(I found this fabulous shot of site on the interwebs. I did not take it, nor do I own the rights. I just thought it was cool! That's the Science Center you see in the middle.)
It is quite a beautiful city and the weather has held out for us too! We've been pretty busy visiting the local spots. We went to the beach and the pool, which Sophie has gotten more used to. Lately she's been having a fear of water (even seeing it on a poster invokes fear) so we're trying to take it slow and easy. Here are a few shots of her having fun in the pool.
Last Monday we made the beautiful drive along the water (the Sea to Sky Highway) to Whistler and spent the day exploring. They held a lot of the Olympic events there, so we could still see a lot of reminders. We sadly got held up at lunch so we didn't get a chance to go up the gondola to the top of the mountain, but we did watch the bikers and walked around the town below. We were amazed at the amount of people and dogs, and at the sheer magnitude of the place. There are literally miles and miles (or kilometers!) of trails to hike or bike or ski. We kept imagining all the skiers and the racks of skis in the wintertime. We drove around looking for bears and other wildlife, but none were found. I heard there are a set of twin bears up the mountain. We definitely want to go back! The drive alone was worth it!
The biggest thing in Sophie's life is that she's now taking pre-ballet classes from a classically trained Russian ballerina named Anastasia. She is pretty much amazing! She's so patient and understanding of toddler tendencies/personalities. Sophie has had four classes now. She has one by herself and one with some other children on site. It's so nice for Sophie to get some time away from Mommy and to socialize with other children her age. (Plus it gives me a chance to go workout! WIN-WIN!) This is to replace Kindermusik, for now at least. I'm so disappointed that she couldn't do it this city. Either all the classes were at capacity or they were at a bad time and far away. Here are a few shots that Ms. Nastia took last week. We're not allowed in, but it looks like a fun time is had by all!
Aaaaaand my favorite:
This past Thursday, Jim and I celebrated four glorious years of marriage. We went to Stanley Park (a huge park in the middle of the city, with everything you can possibly think of in it!) and ventured to the aquarium. Click here to check it out! They had whales and dolphins and (my favorite!) a sea turtle! They even had sea otters! One of the sea otters seen in this video holding hands was there. I wore my shirt to celebrate, and even got a compliment! Here are a few of the best shots we got.
The baby beluga was a ham for the cameras!
So far so good! This is truly one of our favorite cities on the whole tour. We look forward to exploring the city more and sharing the experience vicariously with you!
