Entries about totem pole

Vancouver in the morning as seen from our windows.

We decided to take the "Hop On-Hop Off" bus. It was convenient because that way we wouldn't have to drive and park on our own.

Some sights from the bus. The coliseum-like building is the Vancouver Central Library.

We got off at Gastown, and ate at the Old Spaghetti Factory. This was not a "new thing" to try, but Daniel had eaten at Old Spaghetti Factory the last time he was in Vancouver, so it was tradition.

Some views around Gastown. Gastown is the older part of Vancouver, and has a lot of interesting shops and buildings.

The Olympic Torch from 2010.

More views from the bus.

Catherine loves all the hydrangeas in the area.

A hidden spot in the rainforest in Stanley Park. We saw someone disappear into the trees, and decided to see where they had gone. The rainforest is very impressive, especially the size of the trees (they're small compared to sequoias, but huge compared to everything else.

Around Stanley Park. We had a wonderful tour within the park, which was included with our pass for the Hop On-Hop Off.

Vancouver and the harbor from the park.

Totem poles in Stanley Park.

This statue is called "girl in wetsuit." At high tide, the water is up to her flipper.

Trying to take our own picture in the blinding sunlight.

Various buildings along the way. The office building is interesting because you can see each floor in detail.

Granville Island, and Granville Island Brewery, recommended to us by Michael was a nice afternoon stop.

At the brewery, we got some small samples and a cup of "hot nuts." They were hot as in warm, not as in spicy.

At home, Catherine always prefers that anyone cooking wear an apron. She has several aprons that she has picked out for herself. All of them are very feminine looking. This apron we got from the Granville Island Brewery is better. (Note the bottle opener and beer holder)

From Granville Island, we took an Aquabus back to our side of False Creek. It was a nice and convenient way to travel.

We tried a little diner called Templeton for dinner, since it was fairly late. Catherine had a BLT and Daniel had a grilled cheese with vegetables. The really interesting thing was cardamom coffee cake. This was unique and delicious.

Vancouver at night.

Our building at the end of a busy day. Tomorrow we are heading to Keremeos, in the Okanagan Valley. Tomorrow night will be our last night in Canada. We have had a great time in Vancouver, and would love to go back soon.

Our breakfast, a cake doughnut and one of Voodoo Doughnuts's famous bacon maple bars. They were delicious.

Succulent garden outside our door in Portland.

Powell's City of Books. A great way to spend several hours. We left with four of their million books (bringing them to a paltry 999,996), including one two hundred and two year old history book.

We didn't purchase this, but it would have fit in with Catherine's troll collection. How many readers knew about Catherine's troll collection? Please answer in the comments below.

Portlandia Activities book. Bird stencils to help "put a bird on it," conversation starters and stoppers, and many useful quizzes.

Kenny and Zuke's deli. We got latkes for today, and bagels for breakfast tomorrow.

The beautiful city of Portland. Not pictured here, but worth blogging about, was our trip to the Dr. Marten's store. Daniel got shoes for school, since it is important that his shoes be both sturdy and comfortable. The ones we got have a lifetime warranty, staying that the company will replace them whenever they wear out for the rest of the purchaser's life.

On the way from Portland to Seattle, we stopped in Olympia/ Tumwater. The houseboat that Daniel has been going to all his life is named the Olympia. The former brewery is large and abandoned. It's sort of sad to see something that was so clearly a huge part of the community and town completely gone.

Totem pole...?

A view of Seattle as we entered the city, and the house where we are staying.

We wanted to ride the Great Wheel, a Ferris wheel on the end of a pier. It was recommended to us for the great views of the city it provides. We put it in the GPS, and were directed to this container ship, near the corner of Diagonal and Marginal.

We found the wheel...

...got on...

...and enjoyed the views.

For some reason, Seattle seems to prefer "backwards diagonal parking." Catherine will not drive in Seattle for fear of having to park. She figures if she can't handle parallel parking, she doesn't even want to attempt this.

After trying a few places that had already closed their kitchens, we found Fadó Irish Pub. We were happy to have somewhere to eat. The picture shows a boxty quesadilla. (Boxty is an Irish potato pancake).

Seattle is a very beautiful city at night.

Before heading back to our room, we decided to go see the Space Needle. We called first, and found that the observation deck was open until midnight. It was eleven thirty when we parked across the street from the Space Needle. As we left our car, Catherine noticed a man standing near our car and looking in. We discussed it and decided that there was little we could do about it. However, rather than breaking in to our car, the man started following us ( or just walking towards the building like we were, but it seemed creepy in the dark). We walked quickly, hoping to take refuge in the Space Needle. Thankfully we soon noticed that he was not actually following us. Unfortunately, though the observation deck was still open, the ticket window closed at 11:30, making it impossible to go up. We have not decided yet whether we shall return tomorrow. Tomorrow we will explore Pikes Market, then head to Anacortes/ Orcas Island.