Vagabond in Vancouver

Last week was a whirlwind trip to Vancouver with the family.  We wanted to do a special trip with just the close family - Mom, Dad, Laura, John and I.  Finding a time in people's schedules was a bit difficult, but we were able to find 6 days together to enjoy the highlights of Vancouver.  The flight was a bit long (about 4-5 hours of travel time), and as soon as we landed we went out for dinner and enjoyed some Canadian brews.

Our first full day out, we decided to visit Queen Victoria's gardens and Granville Island.  The gardens were beautiful, and it certainly helped that it was 70 and sunny the entire week that we were in Vancouver.  There was a lot to see in the gardens, and the best part was that it was free!

In the afternoon, we visited Granville Island.  The island was once an industrial park, but within the last 20 years had been turned into a tourist area.  There were all kinds of shops lining the street, and a great open market with speciality food for sale.  We even made time to tour and sample beers of the Granville Island Brewery.

A cute tugboat sitting in the bay surrounding Granville Island

Delicious food options in the Granville Market

The next day, we enjoyed the area in and around Stanley Park.  Stanley Park is the Vancouver version of Central Park.  It's located on a peninsula and has a beautiful sea wall with a bike path along the outer edge.  We rented bikes for the morning and enjoyed the 6 mile relaxed ride around the sea all.  The entire ride was so scenic!

Getting started on the bike path

A scenic stop on the bike path

In the center of Stanley Park is the Vancouver Aquarium.  They had a ton of great exhibits to look at, including an enclosed rainforest, colorful saltwater fish, anenome, octopus, sea lions/seals, beluga whales, porpoises and a featured jellyfish exhibit.  We spent most of the afternoon enjoying the entire aquarium.

Squishy!

Our next adventure was the entire reason for our trip - to enjoy high tea at The Empress in Victoria.  We started off early with a leisurely ferry ride across the Strait of Georgia from Vancouver to Victoria.  A short bus ride took us to the heart of Victoria where we enjoyed looking at the small shops until it was time for our tea reservation.

  

The Empress was an absolutely gorgeous hotel built in 1908 as the highlight of Victoria.  It became even more popular when the King and Queen of England visited in 1947, making a historic visit to the Empress herself for high tea on a custom-made china pattern.  Everyone was very fancy while we had tea - complete with soft piano music, fancy couches to sit on, tea sandwiches as well as crumpets and sweets.  It was very decadent, and exceptionally special for Mom.  It had been a dream of hers to visit The Empress for tea, and that dream came true that afternoon.  I'm not much of a tea drinker, but the visit was so special and I could tell that Mom was having such a wonderful time, so the ordinary tea became special for me too.

We had tea on china with the royal pattern used by the King and Queen

    

All smiles in the Empress garden after enjoying tea

Before we left Victoria for the day, we enjoyed one last tourist attraction: Craigdarroch Castle.  The castle was a giant four-story house built by a Victoria coal millionaire.  The house had a sad start with family deaths and a tumultuous history until it was made into a museum.  It was still beautiful inside, with a gorgeous wooden staircase and wooden panelling on the walls, stained glass, and lots of other fancy decorations.  It was a lavish castle in its day and remains as such to this day.

Grand staircase at the main entryway

A view of the stairs from the main entryway, looking straight up the stairwell

There was a mix-up on the bus schedule (sadly, my fault), so we arrived at the ferry station later than planned, but we had no trouble catching the ferry back to the mainland to head back to our hotel.  It was a long day, but full of so many memories.

The next day was more of a hiking/adventurous day.  We visited the Lynn Canyon suspension bridge and adjacent ecology center for the morning, and the afternoon was on Grouse mountain to enjoy the sights there.  Lynn Canyon was a peaceful nature area with a suspension bridge - in my opinion, it was a bit scary, but everyone else seemed to enjoy it.  We also looked at the exhibits presented in the ecology center that was close by.

Grouse Mountain was a nearby attraction that we were told we couldn't miss.  During the winter it was a ski resort, and during the summer they had lots of outdoor activities as well.  We took a scenic ride on a gondola to reach the mid-point of Grouse Mountain.  Later, we took a ski-lift all the way up to the top to enjoy more of the view.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about the heights - it was a bit intimidating.  But it was certainly worth the view from the top.

  

Headed to the top of the mountain via ski-lift

View as we went back down

At the midway spot of the mountain, there was a show on falconry, a lumberjack show, as well as a presentation done by the grizzly bear exhibit.  There are two grizzly bears present in an exhibit - each orphaned at birth.  They were really fun to see up close, and it was great to see that they were doing well in their new habitat.

  

Our last day as a group (Laura and John flew out one day earlier than us) was spent in Chinatown.  We started at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.  It was very beautiful and peaceful - felt like we were transported to China!  I especially loved the intricate wooden carvings on the overhangs.  They were so meticulous and artistic.  The symbolism of the garden was easier to appreciate through the explanations of the tour guide.  And of course, we ended our garden tour with some Chinese tea.

  

Mom standing next to a tree that was over 100 years old

Beautiful detailed phoenix design on a garment displayed in one of the side rooms

After the garden we took our time shopping in Vancouver's Chinatown.  It was pretty much exactly the same as New York's Chinatown and San Francisco's Chinatown, etc, etc.  But it was still a fun shopping experience.  And Laura found a restaurant down there that had fresh oysters - one of the items she wanted to enjoy on the trip.  I shared a plate with her, it felt pretty special to be able to enjoy such fresh seafood.

Later that evening, before we had to drop off John and Laura at the airport, we stopped at the International Summer Night Market.  It was a strange mix of Korea/Japan/China shopping.  They had all sorts of items for sale, from clothing to electronics, as well as a food court area.  I found a booth selling Okonomiyaki and bubble tea - I was in heaven.  It was a great end to our Asian-themed day.

Our last day in Vancouver (Mom, Dad and I) was more nautical-themed.  We went to the Vancouver Maritime Museum and the Vancouver City Museum which were very close to each other downtown.  Just outside the maritime museum was a dog beach, and I enjoyed a nice break with Mom watching the dogs have a blast chasing sticks through the water and wrestling with each other.  It was a very relaxed afternoon - perfect for our last day.

  

Overlooking the dog beach

Overall, our trip to Canada was quite long, but we had a blast enjoying the sites and spending time together.  Lots of memories were made, especially having tea at The Empress.

Missouri canoe trip

Last weekend I had a ridiculously great time with a group of ladies on a canoe/float trip.  Three of my friends from my running group in Wichita were part of the trip but I knew no one else.  It was a blast to let loose with these gals.

We stayed at "Dawt Mill" which was a small resort with multiple cabins.  I'm used to always camping when canoeing so it was nice to have a warm shower and bed after a day on the water.  They had a restaurant (that had so-so food) and bar as well.

      

Halfway through the float trip we stopped at a riverbank that was near a road.  A short jaunt away there was a beautiful waterfall that we all took pictures in front of.  It was so cold though!  The temperature of the waterfall was significantly colder than that of the river.  Regardless, it was a gorgeous spot.

The only bad part of the trip happened after the waterfall.  As we were walking back down the gravel road to the boats, a guy came running by really fast.  He almost sideswiped me, but he came up behind me and threw me off balance.  I slid down the side of the gravel road and got a bad gash on my elbow and knee, as well as completely skinned my left hip.  I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt.  But once we got back on the water and I had a beer in my hand, my mood improved quite a bit.  I cleaned up my leg back at the cabin and pulled out all the little pieces of rock from my wound.  Once week later, my leg and elbow are still healing, but the wounds are doing well.

Other than my gravel injury, it was an absolute blast!  On the drive back home, everyone stopped at a tourist trap just outside of Branson where they had a zip-line you could do.  I was much too chicken to give it a try, but everyone else (except 3 of us) went for it.  It sounded like a blast but I was happy to lounge in the shade on the deck ;)

This coming weekend, I'm headed to Vancouver with my parents and John and Laura.  We're going to visit a special tea room that Mom has always wanted to visit as well as enjoy some of the other tourist things in the area.  Should be a blast!!

Colorado Grim Reunion

Last weekend was an absolute blast!!  I travelled with my family to Estes Park, Colorado for a big family reunion with all the the Grims.  I drove with Mom and Dad, and we stopped in Fort Collins for an evening before continuing on to Estes Park.  I was so excited to find a restaurant called "Avogadro's Number".  For those of you that aren't science people, Avogadro's number is 6.023 x 10-3, and also the standard number of atoms or molecules within one mole (basic science standard).  Not only did the restaurant have an awesome name, their food was pretty terrific as well.  It was kind of a vegan deli - we loved it.  And the artwork inside was so creative, very much like a Garden of Eden.

The next morning we enjoyed lunch at Black Bottle Brewery and then did an afternoon tour of Odell's Brewery.  Fort Collins is definitely the place to be for brewery tours, so I was glad that we made time to enjoy it.  I was a little sad that we didn't get to do New Belgium (who brews Blue Moon), but I was really happy to do the tours that we did.

Once we arrived at Estes Park, we were so excited to see all of the family!  There was a great turnout, I'd guess about 50 Grims showed up for the occasion.  The group had an entire cabin reserved for the weekend, including a very large communal area with couches and dinner tables, as well as a giant kitchen.

First of all, the view from the back deck as well as the front deck was amazing!

We enjoyed relaxing with each other and catching up, but there was also lots to do as well.  Everyday there were multiple activities planned: fishing, hiking, horseback riding, zip-lining...  I certainly made the most of the opportunities for activities.  One of the hikes we did was a 2 mile hike to a pretty lake halfway up the mountain.  The hike wasn't too hard, so a bunch of the kids could some along.

At the lake at the end of the hike there were a bunch of ground squirrels and chipmunks that were begging for snacks.  It was pretty adorable to see how tame they were, but I refused to actually give them food.

     

        

The next day we did a really serious hike up to Flattop Mountain.  We started really early in the morning, driving to Bear Lake and hiking up from there.  The hike itself was about 10.5 miles round trip, but it felt a lot longer.  I wore shorts and a windbreaker, and other people in the hike were dressed similarly too.  We soon discovered that we were very unprepared.  Once we got above the treeline and kept heading up it got colder and colder.  Reaching the top, Bobby's thermometer said 60 degrees but with the wind it felt like 35-45 degrees.  I was happy to reach the top quickly and then head back down to warmer weather.  I nearly lost sensation in one of my hands - it was that cold!

The group for the long hike

      

Even though the hike was really rough (I'm in good shape, but the elevation was killer.  I was struggling for air at the top) both in the elevation and the temperature, it was absolutely worth it to reach the top.

Almost at the top, another mile of bouldering to go

Made it to the top at 12,632 ft!!!

Not only did we enjoy some amazing hiking, we also saw some spectacular wildlife.  Near the top of the mountain, there were Pika all over the place (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pika).  They were so adorable, and as we hiked we could hear them doing their little "squeak yell" every once in a while.  We also saw some sort of marmot creature - he was fun to watch and didn't seem to mind us getting quite close to him.  On the drive to Bear Lake, we were lucky enough to see a mother Grizzly with her two cubs.  The mother was sitting on a fence post (almost looked like she was waiting for the bus) while her two cubs played in the tree.  Later that morning, we saw a beautiful bull elk with velvety antlers.  I was so ecstatic to see so much wildlife!

Momma Bear waiting for her cubs
(This photo is really zoomed in - we were safe in our cars)

The next day I did fly fishing in the morning and horseback riding in the afternoon.  I woke up terribly sore from the hike, but a bit of stretching helped me to get up.  I went with Dan and Mike to fish in a stream with a fishing guide.  Fly fishing was a lot harder than I remember it being, but I did my best and had a blast.  I caught about 10 fish - at least 2 of them I caught on the line but they escaped before I could get them in the net, but I was still satisfied with my fishing adventure.  Honestly, it was so enjoyable to be outside and near the water.  Kansas water is so muddy but the river in Colorado was clear and beautiful!  I was still in a great mood when I slipped near the end of the trip and fell into the water.  It was so cold that it took my breath away, but really nothing could ruin my mood :)

Dan and I caught a double!

This is probably the largest one I caught.  I also caught a sucker fish later that morning - exciting!

I'll be honest - horseback riding was a bit lame.  The only redeeming feature was that the trail we took was through the mountains so it was quite scenic.  But the horses were slow and we travelled in a single-file line.  I'm used to galloping across fields in Kansas, so the pace of the mountain horses was disappointing.  But the good thing is that everyone else had a great time on the horses and I got to enjoy some beautiful scenery in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Of course, we weren't away from the cabin the entire time.  We had huge family dinners that Mike made (thanks again Mike!) and enjoyed eachother's company in the evenings.  Even Runt Grim stopped by for a short performance ;)

Runt talking about his time in the military

Overall, the reunion was a blast.  There was talk of returning to the same place in three years.  Hopefully I'll be stateside at that time and I can join in :)

Rachel was only able to stay for a short while

After the baby shower for Elizabeth

With Gabrielle

Last but not least - my uncle Scott and cousin Josh have told me about geocaching, and in Colorado I went along with them for my first cache!  I'm really excited about it now, and I hope to do more in Kansas :)

Summer is here!

It's about time for an update:  Graduation has come and gone.  Things went so well.  I was lucky to have both my parents, my sister and her husband all attend my graduation as well as enjoy the weekend.  At the last minute I opted for some serious high heels to walk across the stage - I took it slow and there were no slips or trips.  We had a great time as a family enjoying Manhattan restaurants, as well as did the winery in Wamego, saw the KSU Insect Zoo and lots of other fun things.  I was more than tired once Sunday morning came and everyone had gone.  Highlights below:

 



Now it's back to a semi-regular routine.  I am monitoring and treating the pigs on a PRRSV study for my advisor this summer.  It's a daily check of everyone and then treat/monitor those that need a little extra help.  I'm thankful for the activity, plus it's my first real job as an adult veterinarian.  I have two other vets that help out and oversee things, but I still do the day to day activities.  Also on the agenda, reading a ton to learn everything there is about African Swine Fever.  Quite a daunting task, especially since I've had to review all my virology knowledge.  We didn't use that kind of material on a daily basis in 4th year, so it's been two years since we even discusses virology topics.  Luckily the studying is going well in addition to monitoring the pigs.

The next big task is organizing things, getting rid of things that I don't need, and packing.  I'm selling most of my furniture on Craigslist.  My parents are taking my bed, and my sister wants my bookshelf.  I decided to keep my dressers though - they're moderately nice and I wouldn't get enough money for them even if I tried to sell them.

Anyways, so I have the pigs and reading to keep me busy, as well as cleaning/packing.  Vacations are interspersed during the summer as well.  Lots to look forward too!!!