Sunday, February 26, 2012

Whistler 2012

Olympic Rings
Went to Whistler BC for a few days with kids during their mid winter break from school.  The weather was a bit of a disappointment when we first arrived.  There wasn't much snow, and it was raining in the village, therefore, we opted to walk the village, take in some sights, and ice skate at the new skate rink in the village.  The main village path is a meandering and winding brick lane, flanked by endless ski clothing shops, restaurants, and souvenir trinkets.  At night, the trees are lighted, and it looks like a winter wonderland.  We stayed in a condo at the "clock tower" (pictured below).  It's about 50 yards from the chair lift and in the heart of the village. 
Annalise & Madeline Ice Skating
 The new free outdoor ice skating rink is at one end of the village lane near the olympic rings.  At night the rink is lit with colorful lights, shadow patterns on the ice, and a sparkling disco ball.  Cole couldn't help himself but to channel John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever and begin a dance revolution under the disco ball.







The next two days were partly sunny, and fantastic skiing.  The great news is.... Nate learned to ski!!  He took two days of ski lessons with a 78 year old instructor!  ...Our last day of skiing was epic snow conditions.  We awoke to 6" of new snow, the village looked like a post card of Santa's Village, and the snow continued to fall all day, accumulating about 12" of snow by days end.  Skiing in "fresh powder" is an understatement.  After a 6-7 minute chair lift, we'd look like disembarking snow men.







Village Lane... Clock Tower on right side...our condo.


Annalise & Cole





Lighted Trees on Village Lane

Nate's First Ski Lesson

Lighted Trees on Village Lane

Friday, September 16, 2011

Salish Sea Adventure

OK... this is way overdue...but hopefully you'll enjoy a few shares memories of our summer vacation to the Salish Sea this last August.

With a few English and Spanish explorer nick names at hand, we embarked on an amazing 9 day circumnavigation adventure of the Salish Sea in our swagger wagon.  Our fist stop:  Vancouver.






Vancouver has many amazing things to do, but with only two days, we did our favorites.  The first was Granville Island.  The market was inspired by our own Pike Place Market, but in my opinion is much grander and includes not only a food market, but also buildings upon buildings for local artists works, children's things, galleries, glass works, wood, ceramics, etc.




Our second day was spent in the beautiful Stanley Park in downtown Vancouver.  This park is over 1000 acres and has a totem pole park, flower gardens, hiking trails, water parks, beaches, and the Vancouver Aquarium.  The kids especially love the aquarium, so most of our day was spent seeing Baluga Whales, Dolphins, Otter, BC coastal exhibits, and Cole's favorite, the Tropical Zone.  With his extensive knowledge of obscure animals, he was ecstatic in the hot tropical river monster section.  I'm constantly amazed at his ability point out obscure species and give a wikipedia definition. He's like a mini Steve Irwin.







After two nights in Vancouver, we took the Tsawwassen Ferry through the Canadian Gulf Islands to our second stop: Pender Island.  The 2.5 hour ferry trip winding through the islands on a beautiful sunny day was spectacular.










Our destination on Pender Island was a little gem of a place called Poets' Cove.  The highlight of the trip was our 2 hour kayak paddle.  We anticipated seeing a few seals, but lucked out and had the orca experience of a lifetime.  Nate, Teresa, and I all had double kayaks with a child in the front, so the kids got a front seat view.  Quite by accident, and almost out of nowhere, we found ourselves in the middle of a feeding frenzy of orca.  At first they were a couple hundred yards away, and we saw a dorsal fin pop up, wherein we'd, "ohh... ahhh".  Then suddenly, there was one behind us, to the left, to the right.... we couldn't pivot fast enough  to catch the next breaching whale.  At one point, 4 orca were swimming quite fast toward us, all abreast and in unison.  I felt like I was in the middle of a Sea World show, except getting quite nervous at the speed they were coming at us.  Fortunately, the whales always seem to know where the boats are, so they dove underneath us, and breached again only 10 yards away.


Cole had another wildlife adventure on Pender Island catching shrimp at night with a bunch of other boys staying on boats mored at the docks.  Cole learned how to shine a flashlight down into the water near the pier and pull up a net of shrimp.  He did it for hours our first night there... and caught about 100 shrimp!

Orca swimming right at us... and very fast!



Leaving the remote tranquil Pender Island was difficult, but like all adventures, there's a little excitement on what lay ahead.  While waiting in the ferry line to Sydney BC, Cole had the second best wildlife experience of his life.  As we walked toward the ferry dock, Cole spotted a snake in the grass, and before I could even register what was happening, Cole yelled, "Snake!" and pounced on the snake. It happened so fast, even the snake was taken off guard.  Luckily, it was only a garter snake.  I let Cole hold it for awhile, then he proudly released it back into the wild, proclaiming, "Mom, that was the first time I caught a wild snake!"





The ferry ride from Pender Island to Sydney BC was breathtaking.  The breeze was unusually warm, the sun was shining, and the water looked like a billion sparkling diamonds.










Our third stop was Victoria.  While in one of our favorite little cities, we spent one whole day at Butchart gardens.  Surprisingly, the kids loved it.  The highlight being the Saturday night fireworks show.  It's one of the best shows to music I've ever seen, and we had a front row seat on a warm summer night.





The following day we spent discovering the west side of Vancouver Island, drove up north to Sooke Harbor and spent the afternoon on a beautiful beach.  Dinner that night was spectacular seafood feast at a Bed & Breakfast Nate's been excited about for over 10 years... The Sooke Harbor House.







Monday was our only day of rain, but we made the most of it and spent the afternoon at the kid's favorite museum, the Royal BC Museum of Natural History.  The museum has an amazing display of natural history from the ice age to current land/forest landscapes.  The human history part of the museum is a time travel of exhibits from coastal native peoples to early European settlers, with examples of various industries prevalent in the BC region:  Farming, Logging, Mining, Canning.



Tuesday, we completed our Salish Sea journey by taking the Black Ball Ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles BC, and then the drive home from there.  On the way, we made a quick stop at the NW Native Expressions in Sequim Bay and saw an artist carving a pole.  It was a perfect end to our trip, a complete circumnavigation via ferry and swagger wagon of the Salish Sea.





Saturday, July 30, 2011

San Juan Island Camping

OK.  This wasn't a "glamping" trip, but a good old fashion regular car camping trip.  Not quite the "dig your own outhouse" kind of camping, but rather a loaded car with every conceivable piece of REI gear.  It took me two days to gather all the stuff together, pack and ready the food.  The trade off for all this effort is a little gem of a camp ground called San Juan County Park on San Juan Island's west side.

A 1.5 hour drive from Seattle to Anacortes, and an hour ferry ride, dropped us in Friday Harbor with our fully loaded swagger wagon and roof harnessed kayak.  We've been coming to this camp site for nearly 15 years, and although once seemingly unknown, it has been discovered.  Reservations now need to be made 90 days in advance, and still it is a typing race at midnight to submit an on-line reservation.  I'd never go through all this if it wasn't worth it.

Setting up camp took us about 1.5 hours. This is a stark contrast to the 10-15 min. with "glamping".  But once we were done, I happily grabbed my beach chair and book and walked 50 yards to a grassy bluff overlooking the Puget Sound & Vancouver Island.  It's a muli-million dollar view.

Sunset View from San Juan Camp Ground


Wildlife is spectacular there.  We spotted foxes, dear, multiple bald eagles, oyster catchers, seals, river otters and the majestic orca whale.  From our camp site, we can literally see orca swimming by about 100-150 yards off shore.  However, 2 miles south at Lime Kiln Light House, the orca usually come within 20 yards of shore and can be seen closer than from a boat!  (current laws forbid any boats or whale watching cruises to get within 200 yards of the orca)

Photo of ocra I took just off Lime Kiln point


This trip didn't disappoint.  We were very lucky to see 6-8 orca, including a new baby, feeding just of Lime Kiln's point within 10-15 yards of the land.  We could actually see them swimming under the water.  Here's a video clip.



Nate sunset paddle
The following day, I was lucky again and was kayaking when a pod of orca came through.  Although I tried to stay the legal distance away and was fairly close to the shore line, one female circled around and came within 12' of my kayak swimming parallel to me.  I was able to watch her swim under water and surface again a few feet away.  I'm kicking myself for not bringing the camera.



Cole at sunset
Beautiful sunsets, great weather, spectacular views, camping with friends, and amazing wildlife encounters made this a fantastic camping trip.  Yes... there was a lot of work involved.  But the work paid off in spades.


Sam & Madeline
Olivia & Annalise









 

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Newport / Waldport, Oregon

After our Astoria KOA experience, we headed south on Hwy 101.  This is one of the most beautiful stretches of coastal highway on the west coast. 

Oregon Coast Highway



Ecola State Park Beach


We stopped for a few hours in one of my favorite towns, Cannon Beach.  The weather was not ideal, but that didn't stop us from enjoying a few hours of beach time at Ecola State Park.  In the late afternoon, we continued south to Tillamook where the kids got a brief education on how Tillamook cheese is made and packaged on an assembly line.  As it was getting late in the day, our road trip dinner consisted of taster bites of cheese, Tillamook pepperoni sticks and ice cream.  A dinner for champions.  While camping, I take a more relaxed approach to meals, throw the whole  4 food groups out the window and consider "organic" a foreign concept.  Obesity doesn't happen in a 4 day camping trip,  nor will it stunt the kid's growth.

Inside the factory.

Tillamook Factory


View of bridge from kabin
From Tillimook, we continued south to Newport / Waldport.  Our KOA camper kabin was right on a bluff overlooking an inlet and the historical Waldport bridge.  This time we opted for the camper kabin with a bathroom and shower.  We were told it was the "honeymoon" suite, and  although heat, running water and indoor plumbing is not overrated, I'm afraid I'd have to call into question the entire relationship if my spouse took me to a KOA for my honeymoon.  A weekend away with a great view, yes.... honeymoon, no.  But maybe that's just me.

Given our leisurely pace down Hwy. 101, we didn't arrive to until dusk, so our second dinner was grilled hot dogs in the dark.  With the turn of a dial, and the push of a button, I was grilling hot dogs in 2 minutes by flashlight on my portable BBQ.   It may not have been romantic, but the upgrade to the "honeymoon" kabin, rounded out our fun day with hot showers and clean kids.

Our two days in Newport / Waldport consisted of agate hunting, beach time, walking around historic old town Newport, and enjoying the beaches in nearby Yachats.  We splurged and dined out at one of our favorite lunch spots in Newport, Local Ocean Seafood.  They buy their seafood right off the fishing boats in the harbor, and do a great fish and chips.  Unfortunately, we didn't have time to visit Newport's aquarium, (which we've done in the past, and it's a great aquarium).  But when the sun is shining, it's hard to stay away from the beach.
The kids sitting outside our kabin with a spectacular view.
Glamping was fun and easy.  Being a stay at home mom, I like to take my kids to fun places in the summer within a day's drive of home and not break the bank.  Staying in the KOA camper kabins allowed for us to enjoy some of the fun outdoor experiences we get with camping (making smores over a camp fire, eating outside, enjoying parks, beaches, and the outdoors) without all the extra work and backache of sleeping on the ground in a tent, hauling water, and hauling all the extra supplies tent camping requires.  I made it easy with the food choices, and used my electric kettle to make hot water for tea and instant oatmeal.  We ate bagels, fruit, sandwiches, and BBQ for dinner. This was a fun trip, and I plan on doing more research on other great places to "glamp".



www.cannonbeach.org
Ecola State Park: www.oregonstateparks.org/park_188.php
koa.com/campgrounds/waldport/
aquarium.org/
localocean.net/
www.tillamook.com/cheesefactory/index.html
www.yachats.org

















Astoria, Oregon

Three kids, a mini van, and my swagger wagon packed, we headed southwest to Astoria, Oregon on June 21st.  This was to be our first "glamping" experience staying in KOA camper kabins.  Like a yurt, the kabins take the place of a tent, but with the added comfort of a mattresses, electricity, and heat. Therefore, packing was very easy for this camping trip:
  1. Clothes
  2. Sleeping Bag & Pillow
  3. Towel
  4. Portable Gas BBQ
  5. Cooler ( I have a Coleman plug in cooler I can plug into car adapter as well as cabin)
  6. Cooking Tools
  7. Paper Plates and Plastic Silverware
  8. Plug-in Electric Kettle
  9. Beach Chair 
I am all about ease, so I'm not shy about eating with plastic and paper, and meals are quick and simple.  With hot water, we made instant oatmeal for breakfast and cup-o-noodles at lunch. Dinner was BBQ.

The trip to Astoria was only about 3.5 hours from Seattle.  We were delightfully surprised to find it across the street from Ft. Stevens State Park.  When we arrived, my kids burst out of the van with excitement, yet paralyzed with choices; beach, pool, bouncy inflatable, bikes, playground.  The fun choices were numerous, but I set my hook immediately and reeled them back to reality.  Oh... to hear the agonizing shrills of despair  as we took a whole 10 minutes to unpack the van and set our things into our KOA camper kabin.  Each kid took their sleeping bag, duffle bag and pillow into the kabin, and voila...we were done.  With electricity inside the cabin, I moved the cooler inside and plugged it in.  This proved to be a super easy way to travel with our food.

During our short 24 hour stay, the kids managed to fit most everything in from playing at the beach, bouncing on the inflatable, to swimming in the indoor heated pool.  The next morning, we did one quick load of laundry while we ate a free pancake breakfast, then took 20 minute to pack up and reload the car for our next glamping experience.  On our way out of town, we stopped by Ft. Clatsop, Lewis & Clarks' National Historic Park for a great education on Lewis & Clark and their winter fort on the Pacific Coast.

Check out the the following links for more details on these great locations: koa.com/campgrounds/astoria/ and www.oregonstateparks.org/park_179.php and www.nps.gov/lewi/planyourvisit/fortclatsop.htm

Ft. Stevens Park - Beach

KOA Camper Kabin

My daughter in our Kabin

Bouncy Inflatable at KOA
Old Ship Wreck on beach at Ft. Stevens State Park
My son raising flag at Ft. Clatsop

My kids outside replica of original Ft. Clatsop