Vancouver, British Columbia
To celebrate our 6th Anniversary, after studying various options, we decided that Vancouver would be a great place to do so.
Vancouver is a coastal city and major seaport located in the Lower Mainland of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is the largest city in both British Columbia and Western Canada. Vancouver is named after Captain George Vancouver, a British explorer. The name Vancouver itself originates from the Dutch "van Coevorden", denoting somebody from (in Dutch: "van") Coevorden, an old city in The Netherlands.
For this trip, we decided to do a road trip. It sounded like fun, but we did not know what to expect traveling such a long distance (almost a 1,000 miles) with a 15-month old.
Our road trip started at 5:00 AM on Saturday, May 15th, 2009. Eleni woke up for the first hour of the trip and went back to sleep for another couple hours.
After driving over 500 miles, we decided to look for a place where Eleni could run around for a couple hours, so we stopped in Coburg, Oregon and found a park for Eleni to run around. 
Coburg is located in the beautiful Willamette Valley, amidst the rolling Coburg Hills and the serene Oregon Farmland.
Mom and daughter discussing the properties of pine cones.
Eleni had a blast playing in the park and watching the other bigger kids play around her.
While Eleni was playing at the park, I decided to go and fill up the gas tank and get lunch.
Eleni really enjoyed her Ritz crackers. After spending about two hours in Corbug, it was time for us to continue our journey. Our next and final stop of the day was Portland.
We arrived to Portland around 5:30 PM. We checked in to our hotel for the night, Oxford Suites. The hotel and suite were very clean. After having a complimentary beer at the hotel, we went to Bj's Restaurant for dinner and a couple more beers.http://www.oxfordsuitesportland.com/
http://www.bjsrestaurants.com/locations.aspx?qst=or
After Enjoying breakfast at the hotel and taking a shower, we continued our journey to Vancouver at 10:15 AM.
We arrived to our final destination in Vancouver at around 6:00 PM. The condominium that we rented was located right in downtown Vancouver, in the Yaletown neighborhood.
Yaletown is an area of Downtown Vancouver approximately bordered by False Creek , Robson, and Homer Streets. Formerly a heavy industrial area dominated by warehouses and rail yards, since the 1986 World's Fair, it has been transformed into one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the city. The marinas, parks, high rise apartment blocks, and converted heritage buildings constitute one of the most significant urban regeneration projects in North America.
Our condominium was located in the 40th floor. The building is the second high riser on the left side of the picture.http://www.vrbo.com/231574
The condo was very clean, and it had everything needed for a comfortable vacation. We were happy to call this place home for the next 9 days.
Eleni hanging out in the living room.
The master bedroom had a nice and comfortable bed. The master bathroom had a great big tub and walk-in closet.
There was access to the balcony from the master bedroom.
Second bedroom, Eleni's bedroom, had a comfortable bed, and a great view of False Creek.
Eleni decided that she needed her pack n play to sleep in; she was concerned rolling off the bed.
Magnificent views of Yaletown and False Creek from the balcony.
The view of the mountains to the north was excellent. The following pictures depict what we looked at while enjoying our morning coffee, early afternoon beer or night time wine glass.
False Creek is a short inlet in the heart of Vancouver. It separates downtown from the rest of the city. The Science World is located at its eastern end and the Burrard Street Bridge crosses its western end.
Eleni checking out the kids playing at the park across the street.
For our anniversary dinner, we had stir-fry chicken with Asparagus.
Eleni was getting a little impatient. She wanted her food.
Sara's best friend, Jenny, and Jaquelin joined us for our anniversary dinner.
After cleaning up our plates, we were ready to enjoy dessert.
The next morning with took some time to enjoy our balcony.
Shortly after locating Costco in downtown Vancouver, we headed there to get our supplies for the week. I was impressed with the more diverse selection of meats, desserts and cheeses than our Costcos in the USA.
The General Motors Place, Vancouver Canucks' home, is right across from Costco. General Motors Place, commonly known as GM Place and nicknamed The Garage, is an indoor sports arena located in Downtown Vancouver. The arena seats 18,630 for ice hockey.
Harbour Centre is a notable skyscraper in the central business district. The "Lookout" tower atop the office building is a prominent landmark on the city's skyline. With its 360 degree viewing deck, it also serves as a top tourist attraction.
TELUS World of Science is located at the end of False Creek; it features many permanent interactive exhibits and displays, as well as areas with varying topics throughout the years. 
David Lam Park is in the heart of Yaletown. People come here to play tennis, basketball, soccer, exercise, bring the kids to the playgrounds or just hang out. The park is located right across from the building we were staying at.
One great feature all over Vancouver's parks is the designed paths for walking and biking.
Eleni enjoying one of David Lam Park's playgrounds.
Eleni back in the condo.
"Please let me out!!!!!!!!!!"
Due to the wonderful views, we decided to eat in most of the time. Plus, the other advantage of eating in was the cost savings.
In this occasion, we had pork chops with Greek salad.
We degusted our meal with a nice bottle of a local grown bottle of wine, a 2006 Mt. Boucherie Pinot Noir.
For dessert we had strawberry-rhubarb pie with a glass of V. Sattui Madeira. V. Sattui Madeira is one of my top choices for dessert wine. It is solera-made, wood-aged and fortified with brandy, wine. The wine is sweet with flavors of almonds, caramel and toffee. It ressembles a 20-year-old Tawny Port.
The following day, we got ready and headed for a walk alongside the Seawall to explore some areas of our neighborhood.
The Seawall is a gorgeous piece of urban infrastructure that is well-paved, meandering path that follows the coast line from downtown all the way to Point Grey. 
Taking a walk or bike tour along the Seawall is the perfect way to view many of the city's most popular landmarks and attractions, such as Granville Island.
To get to Granville Island, we need to take tha Aquabus. Vancouver's downtown neighborhoods, parks and other attractions are all withing walking distance of an Aquabus ferry dock.
Rain or shine, the rainbow-coloured Aquabus Ferries continuously criss-cross Vancouver's scenic False Creek, carrying both foot passengers and cyclists.
It is a great way to relax and enjoy the city scenery, as well as travel quickly across the Straight.
Granville Island Public Market: over one hundred permanent and temporary vendors sell a variety of food and crafts in the market buildings. Hours of operation are 9:00am to 7:00pm, seven days per week, except Christmas and New Years.
Granville Island is a small island and shopping district. The island is now more or less connected with the mainland so it is not technically an island. Even thou, Granville Island Public Market is a major tourist attraction, many locals come here to buy their groceries.
The Granville Island Public Market is Vancouver’s hub of epicurean delight. The Public Market provides the very best of fresh food. It is a great source of local produce, homemade products and unusual ingredients for exotic recipes. You will find displays of fresh Coho salmon and giant prawns on beds of ice, and at the next shop, you will find fresh meats along with exotic marinated meats. 
Here you will find an exotic array of crisp, garden-fresh produce which overflows each vendor’s stall.
Fresh local flowers.
The choices vary from luscious berries in season, to delicate Japanese eggplant.
Ham choices can be overwhelming if you have no idea what to order.
And of course, you will find an array of delicious cheeses from around the world. 
You will enjoy the scent of just-from-the-oven pasties and breads mixing with the aroma of freshly roasted coffee.
We stopped for a few minutes at The Granville Island Kids Market which is a shopping center for kids. There are puppet and kite stores and several toy stores featuring european or handmade toys.
There is also a play or climbing area that is a great option for letting the kids expend some excess energy or entertain themselves.
Eleni was not thrilled.
Eleni enjoyed more walking alongside the Seawall.
We stopped at the Granville Island Brewery food stand for lunch. We ordered some fish and chips and a couple salmon tacos. The salmon tacos were amazing.
Right next to the food stand, you will find the Government Fish Dock where you can buy fresh salmon in season (summer and early fall), prawns, scallops, and other shellfish much of the rest of the year. Hours and availability depend on the catch.
After our meal, we continue walking down the Seawall.
I could not believe how much Eleni was enjoying this stroll by the water where she could see countless numbers of birds or "ducks" (any bird to Eleni is a "duck").
Burrard Bridge was built in 1927. The Burrard Bridge is an elegant steel span with two castles guarding the approaches at either end.
Many older wooden boats find shelterat the Heritage Harbour, including the seiner BCP45 shown on the back of the old Canadian $5 bill.
Auntie Jenny and Eleni were really enjoying each others company.
Trying my "Blue Steel" look.
"We are a happy family; we are a happy family; me, mom and daddy."The Ramones
Maritime Museum houses the little ship that finally found the Northwest Passage, the seagoing shortcut to the riches of the East which was the quest of every European explorer. Out back of the museum, you will find junk on the lawn that comes from various ships wrecked on the B.C. coast.
Fresco on the Maritime Museam sidewall.
The Totem Pole next to the Maritime Museum was carved by the exceptional Kwakiutl carver Mungo Martin. An identical pole was presented to Queen Elizabeth in 1958 to mark B.C.'s centenary. It now stands in Windsor Great Park in England.
There are 10 figures on this 30m-tall (98-ft.) pole. Each figure represent an ancestor of the 10 Kwakiutl clans.
Eleni finally took a nap (Eleni is not well-known for taking naps while being out and about).
After her short nap, Eleni was ready to enjoy the ride back on the Aquabus. She loves riding boats.
Eleni reading one of her Plaza Sesamo books.
After such a nice and long walk, we treated ourselves to a nice home-cook dinner.
In this ocassion, we had filet mignon with asparagus and zucchini along with a nice glass of Malbec wine.
In the morning, we had an egg and ham sandwich with a side of cherries while enjoying the fresh early morning breeze. The sun was out by 5:45 AM.
Over breakfast, we decided that Eleni may enjoy a trip to Vancouver Aquarium.
The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre is a public aquarium located in Stanley Park. The aquarium is run by a self-supporting non-profit organization. The operation of the aquarium receives no government funding. The Aquarium features Beluga whales, rainforest birds, dolphins, air breathing fish and giant snakeshttp://www.vanaqua.org/home/
In addition to being a major tourist attraction for Vancouver, the aquarium is a center for marine research.
"Finding Nemo."
The Vancouver Aquarium is one of North America's largest and best; the aquarium houses more than 8,000 marine species.
Sara displaying her picture taking talents.
Aquarium research projects extend world-wide, and include marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation.
Human-size freshwater fish inhabit the Amazon rainforest gallery.
Eleni enjoying a pastrami sandwich while taking a break.
The Vancouver Aquarium claims to be the first facility to incorporate professional naturalists into the galleries to interpret animal behaviours.
Eleni loved this beautiful "duck" show. She kept pointing at the eagle and yelling "duck, duck."
During regularly scheduled shows, the aquarium staff explains marine mammal behavior while working with these impressive creatures.
Eleni is captivated by the dolphin show.
The Beluga or White Whale is an Arctic mammal that is commonly referred to simply the Sea Canary due to its high-pitched twitter. It is up to 15 ft in length and an unmistakable all white color with a distinctive protuberance on the head. (Baby Belugas are grey, but as they get older the become all white).
I loved the jellyfish displays.
Clownfish Cove is an educational play area where kids can play with other kids surrounded by water tanks with small fish and other sea creatures.
We spent a few hours at the aquarium, and we highly recommend it for anybody with kids that visits Vancouver. Even "kidless" people will enjoy it.
Before putting Eleni in the car seat, we let her run around in Stanley Park.
Stanley Park is a 1,000 acre urban park. It was opened in 1888 by Lord Stanley Of Preston. It is more than 10% larger than New York City's Central Park.
Sara getting her camera ready for the next photo shoot.
Stanley park attracts an estimated eight million visitors every year, including locals and tourists, who come for its recreational facilities and its natural attributes.
A 5.5 mi seawall path circles the park, which is used by 2.5 million pedestrians, cyclists, and inline skaters every year.
Sara and Eleni posing under The Lions Gate Bridge, a suspension bridge that connects Downtown Vancouver to North Vancouver and West Vancouver. The worst part is that during rush hour if you are trying to get to downtown, 5 lanes of traffic will merge into one causing a mayor traffic bottleneck.
After the visit to the Aquarium and a short stroll in Stanley Park, Eleni wanted to watch auntie Jenny's softball game.
Eleni enjoying the game while snacking. A true baseball (softball in this case) fan.
Auntie Jenny hits a rbi single that gave her team a 1-0 lead.
Eleni is enjoying watching auntie Jenny destroy the other team.
Then a dog showed up, so Eleni's interest in the game completely disappeared.
We took the opportunity to take a picture with the MVP of the game.
After a long and exciting game, we ended the day with pizza, Greek salad and Pacifico** beer at our balcony.
**A six pack of beer in Vancouver costs around $15.00 dollars, even Budweiser.
The following morning, we started the day with a hearty breakfast, steak and eggs. We jumped in the car and headed to Whistler.
Whistler is a resort town approximately 78 miles north of Vancouver. Over two million people visit Whistler annually, primarily for alpine skiing and mountain biking at Whistler-Blackcomb. The village has won numerous design awards, and Whistler has been voted among the top destinations in North America by major ski magazines since the mid-1990s.
Whistler is the Host Mountain Resort of the Vancouver 2010 winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, the first time the IOC has bestowed that designation on a community. Whistler will host the alpine technical and speed events, the sliding events, the Nordic events.
Whistler Town Plaza is being considered to hold the Olympic medal ceremonies instead of having the ceremonies at the competition sites.
Whistler Town Plaza is a nice strip in the village sided by hotels, restaurants and shops.
Eleni really enjoyed exploring the Plaza. She kept running up and down the street.
Eleni threw her "doggy" to a slow water running creek, and then she started crying because she wanted her "woof, woof" back. A gentleman that helped me retrieve the "doggy" suggested that I jump into the water. Instead, I picked a long stick, and eventually, I was able to pull the doggy to the edge of the water.
Eleni celebrated getting her "woof, woof" back with a glass of milk and some peanut butter sandwich.
She is all excited to know that we are heading back to Vancouver.
After about a 3 hour car ride, Eleni is reflecting on the day's experiences.
For dinner, we prepared sliced filet mignon with Asian salad.
After dinner, Sara and I enjoyed the sunset on the balcony with a nice glass of wine while planning next day's adventure.
We arrived to the BC Ferries loading dock at 6:00 AM. We were there that early, so we could take the first ferry to Victoria. We boarded the Spirit Of British Columbia shortly after 7:00 AM.
British Columbia Ferry Services Inc or BC Ferries provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in British Columbia. BC Ferries has become the largest passenger ferry line in North America and the second largest in the world, boasting a fleet of 37 vessels with a total passenger and crew capacity of over 27,000, serving 49 locations on the B.C. coast.
The Spirit Of British Columbia vessel is considered a super ferry; it is one of the largest ferries in the fleet. It has three decks that can accommodate over 410 cars including 35 semis. The other 3 decks have restaurants, work stations, children play stations, video arcades and gift shops.
Eleni was the first one to hit the children's play station.
Then, we went to the deck to enjoy the cool ocean breeze; she was not very thrilled at first.
Eleni went back to the kids' play station to join in other kids playing there.
after 1.5 hours ferry ride, we arrived to Victoria.
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia. Located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria is a major tourism destination seeing more than 3.65 million visitors a year. Victoria preserved nearly all its heritage buildings. It is a very charming small city.
We started or visit at the Victoria Visitor Centre which is considered one of the finest-looking visitor centers in the world; it is a masterful Art Deco pavilion topped with a shining white obelisk rising high above the Inner Harbour. This building used to be a gas station.
The Fairmont Empress is one of the oldest and most famous hotels in Victoria. Located on Government Street facing the Inner Harbour, the Empress has become an iconic symbol for the city itself. Francis Rattenbury designed this masterful building, complementing his own Legislature Buildings to create the view that has defined the city ever since.
The Neo-Baroque British Columbia Parliament Buildings are located ion Belleville street facing the Inner Harbour and diagonally across from The Empress Hotel. It officially opened in 1898. The British Columbia Parliament Buildings are home to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Free tours of the facility are offered throughout the week.
Thunderbird Park is instantly recognizable by its forest of totem poles. The original poles on this site had been collected in the early 1900s from various villages. Some decades later, when officials decided the severely weathered poles needed restoring, they discovered the art of native carving had eroded, from all the thousands of carvers on the coast, only one man still carried on the craft, Mungo Martin. All poles have a purpose; most tell a story. The stories associated with the poles in Thunderbird Park have unfortunately been lost.
Helmcken House, Dr. John Sebastian Helmcken, a surgeon with the Hudson's Bay Company, set up house here in 1852 when he married the daughter of Governor Sir James Douglas. Originally a three-room log house, the house was built by Helmcken and expanded as both the prosperity and size of the family grew. It's now the oldest house in B.C. to remain on its original site. Helmcken went on to become a statesman and helped negotiate the entry of British Columbia as a province into Canada.
Bastion Square stands on the site of the Hudson's Bay Company's original Fort Victoria. The fort was demolished in 1863 and the land sold off for development. This square was a bustling area with waterfront hotels, saloons, and warehouses during the late 19th century.
Johnson Street Bridge was designed by Joseph Strauss, the same guy who designed San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. While the soaring Golden Gate span is justly famous for its elegance, this misshapen lump of steel and concrete is something designer Joseph Strauss would likely wish forgotten.
Victoria Inner Harbour is an scenic patch of waterfront where you can find Victoria's many tourist attractions, recreational activities, restaurants and shopping.
Market Square: This restored historic site was once a two-story complex of shipping offices and supply stores. It now contains more than 40 shops that sell everything from sports equipment and crafts to books and toys. In the summer, musicians often perform and restaurants set up outdoor seating in the large open-air court.
Gate of Harmonious Interest: This lavishly detailed, dragon-headed red-and-gold archway was built in 1981 to commemorate the completion -- after years of deterioration -- of Chinatown's revitalization by the city and the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. The gate is guarded by a pair of hand-carved stone lions imported from Suzhou, China.
Fan Tan Alley is an alley in Chinatown. It was originally a gambling district with restaurants, shops, and opium dens.
Today it is a tourist destination as it contains many small shops. It is most famous for being the narrowest street in the world.
Victoria's City Hall is a three-story Second Empire Style brick and stone public building on the corner of Douglas Street and Pandora Avenue. This historic place includes all sections of the building constructed prior to 1892.
Wharf Street.
The Butchart Gardens Twere created after Robert Butchart exhausted the limestone quarry near his Tod Inlet home, about 14 miles from Victoria. His wife, Jenny, gradually landscaped the deserted eyesore into the resplendent Sunken Garden, opening it for public display in 1904.
Over the years, a Rose Garden, Italian Garden, and Japanese Garden were added. As the fame of the 49-acre gardens grew, the Butcharts also transformed their house into an attraction. The gardens -- still in the family -- now display more than a million plants throughout the year.
The spectacular Sunken Garden was the first garden created, followed by the in 1906, an Italian Garden, and in 1929 the Rose Garden with over 100 varieties of hybrid tea rose plants alongside 400 grandiflora roses and climbing roses.
After the Second World War an admission charge was introduced, a teahouse was opened in the conservatory which soon developed into a full restaurant and began concerts from the open-air stage.
Up to 10,000 people come to enjoy fireworks on July and August Saturday evenings.
A team of over 50 gardeners is now employed to plant and care for over 700 hundred varieties, including dramatic massed plantings.
Since there were no roses to look at in the Rose Garden, Eleni decided to play with the water; she was instructed to pull out as many coins as she could.
Eleni making friends while enjoying the gardens.
The Japanese Garden was designed by Isaburo Kishida in 1906.
In 2004, its centenary, the Gardens were designated as a National Historic Site of Canada.
Eleni signed us off....
After enjoying the beautiful Butchart Gardens for a few hours, we headed to the ferry boarding docks. It was 8:00 PM.
Next day, we had Chicken a'la Oscar for lunch.
Kitsilano Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Vancouver; it is located at the north edge of theKitsilano neighbourhood
Kitsilano Beach is home to the longest swimming pool in Canada, the salt-water outdoor Kitsilano Pool; it is only open during the summer. It’s almost three times longer than an Olympic pool and Vancouver’s only heated salt water pool. 
From the turquoise water, you can enjoy spectacular views--of the ocean, the mountains, Kits Beach, and the skyline of Vancouver’s West End, glittering across English Bay
To accommodate every type of pool-goer, the pool is divided into three sections, each running lengthwise: a shallow section for families and small children, a middle section of roped-off lanes for lap-swimmers and exercisers (the lifeguards are tenacious in keeping the lanes clutter--and kid—free), and a deep end for more casual adult and teen bathers.
Thanks to a cluster of bars and restaurants just across the street from Kits Beach, the beach party can continue into the night.
Jenny and Jacquelin babysat Eleni one night, so we could go out to diner by ourselves.
We put on our best clothes and headed out to enjoy the evening.
We had diner at the Sanafir Restaurant. Sanafir (Arabic for “meeting place”) is an exotic dual-level restaurant inspired by the rich culture of the ancient Silk Route and the aesthetics of the Western world.
While we really enjoyed the time alone, the wine and service, I can honestly say that the food was below average. It felt more like food more fitting for a brewery than a "top-notch" restaurant. The naan bread and hummus apetizer was amazing.
After dinner, we went on a stroll on Robson Street. Robson is Vancouver's most famous shopping street set in the heart of downtown Vancouver. In the three block stretch between Burrard and Jervis you will find a commercial mecca which includes premier fashions stores, fine dining, services and all the amenities a tourist or local might need.
I thought it was great to see two starbucks right across from each other.
Lunch served!! Shrimp and avocado sandwich with a cold Guiness.
The Roundhouse is so named because that's exactly what this brick-and-timber frame building was, back when this land was the CPR's switching yard. The structure has since been converted into a community center.
Inside the Roundhouse you can view the locomotive that pulled the first passenger train into Vancouver, back in 1887, locomotive 374.
Vancouver Public Library was designed by architect Moshe Safdie, and it was enormously controversial when it opened in 1995. Though Safdie denied that the ancient Roman coliseum served as inspiration, the coliseum is exactly what comes to mind when you first see the exterior of this postmodern building. For the public it was love at first sight. The steps out front have become a popular public gathering place.
The two electronic displays of the giant Omega clock in Downtown Vancouver count down the hours, minutes and seconds remaining until the Opening Ceremonies for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
Vancouver Art Gallery was designed as a courthouse and renovated into an art gallery. The Vancouver Art Gallery is home to a tremendous collection of works by iconic West Coast painter Emily Carr, as well as rotating exhibits ranging from native masks to video installations. Film buffs may remember the entrance steps and inside lobby from the movie The Accused.
The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, generally known as Hotel Vancouver, was built in 1939, and it is owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). In return for agreeing in 1885 to make Vancouver its western terminus, the CPR was given 5,931 acres of prime real estate -- nearly the whole of today's downtown.
The Hotel Vancouver is built in the CPR's signature château style, with a verdigris-green copper roof.
Inside the hotel, you can enjoy the grand, old-fashioned ambience of the lobby and bar.
At The West End neighborhood traffic is kept to a minimum on the tree-lined streets, so that residents -- though they live in the city center -- can enjoy a neighborhood almost as quiet as that in a small town.
At the beginning, the neighborhood was made up of grand Edwardian houses. But, by 1970, most of the Edwardian houses had been replaced by apartment towers, and the West End was on its way to becoming one of the densest -- and simultaneously one of the most livable -- inner cities on the continent.
Barclay Square is a beautifully preserved bit of 19th-century Vancouver; it consists of Barclay Manor, built in the Queen Anne style in 1890, and Roedde House, a rare domestic design. The Roedde House is now a museum.
The tiny Cardero Grocery. All the grocery needs of the West End were once supplied by little corner stores like this one.
Commercial Drive, better known as The Drive, is in the east end of the city, a short ten minutes by skytrain from downtown Vancouver. Commercial Drive has a large number of local ethnic stores and community groups, Edwardian-style heritage buildings, European-style cafes, bars, and alternative shops and entertainment venues.
Commercial Drive is Jenny's territory. She took us to Dolce Amore Gelateria that has some of the best gelato I ever had. I had a scoop of whiskey cream gelato along with a scoop of almond gelato.
Eleni devoured her own gelato and everybody else's willing to share it with her.
In early summer 2005, Commercial Drive hosted its first car-free festival, in which 16 blocks were cleared of all vehicles and tens of thousands of people celebrated with walks, dancing, and food. The festival has since become an annual event, expanding to other parts of the city in 2008.
Commercial Drive is, among locals, an enormously popular district of restaurants, shopping and nightlife, but it's often overlooked by tourists. Next visit to Vancouver, we will spend more time here.
The Drive is considered "a glorious sight with all it's trees, character homes, wonderfully diverse people. It has been the destination for generations of immigrants to Vancouver and has significant Italian, Asian, Latin Ameriva, East Indian and African communities.
Eleni flying by auntie Jenny's house.
Beautiful view of Mt. Baker in Washington from our balcony. At 10,778, Mt. Baker is the fourth-highest mountain in Washington State and the sixth-highest in the Cascade Range.
Our last dinner in Vancouver started with a nice cheese plate appetizer.
The cheese plate consisted of English soft toffee cheese, spicy Haverty cheese and Irish Guinness cheese.
For our main course, I cooked my own version of Shrimp Charlee with rice pilaf. If you would like to enjoy the original Shrimp Charlee dish (sans the rice pilaf), visit Fiesta Del Mar Restaurant in Mountain View, California. The best Mexican restaurant in the Bay Area.http://www.fiestadelmar.com/fiesta.html
Next morning, we got up early and finish packing. For breakfast, we had an egg with chicken a la Oscar.
Around 10:15 AM, we got in our car and headed to the Peace Arch / Blaine border crossing.
The Peace Arch is a monument situated on the Canada - USA border. The Peace Arch, which stands 67.2 ft tall, commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Ghent in 1814. The Peace Arch has two inscriptions on both sides of its frieze. The inscription on the U.S. side of the Peace Arch reads "Children of a common mother", and the words on the Canadian side read "Brethren dwelling together in unity".
We spent about an hour to cross the border, and it signaled the beginning of a adventurous trip back.
Eleni is trying to entertain herself in the car by reading one of her books.
Mother and daughter march up and down the sidewalk at what turned out to be our last "real" stop until we got home 12 hours later.