While there has been a considerable delay since our summer holidays, I so valued having record of this trip that I've decided to keep a regular blog as a record of what's happening in our life.
Very informal. Likely quite brief most of the time ... but a record nonetheless.
So if you're following this --please check out the new blog: http://djklaassen.blogspot.com/
Best,
D
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Too Much Fun!!
That's what we're having. Too much!!
No time for blogging!!! (plus we're in nowhere Sask with little Internet access!!)
Highlights so far:
- Maki riding the wooden rocking horse that I had when I was a kid (and Grandpa Simmons had when he was a kid) -- yes we have pictures!
- Mak giggling while the puppies lick him
- Mak draggin my Mom's cat around by her tail ... I don't know why she let him, but she did. It was FUNNY.
- Visiting with the Kantors at the Blue Park (Gillian you'll send us those pictures yes??)
- Lots of family time visiting and laughing!
So -- in case anyone is following this ... hang tight! We'll put up some pictures and details at some point.
For now -- YAY for vacations!!!
No time for blogging!!! (plus we're in nowhere Sask with little Internet access!!)
Highlights so far:
- Maki riding the wooden rocking horse that I had when I was a kid (and Grandpa Simmons had when he was a kid) -- yes we have pictures!
- Mak giggling while the puppies lick him
- Mak draggin my Mom's cat around by her tail ... I don't know why she let him, but she did. It was FUNNY.
- Visiting with the Kantors at the Blue Park (Gillian you'll send us those pictures yes??)
- Lots of family time visiting and laughing!
So -- in case anyone is following this ... hang tight! We'll put up some pictures and details at some point.
For now -- YAY for vacations!!!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Think Happy Thoughts
It almost seems like our time at home is the 'vacation' this summer - traveling has become the norm!
Tomorrow we head to the airport - Mak's first trip on an airplane! If it doesn't go well, no worries -- we're only going to Regina. The descend begins only moments after we get in the air. :)
We're mostly organized ... downsized from the last trip, but still traveling with what seems like WAY too much stuff. Aahhh the comforts of home.
We're excited to spend some time with my family, and have lots of activities planned for the trip. You'll have to check in from time to time to see what!!
second star to the right, and straight on 'til morning ....
Tomorrow we head to the airport - Mak's first trip on an airplane! If it doesn't go well, no worries -- we're only going to Regina. The descend begins only moments after we get in the air. :)
We're mostly organized ... downsized from the last trip, but still traveling with what seems like WAY too much stuff. Aahhh the comforts of home.
We're excited to spend some time with my family, and have lots of activities planned for the trip. You'll have to check in from time to time to see what!!
second star to the right, and straight on 'til morning ....
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Laundry Time
Three weeks on the road - time flew by! All the packing/unpacking is a blur. Mostly successful though ... the only casualties were a small travel bottle of Maki's body wash, and a mini-diaper bag I usually carry in my purse (along with a diaper, a small pack of baby wipes, and some hand sanitizer).
Our top seven highlights of the trip (in no particular order):
Our top seven highlights of the trip (in no particular order):
- The Othello Tunnels in Hope (full blog)
- Hanging with Auntie Rach in Vancouver (full blog)
- Touring with the kids on Gabriola (full blog)
- Swimming with the Hermanson kids in Vernon (full blog)
- Camping with the Larsons
- Justin's course at Inside Passage -- particularly making Flipper Floppers (handmade wooden door catches for cabinets) and learning how to anneal, harden and temper high carbon steel to make Carving Knives
- Justin almost dying (for real) while crabbing (full blog)
Maklin managed to Not start crawling (as I strongly requested of him) while we were away. That made things easier!! He was an amazing little traveler. Good thing ... we're home for two weeks (sort of ... this includes a short road trip to Calgary), and then we're jumping on a plane and going to Saskatchewan for 10 days.
Time for laundry, various appointments, and time with the chiropractor before heading out again.
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
More vacationing to come ...
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Keener Wiener
An uneventful travel day ... other than construction. Always construction. We made it to Nordegg by early afternoon, and stopped for lunch at the Nordegg Motel. Not too bad actually! There was a cowboy in there having lunch that reminded us of the Brew Bear. :) Maklin continued his new trend of pounding lunch. We have to weigh this kid when we get home ... he has definitely been growing.
After lunch, we popped over to the Larsons - getting to their place in time to quickly get our stuff inside before the rain/hail hit. We were envisioning our time together hanging out in the cold basement at that point, but thankfully the weather was short lived. The sun came out and we were able to go for a walk. Maklin and Julia rode together in the double chariot - we thought it was cute; they didn't.
After a BBQ supper, we managed to get all the kids to bed and spent the evening visiting around the campfire ... TimBits, tea, and marshmallows (made with Brad's Keener Wiener Rotisserie). Jen and I played Scrabble by campfire light, and we rocked out to the cardio playlist on Brad's Blackberry (featuring such classics as: Ice Ice Baby, Eye of the Tiger, Bad, Final Countdown - awesome!). Justin and Brad even danced a little in between the serious business of tending the fire ... white boys really can't dance!
Despite a few people making trips to the outhouse in the middle of the night (squeaky door) and some baby conversations from one playpen to the other, the kids slept quite well. Maklin was bundled up in a fleecy sleeper ... he stayed nice and warm. Most especially so, because he slept directly on his face:
After a BBQ supper, we managed to get all the kids to bed and spent the evening visiting around the campfire ... TimBits, tea, and marshmallows (made with Brad's Keener Wiener Rotisserie). Jen and I played Scrabble by campfire light, and we rocked out to the cardio playlist on Brad's Blackberry (featuring such classics as: Ice Ice Baby, Eye of the Tiger, Bad, Final Countdown - awesome!). Justin and Brad even danced a little in between the serious business of tending the fire ... white boys really can't dance!
Despite a few people making trips to the outhouse in the middle of the night (squeaky door) and some baby conversations from one playpen to the other, the kids slept quite well. Maklin was bundled up in a fleecy sleeper ... he stayed nice and warm. Most especially so, because he slept directly on his face:
We may have actually had a better night's sleep on the air mattress in our sleeping bags than we did at some of our other accommodations. Jen made us blueberry pancakes for breakfast (yum!) and then we went for a stroll along the base of the Coliseum Mountain Trail to pick some wild strawberries:
Sleeping Accommodations: 3.5 poops on the potty (pretty solid for basement camping)
Shower: we were basement camping ... of course no shower! we stink like campfire.
View/Surroundings: 4.5 poops on the potty
Breakfast: 5 poops on the potty
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Wussing Out ...
I resume blogging while we sit, unmoving, on the highway ... more construction.
Yesterday, we detoured from our plan considerably. As we said, we intended to get out of Halcyon as efficiently as possible (and we did) ... things went downhill from there though.
After the 3 hour ferry wait, we doubted we'd make it to Golden in time for Justin to bike. That was indeed the case. On top of it, we were both feeling 'janked' - a Robyn-ism for your back being all messed up. Too much car time along with a crappy sleep in Halcyon. Anyway ... we were both tired and feeling out of sorts, and decided that we weren't up for camping in a teepee (especially with the forecast calling for rain). We bailed on our reserved teepee, and went through to Golden and stayed in a hotel. We had a most enjoyable sleep in our King size bed after each having long hot baths. The bathroom in our room was big enough that we easily could have set the playpen up in there ... but that would have been weird.
We also had no extra curricular activities (cuz we were both bagged) ... the plan was a few bike runs in Golden, and then either a little hike or a tour of the Wolf Discovery Centre ... instead we hung out in our hotel room (Justin even wanted to order room service).
BTW - we're still not moving. And Maklin is not happy about that. He's sleepy and doesn't want to be strapped into his car seat if we're not moving (fair enough).
While J&I were both having an off day, Maklin was very nearly perfect. He ate well, slept well, and every second he was awake he was happy, happy, happy. Lots of giggling and full out laughing. Lots of motorboating. Lots of smiling and excitedly waving his arms. Warmed our hearts it did!
We are so impressed with how well he's done on this trip (other than the backseat screaming we're experiencing right now ... but he's winding down ... we're finally moving!). He's been a trooper. And teething to boot: you can see both of his top front teeth just under the gums now - the left one will pop through anytime.
Weak sauce not staying in the teepee, but the night of relaxation is what we needed.
The last part of this trip has been moving every day. We probably wouldn't put driving every day into the itinerary if we were to plan this again. The driving itself isn't so bad, but packing/unpacking Maki's stuff every day gets tiresome. So much so that a major highlight of the day for Justin was using the luggage rack at the hotel. We could haul everything in and out in one trip. S-weet!
We're on our way to Nordegg - looking forward to spending an evening with the Larsons! Can hardly believe that we'll be heading home tomorrow. Bittersweet.
Sleeping Accommodations: 5 poops on the potty
Shower: 4.25 poops on the potty
View/Surroundings: It's Golden: the view is amazing ... but we didn't leave our hotel room.
Breakfast: N/A
Yesterday, we detoured from our plan considerably. As we said, we intended to get out of Halcyon as efficiently as possible (and we did) ... things went downhill from there though.
After the 3 hour ferry wait, we doubted we'd make it to Golden in time for Justin to bike. That was indeed the case. On top of it, we were both feeling 'janked' - a Robyn-ism for your back being all messed up. Too much car time along with a crappy sleep in Halcyon. Anyway ... we were both tired and feeling out of sorts, and decided that we weren't up for camping in a teepee (especially with the forecast calling for rain). We bailed on our reserved teepee, and went through to Golden and stayed in a hotel. We had a most enjoyable sleep in our King size bed after each having long hot baths. The bathroom in our room was big enough that we easily could have set the playpen up in there ... but that would have been weird.
We also had no extra curricular activities (cuz we were both bagged) ... the plan was a few bike runs in Golden, and then either a little hike or a tour of the Wolf Discovery Centre ... instead we hung out in our hotel room (Justin even wanted to order room service).
BTW - we're still not moving. And Maklin is not happy about that. He's sleepy and doesn't want to be strapped into his car seat if we're not moving (fair enough).
While J&I were both having an off day, Maklin was very nearly perfect. He ate well, slept well, and every second he was awake he was happy, happy, happy. Lots of giggling and full out laughing. Lots of motorboating. Lots of smiling and excitedly waving his arms. Warmed our hearts it did!
We are so impressed with how well he's done on this trip (other than the backseat screaming we're experiencing right now ... but he's winding down ... we're finally moving!). He's been a trooper. And teething to boot: you can see both of his top front teeth just under the gums now - the left one will pop through anytime.
Weak sauce not staying in the teepee, but the night of relaxation is what we needed.
The last part of this trip has been moving every day. We probably wouldn't put driving every day into the itinerary if we were to plan this again. The driving itself isn't so bad, but packing/unpacking Maki's stuff every day gets tiresome. So much so that a major highlight of the day for Justin was using the luggage rack at the hotel. We could haul everything in and out in one trip. S-weet!
We're on our way to Nordegg - looking forward to spending an evening with the Larsons! Can hardly believe that we'll be heading home tomorrow. Bittersweet.
Sleeping Accommodations: 5 poops on the potty
Shower: 4.25 poops on the potty
View/Surroundings: It's Golden: the view is amazing ... but we didn't leave our hotel room.
Breakfast: N/A
Monday, July 19, 2010
Here's Caitlyn being a Sand Monster, as promised:
OK, so straight up – we have no pics of our stop in Halcyon. We have no wish to preserve the memory. Not quite true ... there was no room for Mak to wiggle in the room, so we made him a fort on the bed:
The drive to the hot springs was nice. A tiny windy back highway with pretty views. At least that’s what Justin said … I mostly kept my head down. Turns out tiny windy back highway roads have a similar impact on me as ferries.
We crossed the Needles Ferry and stopped for lunch in Fauquier. We saw a great variance in people today … starting in Fauquier, henceforth known to Justin and I as ‘Hillbilly Deluxe’. Our next stop was Halcyon. Some background: Halcyon Hot Springs Spa & Resort is the one night of our trip where we splurged. We basically paid double for this night than other nights. My inner rage was no longer kept in by the fact that for this price it was actually one of our less enjoyable accommodations. Brutal. Justin couldn’t wait to get me out of there … he could barely live with me! But seriously, the guy at the check-in desk was THE most pretentious, fake individual I’ve ever met. Our cabin was teeny and clean, but very bare bones. The bed was not at all comfortable … I won’t go on with all the details.
It was most certainly a good thing that they made us book a reservation for supper though – what with us being one of three tables of people in there. (note sarcasm here)
We did enjoy a dip in the hot springs … although as a young family with a baby, we did stand out. The vibe of the place is … well … geriatric.
We had an exceptionally efficient morning – packed, fed (well … Mak was fed, we had granola bars in the car), and at the Shelter Bay Ferry by 9:30am. We couldn’t wait to get away from Halcyon … the day seemed to have more and more potential as we drove away. That is, until we actually got to the ferry line-up. Where we sat for 3 hours. Yes … 3 hours. Justin and Mak went for a walk, and I read my book, inching the car forward every once in a while. Ferry line-ups here are not the norm – this weekend was the Nakusp Music Festival (which by all accounts was a big success) – we were just caught in the traffic.
It seems that Justin may not be meant to do any biking on this trip. He was originally going to bike Silver Star with Scotty when we were in Vernon, but we didn’t make it in time. Today we were planning on meeting Scot & Gail again in Golden so that Justin could do a few runs with Scott there … but the ferry put us way behind schedule. We are trying to make time on the #1, however as I sign off … construction flags ahead.
KLAASSENS – Hot Springs Scout Mission Update:
- Nakusp: cute, friendly town. Quaint pool. Great view.
- Halcyon: uppity, pretentious resort. Spa pool. Great view.
- Canyon: right off the #1, and the sign infers that it is not uppity … otherwise we know nothing.
Sleeping Accommodations: 2 poopy diapers
Shower: 2 poops on the potty
View/Surroundings: 4 oops on the potty
Breakfast: N/A (as it turns out, we didn’t really have breakfast at all this day …)
Value for Money: 3 poopy diapers
OK, so straight up – we have no pics of our stop in Halcyon. We have no wish to preserve the memory. Not quite true ... there was no room for Mak to wiggle in the room, so we made him a fort on the bed:
The drive to the hot springs was nice. A tiny windy back highway with pretty views. At least that’s what Justin said … I mostly kept my head down. Turns out tiny windy back highway roads have a similar impact on me as ferries.
We crossed the Needles Ferry and stopped for lunch in Fauquier. We saw a great variance in people today … starting in Fauquier, henceforth known to Justin and I as ‘Hillbilly Deluxe’. Our next stop was Halcyon. Some background: Halcyon Hot Springs Spa & Resort is the one night of our trip where we splurged. We basically paid double for this night than other nights. My inner rage was no longer kept in by the fact that for this price it was actually one of our less enjoyable accommodations. Brutal. Justin couldn’t wait to get me out of there … he could barely live with me! But seriously, the guy at the check-in desk was THE most pretentious, fake individual I’ve ever met. Our cabin was teeny and clean, but very bare bones. The bed was not at all comfortable … I won’t go on with all the details.
It was most certainly a good thing that they made us book a reservation for supper though – what with us being one of three tables of people in there. (note sarcasm here)
We did enjoy a dip in the hot springs … although as a young family with a baby, we did stand out. The vibe of the place is … well … geriatric.
We had an exceptionally efficient morning – packed, fed (well … Mak was fed, we had granola bars in the car), and at the Shelter Bay Ferry by 9:30am. We couldn’t wait to get away from Halcyon … the day seemed to have more and more potential as we drove away. That is, until we actually got to the ferry line-up. Where we sat for 3 hours. Yes … 3 hours. Justin and Mak went for a walk, and I read my book, inching the car forward every once in a while. Ferry line-ups here are not the norm – this weekend was the Nakusp Music Festival (which by all accounts was a big success) – we were just caught in the traffic.
It seems that Justin may not be meant to do any biking on this trip. He was originally going to bike Silver Star with Scotty when we were in Vernon, but we didn’t make it in time. Today we were planning on meeting Scot & Gail again in Golden so that Justin could do a few runs with Scott there … but the ferry put us way behind schedule. We are trying to make time on the #1, however as I sign off … construction flags ahead.
KLAASSENS – Hot Springs Scout Mission Update:
- Nakusp: cute, friendly town. Quaint pool. Great view.
- Halcyon: uppity, pretentious resort. Spa pool. Great view.
- Canyon: right off the #1, and the sign infers that it is not uppity … otherwise we know nothing.
Sleeping Accommodations: 2 poopy diapers
Shower: 2 poops on the potty
View/Surroundings: 4 oops on the potty
Breakfast: N/A (as it turns out, we didn’t really have breakfast at all this day …)
Value for Money: 3 poopy diapers
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Let the Sun Shine In!
This will be quick cuz we've got to get on the road!
Stopped in Peachland to visit Gosia (and drop off her key etc). Got the tour of her parents’ home there – very nice! So great to see you even for a brief time Gos -- thanks again for lunch!
Met the Hermansons at the beach and stayed for a few hours in the afternoon sunshine! We all enjoyed the water and the beach at Okanogan Lake. Great fun! Maki was even splashing and kicking in the water today!
(Here's Seth at the beach! We have a cute pic of Caitlyn as a sand-monster, but it didn't saved and I don't have time to redo it ... next blog!)
An evening BBQ on the deck of the studio Gail&Scott are staying at. A great night: LOTS of food, an amazing view of Kalamalka Lake, 3 kids peacefully sleeping inside, and lots of laughing. When Seth is older he’ll probably be able to write a sequel to, Sh*t my Dad Said. Haha
A bit of a late start this morning … albeit mostly because Mak slept in (YAY for us all sleeping in!) and for me trying to post this before we leave! We’re off to Halcyon Hot Springs Resort today! WHOOP!
Sleeping Accomodations: 4 poops on the potty
Shower: 3 poops on the potty
View/Surroundings: 4 poops on the potty
Breakfast: 2 poopy diapers for Justin and 2.5 poops on the potty for me
Time to hit to hit the road!
Stopped in Peachland to visit Gosia (and drop off her key etc). Got the tour of her parents’ home there – very nice! So great to see you even for a brief time Gos -- thanks again for lunch!
Met the Hermansons at the beach and stayed for a few hours in the afternoon sunshine! We all enjoyed the water and the beach at Okanogan Lake. Great fun! Maki was even splashing and kicking in the water today!
(Here's Seth at the beach! We have a cute pic of Caitlyn as a sand-monster, but it didn't saved and I don't have time to redo it ... next blog!)
An evening BBQ on the deck of the studio Gail&Scott are staying at. A great night: LOTS of food, an amazing view of Kalamalka Lake, 3 kids peacefully sleeping inside, and lots of laughing. When Seth is older he’ll probably be able to write a sequel to, Sh*t my Dad Said. Haha
A bit of a late start this morning … albeit mostly because Mak slept in (YAY for us all sleeping in!) and for me trying to post this before we leave! We’re off to Halcyon Hot Springs Resort today! WHOOP!
Sleeping Accomodations: 4 poops on the potty
Shower: 3 poops on the potty
View/Surroundings: 4 poops on the potty
Breakfast: 2 poopy diapers for Justin and 2.5 poops on the potty for me
Time to hit to hit the road!
Hee Haw!
Another great vacation day!
Apparently we had settled into Gosia’s very well, as we had to be on our game this morning to pack up, clean up, and move out. Still, we were settled in the car in time for Mak to have his morning nap, and made our way out of Vancouver without having to tackle rush hour traffic!
We stopped in Hope for lunch … well … all day breakfast. Man we love breakfast!!
We knew we wanted to hit a certain deli, but didn’t know which exit to take … so Justin followed his spidey senses. We did find the deli, but more interesting was that on our way from the deli to the park (we spent half an hour playing in the grass) … we found the RONA! Too little too late, and yet we were appeased …
We arrived at the Old Hedley Road Inn late afternoon, where we were greeted warmly by our hosts, the puppies, and the miniature donkeys, Julio and Tequila.
One of the donkeys sneezed/spit on Mak and I … par for the course today though. Mak has spread his fair share of spit as the entire day he’s been practicing his motorboat. So cute and so annoying all at the same time!
This place has an awesome vibe. Great view, friendly hosts, nice room. We had originally intended on hitting a winery tour, but we stopped to pick up some groceries to bbq, and ended up just hanging out on the deck instead. It was such a beautiful evening!
Our suite has a 3-piece bath, so Maki had his first shower this evening. Daddy showered with him. He did OK, but I think he takes after his Daddy and prefers baths. After Maki went to sleep J&I enjoyed the view from the hot tub. A very relaxing day!
Sleeping Accommodations: 4.75 poops on the potty
Shower: 4 poops on the potty
View/Surroundings: 4.5 poops on the potty (an easy 5 if the highway wasn’t so close)
Breakfast: 5 poops on the potty
It’s hard to believe we’ll be home in less than a week. Good thing we still have lots of interesting things to do/see before then! Onto next …
Apparently we had settled into Gosia’s very well, as we had to be on our game this morning to pack up, clean up, and move out. Still, we were settled in the car in time for Mak to have his morning nap, and made our way out of Vancouver without having to tackle rush hour traffic!
We stopped in Hope for lunch … well … all day breakfast. Man we love breakfast!!
We knew we wanted to hit a certain deli, but didn’t know which exit to take … so Justin followed his spidey senses. We did find the deli, but more interesting was that on our way from the deli to the park (we spent half an hour playing in the grass) … we found the RONA! Too little too late, and yet we were appeased …
One of the donkeys sneezed/spit on Mak and I … par for the course today though. Mak has spread his fair share of spit as the entire day he’s been practicing his motorboat. So cute and so annoying all at the same time!
Our suite has a 3-piece bath, so Maki had his first shower this evening. Daddy showered with him. He did OK, but I think he takes after his Daddy and prefers baths. After Maki went to sleep J&I enjoyed the view from the hot tub. A very relaxing day!
Sleeping Accommodations: 4.75 poops on the potty
Shower: 4 poops on the potty
View/Surroundings: 4.5 poops on the potty (an easy 5 if the highway wasn’t so close)
Breakfast: 5 poops on the potty
It’s hard to believe we’ll be home in less than a week. Good thing we still have lots of interesting things to do/see before then! Onto next …
Thursday, July 15, 2010
BOnkers ... BOring ... BOy oh BOy ... BOing ...
(All day Maki thought words that started with BO were HI-larious)
Today was a true vacation day ... a beautiful day in Vancouver, with nothing to do but hang out!
In an attempt to try and keep Maki close to his routine, and let him catch up on his sleep, we hung out at home (i.e. Gos') for the morning. In the afternoon, we did some wandering with Auntie Rach ... stopping for cool drinks, peeks into stores with interesting Japanese paraphernalia, and browsing in book stores. Back in time for wiggling and making supper together.
Our souls were cleansed by much laughter. We were entertained by Maki, as well as quotations from the book, Shit My Dad Says. Perhaps not humor everyone enjoys, but we were all in the mood today (Neil -- YOU need to read this book!) - unfortunately, we haven't yet found a quote that is appropriate to post in the blog.
QT with Daddy & Mama:
This is our last day in Vancouver -- we pack up and leave for Hedley in the morning. First time in the car since we got here (Justin managed to score a rockstar parking spot right in front of Gos' building and we weren't willing to move!).
Sleeping Accomodations: 3 poops on the potty
Shower: 5 poops on the potty
View/Surroundings: 3.75 poops on the potty
Breakfast: N/A
Fully Stocked Bar: 4.5 poops on the potty
Today was a true vacation day ... a beautiful day in Vancouver, with nothing to do but hang out!
In an attempt to try and keep Maki close to his routine, and let him catch up on his sleep, we hung out at home (i.e. Gos') for the morning. In the afternoon, we did some wandering with Auntie Rach ... stopping for cool drinks, peeks into stores with interesting Japanese paraphernalia, and browsing in book stores. Back in time for wiggling and making supper together.
Our souls were cleansed by much laughter. We were entertained by Maki, as well as quotations from the book, Shit My Dad Says. Perhaps not humor everyone enjoys, but we were all in the mood today (Neil -- YOU need to read this book!) - unfortunately, we haven't yet found a quote that is appropriate to post in the blog.
QT with Daddy & Mama:
Love you Auntie Rach!!!
This is our last day in Vancouver -- we pack up and leave for Hedley in the morning. First time in the car since we got here (Justin managed to score a rockstar parking spot right in front of Gos' building and we weren't willing to move!).
Sleeping Accomodations: 3 poops on the potty
Shower: 5 poops on the potty
View/Surroundings: 3.75 poops on the potty
Breakfast: N/A
Fully Stocked Bar: 4.5 poops on the potty
One with the Force
JGKF - the laws of attraction were in full force as we made the transfer from Gabriola to Vancouver this week! As we lined up for the ferry, we couldn't help but notice the wind. That makes for a rocky ferry ride! "I will not throw up on the ferry. I will not throw up on the ferry." OK - maybe this one was the Hyland's Homeopathic Motion Sickness ... regardless ... I was FINE on the ferry. YAY! We had to then transfer to another ferry. We were in line when the ferry 2+ hours previous was leaving, but when it was finally time for boarding our ferry, we were getting nervous. I repeated over and over (and over ...), "we will get on this boat!" We did. Just squeaked on. When we got off the ferry, we were the last car off the ferry. Insane. Then, we were driving toward Vancouver, our gas light on, thinking we'd for sure see a gas station imminently, only to find ourselves stuck in very heavy traffic going over the Lions Gate Bridge (for those of you unfamiliar with this bridge, or I suppose bridges in general, there is no gas station!). We end up in downtown Vancouver mere blocks from our destination, and we miss one of our turns. In doing a loop to turn around, lo and behold: ESSO! While I suppose running out of gas on the bridge would have made for a good story several years from now ... we much preferred things working out this way!
We spent the rest of the evening visiting with Rach - we saw her cutesy new apartment then made our way over to Gosia's, (where we are crashing - thanks Gos!) for take-out and chatting.
Yesterday we hit Vancouver on foot. We wandered around W4th, then in the afternoon met up with Rachel and Megan on Granville where we toured a few antique stores and art galleries, then went down for a walk/talk along the water.
Then we walked all the way back and headed over to Mike's (I mean, Dr. Mike's) for supper: we ordered southern BBQ for 3, and ended up with a huge tray of pulled pork, brisket, ribs, chicken ... so good. And incidentally, for those of you who know my history with Mike's cat, I need to report that Jasper didn't even hiss at me ... not one time!!
Thanks for joining us on the walk back to Gosia's Mike -- so much visiting to do, but we needed to try and keep Maki somewhat on his routine! Robin showed up just in time for a quick hello before Maklin literally closed his eyes and went to sleep as soon as we laid him in the playpen. Nice to see you guys -- great to catch up!
Maklin is in the middle of a big growth spurt. He is eating A LOT and is waking up 2 hours earlier than usual ... to eat.
He's needs his sustenance ... he's a Jedi in training.
We spent the rest of the evening visiting with Rach - we saw her cutesy new apartment then made our way over to Gosia's, (where we are crashing - thanks Gos!) for take-out and chatting.
Yesterday we hit Vancouver on foot. We wandered around W4th, then in the afternoon met up with Rachel and Megan on Granville where we toured a few antique stores and art galleries, then went down for a walk/talk along the water.
Then we walked all the way back and headed over to Mike's (I mean, Dr. Mike's) for supper: we ordered southern BBQ for 3, and ended up with a huge tray of pulled pork, brisket, ribs, chicken ... so good. And incidentally, for those of you who know my history with Mike's cat, I need to report that Jasper didn't even hiss at me ... not one time!!
Thanks for joining us on the walk back to Gosia's Mike -- so much visiting to do, but we needed to try and keep Maki somewhat on his routine! Robin showed up just in time for a quick hello before Maklin literally closed his eyes and went to sleep as soon as we laid him in the playpen. Nice to see you guys -- great to catch up!
He's needs his sustenance ... he's a Jedi in training.
Monday, July 12, 2010
potty training
Catching up scaling of our Roberts Creek and Gabriola Accomodations:
Roberts Creek: rented cabin for the week
Sleeping Accomodations: 1 poop on the potty (but just caught the signs at the last minute and it almost ended up in the diaper)
Shower: 2 poops on the potty
View/Surroundings: 3 poops on the potty
Breakfast: N/A
Gabriola: Casa Blanca by the Sea
Sleeping Accomodations: 5 poops on the potty!!
Shower: 4 poops on the potty
View/Surroundings: 4.5 poops on the potty
Breakfast: N/A
Roberts Creek: rented cabin for the week
Sleeping Accomodations: 1 poop on the potty (but just caught the signs at the last minute and it almost ended up in the diaper)
Shower: 2 poops on the potty
View/Surroundings: 3 poops on the potty
Breakfast: N/A
Gabriola: Casa Blanca by the Sea
Sleeping Accomodations: 5 poops on the potty!!
Shower: 4 poops on the potty
View/Surroundings: 4.5 poops on the potty
Breakfast: N/A
kissing cousins
Yesterday we met up at the Silva Bay Farmers' Market in the morning (mmmmm ooey-gooey white bread buttery cinnamon buns!). We found Maki a trip souvenir: a cute little handmade wooden truck. :) Then we all walked onto the ferry to spend the afternoon at the Dragon Boat festival in Nanaimo. We didn't actually watch that much of the dragon boating though ... we mostly wandered along the docks, hung out at the playground, and ate festival food. The kids even managed to jump in the bouncy castle post-lunch with no tummy troubles (we were seriously skeptical!). What a great way to spend a very hot and sunny Sunday afternoon! We refreshed ourselves with real fruit popsicles when we got back. SO good. Mak thought so too (this pic is on Sully's camera ... ); vacation apparently means Maklin can have popsicles too!! (thank goodness for the travel size Sunlight bar to remove the raspberry drips!) Maki had a great day ... the heat and the fresh air meant easily into bed for a big sleep!
This morning we went for a wee hike into the forest to see the Elder Cedar:
Today is the halfway point of our holiday. Hard to believe … it seems like it’s going by so fast! We walked through the woods with the Reids this afternoon to a quiet little beach spot. River was the only one brave enough to get in the water though! Still … the view from the beach was awesome … we had a great time exploring, sunning, and chatting.
(And yes ... it randomly switched to left alignment all by itself).
We walked back all along the beach. We walked; Maklin napped:
A great few days of QT with the fam.
Tomorrow morning -- Vancouver-ho, and in good spirits. Justin thinks it's good therapy for me to be blogging: "it's a good outlet. It's good that you're writing about your anger." Punk.
This morning we went for a wee hike into the forest to see the Elder Cedar:
(This blog is stupid btw ... it should not be this difficult. It is VERY finicky re publishing pictures, alignment etc ... good thing I'm on a relaxing vacation cuz I tend to curse when trying to post this blog!! Apparently the text will just have to be centered from now on ... it refuses to change! I suppose the pictures will just have to go wherever they want!!)
Maki was equally interested in the forest surroundings and my ponytail that was bobbing just far enough ahead of his face that he had to really work at grabbing onto it. He did succeed a few times though!
Today is the halfway point of our holiday. Hard to believe … it seems like it’s going by so fast! We walked through the woods with the Reids this afternoon to a quiet little beach spot. River was the only one brave enough to get in the water though! Still … the view from the beach was awesome … we had a great time exploring, sunning, and chatting.
We walked back all along the beach. We walked; Maklin napped:
After a tour of the quarry (great work Dallas -- the lot looks fantastic!! What is finished rocks (HA!) and the potential is amazing! Menno -- we thought you'd enjoy this photo opp:
Our last supper together, we ate together at the B&B. I was pleased to find that Robyn was equally annoyed by the piercing ding of our microwave! (Justin feels the microwave has brought out my inner rage ...) It's not the newest machine ... in fact, we considered holding frying pans in front ourselves as to not catch any stray radiation!! The Harvest Thyme wraps and pizza were totally worth it though!
We of course had to take/post this picture for Gramma K before we parted:
Tomorrow morning -- Vancouver-ho, and in good spirits. Justin thinks it's good therapy for me to be blogging: "it's a good outlet. It's good that you're writing about your anger." Punk.
See the Sea
Yay for Hyland's Homeopathic Motion Sickness - I've now been on 5 ferry rides motion sickness free. :) Justin calls them my placebo pills, but frankly, even if the effect is purely psychological ... totally worth it!
We scored on the ferry trip over as well ... Justin, being atypical when it comes to the male stereotype regarding asking for directions, asked the ship steward about transferring ferries so that we could be most efficient. Efficient indeed! Somehow we managed to be on the ferry that actually made the next route we wanted to take, so we didn't even have to get off ... just flip around and repark. Excellent!
We made it to Gabriola mid-afternoon and headed straight to Harvest Thyme to say hi to Robyn before getting set up at our B&B: Casa Blanca By The Sea (http://www.staygabriola.com/): a spacious (as in the size of our house) basement suite. Mak his own room, and there's lots of space for wiggling! The view is awesome:
We spent the evening having a picnic on the beach and swimming. Here's Justin and the kids in the water:
We scored on the ferry trip over as well ... Justin, being atypical when it comes to the male stereotype regarding asking for directions, asked the ship steward about transferring ferries so that we could be most efficient. Efficient indeed! Somehow we managed to be on the ferry that actually made the next route we wanted to take, so we didn't even have to get off ... just flip around and repark. Excellent!
We made it to Gabriola mid-afternoon and headed straight to Harvest Thyme to say hi to Robyn before getting set up at our B&B: Casa Blanca By The Sea (http://www.staygabriola.com/): a spacious (as in the size of our house) basement suite. Mak his own room, and there's lots of space for wiggling! The view is awesome:
We spent the evening having a picnic on the beach and swimming. Here's Justin and the kids in the water:
Roberts Creek pics
Maki in his swimmies - post-ocean dip.
We are now on Gabriola and having a great time. a Gab post to come soon ... right now ... off to the Elder-Cedar before naptime!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Foreshadowing
Last entry's title of 'Crabby' was of course in reference to the Justin going crabbing ... and I suppose also to my temperament as a result of motion sickness. However ... it seems the title also holds meaning of significance for our darling Maklin.
The last few days have been ... crabby.
Not sure whether there is a new tooth making it's way to the surface, a potential ear infection (much ear tugging), or the little furnace-boy suffering in this heat ... or possibly a combination of any or all of the above ... poor little man is not at his best anyway.
Now keep in mind of course that crabby Maklin is not so bad. He still smiles sometimes. And his general way of coping with upset is to take long naps. But I'm missing my sunshiney little man.
I've done my best to give him adequate quite time for napping (i.e read one whole book and am a good 300 pages into the next), and taking advantage of awake happy time to hit the beach and do fun things.
Yesterday we sat in the ocean (a little bit was ok but when the waves started coming in up to Maki's chest he was a little concerned!) Today we sat at the edge of the pier and snacked on Cheerios ... he was much more content to just watch the waves.
It's late and pictures aren't loading; perhaps another day.
Interesting side note: the cabin we rented for the week is owned by the parents of Naomi Klein, author of No Logo and Shock Doctrine ... and she just happened to be here when we were here. I didn't meet her, but Justin and Maklin did. A celebrity run-in in the middle of of nowhere on vacation. Thought it was worth a mention!
Justin is finished his course. Tomorrow morning we will pack up and say farewell to Roberts Creek. We're looking forward to a long weekend on Gabriola - the Reids are going to show us the sights!
The last few days have been ... crabby.
Not sure whether there is a new tooth making it's way to the surface, a potential ear infection (much ear tugging), or the little furnace-boy suffering in this heat ... or possibly a combination of any or all of the above ... poor little man is not at his best anyway.
Now keep in mind of course that crabby Maklin is not so bad. He still smiles sometimes. And his general way of coping with upset is to take long naps. But I'm missing my sunshiney little man.
I've done my best to give him adequate quite time for napping (i.e read one whole book and am a good 300 pages into the next), and taking advantage of awake happy time to hit the beach and do fun things.
Yesterday we sat in the ocean (a little bit was ok but when the waves started coming in up to Maki's chest he was a little concerned!) Today we sat at the edge of the pier and snacked on Cheerios ... he was much more content to just watch the waves.
It's late and pictures aren't loading; perhaps another day.
Interesting side note: the cabin we rented for the week is owned by the parents of Naomi Klein, author of No Logo and Shock Doctrine ... and she just happened to be here when we were here. I didn't meet her, but Justin and Maklin did. A celebrity run-in in the middle of of nowhere on vacation. Thought it was worth a mention!
Justin is finished his course. Tomorrow morning we will pack up and say farewell to Roberts Creek. We're looking forward to a long weekend on Gabriola - the Reids are going to show us the sights!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Crabby
We're settled in at Roberts Creek!
The ferry ride over was manageable ... but I was happy to get off. And ... when I went to the local IGA to stock up on groceries for us for the week, I popped over to the pharmacy and got some homeopathic medicine for motion sickness in anticipation of our three ferry trip on Saturday!!
We are staying on Beach Avenue, and can see the mountains and the ocean from our cabin if you peek through the trees! Our hosts have been gracious ... our first night here Michael took Justin out in the canoe to set crab traps. Just before dark, they went out to check the traps ... Justin came back pretty wet, whispering loudly (because Maklin was sleeping), "we almost DIED!" Before they headed out there were some big waves, but it wasn't windy, so Michael figured they were just waves from a passing cruise ship and they'd settle. Halfway out to the buoys, the wind was definitely up. White caps and waves splashing over the canoe. Manageable when they were facing them, but they had to turn around. They made it back safely thankfully!! Justin, always adventurous, headed out again in the morning, this time with success.
Fresh crab for supper!
Justin's course is going well, albeit a bit slower pace than in the past. Robert is helping him with a few additional projects though, so he's getting the most out of it, and still finishing in time to come and spend the evening with us.
Yesterday was a catch up day for Mak. He slept almost the entire day ... which meant that I read almost the entire day. Can't complain about that!! Plus, he's adjusted his routine to BC time, by sleeping more (what a smart kid!) Today we ran all along beach avenue and looked at all the houses, went to visit Daddy at school, and walked out to the end of the pier.
With a very basic kitchenette, we had grilled trout, fresh organic green beans, organic quinoa, and spinach salad with strawberries and avocado for supper. Yum.
It's going to be a great week! Tomorrow when we go to the pier I will take pictures of the view!
The ferry ride over was manageable ... but I was happy to get off. And ... when I went to the local IGA to stock up on groceries for us for the week, I popped over to the pharmacy and got some homeopathic medicine for motion sickness in anticipation of our three ferry trip on Saturday!!
We are staying on Beach Avenue, and can see the mountains and the ocean from our cabin if you peek through the trees! Our hosts have been gracious ... our first night here Michael took Justin out in the canoe to set crab traps. Just before dark, they went out to check the traps ... Justin came back pretty wet, whispering loudly (because Maklin was sleeping), "we almost DIED!" Before they headed out there were some big waves, but it wasn't windy, so Michael figured they were just waves from a passing cruise ship and they'd settle. Halfway out to the buoys, the wind was definitely up. White caps and waves splashing over the canoe. Manageable when they were facing them, but they had to turn around. They made it back safely thankfully!! Justin, always adventurous, headed out again in the morning, this time with success.
Fresh crab for supper!
Justin's course is going well, albeit a bit slower pace than in the past. Robert is helping him with a few additional projects though, so he's getting the most out of it, and still finishing in time to come and spend the evening with us.
Yesterday was a catch up day for Mak. He slept almost the entire day ... which meant that I read almost the entire day. Can't complain about that!! Plus, he's adjusted his routine to BC time, by sleeping more (what a smart kid!) Today we ran all along beach avenue and looked at all the houses, went to visit Daddy at school, and walked out to the end of the pier.
With a very basic kitchenette, we had grilled trout, fresh organic green beans, organic quinoa, and spinach salad with strawberries and avocado for supper. Yum.
It's going to be a great week! Tomorrow when we go to the pier I will take pictures of the view!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Cash Only
Made good time from Clearwater to Hope, arriving before lunch. We stopped at a soup&sandwich place … Mak ate his lunch, but put on a good show flirting with the grandmas as well. Fortunately we were prepared for the request of “cash only” when we were ready to leave.
(I’m writing this on the drive from Hope to Vancouver … winding single lane highway with a wicked view. Throughout the entry I’m including excerpts of Justin’s road rage). “You don’t have the 2.3 power Toyota … so don’t even pretend that you do.”
A few blocks from our B&B was (supposedly) a beautiful Japanese Friendship Garden – the pictures on the Internet were breathtaking. What we saw in person had fallen into a bit of disrepair however. I’m glad I hadn’t decided to save that as a surprise for Justin!!
Having planned out a significant number of details for the trip, a detail I neglected to nail down was the weather. I had expected our day in Hope … and therefore our Hope adventures … to involve warm sunny weather. Instead, moderate temperatures and overcast skies led to agenda adjustments. Yay for vacationing flexibility! Rather than hitting the beach, we went in search of a flashlight. “How does FIELDS stay in business?! And where the hell is the RONA.” “It’s right close by … just down there,” we kept being told. We never did find the RONA, but we did manage to equip ourselves with a flashlight. Good thing too, as it stayed securely tucked in our backpack for the rest of the day. An excellent $30 souvenir of our trip!
Maki singing in the backpack, we spent the afternoon wandering through the Othello Tunnels – accessed by going over the 'Rambo bridge' from Hope. Surprising, since it was apparently blown up in Rambo. The Tunnels were epic. Rough-hewn holes blown through the mountainside to make way for a CN rail line in the early 1900s. A path made to keep the rail-line Canadian. PHENOMENAL amount of labour with limited technology. AWEsome structures. We all really enjoyed it.
Mak truly embraced 'vacation' as he took some time on the side of the trail to 'smell the flowers.'
“Holy shit Malibu … are you crazy … the speed limit here is 80!”
We settled into our upstairs suite of a quaint Victorian-styled Heritage Home B&B (http://www.thebears-bb.com/), and wandered down the street for a lovely dinner. Tired Maklin was a trooper. Sully, you’ll be proud – despite being very tired, Maklin still showed impeccable manners in the restaurant (he only used his outside voice once!). We had a great meal … Maklin's fresh seasonal veggies were so tasty he had to fight Daddy for them!
We took our dessert to go so we could get wee man into bed. A lightening fast bath, and then nursing, the little man faded fast. He drifted off to sleep early, and slept late. All that outside time made for a sleepy boy!!!
“Stop friggin’ riding my ass!”After breakfast, we packed up to head out (we’re getting efficient at loading up). A little drama: Mama was showing Maklin the transition of her water becoming tea. Maklin managed to kick the top open a little (bad Mama) and we spilled some hot water on his leg. Just a scare though -- all is well!! Then, what do you know ... as we're checking out of the B&B ... cash only.
“Go … go … go …GO … Merge ... Go!”
Sleeping Accommodations: 4 poops in the potty
Shower: 4.5 poops in the potty
View/Surroundings: 4 poops in the potty
Breakfast: 3 poops on the potty
“Well … HERE’s a RONA!!”
(I’m writing this on the drive from Hope to Vancouver … winding single lane highway with a wicked view. Throughout the entry I’m including excerpts of Justin’s road rage). “You don’t have the 2.3 power Toyota … so don’t even pretend that you do.”
A few blocks from our B&B was (supposedly) a beautiful Japanese Friendship Garden – the pictures on the Internet were breathtaking. What we saw in person had fallen into a bit of disrepair however. I’m glad I hadn’t decided to save that as a surprise for Justin!!
Having planned out a significant number of details for the trip, a detail I neglected to nail down was the weather. I had expected our day in Hope … and therefore our Hope adventures … to involve warm sunny weather. Instead, moderate temperatures and overcast skies led to agenda adjustments. Yay for vacationing flexibility! Rather than hitting the beach, we went in search of a flashlight. “How does FIELDS stay in business?! And where the hell is the RONA.” “It’s right close by … just down there,” we kept being told. We never did find the RONA, but we did manage to equip ourselves with a flashlight. Good thing too, as it stayed securely tucked in our backpack for the rest of the day. An excellent $30 souvenir of our trip!
Maki singing in the backpack, we spent the afternoon wandering through the Othello Tunnels – accessed by going over the 'Rambo bridge' from Hope. Surprising, since it was apparently blown up in Rambo. The Tunnels were epic. Rough-hewn holes blown through the mountainside to make way for a CN rail line in the early 1900s. A path made to keep the rail-line Canadian. PHENOMENAL amount of labour with limited technology. AWEsome structures. We all really enjoyed it.
Mak truly embraced 'vacation' as he took some time on the side of the trail to 'smell the flowers.'
“Holy shit Malibu … are you crazy … the speed limit here is 80!”
We settled into our upstairs suite of a quaint Victorian-styled Heritage Home B&B (http://www.thebears-bb.com/), and wandered down the street for a lovely dinner. Tired Maklin was a trooper. Sully, you’ll be proud – despite being very tired, Maklin still showed impeccable manners in the restaurant (he only used his outside voice once!). We had a great meal … Maklin's fresh seasonal veggies were so tasty he had to fight Daddy for them!
We took our dessert to go so we could get wee man into bed. A lightening fast bath, and then nursing, the little man faded fast. He drifted off to sleep early, and slept late. All that outside time made for a sleepy boy!!!
“Stop friggin’ riding my ass!”After breakfast, we packed up to head out (we’re getting efficient at loading up). A little drama: Mama was showing Maklin the transition of her water becoming tea. Maklin managed to kick the top open a little (bad Mama) and we spilled some hot water on his leg. Just a scare though -- all is well!! Then, what do you know ... as we're checking out of the B&B ... cash only.
“Go … go … go …GO … Merge ... Go!”
Sleeping Accommodations: 4 poops in the potty
Shower: 4.5 poops in the potty
View/Surroundings: 4 poops in the potty
Breakfast: 3 poops on the potty
“Well … HERE’s a RONA!!”
Does Blah, blah, Vah every get old?
We are most definitely not in a hurry. A four hour drive from Hinton to Clearwater took us about 5 ½ hours. We stopped in Jasper to pick up lunch to-go at a little Bistro, and then lunched at a roadside turnout beside Moose Lake. The intention was for a nice lunch on the grass with a view. Instead, it was overcast and windy … and it was a paved rest area. The view was still decent though! Instead of picnicking, we ate in the car … there are SO many interesting things in the front seat of a car for an 8 month old: horn, buttons, knobs, e-brake … nonetheless, we managed to nurse and eat pureed sweet potatoes without incident, if a bit distracted at times. A short while later, we stopped at the Mount Robson Café and had some wiggle time in the grass there – yay for sunshine and wind cover!
We promised Mak we’d see interesting wildlife on the drive through the mountains. Three problems with this:
1) We’ve seen very little wildlife.
2) When we did pass a little baby black bear on the side of the highway … Mak was asleep.
3) By the time I said, “whoa! A baby black bear!” ... we had already zoomed past.
Mr. Maklin has already enjoyed all of the interesting things there are to enjoy strapped into a rear facing car seat. And so, chooses to sleep the majority of the time he’s in it. I think if he could speak, he’d be saying, “ Bor-ing!” Poor little neck …
We knew we weren’t headed to our nicest accommodations … it was alright. But as you see below, there were definitely more poopy diapers than poops on the potty for this place. Still, we were only in the room long enough for a shower and sleeping.
When we arrived in Clearwater, Justin picked up some supper for us while I fed Mak, then I strapped on the backpack and we went for a hike up to Spahat falls and across to the viewing spot for Clearwater Valley. Very pretty little hike. Spahat Falls is like a miniature Grand Canyon. And once again, Maklin thoroughly enjoyed backpack time … and outside time. He though the waterfall was cool too. Hence … blah, blah, blah never gets old!
We promised Mak we’d see interesting wildlife on the drive through the mountains. Three problems with this:
1) We’ve seen very little wildlife.
2) When we did pass a little baby black bear on the side of the highway … Mak was asleep.
3) By the time I said, “whoa! A baby black bear!” ... we had already zoomed past.
Mr. Maklin has already enjoyed all of the interesting things there are to enjoy strapped into a rear facing car seat. And so, chooses to sleep the majority of the time he’s in it. I think if he could speak, he’d be saying, “ Bor-ing!” Poor little neck …
We knew we weren’t headed to our nicest accommodations … it was alright. But as you see below, there were definitely more poopy diapers than poops on the potty for this place. Still, we were only in the room long enough for a shower and sleeping.
When we arrived in Clearwater, Justin picked up some supper for us while I fed Mak, then I strapped on the backpack and we went for a hike up to Spahat falls and across to the viewing spot for Clearwater Valley. Very pretty little hike. Spahat Falls is like a miniature Grand Canyon. And once again, Maklin thoroughly enjoyed backpack time … and outside time. He though the waterfall was cool too. Hence … blah, blah, blah never gets old!
Now on the road to Hope … enjoying tea and quasi-arguing about blog writing. “It’s not a term paper Devo! Not everything has to be clear and concise … we need to make it funny!”
Mmmmm tea …
Sleeping Accommodations: 2 poopy diapers
Shower: 3 poopy diapers
View/Surroundings: 3 poops on the potty
Breakfast: not provided
BLAH,blah, BLah, aBlah, Blah
First day of vacation and the family was excited.
We enjoyed the drive … Maklin enjoyed his nap, despite his head/neck being at a near 90 degree angle to his body. It concerns us a bit … potential spinal problems later in life?? We think it bothers us more than it bothers him.
Our first adventure: a wander around Hinton’s “Beaver Boardwalk” – a bit of nature right inside Hinton. A few km of paths/boardwalk through the trees and around/through a working beaver pond (sorry Tetsu … the perfect spot and we still didn’t see a beaver). That might be Mak’s fault though! Mak was enjoying the view from his perch in the MEC backpack (thanks Robyn & Dallas!). He loved it. Loved. It. The whole walk, smiling, giggling, and ‘talking’: “blah, blah, ah-blah, blah … bah … avah, vah … “ in his outside voice. If there were wildlife around, they were steering clear.
We all had a great sleep! 08:30 wake-up, Maklin opened his eyes – bing! – and was instantly very awake and excited! “What are we doing today!?!”
Breakfast, packed-up, and on the road. A glance at the baby in the back seat – my neck hurts just looking at him. Next stop: Clearwater.
**For each place we stay, we will rank Sleeping Accommodations, Shower, View/Surroundings and Breakfast on a sliding scale from 5 poopy diapers up to 5 poops on the potty.** As an aside, according to spell check, ‘poopy’ isn’t a word. But of course, we all know that it is …
Sleeping Accommodations: 4 poops on the potty
Shower: 3 poops on the potty
View/Surroundings: 5 poops on the potty
Breakfast: 1.5 poops on the potty
We enjoyed the drive … Maklin enjoyed his nap, despite his head/neck being at a near 90 degree angle to his body. It concerns us a bit … potential spinal problems later in life?? We think it bothers us more than it bothers him.
Late afternoon, we arrived at the Old Entrance Bed & Breakfast, just past Hinton. Very cool. A picturesque spot literally right on the Athabasca River. Our guest suite the basement of a 1914 renovated CN Rail Station. The B&B had a number of cabins, teepees, and camping spots available as well. Our hosts: Mary, Caroline, Sunnyboy (golden lab), and Asparagus (parrot who hates babies). Nice. Thankfully, he was on a leash!! Maklin and Sunnyboy hit it off though … we’ll definitely have a dog one day.
Our first adventure: a wander around Hinton’s “Beaver Boardwalk” – a bit of nature right inside Hinton. A few km of paths/boardwalk through the trees and around/through a working beaver pond (sorry Tetsu … the perfect spot and we still didn’t see a beaver). That might be Mak’s fault though! Mak was enjoying the view from his perch in the MEC backpack (thanks Robyn & Dallas!). He loved it. Loved. It. The whole walk, smiling, giggling, and ‘talking’: “blah, blah, ah-blah, blah … bah … avah, vah … “ in his outside voice. If there were wildlife around, they were steering clear.
We all had a great sleep! 08:30 wake-up, Maklin opened his eyes – bing! – and was instantly very awake and excited! “What are we doing today!?!”
Breakfast, packed-up, and on the road. A glance at the baby in the back seat – my neck hurts just looking at him. Next stop: Clearwater.
**For each place we stay, we will rank Sleeping Accommodations, Shower, View/Surroundings and Breakfast on a sliding scale from 5 poopy diapers up to 5 poops on the potty.** As an aside, according to spell check, ‘poopy’ isn’t a word. But of course, we all know that it is …
Sleeping Accommodations: 4 poops on the potty
Shower: 3 poops on the potty
View/Surroundings: 5 poops on the potty
Breakfast: 1.5 poops on the potty
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