Vancouver, British Columbia

 We had an absolutely fabulous trip.  Vancouver is a beautiful place, straight out of the pages of a story book. It is a combination of urban sophistication and natural splendor.

The Vancouver airport is like walking into a museum.
Displays of indigenous art and very beautiful

Ray and Isabel Grant are wonderful, generous hosts and we felt so comfortable.  Isabel was waiting for us on arrival at the airport.  She gave us a driving tour after lunch and many more well organised sight seeing tours during our time there. We enjoyed the first evening at Top of Vancouver, great choice for seeing the city from a bird's eye view.  We enjoyed Pat's company at dinner and it was a nice surprise to see her again.  We left the next morning for Lake Sakinaw which will be on a a couple of blogs.
I will also divide Vancouver into separate blogs to cover some of the beautiful places and photos.  We went to Dick Ferguson's retirement party and we spent a night with Dick and Cheryl before going to Victoria for three days. Cheryl made a nice breakfast for us although she had to be exhausted from the party preparation and event.  Dick drove us to the ferry terminal to leave for Victoria.
So, there are some fun photos of the party to share and our wonderful time in Victoria.

Quite a surprise to walk through this art
filled entry as you arrive at Vancouver airport.

Great views of the city, Vancouver controls the height and
number of tall buildings.  Many new buildings are under-
ground providing a park area above.





Yes, we are in Canada

 

Control tower, downtown, for float planes
and all the traffic on the water



A small passenger ferry

The view from the dock on Granville Island

   

Beautiful skyline of Vancouver

Another view from the Top of Vancouver
Convention Center in background

A rose garden, just one of the many, many parks
and green areas.

This municipal pool is the largest that I have ever seen.

A city of bicycle paths

Vancouver's 'Little Mermaid' copied from Copenhagen




     



'Amazing Laughter '
14 Bronze Sculptures in Morton Park
Iconic faces in a state of hysterical laughter
Chines artist, Yue Minjun



Full of people taking Fun photos,
the patinated sculptures express the wave of
artistic freedom in China

  




MOA Outdoor exhibits with

Haida houses and several

contemporary poles

Yellow cedar sculpture by Bill Reid. The haunting

betrayal of creation and mischief of the raven, eternal

trickster.  Located in the Bill Reid Rotunda

MOA Multiversity Galleries house thousands of objects
from the museum's worldwide research collections.Special
fibre-optic lighting and a unique system of drawers allow you
to explore the objects within them.



Queen Elizabeth Park.  The scene of wedding photos and
sidewalk artist and people just enjoying the oudoors.

 

Stanley Park is 400 hectares (bigger than Central Park)
Spectacular views with hiking and biking forest trails
for a scenic journey through natural wonder.









Contemporary Torches constructed for the Winter Olympics

 

 

Beautiful sculptured gardens with
layers of color in every area of the city

  



A tree that came down in a storm
was trimmed and sculpted to give
 kids a tree climbing experience

TO BE CONTINUED -  As I have a maximum load capacity on the photos



The Mountain Getaway Of Grand Lake



When You drive into Grand Lake, the Sombrero Stables
are the first thing you see.



Only one gas station, not too cheap!

 

Truly a mountain market with the old,
wooden floors and old fashion meat
counter.  Vacationers stop for ice.



There are many lodges and cabins located in downtown
Grand Lake.  If you are coming in on the weekend, You
need a reservation in advance - it is high season until
school starts.

 

Small part of the Cold Springs Nursery
located handy on main street
Picture Perfect.



Grand lake is small but has a beautiful view in every direction.
Vacationers must be in awe when they drive into town, this
is the entrance.

 

Best hamburgers in town and not a
parking place left at lunch time.

Grand Lake is very proud of the new Rocky Mountain
Repertory theatre which gives us 4 production each summer.
We are looking forward to seeing Almost Heaven, The Songs
of John Denver in September.



Coffee shops and ice cream places
are the big hang-outs.



With school starting, we will see
more of these.





Grand Lakes Library is exceptional
for a small town



Grand Lake has many cute shops, one
of a kind, owner operated.

 

The family out for some Sunday boating, Grand Lake
pier in the background



Downtown cabins for rent have conformed
to the rustic, mountain look with natural
landscaping.

          

















The Grand Lake downtown park with pavilion, used
for pancake breakfast, bingo, Buffalo Bar B-Q  days,
Art and Craft fairs, Bluegrass Music Festivals



Sculpture beside the Library

 

The rustic detailing of this original cabin
  off main street, adds to the charm.



Area of the park, no cement sidewalks - all boardwalks in
the town of Grand Lake.



Porches were an important feature of the early building style


Since the town's beginning as a summer ground for Ute and Arapaho Indians, Grand Lake has been a tourist destination and is enjoyed for its stunning beauty, recreational potential and casual, therapeutic ambiance.  Boating has always been a popular diversion for visitors and residents.
It is impossible to capture the charm of Grand Lake in a blog or two.



Make It In A Baggie



1/2 cup soy sauce,  1/4 cup of powdered
sugar,  2 Tbsp. chopped green onion, 
2 Tbsp. chopped sushi  ginger with juice,
crushed red pepper, 1 clove garlic crushed,
1 pkg. 8 oz.cream cheese and toasted sesame
seed. Put ingredients in a baggie and squeeze
to mix.  Add the block of cream cheese.  some-
times I cut it in two pieces.



Let stand in the refrigerator for 24 hours, turning occasionally
but 2-3 days is good too. Let the liquid drain off and press with
toasted sesame seed.  Serve with rice crackers.

 When you live in a resort area, there are always friends and family visiting.  This recipe was given to me by my friend, Lorna Kramer and I use it more often than any single recipe because people like it and it is so easy. People often ask,
what is this, tuna?  It has a great flavor with soy sauce and
the ginger but difficult to define the cream cheese.



Place sealed baggies in boiling water
for 10 minutes (longer for high altitude).
I usually cut the baggie with scissors and
roll the omelet on to the plate.

 This is an easy way to serve breakfast.  Everyone's omelet is ready at the same time.  For those who don't like mushrooms or garlic or tomato, a no brainer.  I serve red and green sauce on the side but sometimes I just make it Huevos Rancheros style, Italian or use leftover veggies.  No oil or grease - low cal.

Put a selection of everything you can imagine that goes into
an omelet out - buffet style.  Write the person's name on the
baggie because they all look the same after cooking and let
everyone select their condiments. Pour 1/2 to 3/4 cup of eggs
(mixed with a fork and a little salt added) on top. Squeeze with

fingers to mix and seal.

I 

Reheat leftovers and serve over baby spinach, topped
with green sauce -  for lunch.