O Canada!

Canada was the overall popular choice of vacation for us this summer. It even won over an Alaskan cruise. Actually, it was a desperate decision made by me to get us out of town to somewhere that wasn't too hot and within driving distance in a week's time. Vancouver was the lucky metropolis to receive our tourist interest (and money). The Olympics will be held there in 2010 and I'm sure had they known they were in the running for the McGarry 08 vacation, we would have been solicited much like they do the Olympic committee.





(I am so not good with this blogging thing. How did I get italics and how do I get rid of them? The typical ways are not working! You get to be the guinea pigs as I try new options and they don't work out the best as you will attest to in this collage.)

Click on these pictures to see whales, the Vancouver skyline, the Vancouver aquarium, and Granville Island.





We were not that impressed with Vancouver. It was a huge cultural difference. Tons of people, mostly pedestrians or cyclists who cost you much travel time as you yielded to them over and over. By the time we sort of figured out how to have a better time, it was time to head to Victoria Island which will be featured in the next blog.

As for vacationing with your 2 teenage sons for the last big vacation together, it wasn't all that I envisioned. When I wasn't watching the spectacular scenery, I was reading "The Secret Life of Bees" out loud to the patient chauffeur while Brandon and Logan put their earphones on, took motion sickness pills or migraine headache pills and mostly slept through the traveling. Can't say how much they enjoyed the trip, but Dad and I really enjoyed it as far as getting away from home and relaxing. After about 3 days out, we were all pretty ready to return home to the States. I guess we're just not the vacationing type. We either need to do it more often to learn how to do it better, or just give it up.