Pictures from Granville Island and Happy Mother’s Day!

Pictures from Granville Island and Happy Mother’s Day!

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Day 10: Vancouver, British Columbia

Today was another great day! We toured Granville Island. On our way there we saw a terrible car accident - a car went into a statue; it seemed horrible. When we got to Granville Island, our first stop was the public market, where I already felt like I wanted to buy everything. We then walked along the streets to the different artists stores. We stopped in front of a really cool 3D mural. Our typical park break came next, where Z ran around for a bit. By this time we were all hungry so we went back to the public market for some bagels. The Kid’s market was next… Oh my goodness you guys it is the best place ever!!! There were so many educational toys, I wanted to buy things for my girls, their friends and my students. I really had to hold back and didn’t buy anything. I did get a nice sun hat though, since my face burned yesterday and I don’t want that to happen again. The last cool store we went into was a broom shop. You read that right - a place where they make and sell brooms!

Z fell asleep in the car so Husband stayed with her as I went to the apartment with baby A. Z slept for over two hours 😝. My poor husband was stuck sitting in the car waiting while I watched a movie. We went for a walk with the dog after and picked up some delicious pizzas for dinner. We also stopped by a park (I should count the number of different parks we’ve played in - it’s a lot!). My friend M came over for dinner and we tried to get the girls to sleep a little bit earlier tonight.

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Picnic at Second Beach in Stanley Park

Day 9: Vancouver, British Columbia

What a beautiful day! It was nice and sunny and we enjoyed being outside for most of the day. First, we went to Second Beach for a picnic with our friends M&K.

We then walked along the sea wall and through Stanley Park. At one point, we tried to pay for parking from our phones and it wasn’t working so Husband ran back to the car while I continued with baby A on my back and pushing toddler Z in the stroller. It was tiring but rewarding. Z enjoyed the playground for a bit and then we headed back to our Airbnb.

We had dinner at M&K’s place, which is really nice! Turkey burgers, Caesar salad and ice cream were delicious and the little ones were relatively well-behaved (they didn’t break anything and didn’t throw tantrums!). They were super tired fell asleep easily… and I should also catch up on some sleep

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Day 8: Vancouver, British Columbia

We made it!!! 5143.2 km, three provinces and nine states later here we are in beautiful British Columbia.

We had an easy camping morning and headed out fairly early. We stopped once to use the bathroom and change diapers, but our goal was to be in Vancouver as early as possible to take advantage of the day. The border crossing was super easy and we arrived in Vancouver at around 12:30, just in time for lunch. We had a few hours to spare since our check in wasn’t until 3pm. We had lunch at a small place called Harvest Community Foods and then decided to walk around so the girls would nap. We are so lucky to be staying so close to the water! We walked close to the science place and then checked in to our Airbnb. The guy renting the place is very nice and the apartment is small but perfect for our stay! We then met with our good friends M&K for dinner on the patio at the Tap and Barrel. We had a corner couch seat that was just perfect to catch up, eat, drink and watch the sunset on. I can’t wait to discover more of this beautiful city!

Side note: Z still isn’t asleep and it’s 10pm - for those who know me well, you’ll know how exceptional this is, but being on vacation and not having a schedule is kind of awesome! I do hope she goes to sleep soon though!

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Best park ever and our camping setup

Best park ever and our camping setup

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Day 7: Lake Easton State Park, Washington

Today was both the best and worst day! I’d say our stops were the best so far, but the car ride was harder. You can tell it’s been seven days and everyone is getting the equivalent of cabin fever (car fever?).

We got up after our best sleep yet; camping sleep is the best! It was starting to drizzle so instead of a camping breakfast (oatmeal) we treated ourselves to Starbucks.

The first part of the trip actually went smoothly. If you’re wondering, here’s what we do in the car:
Listen to music
Listen to podcasts
Sing
Talk
Listen to stories
The girls play
Look for animals
Negotiate
Hand out snacks and eat them
Look for license plates
Look out the window
Tell Taco to sit
Play “I spy”

We stopped in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho for lunch at the most amazing park I’ve ever seen! There were different parts and the play structure was huge! And it was close to the water. We’ve also been very lucky with the weather and it was a great picnic.

The next leg of the trip was the worst! Both girls were due for a nap, A fell asleep but then something set Z off and she started screaming and woke A up. So they were both fussy for a while. They eventually fell asleep and it was ok after that. We had another time zone change which doesn’t help as it makes our days longer than they normally are, so we just keep driving and don’t realize instead of 3 or so hours it’s been 4 or so.

We found a nice state camping for the night, this is our third night of camping in a row! We’ve gotten really good at it. This campground is amazingly beautiful, calm and near a serene lake. Usually when we arrive, Husband sets up the tent and gets the camp stove started for dinner while I go to the park with the girls. Tonight I decided to switch things up and help start the fire for the camp stove. It went ok, but I don’t think I’d win in a Survivor fire challenge 😂

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