27 June, 2009

More Pictures!! Days 149 to 155

Hi there!  I'm procrastinating right now, so I thought I'd be useful and update my blog.  There are kitchen cupboards that need to be sanded (I HATE sanding!) and office work that needs to be done (not in the mood).  Oh well, I guess I'll get to it later!  Anyway, this is the last bunch of P365 pics from our trip and then we can get back to everyday life, such as that is!

Day 149 (May 29):
This was our last day in Portland.  In the morning we decided to go to the Children's Museum (I think museum is a misnomer...educated play is what I would call it!).  It was to give the boys a break from doing Mom and Dad kind of stuff and to let them just run free.  There was lots for them to do...train tracks, digging pits, water play areas...and a Bob the Builder display.  It was a traveling exhibit and there were giant versions of all the characters that the kids could go in (Rolly the Roller, Muck the dump truck etc.).  There were some learning stations, too, such as a "pump" that used air pressure to blow little blue plastic balls through the tubes to the spout.  The balls were one of Evan's favourite things...that and the little half sized stairs they had.  He could climb them like a big boy.  He loved to hold two balls and climb in and out of Wendy's caravan!  It was a bit busy with school kids in the morning but it was dead after lunch.  However, we still had to get to Seattle that day so we couldn't stay as long as the boys would have liked!

Day 150 (May 30):
Here is the Space Needle in Seattle.  I had a lot of great pictures from this day and it was hard to choose but I couldn't not have a picture of the Space Needle in my 365 and this is my favourite one.  The Seattle Centre is where the Space Needle is and there are rides and museums and other entertainment all in that area.  Our hotel was just a couple blocks away and there was a monorail that went from there to downtown Seattle so it was perfect!  We actually went to Pike Place Market on this day and Evan LOVED it!  So did I.  It was so busy and colourful and there was a music festival on so there were not only street musicians but also stage acts.  Evan was totally enthralled by the music and could have stayed there all day.  We went to the very first Starbucks and purchased our supper there.  We didn't get to see any fish flying as there seemed to be a lot of tourists so everyone was watching and no one was buying fish!  We also went up the Space Needle - you could see the mountains all around.  Apparently, they only average 90 clear days a year and only 50 where you can actually see the mountains, so we were very fortunate!  We also went to the Science Fiction museum, which Jason and Xander really enjoyed.  I did somewhat, too.  There was Star Wars and Star Trek and a bunch of other stuff I didn't know about!

Day 151 (May 31):
We went on a harbour boat tour in the morning (which DID NOT go over well with the boys).  Evan generally threw a fit and Xander freaked out because it was windy on the deck.  So, it was not too much fun.  However, I did get Xander out on the deck towards the end and he finally started to enjoy it.  We got to see huge shipping yards with big machines and boats so I think that helped.  In the afternoon we went to Seattle Children's Museum.  It was similar to the one in Portland but some different areas and different twists.  Again, the boys had a ton of fun.  This was Evan's favourite place.  It was in the "Global" area.  He found this wooden xylophone he could play and it was the only real smile we got all day!  He loved to play it and it had a really pretty sound.

Day 152 (June 1):
This was really just a travel day.  We didn't do much of anything.  This is the road out of Seattle.  We crossed the border back into Canada at one of the lesser used crossings by Abbottsford, B.C.  It wasn't very busy at all and since Jason was getting eager to get home, we decided not to do anything in Vancouver.  This saved us time and more big city driving.  We made it all the way to Salmon Arm, but the boys were done traveling around Kamploops.  This was the first time that I broke out the DVDs.  We used the laptop computer and let them watch shows from Kamloops to Salmon Arm.  I knew that if I didn't, Evan was pretty close to a melt-down.  I didn't want them to get used to having it all the time so I tried not to use it!

Day 153 (June 2):
We continued on our drive up through Roger's Pass and the Kicking Horse pass.  We did a little more stopping this time.  We stopped at the Last Spike monument (and a train went by - lucky for Jason).  Then we stopped at the Spiral Tunnel (this almost made my photo of the day because a train actually went through while we were there.  You could see the train cross over itself - too cool!)  It was a really good day for trains!  We went through Kicking Horse pass and it was fascinating.  They are twinning the highway there and we got to drive over the new 250 foot high bridge (you couldn't even tell it was that high).  They were also doing blasting and building up of land but we came just after a blasting had occurred.  Too bad for the boys - they would have thought it was cool!  There were tons of really big machines there - they were raising the land so they could build a highway on it (not a job for the faint of heart as that bulldozer pushed that crushed rock RIGHT to the edge!).  Xander was in heaven.  This was right up his alley and Jason and I enjoyed it, too.  After that (and realizing that mountain driving is no longer as bad as I remember it as a kid) we hit Lake Louise.  We went up to the chateau and took some pictures (that's the picture above).  The boys weren't too happy but we got a family pic because a gentlemen asked if he could take our picture.  Then, when he was done, he asked if we could return the favour.  It was kind of funny, because I would have done it without the buttering up!  It really is a beautiful place.  We didn't stop in Banff because, well, there's not much there (I've been there too much) and the boys had fallen asleep in the car.  So, we just went on to Calgary.

Day 154 (June 3):
I wanted to take the boys to Calaway Park but it was only open on the weekend (Xander would have LOVED it!)  I was bummed out when I found out but we went to Heritage Park instead.  I'd actually never been so it was interesting.  There were many interesting old buildings that we didn't go into because that wasn't fun for the boys.  There was a steam train and paddle boat and horse drawn wagons rides to go on.  They enjoyed those, mostly.  Evan fell asleep on the wagon ride!  They also have these vintage rides so the boys did get to go on some rides.  This one was Xander's favourite.  He really liked them.  The only one Evan was tall enough to go on was the carousel and he loved it.  In fact, when he realized he didn't get to go on this one, he was right mad!  It was a good day and we got to spend the evening with Jason's cousin Juliane, so that was fun, too.

Day 155 (June 4):
This was our drive home from Calgary to Regina day.  Boy, I've never realized it but that is the LONGEST, MOST BORING drive EVER!!!  There is absolutely nothing.  I was so bored.  We made it home in about 8 hours, including stopping for lunch for about 45 minutes, so that was pretty good.  The boys did really well.  I broke out the DVD for them when we reached this side of Swift Current.  (To be honest, I was hoping they'd start fussing sooner so I could put it on...it would then give me something to do and listen to, too!)  There wasn't much for pictures so this is Evan, getting his diaper changed.  If there were no change tables, or the bathroom was gross, we'd just change it on the front seat of the car!  We used to do it all the time when we went on vacation with a baby Xander.  It was good to be home again.  That brings us to the end of our trip.  It was a wonderful trip and we would love to go out there again, someday!  Now, it'll be on to the regular, more mundane pictures.  First, I have to get them ready, though!

I should be starting supper so I guess I'll go.

Until next time...

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