February 27, 2012

twice the company = twice the fun

sooo, finally the last of the photo recap of my vancouver trip! come saturday lana arrived..bringing the seattle rain with her...but shortly after her arrival we managed to talk the weather man into a couple of pretty much rain free days to allow us some sight seeing!
visiting chinatown before our night out in yaletown
local beers, good food. enough said.
a new day and planning another full day of adventures over some brekkie
we walked the 3.5km to granville island to explore the little shops and indoor farmers market where we picked up fresh produce for dinner before walking home again..
romantic dinner for two
our last day in vancouver involved stanley park..we ran there in the morning then bussed back later to get photos and explore a little more!
was such a blast traveling with lana..excited for the next adventure when her and ty come visit us in san diego!!
xx

February 26, 2012

where in the world was carmen 'san diego'..

it wasn't really a secret. but i was in vancouver for a week, sight seeing and hanging out with lana who joined me for her long weekend off work! the weather up there was a little different than san diego, mostly overcast and raining..but the sun did peek through the clouds a couple of times to warm up our toes! it was fun to get a little taste of 'real' winter and wrap up warm in many layers.

the first two days i spent exploring the city by myself...and this meant quickly learning how to read maps, figure out the public transport system and overcome my known terrible sense of direction.
here's some pictures from my solo adventures....
train ride up along the coast.
a little dinner for one and my new read for the trip
canada place and gaslamp district
..after much walking around and the appearance of raindrops it was due time for a stop for coffee at this cute coffee shop in the heart of downtown vancouver..
then home time to warm up, dry up an prepare for lana's arrival!

February 23, 2012

kiwi back in the nest

my trip away served many purposes. i got to spend a bunch of time with my best girl Lana and her husband Ty, see the sights of vancouver and seattle, go on a train, a bus and an airplane, eat yummy yummy food, get a taste of real winter, run on trails in the woods, oh and also i got another visa..so now im back in america for a while longer. 
side note. this may mean that i need a shipment from nz...marmite is out, cravings for all things kiwi are on a new all time high. blame canada and their tim-tams. 

first i will share with you my seattle experience, pre and post vancouver, where i stayed with Lana and Ty in their beautiful home in the mountains. 
the day i arrived the sun came out for the first time in a week! so lana and ty took me to pikes public market to walk around and grab lunch. we sampled salmon cakes, clam chowder and fish and chips (which were actually very, very good..think the may be the most legit ones iv tried over here yet!)
we stopped by a local cheese shop to check out the cheese making in process
and i found REAL crumpets..nz style, and a whole store/cafe dedicated to it! this may be where the cravings for kiwi food truly originated!
after sight seeing it was due time for a little pick me up..and because the sun was out it meant icecream was on the menu. a great local icecream shop with all unique flavors such as lavender and honey, chocolate and chilli and earl grey.
back to the residence for a run down memory lane. like our college days all over again we hit the trails for a run before dinner. 

AFTER I GOT BACK ACROSS THE BORDER!!!! YEAAAA!!!
i got to have a day out and about with Ty..some one on one bonding time with my besties man
he took me to one of the oldest coffee shops in seattle. the walls were lined with old books and the interior was all antique and vintage..add local art work = perfect! it was an awsome place and the coffee definitely lived up to the decor!
next stop was across the road for a look around an indoor market/deli..all situated within an old wooden building. it reminded me of an old sheering shed in nz and i loved that all the little shops inside sold local produce and gifts. we grabbed lunch to go and headed to the hospital to have lunch with Lana on her break!
after checking out lana in her scrubs we toured the main street and new library which had a spectacular view of seattle!
all and all i would say that seattle is beautiful, with a great mix of downtown vibe and mountain oasis. 
i can't wait to go back and spend more time there!