Eric got us off to a flying start on the long flight
We stayed a couple days with Monica's sister in Portland, OR The City of Roses
We drove to Seattle to a fancy hotel where Monica was served breakfast in bed every morning.
While Jim attended his business meetings, Monica and the kids toured Seattle's attractions.
Elliot and Eric have a close encounter at the Seattle Aquarium.
We rode the waterfront streetcar.
We played in the International fountain near the space needle.
Elliot's shirt attracted butterflies at the Science Center.
They also visited the Seattle Children's' Museum.
After 5 days we drove to Canada and boarded a ferry at Tswassen for the 90 minute trip to Vancouver Island, BC. That night we walked on the beach and were treated to a surreal full moonrise over the water.
We spent a day at Bouchart Gardens taking in the beauty.
On Sunday, Father's day, we spent the day in Victoria, BC.
We did an open top bus tour of the city (a big mistake on such a breezy
chilly day!).
Monica and the kids toured the wax museum (too touristy for dad, so
he parked the car in the line waiting for the last ferry back to the US).
We all toured the Miniature World museum.
That evening we took the ferry back to Port Angeles where we spent
the night.
The next morning we hiked to a waterfall
in Olympic National Forest.
In the afternoon we swam at Sol-Duc hot springs. It also has a nice
pool with cooler water (75F) which was uncrowded enough to get a few laps
in.
We drove Westward around Olympic National Park.
We stayed the night at the Lake Quinalt
Lodge
and went kayaking on the lake in the morning.
We also hiked to a lake in the rain forest.
That night we returned to Portland to some good Romanian cooking.
The next day we went to the Oregon coast and we Floridians nearly froze
on the beautiful beach.
A wave catches Monica by surprise (but
not the photographer :-).
We took another day trip down the Columbia River valley where
Monica's sister, Marilena, helped us hike to the top of Multnomah Falls.
We also visited Bonneville Dam and watch a ton of salmon climb the
ladders around the dam.
We also visited Mount Hood where the kids went sledding on the wet snow at Timberline Lodge.
Monica got sick by pigging out on Cherries at a U-pick Cherry orchard in Maryhill Oregon.
After all that we had to come home.
We really enjoyed our visit but I found some of the people in Oregon
to be a little too wooden.