From city scenes to outdoor escapes, Vancouver has it all!

The Peace Arch Provincial Park was a nice scene to enjoy as we waited patiently to cross the Canadian border.
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Having made the drive many times before for work, Kenny was concerned that we might run into some traffic on our way to Vancouver. However we never could have expected the waits that lay ahead of us! Our first near halt was at the border, where we sat in the unusually warm sun waiting for nearly 1 1/2 hours to cross into Canada. We were thankful for the little roadside restrooms near the key landmarks for the border entry, and Elise sat up front with Mommy for her afternoon snack since we were moving at a snail's pace the entire time. Because of the border delays, we entered Canada during Vancouver city rush hour, so we hit two more bottlenecks before finally crossing over into downtown Vancouver. Six and a half hours later, we arrived!

Driving into downtown Vancouver at last, what a sunny scene!
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We cheered -- the sun was still shining, so we were able to enjoy the gorgeous views as we drove into the city and over the bridge into downtown. The Renaissance Harbourside Vancouver Hotel was right along the harbor, so we were excited to see our view as we checked into our own harbor-side room. However, upon drawing back the curtains in the 15th-floor room, we discovered the scene is now broken up by a new skyscraper being built right smack in the middle of our view! Despite the surprise, we are still very excited to be able to see some of the tree-covered peaks and even have a float plane landing site right in front of our window, which the girls are enjoying.

We watched an underwater showing of four Belugas that captivated all the Gotcher girls, even baby Elise...

Delicious hot chocolate and coffee delights at the Caffe Artigiano.
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That evening we had a late dinner at a wonderful BBQ restaurant that Kenny was familiar with called DIX Barbeque & Brewery near the city's hockey arena. Midway through our meal, Audrey pointed out to the entire family that today is Elise's 3-month-old birthday -- and she's right, we'd lost track of the date in all the traveling rush! Audrey celebrated with a little drawing on the table in honor of Elise's milestone. The girls were quite tuckered out after a tasty meal, and ready to hit the sack and rest up for a full day of city activities on Friday.

Newly three months old, Elise discovers how to bat at her toys and make them swing, much to her delight!
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Kenny had appointments with Arcteryx and MEC on Friday, so while Daddy was working, the Gotcher Girls had plans for a day of play in the city! We had breakfast at a wonderful coffee shop called Caffe Artigiano, where the coffee drinks are marked with a signature leaf-shaped swirl in the foam. While waiting for us to finish our meal, three-month-old Elise discovered that she could bat at the little toy bee and ladybug dangling from her car seat handle and went to town swinging them back and forth -- attracting a small crowd of impressed onlookers in the process! When we hit the street again, we were welcomed by a little pacific northwest sprinkle, but we decided that rain or shine, we would move on with our plan for the day.

The Gotcher Girls arrive at the Vancouver Aquarium at long last, after surviving the morning showers and a city bus ride.
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So we hopped on a bus to the gorgeous Stanley Park and arrived at our destination for the day: the Vancouver Aquarium. Elise napped while we enjoyed all the indoor exhibits. We started out with the Amazon and a colorful Rain Forest area complete with unique butterflies and birds, and a even a sleepy sloth tucked up high in a tree! Then we moved on to underwater views of the Canadian harbors and coastline marine life, including Claire's favorites of bright sea anemone and my favorite, a flower-like giant clam. Audrey was thrilled to discover the jelly fish exhibit, and we all marveled at these most artistic creations as they floated peacefully in their tanks like an ever-shifting painting.

Green and gorgeous scenes in the middle of the city at Stanley Park.
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Elise awoke just in time for us to move outside to enjoy the dolphin show, where we watched two acrobatic dolphins thrill the crowd with their jumps and entertaining "acting." However, the showcase for the day was the Beluga Whale exhibit. We watched an underwater showing of four Belugas that captivated all the Gotcher girls: Even baby Elise couldn't take her eyes off the pearly white whales as they floated by our viewing window like soft clouds drifting ever so peacefully in a blue sky. The outdoor portion of the show was more comical entertainment in comparison, but still quite enjoyable. Audrey even got caught in the "splash zone" while the Belugas "waved" good-bye!

Renee's favorite: A vibrant giant clam which could easily be mistaken for colorful scenery on an ocean reef.
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A short walk through Stanley Park to return to the bus stop revealed just a small sampling of the beauty that attracts visitors to this area. We passed some amazing trees and gorgeous flower gardens, and even a very large black squirrel that watched us walk by and even snap a few photos without a flinch. By the time we returned to the hotel, all we could think of doing was ordering room service and kicking back with the Canadian kids TV channel while waiting for Kenny to return from his impromptu fishing trip with a client after his meetings for the day. More on Kenny's amazing Salmon fishing adventure later...