Monday, January 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Last Entry
Welp, I finally made it back to the east coast and my epic trip is over. I just thought I'd write a quick thank you to everyone who read my blog all summer - whether I know about you or not :). And also to everyone who donated to my cause and trip. I hope that you realize that it was absolutly life changing for me and I'm so glad I spent my summer in my own backyard.
Thanks again!
-- Diane
Thanks again!
-- Diane
Location:Philadelphia, PA
Monday, August 30, 2010
Meeting Lee Smith
So we woke up this morning with a game plan. We headed to the corner of Robson and Granville for some crepes and smoothies. Then off we went to Stanley park to go roller blading around.
Personally, I loved it! But doug who was a little more roller blading challenged was a trooper. He only fell once, but he spent so much time concentrating on not falling that he couldn't really look around like me. We did the 10k loop around the park and stopped all along the way. I felt like I was back on bike and build, skating along and checking out all the terrain and pit stops as we went. I think I really like exploring this way now.
Here are pictures:
After this, we went to steamworks brewing company for dinner before going to a minor league baseball game. The Vancouver canadians played the Salem-Keizer volcanos. It was a fun game. We met lee smith there which doug really enjoyed :). Came back a little early because we have to wake up at 3:15 to catch our flight tomorrow! Wow. The trip is finally over!
-- Diane and Doug
Personally, I loved it! But doug who was a little more roller blading challenged was a trooper. He only fell once, but he spent so much time concentrating on not falling that he couldn't really look around like me. We did the 10k loop around the park and stopped all along the way. I felt like I was back on bike and build, skating along and checking out all the terrain and pit stops as we went. I think I really like exploring this way now.
Here are pictures:
After this, we went to steamworks brewing company for dinner before going to a minor league baseball game. The Vancouver canadians played the Salem-Keizer volcanos. It was a fun game. We met lee smith there which doug really enjoyed :). Came back a little early because we have to wake up at 3:15 to catch our flight tomorrow! Wow. The trip is finally over!
-- Diane and Doug
Doug Turns 10
Well the highlights of yesterday were checking out the sea wall and Canada Place as well as the capilano suspension bridge.
I slept in while doug went for a run in the morning. My body is exhaused and I can finally catch up on sleep in a real bed.
Then we went to the grocery store for a picnic lunch and caught a shuttle up to the bridge. It is just north of the city.
This bridge is a long swinging cable bridge across a canyon. When we arrived, we got a tour of the history of the bridge by Matt.
During the tour doug first began acting like he was
10 years old, as him and the other little kid freaked out when they saw ice cream. Then we went inside the gift shop for free fudge samples, where again, 10 year old doug and another little kid loved the cookies and cream fudge. Well when we went across the bridge, it was confirmed - doug is 10.
So the bridge was large enough for just two people across, and it moved alot! It was pretty neat to walk across but also to watch other people walk across. We had our picnic on the otherside in the rainforest as we learned on the tour. Who knew there was a rainforest so close?
Then we walked around looking for banana slugs and learning about Douglas firs, red cedars, and hemlocks. I also told a joke - what were tarzans last words? Who greased the vine? Doug just shook his head.
Coming back the bus driver was crazy - he was giving us play by play on the loud speaker of his driving situations. It was funny and he was nice enough.
Then we got off at Canada place and saw this digital whale art. I liked it alot.
By this time is was getting late, so we spent a while walking around to find pho, ate it and then watched a movie. We also wrote and mailed some postcards. Good day.
-- Diane and Doug
I slept in while doug went for a run in the morning. My body is exhaused and I can finally catch up on sleep in a real bed.
Then we went to the grocery store for a picnic lunch and caught a shuttle up to the bridge. It is just north of the city.
This bridge is a long swinging cable bridge across a canyon. When we arrived, we got a tour of the history of the bridge by Matt.
During the tour doug first began acting like he was
10 years old, as him and the other little kid freaked out when they saw ice cream. Then we went inside the gift shop for free fudge samples, where again, 10 year old doug and another little kid loved the cookies and cream fudge. Well when we went across the bridge, it was confirmed - doug is 10.
So the bridge was large enough for just two people across, and it moved alot! It was pretty neat to walk across but also to watch other people walk across. We had our picnic on the otherside in the rainforest as we learned on the tour. Who knew there was a rainforest so close?
Then we walked around looking for banana slugs and learning about Douglas firs, red cedars, and hemlocks. I also told a joke - what were tarzans last words? Who greased the vine? Doug just shook his head.
Coming back the bus driver was crazy - he was giving us play by play on the loud speaker of his driving situations. It was funny and he was nice enough.
Then we got off at Canada place and saw this digital whale art. I liked it alot.
By this time is was getting late, so we spent a while walking around to find pho, ate it and then watched a movie. We also wrote and mailed some postcards. Good day.
-- Diane and Doug
Location:Vancouver
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Canadian Bacon
So I have some help writing now. Doug is behind the blogs too now. We are trading paragraphs in tonights issue.
Most of the bike and build team was still in Vancouver today so in the morning we left our hotel and walked the 8 or so blocks to the church where everyone was staying. After checking in with the group we walked over to Robson street to shop. Well, more like Diane dragged me along for the ride to Robson St so she could shop.
To be fair, doug said he might be interested in a jacket because it is cool in Vancouver. But most of the stores we stopped in were my idea. I found a super comfy pair of sweatpants from a company called roots for an awesome price. There is background here of Erica having these sweatpants and me wearing them once and realizing just how awesome they are. So I got myself a pair. Did alot of other window shopping but nothing major. Doug didnt find a jacket, but we didnt look that hard either. Then we met back up with the group at 12:30 to go to the Granville Island Farmers Market, which is like reading terminal in Philly, and the strip in Pittsburgh.
The market area had a ton of shops and so much to look at...I couldn't keep up.
It was nice to walk around that area and get food - we had our apple pie a la mode first before the burgers because we didn't want the ice cream to melt. It worked out well. Later in the afternoon we then took the aquaferry back across the water to put us back in downtown Vancouver.
Well at this point we had done a ton of walking, so we headed back to the hotel for a break. We napped for about an hour before waking back up to have sushi with AK and Denis for dinner. Doug ordered way too much food! The sushi rolls were huge -and we didn't know that. But it was a real good place. It was fun - a double date of sorts. Then we had some hot chocolate and listen to denis tell us about his favorite cross country experience.
Finally we went back to the church and I said goodbye to the team. It was sad. I'll miss everyone - alot. I'm slowly readjusting to real life again.
-- Diane (and Doug)
Most of the bike and build team was still in Vancouver today so in the morning we left our hotel and walked the 8 or so blocks to the church where everyone was staying. After checking in with the group we walked over to Robson street to shop. Well, more like Diane dragged me along for the ride to Robson St so she could shop.
To be fair, doug said he might be interested in a jacket because it is cool in Vancouver. But most of the stores we stopped in were my idea. I found a super comfy pair of sweatpants from a company called roots for an awesome price. There is background here of Erica having these sweatpants and me wearing them once and realizing just how awesome they are. So I got myself a pair. Did alot of other window shopping but nothing major. Doug didnt find a jacket, but we didnt look that hard either. Then we met back up with the group at 12:30 to go to the Granville Island Farmers Market, which is like reading terminal in Philly, and the strip in Pittsburgh.
The market area had a ton of shops and so much to look at...I couldn't keep up.
It was nice to walk around that area and get food - we had our apple pie a la mode first before the burgers because we didn't want the ice cream to melt. It worked out well. Later in the afternoon we then took the aquaferry back across the water to put us back in downtown Vancouver.
Well at this point we had done a ton of walking, so we headed back to the hotel for a break. We napped for about an hour before waking back up to have sushi with AK and Denis for dinner. Doug ordered way too much food! The sushi rolls were huge -and we didn't know that. But it was a real good place. It was fun - a double date of sorts. Then we had some hot chocolate and listen to denis tell us about his favorite cross country experience.
Finally we went back to the church and I said goodbye to the team. It was sad. I'll miss everyone - alot. I'm slowly readjusting to real life again.
-- Diane (and Doug)
Location:Vancouver
I Can See Clearly Now The Rain Is Gone
For once I woke up before the alarms at 6 am. We're riding to Vancouver today!! I had to be patient all morning. All I wanted to do was get to second beach and see Doug. But we wouldn't be doing that until noon. Also, a group of guys had taken Nolan in the day before and gotten mad lost, so today we split into 4 groups with leaders. I rode with denis as my leader.
It was cold and rainy, and we were getting lost. What a way to ride in. I had on lots of layers and the last thing I wanted to do was run into the ocean.
We regrouped at the science center and waited until noon to ride over. In the last two miles of the ride, the clouds parted and the rain stopped. It was finally hitting all of us - what we had done this summer.
As we turned the corner to Stanley park we started screaming and cheering past all of our parents and friends. Dropped our bikes, stripped down and ran for the ocean.
It was warmer than expected but there were huge rocks, so I cut my foot up pretty bad by accident. We huged and sang and cheered in the ocean. Finally came back and dipped our front wheels in the ocean. All of my pics are on my camera unfortunatly. You'll have to wait for it.
We spent the rest of the day celebrating and packing bikes and celebrating and saying good bye. We also handed out superlatives, I got most likely to become a spin class instructor.
Great day. Saw doug, and it's nice to have him back. I can't believe I made it the whole way. My trip is over.
These are my lyrics to closing time:
Vancouver
Run into the ocean
And dip your front wheel in the sea
Vancouver
What an epic summer
Its 32 bikes, 1 country
Vancouver
Let's Gather up some hammers
And put up a new house for them
Vancouver
Every plate of pasta
and every last cookie are gone
I know I won't miss my thermarest
No more packing trailers b'for breakfast
I know that my bag is just a mess...it's just a mess
Vancouver
No more flats to bring you down
Or road morphs to pump you back up
Vancouver
Life long friends and memories
Bike and build withdrawl is here.
Vancouver
Every new beginning
Comes from some other beginings end
Stats of the Day
Total Distance: 23.90
Avg Speed: 7.79
Max Speed: 33.23
-- Diane
It was cold and rainy, and we were getting lost. What a way to ride in. I had on lots of layers and the last thing I wanted to do was run into the ocean.
We regrouped at the science center and waited until noon to ride over. In the last two miles of the ride, the clouds parted and the rain stopped. It was finally hitting all of us - what we had done this summer.
As we turned the corner to Stanley park we started screaming and cheering past all of our parents and friends. Dropped our bikes, stripped down and ran for the ocean.
It was warmer than expected but there were huge rocks, so I cut my foot up pretty bad by accident. We huged and sang and cheered in the ocean. Finally came back and dipped our front wheels in the ocean. All of my pics are on my camera unfortunatly. You'll have to wait for it.
We spent the rest of the day celebrating and packing bikes and celebrating and saying good bye. We also handed out superlatives, I got most likely to become a spin class instructor.
Great day. Saw doug, and it's nice to have him back. I can't believe I made it the whole way. My trip is over.
These are my lyrics to closing time:
Vancouver
Run into the ocean
And dip your front wheel in the sea
Vancouver
What an epic summer
Its 32 bikes, 1 country
Vancouver
Let's Gather up some hammers
And put up a new house for them
Vancouver
Every plate of pasta
and every last cookie are gone
I know I won't miss my thermarest
No more packing trailers b'for breakfast
I know that my bag is just a mess...it's just a mess
Vancouver
No more flats to bring you down
Or road morphs to pump you back up
Vancouver
Life long friends and memories
Bike and build withdrawl is here.
Vancouver
Every new beginning
Comes from some other beginings end
Stats of the Day
Total Distance: 23.90
Avg Speed: 7.79
Max Speed: 33.23
-- Diane
Location:Vancouver BC
Canada Eh?
Welp, we made it to Canada today. I mailed my last pieces in the US and then answered some questions and crossed the border. As we crossed, Angela decided she needed to pee, so she told Kelsey who was still at the window to ask the guard if Canada has bathrooms. So Kelsey did just that, and the guard cracked a smile.
I rode so slow today. It was hillier than expected, but still a good ride. When we got to our host, we were informed they were hosting a day camp, so we couldn't actually come in until 5ish. That gave us like 4 hours of time to do whatever. So we just hung. It's been a long night of inventory and winding the trip down. We aren't in the best area of town tonight but it's only one more day to Vancouver. I think we'll make it.
Stats of the Day:
Total Mileage: 40.34
Avg Speed: 12.23
Max Speed: 41.12
-- Diane
I rode so slow today. It was hillier than expected, but still a good ride. When we got to our host, we were informed they were hosting a day camp, so we couldn't actually come in until 5ish. That gave us like 4 hours of time to do whatever. So we just hung. It's been a long night of inventory and winding the trip down. We aren't in the best area of town tonight but it's only one more day to Vancouver. I think we'll make it.
Stats of the Day:
Total Mileage: 40.34
Avg Speed: 12.23
Max Speed: 41.12
-- Diane
Location:Surrey, BC
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