Vancouver 2026--Day 2!

Okay, peeps.

Day 2 of Vancouver involved a whole lot of food--and water!

Specifically, a morning spent eating, drinking and shopping our way through Granville Public Market. 

Then, a fantastic, whale-watching tour in the afternoon!

How cute were these Canadian maple leaf cookies?

We seriously did eat our way through the market. So many fun food items to try--and so many desserts! Plus, the hubby hunted down a GF/Vegan bakery for himself already in the morning, so we were all very well-fed before we tooled around for some shopping.

The girlies and I happened upon this very dangerous shop that was nothing but beads, beads, beads! You could literally walk around with a tray and build pretty much anything your heart conjured. Chicklet assembled the loveliest, beaded bookmark (so perfect for her!) and Chicklet made a beautiful, gradient-colored bracelet.

When I say we could have spent hours in there, I really do mean hours. We're lucky we made it out in a rushed 45 minutes before our tour! I overheard one employee taking down information for a birthday party event to be held there, and I imagined what fun that would be. :)

After a ton of wandering and souvenir shopping, we headed nearby for our afternoon boat adventure! (What a fun pun of a name, yes?)

It was a four-hour excursion in the hopes of sighting orcas, sea lions, and...humpback whales!

Believe it or not, the orcas are the hardest to find, but they are meticulously tracked as critically endangered species, and the crew on board included three naturalists who were so knowledgeable regarding these magnificent sea creatures.

The morning excursion wasn't fortunate enough to find the orcas, but...we did!

There were three, actually. A mother named Sabine, a daughter named Strix, and a calf born in 2024 named Sabine. The naturalists on board were able to help us identify the specific orcas based on markings from their fins. Researchers catalogue them so specifically, they know there are 411 transient orcas in the area, and 74 resident (a whole distinction we learned all about).

It was so incredible to watch the horizon and wait for the exhalation from the blow hole to try and figure out where they might surface next. A whole boat of people just watching and waiting and trying to sight something from a distance! Some came prepared with binoculars, and, of course, the boat was staffed with specific crew members with long lenses meant to capture the sightings and share the best of the best photos with us. So wonderful.

We were also fortunate enough to spot sea lions on a rock island they love to lounge on, but...my favorite portion of the whole excursion was the Humpback Whale sighting!

It was pretty majestic to see these creatures--from a closer distance than the orcas. Because Humpback Whales do not possess sonar, there is a danger of vessel collisions, so at one point, the captain full-on turned off the engine so we could sight the creatures in absolute silence and peace--which only magnified the sound of the exhalation before they surfaced. It was beautiful to watch them over such distance and then wait as they performed deep dives to feed--the type of dives that send their tails up in the air in the way that us humans always envision. So beautiful.

Okay, now...tons of pics from start to finish!

As a side note, Little Man has done a fantastic job of powering on with our trip, despite his recent illness. But the recovery from germs couple with late nights and early mornings definitely led to a nap or two on board.

At first, I worried it was a bummer he was sleeping through some of the parts where we were cruising full-steam ahead and not actively sighting these mammals, but, then...I noticed about half the boat--mostly adults--seemed to nod off at some point. Something about the white noise, the lulling of the boat, and the warm air but soothing breeze. 

I also didn't mind too terribly much when Chicklet actively spent a decent portion of our voyage with her nose in a book. It's not the worst thing in the world for her to spend her vacay indulging in one of her favorite pastimes, amiright?

And, now, some pics from the on board crew photographer:

We had another adventure today--our last in Vancouver--so more on that, tomorrow! Until then...happy Wednesday, peeps.

Over and out.

Vancouver 2026--Day 1!

Okay, peeps.

We're off on an adventure!

A summer adventure!

Somewhere cooler (well, a tiny bit cooler for now; a lotta bit cooler later in the week)!

CANADA!

Fun fact: the hubby and kiddos have never been, and it's been more years than I care to admit since I've traveled up this way--and even so, it was to different cities and provinces for work, so...it's a fantastic, new adventure for all of us!

It's no secret that we're Colorado in Summer peeps, so Canada seemed like a fantastic extension of so much that we love: mountains, cooler temps, majestic scenery and...nice people, eh? ;)

Anywho.

We're spending a few days here in Vancouver, then a few in Whistler, and we're very grateful for some time away!

By the time we make it home, July will be upon us, and it's just wild to me how fast the Summer seems to be flying by (as usual). Moreover, we're so much busier in June/July than we used to be, so time away together is more important than ever. 

Unfortunately, we headed into the trip a bit worse for wear, with the whole fam (except Yours Truly) falling ill in recent weeks. Little Man was the last to tank. His fever had barely broken by the time we had to travel, but I'm not mad at it, considering the fact that it led the hubby to upgrade our travel to Business Class, and let me just say that we're all ruined now, forever.

Our crew enjoyed the special lounge and the bougie airplane seats and service far more than I'm willing to admit, but it gave us more room for our germs and more comfort for our weary bodies.

I could tell my son was feeling much better--due to an increase in mischief and word count, ha. That face of his...I die.

Seriously--it might be placebo effect, but I swear my extreme flight anxiety was lessened up there in the fancy seats with the warm towels and assorted, warm nuts, ha. Plus, I had the sweetest, 16-year-old miniature poodle in a carrier beneath the seat next to me, and it was the best distraction.

The kiddos took full advantage of the special flight service. At one point, I counted a bowl of nuts, two chip bags, two pieces of actual glass stemware and two water bottles...on Chicklet's expansive tray table, alone, ha. 

Oh, well. I hope they lived it up, since it probably won't ever happen again!

We rented a house in a lovely location here in Vancouver so we could spread out a bit and have a washer and dryer. I'm happy to report that it's exactly as advertised.

With our flight landing midday, and our next priority being food, we only had time for one activity on Day 1, but it was a top-notch one: Vancouver's iconic Capilano Suspension Bridge & Park.

I'm sorry to report that my extreme height anxiety (yep: flight and height anxiety) meant I couldn't cross. I suspected as much, beforehand. The rocking of the bridge and the insane height and distance across was just too much for me.

But, I gladly sent the hubby and kiddos across and blessed them in their Treetop Adventure excursion on the other side. 

Meanwhile, I spent a lot of time feeling lame and then giving myself an attitude adjustment and appreciating my gorgeous surroundings--plus taking pics of flowers and scenery--while I waited on them to return.

And, return, they did!

Eventually, after spending a lot of time contemplating the extreme regret I'd feel if I didn't at least try one more time on the bridge...I ventured out just a bit, thanks to Chica's kind support, and the calmer vibe with less people on it (and rocking it!). The perspective of the picture doesn't exactly show this, but the bridge is too wide for you to hold both sides at once (because it's two way traffic of people; the horror!), or I would have clutched both sides!!

We spent a bunch of time in the really great gift shop, the kiddos and the hubby ventured out onto another thrill walk--the Cliffwalk--and we topped the whole thing off with the most glorious salmon burger (though, to be fair, I think it was my first salmon burger?!).

Then...proof of bridge certificates, ha.

By the time we made it home, got showered, settled and wound down for the night, it was nearly one o'clock in the morning according to our body clocks, and after a four-thirty, pre-dawn wake-up for our flight that morning, we were pretty cashed!

But we barreled right into a successful Day 2 (today!) that I'll share tomorrow, since it's likely I'll trend a day or two behind with posting.

Anywho...

Grateful to be away.

Grateful for many days ahead of us.

And...grateful for the pillow my head is about to hit!

More mañana, peeps!

Over and out.

P.S. I miss my Coda pup. Wish she were with us!