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"It doesn’t matter where you are, there’s comfort in knowing you have someone else there with you.  A testament to how adaptable we really are, and to the fact that even the gloomiest of places can feel familiar if you have the right people with you."

{An excerpt from our time on the road - somewhere between Alberta and British Columbia - accompanied by a photo from Addo Elephant National Park, my beloved South Africa}

On the Road: Victoria to Nanaimo

On our tour of Vancouver Island, we drove from Victoria to Nanaimo. We managed to stretch the excursion into an all day affair, stopping to explore the bugs, and the bees, and a few trees along the way. We turned over rocks, slipped in the mud, and explored the nature hidden in different nooks and crannies. A handful of snaps, if you'd care to see:

The Colours of Victoria

Our adventure in Squamish marked one of the last days of Mom and Dad's visit to mainland Vancouver, and before we knew it, we were all bundled into the car and heading for the Island. Our first stop was Victoria, where we spent a couple of days exploring (i.e. eating our way around) downtown Victoria. We devoured fish tacos (Red Fish, Blue Fish, you delicious fiend, you) by the harbour overlooking the picturesque parliament buildings, wandered through Beacon Hill Park chasing after peacocks, took photos of the charming Fisherman's Wharf, pretended to be Royalty whilst ambling amongst the flowers in the Butchart Gardens, and of course, took to the trails in nearby Sooke (but Sooke will be another post for another day).

A few favourites from Victoria below:

 Beacon Hill peacocks, everywhere (it was awesome!)

Soaring Over Mountains in Squamish

After hunting for sea lions (not hunting sea lions) at Whytecliff and trekking around Cypress, we were lucky enough to go flying in Squamish. One of J's friends, Mr. Cameron Ross, is a pilot at the Squamish Airport, who kindly agreed to take us soaring over the mountains. Dad is currently in the process of obtaining his private pilot's license in Ontario (not so many mountains), so it was extra special for him to be able to fly over the mountains here.

Anyways, before flying, we spent the morning in Squamish (the rock climbing/bouldering capital) where we started the day off right at the ever delicious Fergie's, a local hotspot. With full bellies and big smiles, we headed over to Shannon Falls, where we ogled the falls, before moving on to Stawamus Chief Provincial Park, just down the road, to check out the boulder field.

Down by the river at Fergie's

Exploring Mount Cypress

One of my favourite stops on our tour around Vancouver with Mom and Dad was Mount Cypress; it was so mystical and beautiful. After exploring Whytecliff, we decided to stop and see Cypress ('cause we were in the neighbourhood and all) and although we didn't tackle any crazy hikes, we did find a nice trail which took us on a loop around the mountain.

Searching for Sea Lions

When Mom and Dad came to visit a few weeks back, one of the first parks we went to visit was Whytecliff park. It was on J and I’s list to explore because of the promise of sea lions in abundance.

Lynn Peak

Yesterday, we decided to tackle Lynn Peak for the second time. Although we're still new to Vancouver (aside: after what time period can you no longer use the excuse that you're new to a place?), we like to bring visiting friends and family to Lynn Valley, it's a scenic escape that's not too far from the city, but far enough so as to allow you to wander around the old growth trees, ogle the giant cedars, and fill your nose with that fresh forest (cedar) smell that you can't find elsewhere (I can't get enough of that smell).

Stanley Snaps

I've abandoned the blog (...yet again, eye roll), but I had a good excuse because Mom and Dad came to visit and we got lost in exploring Vancouver and Vancouver Island. A real post to come soon, but in the meantime, a few snaps from Stanley Park a couple of weeks back. (We were also lucky enough to see two bald eagles at the park, I'm hoping the video footage will be good enough to wrangle a small video out of).

 Siwash Rock