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| Skiing/snowboarding at Whistler |
O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all of us command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
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| Marit wearing daddy's helmet and new goggles |
The national anthem of Canada played more often than our national anthem this winter Olympics, especially when you are in Canada watching the CBC rather than NBC. We enjoyed a break from the bitter cold Minnesota and flew to Vancouver and drove up to Whistler for a week of R&R in the Canadian mountains. After a quick meal at Granville Island, we checked into our condo downtown Vancouver. The 40 degree weather felt like summer compared to the negative temperatures we had been experiencing. The kids enjoyed the view of the busy streets from 16th floor. We changed into our swim suits and headed to the pool and hot tub after a long day of travel (driving from Duluth to Minneapolis because our flight was canceled, flight Minneapolis to Chicago then Chicago to Vancouver) and then hung out on the couch and watched the Olympics on one of five channels (one channel was typically curling, one was hockey and generally NBC was showing snowboarding or figure skating). It happened to be the Chinese New Year and so it was the "Year of the Dog" Parade in Chinatown on Sunday so we decided to check it out. We walked along the historic district called Gastown and the old steam clock.
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| Steam clock in Gastown |
Theo was chilly so we bought him some long johns at a tourist shop and then headed to the parade where the kids enjoyed watching the dancing dragons and lions and getting dozens of red envelopes with well wishes for the New Year and candy inside. Quite the cultural experience for a few kids living in Northern Minnesota! We went out to Blue Water Cafe in Yaletown for Seth's birthday dinner, which was supposed to be a delicious seafood dinner but unfortunately Seth did not feel well and couldn't finish the seafood tower - two tiers with delicious oysters, prawns, seared red tuna, salmon tartare, jellyfish, scallop ceviche clams and mussels. He also started a cascade of respiratory viral illness that was soon to wipe out the whole family.
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| Dragons |
Early Monday morning we packed up and drove two hours up along the Sea-to-Sky Highway along the Howe Sound to Whistler. Theo needed to be there early to start his Adventure Ski Camp at 8:45AM. His teacher was an Aussie, Sam, and he taught Theo how to tuck down like a race car driver to go fast, catch a little air on the bumps on the side of the runs, and ski like a penguin lifting his uphill ski and arm up to learn how to do parallel turns. If he wasn't a speed demon at the beginning of the week, he was flying down the runs and passing us by the end. He was comfortable on most blue runs and had no problems with the chairlifts by the end of the week! Grandma JoJo stayed in the condo with Marit and enjoyed watching Frozen and going for walks along the creek and in the Whistler Village. Grandpa John, Seth and I enjoyed 5 days of skiing and snowboarding on some of the best terrain in North America. The temps were chilly (but nothing for a bunch of Minnesotans) and the blue skies and snow capped Fitzsimmons Range was spectacular. Theo enjoyed ice skating at the Olympic Plaza but hurt the next day from all the falls he took. Marit only lasted a few minutes but enjoyed the playground.
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| Marit trying out skating for the second time |
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| Skiing penguin picture Theo drew for his teacher |
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| Katie and John at the top of Blackcomb |
After we had fun in the snow, we headed to one of my co-worker's log cabin on the Howe Sound near Squamish. It was a lovely 3 bedroom cabin built in 1998 up on a cliff overlooking the fjords of the Strait of Georgia, called Howe Sound. I enjoyed sitting by the fire reading a novel, "Boys on the Boat," which brought be back to Seattle nearly 80 years ago when the 1936 UW crew team won the Olympics.
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| Lovely views from the deck of the log cabin |
We also toured the old Britannia Mine, once the largest copper mine in the British Commonwealth. The kids enjoyed riding the train into the mine and seeing Mine 3, built in 1923 and in service until 1974 when it became a National Historic Landmark. It was a very relaxing trip and made me miss the charming and mystical Pacific Northwest but we'll be back again!
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| Theo and the Britannia Mine 3 |
More pics from the trip:
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| Seth driving into downtown Vancouver again - like we never left the PNW! |
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| Walking along the docks and houseboats on Granville Island |
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| Painted cement stacks on Granville island |
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| Giant anchor |
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| Marina at Granville |
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| Granville island |
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| Chinese New Year |
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| Checking out the train and ships in downtown Vancouver |
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| Steam clock |
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| Gate to Chinatown |
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| Dragon |
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| Dragon balloon |
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| Hello Lion |
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| Vancouver police department bagpipe band |
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| Fire trucks |
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| Horses |
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| More dancing lions |
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| Lions |
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| Lion |
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| Dragon |
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| Dragon |
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| Hi Mr. Lion |
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| parade |
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| A free dog puppet! |
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| Watching the parade |
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| John, Katie and Seth ready for their first run! |
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| Inukshuk, or "person substitute" is a stone figure made as a symbol of a person or landmark |
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| Daddy and Papa on the top of 7th Heaven |
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| Hey Papa! |
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| Mommy and Daddy at the top of 7th Heaven |
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| Taking a break and enjoying the view |
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| Bye Papa |
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| Can you see Daddy and Papa? |
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| Beautiful scenery |
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| Papa carving on Cloud Nine in the 7th Heaven area of Blackcomb |
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| Mommy's mad skills on the bumps |
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| Papa and Katie taking a break and enjoying the view off Blackcomb |
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| Happy Anniversary babe on the top of the world (sorta)! |
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| What a view from the top of Whistler mountain on a sunny day |
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| Top of Whistler mountain |
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| Fresh powder on the last day! |
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| Taking a break |
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| Theo catching air on a jump |
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| Papa |
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| Daddy and Theo taking a break |
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| Daddy and Theo |
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| Papa getting air |
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| Theo snowplowing and turning down the steep slope |
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| My snowbunny came to visit us for lunch |
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| Anyone wanna go bobsledding? |
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| The Olympic Rings in Whistler village |
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| JoJo and Papa |
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| Theo jumping on skates |
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| Happy 7th Anniversary! |
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| Theo ice skating |
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| Olympic rings |
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| Olympic rings |
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| Moo |
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| View from Tantalus lookout on the Sea-to-Sky highway |
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| Britannia mine |
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| Big tires |
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| Getting ready for the mine tour |
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| Theo, Grandma JoJo, Papa and Marit |
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| On the train |
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| Checking out the equipment |
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| Sounding the bell at the end of the mine tour |
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| Mill 3 |
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| Inside the gravity mine for sorting ore into its components |
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| Learning about the foaming process to separate copper |
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| Howe Sound in Squamish |
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| Log cabin |
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| Not a bad view |
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| Beautiful cabin |
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| Enjoying dinner at Art's cabin on Howe Sound |
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| Log cabin |
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| Lovely cabin, thank you Art!! |
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| Sushi date night in Squamish |
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