ALASKA - Leaving Canada Behind!

Friday morning we arrived in Vancouver at the harbor early enough to first make a visit to Stanley Park. The Delta Valley is lush and green but I wouldn't say Vancouver is a beautiful city. Maybe Stanley Park is to make up for some of that. Only blocks away though is one of the saddest areas of the city - Gastown. In it's early days it was probably beautiful. Now the once glorious buildings are boarded and dirty with years of grime and neglect. What is most heartbreaking is the lives of those hiding within those walls. Lost to crime and drugs and more than we could probably imagine.

On to other things!



ANOTHER PRETENDING TO BE OUR KIDS PICTURE!
THESE ARE FUN PICS TO TAKE!



THERE IS OUR SHIP - THE STATENDAM
ACROSS THE HARBOR FROM STANLEY PARK!



FLOWERING BUSHES AS BIG AS TREES!
WHAT IS IT?

After a quick drive around the park we managed to make our way back to Canada Place. (Downtown Vancouver has lots of one way streets just like Calgary!) Once leaving the truck at the carpark we were escorted over to the entrance into Canada Place to go through a lineup for security check, a line-up for US Customs and a final lineup for checking on board with Holland America. Murphy said we would be the ones at the front of the last que when all the computers would shut down for every check-in booth. So Ron and Bev were onboard, freed of their carry-on in their stateroom and on deck to watch us walk up the ramp to board our floating home for the next week!

After a quick walk about through the ship we made our way to the Lido Deck for a great lunch after which we went to the bow of the ship to wait for cast off. There is nothing like the mix of emotions - relief to be going, excitement about going, and slight apprehension over actually going and what the next week will be like.



ON THE BOW OF THE STATENDAM



AND WE ARE OFF!



UNDER THE LIONS GATE BRIDGE
AND OUT TO SEA!



DINING IN THE ROTTERDAM DINING ROOM
WINDOW WITH A VIEW!



AFTER DINNER ON THE LIDO DECK
WATCHING THE WORLD GO BY!

ALASKA - The Trip to Vancouver

Friday and Saturday morning we drove to Vancouver with Ron and Bev to board the "beautiful and elegant" Statendam! We couldn't have asked for better weather. Not too hot with some cloud cover to keep the temperatures reasonable. Not pouring rain to make the trip miserable! We actually had good weather the majority of the time we were gone! Sounds like much better than Brent and Kirstin were experiencing here in Lacombe as they kept the office running smoothly while we were gone. They did have some good days though to enjoy our yard and flowers slowly starting to establish themselves for the summer!

We left Thursday night to stay in Calgary with Ron and Bev and early Friday morning we started driving west! 6:30 I believe it was! Early enough to have breakfast in Banff at Phil's!Along the way we enjoyed the mountain scenery and changes in landscape as we moved through various communities. We saw a large cinnamon colored bear meandering along the railway tracks somewhere out there in the BC mountains! Reminisced about other trips gone by through BC and anticipated a much longed for trip to Alaska by all. Friday early evening we arrived in Chilliwack to spend one night before driving into Vancouver and the ship waiting for us!





OUR TOUR GUIDES, BEV AND RON



POSING LIKE OUR KIDS DO (IN CHILLIWACK)!

Kev's 20th!

KEV BY THE PLANE HE IS WORKING ON



SHOWING PETER THE HYDRAULIC LINES

PETER WITH HIS HEAD IN THE "HELL HOLE"

ERIC AND BECKY CHECKING OUT THE BRITISH PLANES

THE VIEW AT LUNCHTIME!

THAT'S WHERE MY _ _ _ _ WORKS!

This past weekend we went to Calgary to celebrate with Kev his 20th birthday. No longer a teenager! I didn't even use the words "my baby" when talking about this milestone in his life.

Kev is working full time for Rocky Mountain Aircraft out of the Springbank Airport west of Calgary. Right now he is working on an airplane the company pulled out of the jungles of the Congo in Africa. They have two planes but this one appears to be in better shape. The other one is quite stripped down but full of bullet holes. Holes that upon close observation enter one side and exit the other! Hmmm! The stories it could tell if it could talk!

After our tour of the hanger we had a little break before meeting back at Eric and Becky's for bar-b-que lunch. Later in the afternoon, while Eric and Becky slipped out to another birthday party, Kev and Kels along with Peter and I went browsing around in tool departments and then out to the BIG airport to watch planes land and take off. I have no idea what they were - I tried learning a few things to watch for, but I think I need more time out there watching and studying aircraft. We did see a big American military aircraft land and taxi almost down to where we were.

After a bit more guy store shopping for Eric and Becky lining up some stuff for their basement for Kev and Eric to work on, we decided we better head home to Lacombe again. I hope Kev had fun on his 20th - I sure did!