Category Archives: Travel

Oh Canada!

Tomorrow is my daughter’s last day off before her last quarter of University starts so since I’m in town we decided to head up to Vancouver B.C.  Sure the forecast says that it will be the coldest rainiest day this week but hey we are adventurers. We’ll don our gortex and sensible shoes and see what we can see through the rain and wind. We’re headed for the Teahouse at Stanley Park for lunch. It’s not your traditional Teahouse so we won’t be having high tea but we will enjoy some good eats.

I apologize for not getting around these days. My time here is short and there seems to be so much more to do here then at the little condo in Southern California. Hope you all are enjoying the first full week of Fall. I’m enjoying being cold! Blessings…

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Seattle!

We were very happy to make our flight at LAX for Seattle yesterday. We were the latest we’ve ever been for a flight and just made the 40 minute cut-off for checking a bag. Sheesh.

It’s good to be home but I made the mistake of walking into our son’s empty room this morning and I lost it. Even though he’s a 28 year old adult the realization that he’s left the nest hits this mom’s heart. The old world Russian upbringing I had never condoned kicking your kids out of the house at 18! They in fact would be pretty upset if a son or daughter left their house before they were married! :0)

We really couldn’t be happier that he has found a great vocation for himself and that he is being trained for it many miles away from home. When his training is complete he will be living about 6 hours away from us.

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

North and South…

 

We left our home in Washington Sunday at 5:15 A.M. and made it to our Condo in Southern California at 11:30 P.M. This photo was taken in Southern Washington before we crossed the border into Oregon.

Today I’m unpacking and trying to get organized for the week. We have our daughter and her boyfriend here, too. I’m dodging 2 extra inflatable beds on the floor in the living area and our bedroom. Ben and Katie are busy and away each day doing all the dizzy parks. I’ll have a couple days of floor space this week while they stay with our nieces in Orange County. Wednesday is family day at the “Happiest Place on Earth”. A lot of us are meeting up to spend the day together and see Miss Hope in action.

Hope everyone’s week is going well…

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

We Made It!

 

On Tuesday we left our house at 6:00 am and headed north to Anacortes to catch the 8:15 ferry to Sydney, Vancouver Island, B.C. Our ferry ride through the San Juan Islands was very foggy and misty for most of the way. At first it was hard to make out the islands till you got very close. Towards the end of the trip the skies lightened up. Vancouver Island was nice and sunny. We made it to Butchart Gardens. We traveled on the Black Ball ferry out of Victoria to Port Angeles to get home. From Port Angeles we had to make it to Kingston, Washington before the last ferry set sail at 11:10 pm. We were so thankful to make it on time and to be in our beds by 12:30 am! I’ll post many more photos from our trip when I get a chance to sit at the computer more.

This morning I took our middle son to the doctor to get treated for an ear infection that he’s suffered with for a few days now. His ear was practically swollen shut.  Thankfully he got 3 different medications that should relieve the pressure and pain. I guess a mom can always be called upon to give tender loving care,  even to her adult children…

Now to get caught up with my other world…

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Victoria, B.C.

 

This is for you Cori G! You mentioned the Blethering Place and I hunted down an old postcard from the 90’s that I’ve had since eating there on a trip to Victoria. The back of the postcard reads…You can find this charming “Touch of Britain” nestled in the heart of beautiful Oak Bay, only minutes from downtown Victoria.

“Blethering,” according to Oxford, is Scottish for voluble, senseless talking.

I’ve made reservations on the Anacortes Ferry to travel to Vancouver Island on Tuesday and reservations on the Black Ball Ferry to travel back to the U.S. on Tuesday evening. Again we are packing it all into one day! Dear, Katie and I are setting out on this adventure.  We plan to stop at Butchart Gardens on our way to Victoria. It will be interesting to see what we can take in and if we make it to the Kitsap Ferry Terminal for the last sailing to Edmonds at 11:10 PM.

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Roadtrip!

 

We’re hitting the road today to Seattle. On the way we are stopping overnight in Clovis for Jeff and Heather’s wedding. Jeff is my cousin Jim’s youngest son. Jim’s wife Jeanie was my best friend in college at Cal State L.A. I introduced her to my cousin and they got married the same year Dear and I were married. At the wedding we’ll get to see family and friends. I’m looking forward to seeing Jeanie’s sister Kathy B. who has become a wonderful bloggy friend of mine. My parents and sister Kathy will also be at the wedding. We’ll hit the road bright and early on Sunday morning and drive straight through to Seattle.

If you don’t see me around the blogisphere for a few days you’ll know why…

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Sherman Library & Gardens

 

Last Tuesday on my drive to Laguna Beach I spotted this sign and decided to stop and check it out. I peeked in and liked what I saw and then noticed that they also had a Cafe. It cost me $3.00 to come onto the grounds and get to Cafe Jardin.

I had a nice lunch in a great peaceful setting with a lovely view. After lunch my camera and I did some scouting and we really got our $3.00 worth!

 

 

 

 

Sherman Library & Gardens was founded in 1966 by Arnold D. Haskell and named in memory of Moses H. Sherman, educator and California pioneer.

The grounds are beautifully arranged and the Spring colors were gorgeous. The library focuses on the history of the Pacific Southwest and is a research library not a circulating library.

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Travelling South Along the Coast…

Ellen b. is headed down the coast to Laguna Beach today. I hope to explore some beaches and anything else that strikes my fancy.

 

Then 20 of us are meeting at this restaurant for dinner for my niece Debbee’s birthday…

I’m crashing at my sister’s house in Huntington Beach for the night because on Wednesday some of us are meeting at…

 

The Happiest Place on Earth.

All regular blogging will resume (Lord Willing) later in the week…

Blessings to you all…

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.