Days: 15, 16, 17
Kilometers Traveled; Well over 3 000
Total Kilometers Traveled From Barrie ON to Victoria BC and Back again; 10,376
The Boate team has been home for two days now and I am finally ready to write the final installment of our cross continent adventure. I have to combine the last few days because they all became a blur! The Thursday after our Mt. St. Helen's adventure was not our finest day. The reality of how far we had to go in a very short amount of time hit us really hard Thursday morning and Nate did not feel like co-operating with our time line. For a very active three your old boy he had done miraculously well, but he was ready to be done our trip at this point, and he wanted to stop about every half an hour to escape the car. After driving for about four hours the GPS said that we had lost over two hours and the end time of our massive drive that day kept getting further away. We finally stopped some where in Mid Montana, picked up some picnic supplies and a new movie for the boys. That did the trick, it's amazing what some good food and entertainment can do for one's soul! The remainder of Thursday passed by without incident until about 8:30pm. Nate tends to have a burst of manic energy just before he falls asleep. Thursday, it was intensely manic, he was grabbing anything he could get his hands on in the back seat and projecting those objects forward to the front seat. I saw where this was going so I turned to pull the box of toys and shrapnel that had become Nate's car kit to the front just as his hands landed on his clip board. I saw exactly what was going to happen but my hands were too slow and the space was too awkward. My son with the perfect aim launched the clip board directly into my face. The corner of it made impact just below my left eye. A fraction higher and we would have been making a detour to the hospital. I let out a gasp and Ken yanked the car on to the side of the road. Nate was swiftly liberated from the car and after a tearful appology he was not left on the side of the road. He immediately fell asleep and we enjoyed a very peaceful last few hours of the day. It was during these few quiet hours that Ken and I hatched our new plan. It was obvious that the boys were tired of the car and we were too. However, we had to get back to London for 4:00pm on Saturday to attend our friend Greg's wedding. We decided that Friday would be our final day of driving and it would be a 20 hour day. Luckily, my amazing husband is a driving machine! At 1:00am (thanks to 2 nasty time changes) we arrived in Bismark North Dakota. We again fell into bed and very deep sleeps. We slept in a bit Friday morning knowing that we had a very long day ahead. At 10:15 we were on the road home. Surprisingly, Friday was a very calm day. We gave ourselves enough time to have a nice picnic lunch where the boys ran and played and then we drove and drove and drove. The boys fell asleep at around 9:30 and were out cold until we reached the bridge to Canada. I dozed on and off but I mostly stayed awake to keep Ken company and make sure he was okay. As the first rosy rays of light entered the sky we were only about 45 minutes away from the boarder. That bridge to Canada was a very welcome sight. Both boys were awake for the crossing and Will was almost vibrating he was so excited to be back home. We crossed the bridge, got through customs and began driving on the good old 401! Will said to me "Mommy, I am proud to be back in Canada." "Me too", I replied. "Me too!" The difference between the US and Canada isn't tangible but it is certainly real. For the entire trip west I felt completely at home, everything felt right and like we belonged. The US had a completely different feel, not hostile, not uncomfortable but just not right. I would do the drive across Canada again. It is a drive of interesting stops, stark contrasts in geography and intense beauty. I have never been more proud to be a Canadian. We all as citizens of this country are blessed with unbelievable resources both in land and in people, we have a responsibility to take care of it to the very best of our ability. We have so much to be grateful for!
We made it! We landed in Jane (Ken's Mom's) drive way at 7:30am. The boys were well rested so Jane took care of them while Ken and I had a good long nap! I woke up before Ken and realized that I had not been alone in two and a half weeks. I took the opportunity to sneak off to the mall and pick up a few things I needed to get ready for the wedding.
Greg's wedding was a lovely ending to our grand adventure. Ken grew up with Greg and his family, The Barnetts. This wedding meant a great deal to Ken. It was at the Barnett family home and it reminded us so much of our own wedding, it was a real gift as it is almost our ninth wedding anniversary. It was full of great friends and family, great music, fabulous food and beautiful flowers. For Ken and I it was of course a celebration of Greg and Jessie but it was also a celebration of our accomplishment. We had very happily made our way across the continent and back. The growth in our boys is indescribable. Their knowledge of the larger world has expanded exonentially as has their lust for adventure. On our way home on Sunday, after a lovely visit with Ken's Aunt Darlene and family and his cousin Jenny who lives in Australia and her two boys, Will was busy planning our next adventure. This trip has created bonds and memories that are invaluable. Will and Nate became so used to sleeping together that our first night home they had to fall asleep in the same bed! We have seen many beautiful places and done some fantastic things but home still feels like home. Ontario may not have the majesty of the mountains or the magic of the oceans but there is a quiet besuty here. On Sunday night after the boys were asleep Ken and I sat on the front porch with a glass of wine and watched the last rays of sun fade on the forest across the street and our good friend Cara popped int to say hello, there was no doubt we were home.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Volcano Day
Day 14
Kilometers traveled;
We woke up Wednesday morning feeling very relaxed and refreshed. We had all had a fantastic sleep and we were ready for another adventure on the road! We began our now very routine pack up. Will said to me, "Mommy, do you know what today is?" I replied, "Yes honey it's Wednesday." He gave me one of his famous withering looks (which came directly from my Mom) and said, "I know that, It's Volcano Day!" Our little Vulcanologist was ready to go. This day was one that he had been really looking forward to. We piled back into the car and sadly said good bye to Seattle. Nate was actually a little teary. We had had a fantastic mini getaway from our road trip extravaganza and Nate was not ready to leave it behind.
With our Starbuck's breakfast and coffee firmly in hand we headed toward the volcano. The trip to Mount St. Helen's was significantly farther then we had anticipated. It was about 12:30 when we completed our wind up the mountain and arrived at Johnson's Ridge Memorial Center. On the way we observed a lot of the damage that explosion had caused. There were fields of sun bleached stumps as far as the eye could see and there were sings in front of new growth plantations indicating when they had been re-planted. There is a long path from the parking lot of the center up to the summit of the ridge. As you crest the top of the path the mouth of the volcano lays directly before you. It is an impressive and intimidating sight. The destructive force of that volcano is palpable. I was more than a little anxious standing so close to that vortex of power. We headed into the center and read first hand accounts and looked at artifacts that had been collected, including the stump of a massive tree that had been blown completely horizontal. Then it was time to head into the theater to watch a video of exactly what had happened on that May Day in 1980. The theater had one full wall of red curtains which we expected to open up and reveal the screen. As the room darkened and the rumbling sound effects grew more intense they did not open, the screen rolled down in front of them. The film was moving and scary! Nate was snuggled in my lap about five minutes in. The story of Mount St. Helen's is one that we would all do well to know and remember. Humans do not rule this planet the way we think we do. The one quotation from the movie that has stayed with me is, "Mother Nature Always wins." The final seen of the movie was a fast paced race down the side of the mountain with the words, "Will Mount St. Helen's erupt again, yes, it's only a matter of time." With that the screen rolls up, the red curtains open to revel a huge wall of glass and just beyond the glass is the view directly into the crater and lava dome of the Volcano. At that point, I was ready to sprint all the way back to the car and get out of there! I some how managed to keep my cool as we went back out side and Ken and Will took many pictures. Will's reaction was very interesting. This was something he was so excited about but I could tell he was also feeling anxious about being there. After a few more minutes out side Will was also ready to get down the mountain as quickly as possible. We headed back to the car and I tink we all felt a sense of relief as we began our decent! We decided to picnic in the car as we were quite a drive from our final destination of the day, Spokane Washington.
We drove through a lot of interesting terrain. Washington State seems to have a bit of everything. We drove through a number of mountain passes on our way back to the interstate. As we entered these passes, the sky turned gray and gloomy, massive, deep green almost black fir trees soared to the sky. I half expected to look out the window and see golden eyes and stony white faces looking back with massive wolves racing by in the back ground (that is a Twilight reference for all of you who have never read the books and are wondering what the heck I'm talking about!) After a couple of hours we returned to some semblance of civilization. We stopped for dinner at what turned out to be a seedy little diner, we picked at what was edible and got back on the road as quickly as possible. As we drove out of the town limits the land scape changed again, we were suddenly in an arid, rugged dessert that went on for miles. It reminded us all of the Alberta bad lands but on a much larger and drier scale. After about an hour or so of driving through this desolate nothingness came a sign for a look out point. Ken asked,
"What exactly are we going to be looking out at?" We came around a curve and a lush river valley spread out before us. The soft greens and running water were a welcome relief from the moon scape we had been driving through. Unfortunately, the river valley did not last long and we were thrust back into the desert. We drove and drove and drove until finally, we arrived at our destination, Spokane. Who knew that Spokane was such a hot spot. For the fist time on our trip we decided not to make a reservation because the hotels had always had lots of room. Our plan back fired. There was no room at the Holiday Inn Express and we ended up at a dodgy Travelodge. Luckily, it was just to sleep and we did just that. We all fell into bed to rest up for what was sure to be aonther very long day of driving. Our deadline of Saturday afternoon wasquickly approaching and we had many miles to go.
Kilometers traveled;
We woke up Wednesday morning feeling very relaxed and refreshed. We had all had a fantastic sleep and we were ready for another adventure on the road! We began our now very routine pack up. Will said to me, "Mommy, do you know what today is?" I replied, "Yes honey it's Wednesday." He gave me one of his famous withering looks (which came directly from my Mom) and said, "I know that, It's Volcano Day!" Our little Vulcanologist was ready to go. This day was one that he had been really looking forward to. We piled back into the car and sadly said good bye to Seattle. Nate was actually a little teary. We had had a fantastic mini getaway from our road trip extravaganza and Nate was not ready to leave it behind.
With our Starbuck's breakfast and coffee firmly in hand we headed toward the volcano. The trip to Mount St. Helen's was significantly farther then we had anticipated. It was about 12:30 when we completed our wind up the mountain and arrived at Johnson's Ridge Memorial Center. On the way we observed a lot of the damage that explosion had caused. There were fields of sun bleached stumps as far as the eye could see and there were sings in front of new growth plantations indicating when they had been re-planted. There is a long path from the parking lot of the center up to the summit of the ridge. As you crest the top of the path the mouth of the volcano lays directly before you. It is an impressive and intimidating sight. The destructive force of that volcano is palpable. I was more than a little anxious standing so close to that vortex of power. We headed into the center and read first hand accounts and looked at artifacts that had been collected, including the stump of a massive tree that had been blown completely horizontal. Then it was time to head into the theater to watch a video of exactly what had happened on that May Day in 1980. The theater had one full wall of red curtains which we expected to open up and reveal the screen. As the room darkened and the rumbling sound effects grew more intense they did not open, the screen rolled down in front of them. The film was moving and scary! Nate was snuggled in my lap about five minutes in. The story of Mount St. Helen's is one that we would all do well to know and remember. Humans do not rule this planet the way we think we do. The one quotation from the movie that has stayed with me is, "Mother Nature Always wins." The final seen of the movie was a fast paced race down the side of the mountain with the words, "Will Mount St. Helen's erupt again, yes, it's only a matter of time." With that the screen rolls up, the red curtains open to revel a huge wall of glass and just beyond the glass is the view directly into the crater and lava dome of the Volcano. At that point, I was ready to sprint all the way back to the car and get out of there! I some how managed to keep my cool as we went back out side and Ken and Will took many pictures. Will's reaction was very interesting. This was something he was so excited about but I could tell he was also feeling anxious about being there. After a few more minutes out side Will was also ready to get down the mountain as quickly as possible. We headed back to the car and I tink we all felt a sense of relief as we began our decent! We decided to picnic in the car as we were quite a drive from our final destination of the day, Spokane Washington.
We drove through a lot of interesting terrain. Washington State seems to have a bit of everything. We drove through a number of mountain passes on our way back to the interstate. As we entered these passes, the sky turned gray and gloomy, massive, deep green almost black fir trees soared to the sky. I half expected to look out the window and see golden eyes and stony white faces looking back with massive wolves racing by in the back ground (that is a Twilight reference for all of you who have never read the books and are wondering what the heck I'm talking about!) After a couple of hours we returned to some semblance of civilization. We stopped for dinner at what turned out to be a seedy little diner, we picked at what was edible and got back on the road as quickly as possible. As we drove out of the town limits the land scape changed again, we were suddenly in an arid, rugged dessert that went on for miles. It reminded us all of the Alberta bad lands but on a much larger and drier scale. After about an hour or so of driving through this desolate nothingness came a sign for a look out point. Ken asked,
"What exactly are we going to be looking out at?" We came around a curve and a lush river valley spread out before us. The soft greens and running water were a welcome relief from the moon scape we had been driving through. Unfortunately, the river valley did not last long and we were thrust back into the desert. We drove and drove and drove until finally, we arrived at our destination, Spokane. Who knew that Spokane was such a hot spot. For the fist time on our trip we decided not to make a reservation because the hotels had always had lots of room. Our plan back fired. There was no room at the Holiday Inn Express and we ended up at a dodgy Travelodge. Luckily, it was just to sleep and we did just that. We all fell into bed to rest up for what was sure to be aonther very long day of driving. Our deadline of Saturday afternoon wasquickly approaching and we had many miles to go.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
The Day of Rest
Day 13
Kilometers Traveled; None! For the first time on this trip we were not in the car once today!! We walked every where.
As I write this blog entry I am finally completely up to date. Most of the time I have been a day or two behind; but, I had enough time to get caught up on all our days today! As I type I am sitting in a very dark hotel room hoping that two boys are fast asleep. Today is exactly what we needed. For the past few days we have all been feeling a bit road weary but two nights in a very nice Hotel do wonders for the spirit. We all slept until 8:30, this in itself is a minor miracle. We got up and started the search for a great breakfast spot as our last two meals of the day yesterday left a lot to be desired. We were headed to the Pike place market so we kept our eyes open for something that looked fresh and delicious. We finally found a great little spot one block before the market. It may have been the most expensive breakfast we have ever had but the omelet I had was full of the vegetables I had been missing from the day before and the lattes were fantastic. Once our very hungry bellies were satisfied, we continued on to the market. Ken and I visited Seattle for our Fifth wedding anniversary. At the time, I was pregnant with Nate, we both remember this trip with a great deal of fondness. It was a great time for both of us. At this time in my pregnancy I was feeling like super woman and my hair and skin gleamed like no other time in my life! Ken and I talked a lot about a time in the future when we could bring ‘the boys’ back to this city. It is unbelievable to me that we are here, back in Seattle with a three and five year old, ready to show them all the things (well, some of the things) we love about this city. The tour began with the Pike Place market. This is a place of great colour, life and freshness. We toured a few stalls and then headed down and across the street to the Seattle Aquarium. Will had acquired a cold along our journey and I actually wasn’t sure he was going to make it. He was leaning on me and we had to drag him through most of the market. Thankfully, when he saw the massive tank at the entry of the Aquarium he rallied. The Seattle Aquarium is one of the coolest places I have ever been. The mix of glassed in and out door exhibits is fantastic. Our time there began with brilliant touch tanks where Nate and I toughed live star fish! Ken took pictures and Will just watched. In the exploratory area there was a giant ring aquarium filled with jelly fish! When we walked on the out door docks we saw real jellies swimming in the oceans, so fantastic! While we were intently watching the jelly fish bob their way through the water, Will said, “look Mommy, a war ship.” I immediately looked up, sure enough there was a great, grey Naval ship making it’s way into the Port. As it got closer we could see all the decks lined with white flecks. As the flecks got bigger, I realized that they were sailors lining the decks watching as they returned home after what I can only imagine was a long tour at sea. That sight brought me out the idyllic world I have been living in for the last few weeks. It reminded me that not everyone gets to go on adventures with their family. Some must leave their families behind, I am ever grateful for the life we live in Canada.
As we continued through we saw interesting and odd fish that none of us had ever seen before. Nate looked up at one tank and with great excitement said, “Look, look, that’s a Lion Fish, it’s just like in my book.” Ken and I looked at each other with blank expressions because neither one of us remember a fish book with Lion Fish in it but Nate later explained that Jan and Jim have that book. We traveled through exhibits of sea birds, seals, and sea otters. On our way out we saw that one of the Aquarium workers was scuba diving in the gigantic entry tank and was giving a lesson about the variety of fish in the tank. Will and Nate watch, completely engrossed for a long time. Eventually, they had had their fill and we left the Aquarium. We headed back to the market to pick up some fresh fruit, bread and cheese for a little lunch picnic. That lunch is exactly what I had been craving. All three boys then snuggled into the plush, white beds for an afternoon nap and I caught up on my blog entries. When the boys woke up from a much needed, long nap we headed up to the hotel pool. We had a great time swimming and splashing until Ken threw Will into the pool one time to many and he threw up all over me. That brought our swimming time to an abrupt halt and we headed back up to our room so that I could shower, and we could all change for dinner. This day was exactly the day of rest we all needed. We are feeling refreshed and ready to take on Mount St. Helen’s tomorrow before beginning our long drive home.
Kilometers Traveled; None! For the first time on this trip we were not in the car once today!! We walked every where.
As I write this blog entry I am finally completely up to date. Most of the time I have been a day or two behind; but, I had enough time to get caught up on all our days today! As I type I am sitting in a very dark hotel room hoping that two boys are fast asleep. Today is exactly what we needed. For the past few days we have all been feeling a bit road weary but two nights in a very nice Hotel do wonders for the spirit. We all slept until 8:30, this in itself is a minor miracle. We got up and started the search for a great breakfast spot as our last two meals of the day yesterday left a lot to be desired. We were headed to the Pike place market so we kept our eyes open for something that looked fresh and delicious. We finally found a great little spot one block before the market. It may have been the most expensive breakfast we have ever had but the omelet I had was full of the vegetables I had been missing from the day before and the lattes were fantastic. Once our very hungry bellies were satisfied, we continued on to the market. Ken and I visited Seattle for our Fifth wedding anniversary. At the time, I was pregnant with Nate, we both remember this trip with a great deal of fondness. It was a great time for both of us. At this time in my pregnancy I was feeling like super woman and my hair and skin gleamed like no other time in my life! Ken and I talked a lot about a time in the future when we could bring ‘the boys’ back to this city. It is unbelievable to me that we are here, back in Seattle with a three and five year old, ready to show them all the things (well, some of the things) we love about this city. The tour began with the Pike Place market. This is a place of great colour, life and freshness. We toured a few stalls and then headed down and across the street to the Seattle Aquarium. Will had acquired a cold along our journey and I actually wasn’t sure he was going to make it. He was leaning on me and we had to drag him through most of the market. Thankfully, when he saw the massive tank at the entry of the Aquarium he rallied. The Seattle Aquarium is one of the coolest places I have ever been. The mix of glassed in and out door exhibits is fantastic. Our time there began with brilliant touch tanks where Nate and I toughed live star fish! Ken took pictures and Will just watched. In the exploratory area there was a giant ring aquarium filled with jelly fish! When we walked on the out door docks we saw real jellies swimming in the oceans, so fantastic! While we were intently watching the jelly fish bob their way through the water, Will said, “look Mommy, a war ship.” I immediately looked up, sure enough there was a great, grey Naval ship making it’s way into the Port. As it got closer we could see all the decks lined with white flecks. As the flecks got bigger, I realized that they were sailors lining the decks watching as they returned home after what I can only imagine was a long tour at sea. That sight brought me out the idyllic world I have been living in for the last few weeks. It reminded me that not everyone gets to go on adventures with their family. Some must leave their families behind, I am ever grateful for the life we live in Canada.
As we continued through we saw interesting and odd fish that none of us had ever seen before. Nate looked up at one tank and with great excitement said, “Look, look, that’s a Lion Fish, it’s just like in my book.” Ken and I looked at each other with blank expressions because neither one of us remember a fish book with Lion Fish in it but Nate later explained that Jan and Jim have that book. We traveled through exhibits of sea birds, seals, and sea otters. On our way out we saw that one of the Aquarium workers was scuba diving in the gigantic entry tank and was giving a lesson about the variety of fish in the tank. Will and Nate watch, completely engrossed for a long time. Eventually, they had had their fill and we left the Aquarium. We headed back to the market to pick up some fresh fruit, bread and cheese for a little lunch picnic. That lunch is exactly what I had been craving. All three boys then snuggled into the plush, white beds for an afternoon nap and I caught up on my blog entries. When the boys woke up from a much needed, long nap we headed up to the hotel pool. We had a great time swimming and splashing until Ken threw Will into the pool one time to many and he threw up all over me. That brought our swimming time to an abrupt halt and we headed back up to our room so that I could shower, and we could all change for dinner. This day was exactly the day of rest we all needed. We are feeling refreshed and ready to take on Mount St. Helen’s tomorrow before beginning our long drive home.
As Far West As We Go!
Day 12
Kilometers Traveled; 400ish
Three little people woke up all the adults at 7:00amish. We had a breakfast of fresh cinnamon buns and great tea. After breakfast, we headed out to explore Sidney. We walked along the Ocean headed toward town. Luckily, the Washington Ferry was just about to dock. The boys were so excited to see the boat we would be ridding on later they had to stay and watch the Ferry come in. Robin and Will walked further down the path so that Will could get exactly the right angle for his pictures. When the Ferry was still, we continued into town. A previous Geography teacher of mine (thanks Cheryl!) recommended we check out the Scratch Patch, which was a cute little place where they boys could search through bins of rocks and shells for treasures. We then continued walking to the Marina where we saw slip walls crusted with sea urchins, barnacles and clams. I can certainly see why Robin and Liz are so happy here. Sidney is a friendly, laid back town; we really enjoyed our time there. We arrived back at The Davies’, said good bye and headed into Victoria. We spent some time walking the Ocean side trails and at the rocky Beach we saw a star fish living on the rocks below the waves. This trip has made me realize how Ontariocentric I am. People in this country live in so many different ways. Victoria and all of BC for that matter, had a real sense of contentment. Recreation is a necessity not a luxury. There are so many different ways to be part of the natural world, be it kayaking on the ocean, hiking in the mountains or beach combing by the ocean there are so many ways to appreciate that natural beauty that surrounds you. Our final stop in Victoria was to Mile ‘0’ of the Trans Canada Highway. We thought this was appropriate as we had traveled many miles on this road. As Will reminded us almost nonstop all day, it was time to return to Sidney for the Ferry to Washington State. We had to arrive and hour and a half before the departure time in order to clear customs. Will got out with Ken for a short walk around the parking lot while Nate and I had a little nap. After about 20 minutes there was a frantic opening of the door and clambering into a seat belt. Will announced from the back seat, “I can see the Ferry, everyone seat belts on, I never should have taken my seat belt off in the first place!” despite the fact that there was still a good hour before out departure time, Will refused to leave the car or take off his seat belt again. He also had a little panic attack each time someone left the car, he was afraid that one of us would be left behind! As we waited for the Ferry, an air of sadness permeated our car. The realization that this is as far from home and we would go and the rest of the trip was the journey back to Barrie hit each of us pretty hard. So far, this has been an experience that none of us will forget and I don’t think any members of the Boate Team are ready to see the end of this trip.
Finally, the departure time arrived; we drove on to the Ferry and again, Will announced that it was time to explore the ship! There was not as much to do on this Ferry so we spent a lot of time walking back and forth from bow to stern and back again. The views on this passage were amazing. The Ferry meandered through Island after Island and I was again reminded that there are many ways to live in this world. Some of the Ports looked quite Urban and developed. Other homes were isolated in the woods. I wondered who lived in those places and what their life style was like. The sun slowly sank as a fiery ball into the ocean just as we arrived at the shore of Washington state. Canada was behind us and the long road home lies before us, but, not before our Seattle adventure. An hour drive latter and we checked into the Westin, right down town Seattle. Ken and I love this city and can’t wait to show Will and Nate some of our favourite spots tomorrow!
Kilometers Traveled; 400ish
Three little people woke up all the adults at 7:00amish. We had a breakfast of fresh cinnamon buns and great tea. After breakfast, we headed out to explore Sidney. We walked along the Ocean headed toward town. Luckily, the Washington Ferry was just about to dock. The boys were so excited to see the boat we would be ridding on later they had to stay and watch the Ferry come in. Robin and Will walked further down the path so that Will could get exactly the right angle for his pictures. When the Ferry was still, we continued into town. A previous Geography teacher of mine (thanks Cheryl!) recommended we check out the Scratch Patch, which was a cute little place where they boys could search through bins of rocks and shells for treasures. We then continued walking to the Marina where we saw slip walls crusted with sea urchins, barnacles and clams. I can certainly see why Robin and Liz are so happy here. Sidney is a friendly, laid back town; we really enjoyed our time there. We arrived back at The Davies’, said good bye and headed into Victoria. We spent some time walking the Ocean side trails and at the rocky Beach we saw a star fish living on the rocks below the waves. This trip has made me realize how Ontariocentric I am. People in this country live in so many different ways. Victoria and all of BC for that matter, had a real sense of contentment. Recreation is a necessity not a luxury. There are so many different ways to be part of the natural world, be it kayaking on the ocean, hiking in the mountains or beach combing by the ocean there are so many ways to appreciate that natural beauty that surrounds you. Our final stop in Victoria was to Mile ‘0’ of the Trans Canada Highway. We thought this was appropriate as we had traveled many miles on this road. As Will reminded us almost nonstop all day, it was time to return to Sidney for the Ferry to Washington State. We had to arrive and hour and a half before the departure time in order to clear customs. Will got out with Ken for a short walk around the parking lot while Nate and I had a little nap. After about 20 minutes there was a frantic opening of the door and clambering into a seat belt. Will announced from the back seat, “I can see the Ferry, everyone seat belts on, I never should have taken my seat belt off in the first place!” despite the fact that there was still a good hour before out departure time, Will refused to leave the car or take off his seat belt again. He also had a little panic attack each time someone left the car, he was afraid that one of us would be left behind! As we waited for the Ferry, an air of sadness permeated our car. The realization that this is as far from home and we would go and the rest of the trip was the journey back to Barrie hit each of us pretty hard. So far, this has been an experience that none of us will forget and I don’t think any members of the Boate Team are ready to see the end of this trip.
Finally, the departure time arrived; we drove on to the Ferry and again, Will announced that it was time to explore the ship! There was not as much to do on this Ferry so we spent a lot of time walking back and forth from bow to stern and back again. The views on this passage were amazing. The Ferry meandered through Island after Island and I was again reminded that there are many ways to live in this world. Some of the Ports looked quite Urban and developed. Other homes were isolated in the woods. I wondered who lived in those places and what their life style was like. The sun slowly sank as a fiery ball into the ocean just as we arrived at the shore of Washington state. Canada was behind us and the long road home lies before us, but, not before our Seattle adventure. An hour drive latter and we checked into the Westin, right down town Seattle. Ken and I love this city and can’t wait to show Will and Nate some of our favourite spots tomorrow!
Good Bye Vancouver, Hello Vancouver Island
Day 11
Kilometers Traveled; 150
Today, Ken and I woke up to what is now becoming our pack up routine. We take turns running after the boys, packing, organizing and checking the computer to make sure our next hosts or visits know that we are coming. Today was a packed day of sight seeing, visiting and traveling.
What I haven’t mentioned in this blog so far is that in Vancouver we were originally going to be staying with my Aunt Wendy and Uncle John. Only, about a week after I began making plans with my Aunt, I got a very shocking email on my way to work the Monday morning after Father’s Day. That email came from my Aunt telling all of us that at 51 years of age, my Uncle had suffered a massive heart attack while out on a run and he had passed away. I remember reading that email about 6 times to figure out who she was talking about because I couldn’t believe that it was Uncle John. He was a runner, an athlete, someone who always took great care of himself, how could this be? Over our days in Vancouver with my Aunt, we spent quite a bit of time talking about the people in our lives we have lost, John, my Mom, my Grandfathers (both Bishop and Galbraith as she had had a relationship with both of them). Wendy is one of the most courageous people I know. She is facing this loss with incredible dignity and grace. What struck me the most is the strength of the relationship between Wendy and John. She said that one of the things making this process more bearable is that she has no regrets. She loved every second of her life with John and she never took him for granted. Thos conversations made me even more grateful for this trip that we are on. The time that we are spending together, and the memories that we are forming as a family matter. The people on our lives that we love the most matter more than anything. What I have learned from Wendy is to love every second I have with Ken and my boys, to make the most of every day we have together because we truly never know, in an instant, out whole lives can change.
So, after a quick breakfast and lots of packing chaos, we said good bye to Wendy and headed to Robson square, hoping to find some remnants of Olympic glory. Finally, we saw something recognizable. The skating rink we had seen over and over again on the CTV coverage was still there! On the pillars surrounding the skating oval were massive pictures of various Olympic sports. We finally felt like we got to experience a taste of Vancouver 2010! We then headed off for a great lunch with our friends Ken and Kate who now live in Vancouver. We had a great time digging up potatoes from Kate’s garden and BBQing in the back yard. Our nest stop was the Ferry terminal, Will could barely hang on through our lunch visit. He was so excited to see the Ferry that he couldn’t stop calculating in his mind what time we had to leave to make sure that we would catch the Ferry on time. We quickly left Ken and Kate’s to make sure that we would catch the 3:00pm Ferry. Ken’s expert driving and a little singing by Will and I, which convinced all the red lights to turn green, and we made it to the Ferry terminal with five minutes to spare. We parked on board and headed up to the deck to watch the departure. After a few minutes of watching the land fade into the distance Will announced, “Let’s go explore the ship!” We sure did, I don’t think there’s a square centimeter of that ship that we didn’t see. Up stairs, down stairs, kids play land and the gift shop, we did it all. Will and Nate both loved the gift shop as we allowed them to each buy a model of the Ferry with working lights and a real horn sound. We have regretted that decision since, as the sound track of our trip is now the sound of a Ferrys’ horn! An hour and a half later we arrived in Sidney to visit our friends Robin, Liz and Briar. We had a fantastic dinner on the beach together and at 6:15, Nate decided that it was time for bed. By about 7:15 Will, Nate and Briar were fast asleep. For the first time in many days we were able to have an adult evening. It was great to visit with Robin and Liz, who we don’t get to see very often, without constant interruption from two boisterous boys! After a very busy day it was time for bed. More adventure on the Island and another Ferry await us tomorrow!
Kilometers Traveled; 150
Today, Ken and I woke up to what is now becoming our pack up routine. We take turns running after the boys, packing, organizing and checking the computer to make sure our next hosts or visits know that we are coming. Today was a packed day of sight seeing, visiting and traveling.
What I haven’t mentioned in this blog so far is that in Vancouver we were originally going to be staying with my Aunt Wendy and Uncle John. Only, about a week after I began making plans with my Aunt, I got a very shocking email on my way to work the Monday morning after Father’s Day. That email came from my Aunt telling all of us that at 51 years of age, my Uncle had suffered a massive heart attack while out on a run and he had passed away. I remember reading that email about 6 times to figure out who she was talking about because I couldn’t believe that it was Uncle John. He was a runner, an athlete, someone who always took great care of himself, how could this be? Over our days in Vancouver with my Aunt, we spent quite a bit of time talking about the people in our lives we have lost, John, my Mom, my Grandfathers (both Bishop and Galbraith as she had had a relationship with both of them). Wendy is one of the most courageous people I know. She is facing this loss with incredible dignity and grace. What struck me the most is the strength of the relationship between Wendy and John. She said that one of the things making this process more bearable is that she has no regrets. She loved every second of her life with John and she never took him for granted. Thos conversations made me even more grateful for this trip that we are on. The time that we are spending together, and the memories that we are forming as a family matter. The people on our lives that we love the most matter more than anything. What I have learned from Wendy is to love every second I have with Ken and my boys, to make the most of every day we have together because we truly never know, in an instant, out whole lives can change.
So, after a quick breakfast and lots of packing chaos, we said good bye to Wendy and headed to Robson square, hoping to find some remnants of Olympic glory. Finally, we saw something recognizable. The skating rink we had seen over and over again on the CTV coverage was still there! On the pillars surrounding the skating oval were massive pictures of various Olympic sports. We finally felt like we got to experience a taste of Vancouver 2010! We then headed off for a great lunch with our friends Ken and Kate who now live in Vancouver. We had a great time digging up potatoes from Kate’s garden and BBQing in the back yard. Our nest stop was the Ferry terminal, Will could barely hang on through our lunch visit. He was so excited to see the Ferry that he couldn’t stop calculating in his mind what time we had to leave to make sure that we would catch the Ferry on time. We quickly left Ken and Kate’s to make sure that we would catch the 3:00pm Ferry. Ken’s expert driving and a little singing by Will and I, which convinced all the red lights to turn green, and we made it to the Ferry terminal with five minutes to spare. We parked on board and headed up to the deck to watch the departure. After a few minutes of watching the land fade into the distance Will announced, “Let’s go explore the ship!” We sure did, I don’t think there’s a square centimeter of that ship that we didn’t see. Up stairs, down stairs, kids play land and the gift shop, we did it all. Will and Nate both loved the gift shop as we allowed them to each buy a model of the Ferry with working lights and a real horn sound. We have regretted that decision since, as the sound track of our trip is now the sound of a Ferrys’ horn! An hour and a half later we arrived in Sidney to visit our friends Robin, Liz and Briar. We had a fantastic dinner on the beach together and at 6:15, Nate decided that it was time for bed. By about 7:15 Will, Nate and Briar were fast asleep. For the first time in many days we were able to have an adult evening. It was great to visit with Robin and Liz, who we don’t get to see very often, without constant interruption from two boisterous boys! After a very busy day it was time for bed. More adventure on the Island and another Ferry await us tomorrow!
Sea to Sky
Day 10
Kilometers Traveled; 300
Today was our day to explore the Sea to Sky Highway with our final destination being Whistler. This is a day I actually remember enjoying from my original 1991 trip so I was really looking forward to this day. The Sea to Sky Highway is a feat of engineering. I can only imagine the amount of explosive required to carve that highway into the side of the mountain. The views are spectacular, around each curve is a new vista of ocean and mountain. I was envious of the kayakers out on the sea, that would have been a great place to spend such a beautiful day! Our first stop was Shannon falls, again, this is a spot I remember well from my teen aged trip. It’s a short hike into a gorgeous mountain waterfall. We reached this spot about halfway through our journey up the mountain. This was a very good thing as Nate was having a full on hungry emergency, despite the fact that he had eaten his weight in Wendy’s blueberry pancakes before we left! Will was thinking that all this walking wasn’t the best idea but once he saw the waterfall he quickly changed his mind. The boys marveled at the swiftly flowing stream, the way the water rushed over the rocks, stemming from the steeply plunging water fall. When we arrived at the viewing platform, the sun was just breaking behind the mountain and it looked like a flow of sunlight streaming down the rock face. We quickly walked back down the path and headed to the car to continue our journey.
After approximately another hour and another epic game of I Spy, we arrived at Whistler Resort. The boys and I were all extremely excited to be in the heart of many of the Olympic sites. The anticipation level was high, as was the hunger level. We stopped for lunch right at the base of the mountain. This was a great spot, the boys could watch mountain bikers end their race down the mountain, we could also see zip line training and rafting tours leaving. After lunch, we decided to head to the Olympic Plaza, thinking there would be lots to see, Wendy headed off to see some of the newer parts she had not yet seen. Whistler Village is essentially the Blue Mountain Village but on steroids, overall, our adventure ended up being a bit of a disappointment. We did see the memorial set up for the Luger (sorry, can’t spell his name) who died on the track, which for me, was emotional. The rest of what had been at the Olympic plaza is now under construction to become something else. There was a gigantic banner of pictures and the Olympic Rings were still there but that was about it. After a day of walking and looking we were all getting tired and grumpy so we headed back to the car thinking that we would drive up the mountain to see the Sliding Center and that would make it all worth while. Sadly, it didn’t, it costs 7 dollars per person to look at the track and see a torch. We drove to the parking lot across the road, saw what we could see of the track and the started the long descent down the mountain back to Vancouver. The boys slept all the way home. After a quiet dinner with Wendy, we all had an earlyish bed time as tomorrow will be another busy day on the road.
Kilometers Traveled; 300
Today was our day to explore the Sea to Sky Highway with our final destination being Whistler. This is a day I actually remember enjoying from my original 1991 trip so I was really looking forward to this day. The Sea to Sky Highway is a feat of engineering. I can only imagine the amount of explosive required to carve that highway into the side of the mountain. The views are spectacular, around each curve is a new vista of ocean and mountain. I was envious of the kayakers out on the sea, that would have been a great place to spend such a beautiful day! Our first stop was Shannon falls, again, this is a spot I remember well from my teen aged trip. It’s a short hike into a gorgeous mountain waterfall. We reached this spot about halfway through our journey up the mountain. This was a very good thing as Nate was having a full on hungry emergency, despite the fact that he had eaten his weight in Wendy’s blueberry pancakes before we left! Will was thinking that all this walking wasn’t the best idea but once he saw the waterfall he quickly changed his mind. The boys marveled at the swiftly flowing stream, the way the water rushed over the rocks, stemming from the steeply plunging water fall. When we arrived at the viewing platform, the sun was just breaking behind the mountain and it looked like a flow of sunlight streaming down the rock face. We quickly walked back down the path and headed to the car to continue our journey.
After approximately another hour and another epic game of I Spy, we arrived at Whistler Resort. The boys and I were all extremely excited to be in the heart of many of the Olympic sites. The anticipation level was high, as was the hunger level. We stopped for lunch right at the base of the mountain. This was a great spot, the boys could watch mountain bikers end their race down the mountain, we could also see zip line training and rafting tours leaving. After lunch, we decided to head to the Olympic Plaza, thinking there would be lots to see, Wendy headed off to see some of the newer parts she had not yet seen. Whistler Village is essentially the Blue Mountain Village but on steroids, overall, our adventure ended up being a bit of a disappointment. We did see the memorial set up for the Luger (sorry, can’t spell his name) who died on the track, which for me, was emotional. The rest of what had been at the Olympic plaza is now under construction to become something else. There was a gigantic banner of pictures and the Olympic Rings were still there but that was about it. After a day of walking and looking we were all getting tired and grumpy so we headed back to the car thinking that we would drive up the mountain to see the Sliding Center and that would make it all worth while. Sadly, it didn’t, it costs 7 dollars per person to look at the track and see a torch. We drove to the parking lot across the road, saw what we could see of the track and the started the long descent down the mountain back to Vancouver. The boys slept all the way home. After a quiet dinner with Wendy, we all had an earlyish bed time as tomorrow will be another busy day on the road.
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