On our way out to the San Juan islands, we saw lots of seals soaking up the rare Canadian sunshine.
Whales! We found the resident group of Orcas called J-pod. They were herding salmon and feeding all morning, swimming back and forth along the shoreline. By law, we weren't allowed to get too close, so the pictures are a little vague unless you enlarge them....
We even saw a few spy hopping!
After our morning on the boat, we drove to Granville Island and toured the market. It was really crowded since the weather was so nice, but Mom and I lucked out and found a parking spot near the shops.
Even hundreds of miles away, I'm reminded of home via Kettle Chips! These are our Bakes translated into French!
The stall that sold them also had bulk flours and grains for sale.
My favorite: cured meats! I bought two different types of speck ham to bring home.
A sweet shop...we got the most delicious chocolates at another stand...
Beautiful produce...
Outside the market, there was a totem pole workshop. They make designs into stencils, then transfer the design onto a pole.
They then start carving according to the original drawing.
The next day, we were off to the Vancouver Aquarium and met up with some family before starting our tour.
At the aquarium, there was a fantastic Amazon exhibit, complete with exotic birds and butterflies. As you walked through the exhibit, butterflies flitted around your head and sometimes landed on you. It was amazing!
At noon, we headed toward a different area of Stanely Park and had lunch at the Teahouse.
I had clam vongole...
and Mom had a seared tuna salad; both were amazing!
We sat outside during lunch since the weather was superb and enjoyed the gorgeous view.
After lunch, Mom wanted to take the Horse and Carriage tour through the park. This is a great way to see the park if you don't have a lot of time for wandering. Here we are stopped at the Totem Pole park. One of these poles is a funeral pole and has the ashes of a chief inside!
Pepper and Mattie, our couriers...
After Stanley Park, we were off again towards downtown Vancouver! We ended up in Gastown while waiting for some dinner reservations. We did some shopping and got some really wonderful souviniers. This shop was full of native artwork. The statues and masks were amazing, but eh, a little out of my budget. I got some silver Orca earrings and a dream catcher for Matt instead...
We then went to a Charcuterie and Cheese tasting room called Salt in Blood Alley. They write their daily menu on a large chalkboard in the dining room. You can choose your own combination of cured meats, cheeses, and condiments. We had a great time listening to all the product descriptions and found some new favorites to start buying.
We arrived back at Rosemary's house around 7 and had a few hours of down time by the pool before we were off again to White Rock. Apparently, it's a local tradition to view American Independence Day fireworks from the Canadian side! The pebble beach was filled with onlookers and the fireworks display in Washington was spectacular!
We had a great time and are hoping to go back soon!
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