before heading into the lodge for some hot chocolate and some snacks. Before riding the Peak to Peak we had to take a picture in front of a stone statue that we believe was a welcoming god of some sort.

After the stone god blessed us, we entered into our gondola and began Peak to Peak. The ride is just over 2.7 miles with almost 2 miles unsupported. The views were spectacular and after a minutes of sitting down we sheepishly stood up to take them in. You can see for miles and feel the wind push the gondola around. Even with Wife's clamy feet and palms caused by a fear of falling, we enjoyed every minute of it.

On the other mountain, Blackcomb, Wife and I sat and enjoyed lunch while people watching. I must admit, even in Canada you find people who look like they are from the deep parts of Lakeside and Santee. Blackcomb did not offer much more but the views were still beautiful. We took the ride back across the gulch and rode back down the mountain.

We took a break from all the fun and excitement and then went back downtown and after a few dinner choices finally settled on a restaurant that was not too loud or too much like fast food and enjoyed our last night in Whistler.

: Our Sturdy Cables Up

: Tram #33

: Wife Working Her Way Up

: A View of Whistler

: Holding on For Dear Life

: Snow and Weather Brought to You by a Moose

: Up the Mountain

: Batman Evil Lean

: What We Will be Riding

: View from Whistler

: He’s a Bit Short and Sqaut

: Mountain Wife

: Enjoying Tea

: He is Saying Welcome

: The Tower That Holds Us

: Heading for the Drop

: Filming our Ride

: Trees from Above

: A Few Thousand Feet Up

: Contemplating the Fall

: It’s a Bit High

: Those Held Us Up

: Wife on Top of the World

: Mountain Husband

: Trees

: The City from Thousands of Feet Up

: Posing on Our Way Back Over

: What We Saw

: More Trees

: Blatant Copyright Infringement

: Night Time Light Show

Tagged as: 7, Blackcomb, canada, day, mountain, peak, seven, whistler 1 Comment

21Dec/090

From the Mountains – Back on the Bikes

After the our first day of cycling around Whistler we knew that we wanted to do it again. So we rented two bikes once again and headed for the trails. This time we wanted to be a little more daring and try some of the harder trails. Most of the trails we handled quite well, even the paths with off-angled bridges, but some proved too difficult to even start (darn tree root bumps).

To make ourselves feel better we headed back to Wife's favorite trail: Hooktender. As we rode down she easily left me in the dust. I might be able to take her on the hills but she has the courage to take the turns fast while riding downhill (even though one turn almost got her). Once I finally met her at the bottom of the hill, I decided to try a new route. Unfortunately, the route I wanted to take was closed due to construction. So as I tried to use my navigation skills to find a way back I put us on a large hill. Let's just say Wife was not to pleased and let me know it all the way up the hill.

We rode over once again to Meadow Park and relaxed in the shade as we jealously watched people play their well-behaved dogs. One dog even tried to help cool us down by shaking himself dry right next to us. After we dried off, and had relaxed enough, we got back on our bikes and headed down the trail to go back to the rental shop.

On our way back to the rental shop we had a bit of luck. Construction had just ended on a previously closed trail opening up a whole new area to explore, so we pedaled down the rocky path along the opposite side of Alta Lake. During the ride, we stopped off at a bird watching post (we did not see any birds but we did take some pictures) and then to another beach. Wife and I did not stay at the beach for long because we had to be back to the rental shop in less than an hour.

We dropped off our bikes for the last time and trekked back to our room sweaty and exhausted. After showering, we enjoyed another relaxing dinner at our lovely dinning room table. However, the wife felt a sweet itch for some ice cream, so we headed downtown and found her an ice cream stand. The two of us sat down and people-watched for a while and then once again walked back to our resort for a movie and some sleep, already eager to go up and across the mountain the next day.

: Ice Cream on the Plaza

: Our Accomodations Flags

: Long Arm Shot

: Looking for Birds on the Lake

: Atla Lake from the Other Side

: Husband’s Mighty Steed

: Protecting all Parts of Our Heads

: Beautiful View from the Trail

: At the Top of the Hill

: Almost at the Top

: Coming Up the Hill

: When Did That Guy Show Up?

: Just Relaxing on the Trails

: Go Wife, Go

: Wife on a Bike

Tagged as: 5, bicycle, bike, canada, day, five, whistler No Comments

6Jun/091

From the Mountains – Walking Whistler

Our travel plans brought us to Whistler right before the Summer rush. The town while not void of people did have some but not a lot which meant we definitely wanted to take advantage of the open spaces and empty trails and go for a hike.

Our Canoe Master, Larry, who recommended Rim Rock Cafe (very good) also told us about Singing Pass Trail which led up Whistler Mountain along Fitzsimmons Creek. Wife and I decided that would have to do since the other mountain trails were closed.

I dawned my new hat and hiking shirt while Wife wore her new hiking pants and tank top. We filled up a backpack with our picnic supplies sunscreened up and headed for the pass.

We found the entrance to the trail and it led to a large hill (at least it looked large to us). We powered up the hill which eventually led us to a condo complex. We had to have taken a wrong turn somewhere and did not know where so we headed down back the hill to look at the map by the entrance. The map did not help at all so our next stop would have to be the information kiosk for hopefully a better map.

The information kiosk did not have any good news for us. Once again, the snow had thwarted our hiking plans. Singing Pass trail was closed for another few weeks for the meter and a half of snow to melt. The information lady did show us on the map a nice nature walk around Lost Lake.

Determined to hike, we walked the nature trail and it was beautiful. The sound of the water rushing by the trail made us feel cooler and the birds chirping made us relaxed. The trail had plenty of benches for us to sit on and enjoy those sounds of nature. After about an hour of shaded walking we finally came to Lost Lake.

Since it was now closer to the weekend, Lost Lake park had filled up with people and we had to search for a shaded spot. Once we found a nice spot under a tree, we sat down and enjoyed our picnic lunch. After lunch we decided to take it easy and head back to the room to relax because of the late night before and the incredible heat. It was in the 80's!

Once back in our room and after a cool shower, we prepared for our Poolside BBQ of a seasoned baseball steak, foil wrapped potatoes and onions, salad, and a fine white wine (well fine to us, wine here is expensive!). While the food cooked on the grill I jumped into the pool and enjoyed the slide while Wife relaxed and filmed me (I know, creepy right).

While we enjoyed our food by the pool some older folks came along and provided us with dinner entertainment as they played on the slide (nothing like a 70 year old man screaming down the slide). The adult pool/slide time came to an end when a birthday party full of kids ran out to use the pool. With the pool overrun by tweens, we walked over to the adult area and found it empty. So we enjoyed the pool and jacuzzi to ourselves as we recovered from the past few days outdoor activities. Especially since we were going to mountain bike again the next day and this time...we meant business.

: Not the Singing Pass Trail

: Husband’s Glamour Shot

: Whistler Nature Trail

: Alive Wife Walking

: Contemplating More Sunscreen

: Wife had the Camera

: Our Couples Shot

: Kissing Time

: Hey Look, It’s Me

: The Trees

: How Do You Get Lost on a Trail

: Ohh, Here I Am

: Brownies are Good

: Lost Lake

: Not Us Sunbathing

: More of Lost Lake

: Wife’s Glamour Shot

: Relaxing at the BBQ

: Slides Are Fun

: In the Water

: Working on My Tan

: Our BBQ Wine of the Day

: Watch Where You Walk

Tagged as: 5, canada, day, five, walking, whistler 1 Comment

4Jun/092

From the Mountains-Whistler on the Water

Let me tell you something about canoeing-whatever is going wrong is invariably the other person's fault.

But I'm getting ahead of myself: This morning started off the same as yesterday, with a hearty breakfast of pancake and eggs. Then along came Larry to pick us up. He greeted us warmly and drove us down to Alta Lake to get started on our ride down the River of Dreams. A three hour tour, oh yes, a three hour tour! We had a choice between a canoe or kayak, but decided to try out a canoe. We found out later the canoes are referred to as the "divorce boats." They are not as agile as kayaks and are more easily capsized, which translates to...more challenges. Oh dear, oh dear.

I was a little nervous as Larry described the "adrenaline rush" that comes right after you get on the river, what to do when you get stuck in the bushes or capsize, and most importantly to duck when you come to the cement bridge with about 24 inches of clearance for us and the canoe!

We made our way across Alta Lake in about twenty minutes and tried to practice our J-turns and dollar turns in anticipation of the river. Like I mentioned, it was clear to me Husband wasn't doing something right, while he thought the same about me. Hence the "divorce boats." When we first entered the river we ended up going backwards because we overcompensated for the current (if that isn't an inauspicious start, I don't know what is!) and then spent the next few turns ducking and barreling through bushes. That's the thing about canoes, you can't lean at all to avoid the bushes on the riverbank or you will capsize-you have to go right through them. Ouch!

After a few turns I was clearing the bushes, but I was still hearing cursing from the back of the canoe so it was clear Husband wasn't making it through yet. After a few more turns we figured it out, and we were able to spend some time taking in the views and enjoying a quiet ride down the river. We did come across another couple that had capsized into the ice cold river, but by the time we caught up they had managed to right themselves. Burr!!

After our river trip, we met up again with Larry and then spent some time relaxing on the shore of Alta Lake before heading back to the lodge and getting ready for dinner. Larry had recommended a local favorite, the Rim Rock Cafe. Mmmm...mmm! They had a three-course meal special that Husband and I both took advantage of. I started off with a wild mushroom salad, then grilled prawns, and then chose a salmon filet with lobster mashed potatoes for my main course. Husband had gnocchi, lamb medallions, and then roasted duck for his main course. Everything was absolutely delicious and we paired our meal with a bottle of wine from Mendoza, Argentina, where we honeymooned. Overall, an OUTSTANDING meal that I felt like we earned after a day of paddling!

Then back home for a little TV and drifting off to sleep. Unfortunately, I woke up shortly afterward and was sick! I'm not sure why-probably a combination of a long day in the hot sun, not enough water, and a big meal? Definitely unpleasant, but luckily after....umm...emptying my stomach, I was able to fall asleep and woke up just feeling fine. Thank goodness!