April, 2010
A trip by Daniel, Becky and Gil. This was a long-overdue trip to visit our Aunt Ruth in Vancouver. After Vancouver, we'd take the ferry to Vancouver Island, and return via the San Juan Islands before dropping back down to Seattle.
Washington
Gil and Becky drove north in their Honda Element and picked me up at SeaTac airport before crossing the border at Sumas and then driving on to Vancouver.
British Colombia
We spent the first two nights in Ruth's wonderful condominium just off the water--what a gorgeous location.
The harbor near Granville Island.
These water-bug taxis worked very well.
Vancouver's main library.
The steam-clock in old Gastown.
A Carnegie Library.
We happened on some sort of international cheerleading competition.
This once held the Olympic flame. It was being moved to this new location.
Ruth walked to a nearby fish-and-chips takeout and brought back a terrific dinner.
A very large bald eagle nest in Vanier Park (the stop signs are ART).
We drove north out of the city to catch the ferry to Vancouver Island.
Driving south to Victoria--but first, a stop for coffee.
Garmin pointed the way.
Victoria, B.C.
The slippers were provided by the hotel.
The Royal B.C. Museum.
A few details from Thunderbird Park.
Becky and I intended to take a short sightseeing flight on a floatplane. Their normal airplane for this (a DH Beaver) wasn't available so we were offered a round trip flight to Vancouver on this Twin Otter for the same price.
The Empress Hotel (was not where we stayed).
Doug, a fellow-motorcyclist and good friend of Becky and Gil.
Walking through the Chinatown section of Victoria.
“Had we a place to stand upon we might raise the world."
-Archimedes
We drove north to Sidney to catch the ferry to San Juan Island.
Washington
We stayed in Friday Harbor (on San Juan Island). Becky and Gil drove north to the National Historical Park while I walked south to the suspected town of Argyle and beyond. Of course, while the name showed on the GPS, Argyle no longer exists.
This is the other half of the National Historical Park. The north unit is English Camp while the south unit is American Camp. These camps were in use during an obscure episode that resulted in the final establishment of the U.S. national boundary in the northwest.
Red fox! Black fox!
Foxes turned out to be surprisingly common in this area. I don't trust them...
The ferry to Anacortes on the mainland.
Walking on the grounds of the 1962 Seattle World's Fair.
The view from the Space Needle on this exceptionally clear day.
It takes a lot of bolts to keep the tower on the ground and pointing up. This is but one of them.
The monorail continues to carry passengers all these years later. It may no longer look like the future, but it works very well.
The Experience Music Project. We weren't too far from this unusual building, so you'll see several photographs of it.
The Pike Street Market.
A rapidly swimming sea lion. Amazing agility.
Yes; the fourth floor is red. Very.
It's a long spiral down, so the stacks are each standing on a slight wedge to keep things vertical.
Walking downtown.
Back to Experience Music Project.
The new headquarters for the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation is going up near our hotel. I also stopped at a nearby Ducati dealership. I passed on this $25,000 model.
The new SoundTransit is a very handy train that takes you from downtown Seattle to the SeaTac airport.
