Just watching the closing ceremony and wanted to wrap up our trip. We had a blast !!! We feel fortunate to have been part of it. It is a really neat feeling to be around other people from different countries all rooting for their team. We met a lot of very nice people and were amazed at how welcoming the people of Canada were. We would definately make a trip back to the Vancouver area.
The experience reminded me of Expo 74 in that there were people from all over the world all together being part of one event. I wish there were more opportunities to experience different cultures and people in the Spokane area. I've been to a couple of World Expos now, and a couple of Olympics. We met someone on one of the Skytrains from Colorado who said he was now hooked on attending Olympics after having been to one. I feel that I may be in the same boat.
I'm glad the kids had a good time. Before we left, I thought that they might not realize how lucky they were to be part of it until they were older, but I think they realize it already. We've been talking and have brought up the idea of going to the Olympics in 2012 in London. I'm seriously considering it. I would love to be able to give my kids a little bit of a world view of things. I'd like them to learn that the world is bigger than the borders of Washington state and though other cultures may seem vastly different, they really have many of the same values, goals and ideals as we do. A trip to the Olympics in a foreign country ( that you have to fly to get to) may really help reinforce this. Also, Rylee may be taking French for a couple of years in high school before we would go, maybe she could interpret if we go to France.
I want the kids to enjoy and remember our family vacations fondly. I remember how fun it was to go on our family vacations when I was a kid. Vacations to Disneyland, Washington DC, the Oregon Coast, Reno, etc, all were fun. I think it helped us be close as a family and keep our family close even now as we are adults. So thanks, Mom and Dad, for making that a priority when we were kids. I'm passing it on to my children so that hopefully they will pass it on to theirs.
Now we have to start saving for 2012, anyone want to buy a kidney????
Craig
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Day 4 at the Olympics
We had a great and tiring day today. We ended back at the hotel about 12:30 AM on Thursday morning after a full day. We started off the day by hitting a mall and picking up some souvenirs. We then made our way downtown to walk around and see some sights. We also had lunch at a regular restaurant where we actually got to sit down and eat and order off a menu. It was nice to eat some real food for a change.
We had tickets for the mens hockey game, Sweden VS Germany to we went to the stadium. After the security check we waited in line. There was a little entertainment in line with some dancers performing. We couldn't see very well but at least there was some music to keep us occupied.
The game went well. We were in the very top row of the regular seating and two of our seat were right on the aisle. The Canadians love their hockey and it was a loud crowd. We did notice that there were alot of available seats in the lower section. The NHL players look a lot bigger than the Spokane Chief hockey players, even from the distance of the last row of the stadium.
We watched until almost the end of the 2nd period since we had tickets to the women's hockey game across town. We debated about selling the tickets to the womens game since it was so far away, but we decided to leave a little early and try and make it to the womens game before it started.
We managed to get on the public transportation, the Skytrain, switch over to the Canada Line rapid transit, and then a bus. The bus was jam packed. We all were in the front right by the driver and had to keep out of his line of vision. We made it to the womens game about 5 minutes after it started.
The womens game was more fun than the mens and I'm glad we made the trip. We had much better seats, about 8 rows from the ice, and the arena was much smaller. It just made the game more fun. I even heard Rylee say she had fun a this game, and that's a big endorsement. I got some good pictures but I'll have to load them up later.
After the game, we made our way back downtown on another crowded bus and rapid transit to the official Olympic Superstore. It was open until midnight so we were hoping the crowds would be down. We still had to wait in line a little bit but we were able to get all our shopping done. It's a big store and we were tired but in the Olympic spirit, we did
best.....
We were done and made it back to the hotel, wound down a little by watching some Olympics on TV and went to bed. Now it's time to pack up and brave the border again. Hopefully it will be as smooth as the trip over.
I think the kids had fun. Jarret even made a comment that he was glad we let him tag along with us to the Olympics......that made the trip even better.
We had tickets for the mens hockey game, Sweden VS Germany to we went to the stadium. After the security check we waited in line. There was a little entertainment in line with some dancers performing. We couldn't see very well but at least there was some music to keep us occupied.
The game went well. We were in the very top row of the regular seating and two of our seat were right on the aisle. The Canadians love their hockey and it was a loud crowd. We did notice that there were alot of available seats in the lower section. The NHL players look a lot bigger than the Spokane Chief hockey players, even from the distance of the last row of the stadium.
We watched until almost the end of the 2nd period since we had tickets to the women's hockey game across town. We debated about selling the tickets to the womens game since it was so far away, but we decided to leave a little early and try and make it to the womens game before it started.
We managed to get on the public transportation, the Skytrain, switch over to the Canada Line rapid transit, and then a bus. The bus was jam packed. We all were in the front right by the driver and had to keep out of his line of vision. We made it to the womens game about 5 minutes after it started.
The womens game was more fun than the mens and I'm glad we made the trip. We had much better seats, about 8 rows from the ice, and the arena was much smaller. It just made the game more fun. I even heard Rylee say she had fun a this game, and that's a big endorsement. I got some good pictures but I'll have to load them up later.
After the game, we made our way back downtown on another crowded bus and rapid transit to the official Olympic Superstore. It was open until midnight so we were hoping the crowds would be down. We still had to wait in line a little bit but we were able to get all our shopping done. It's a big store and we were tired but in the Olympic spirit, we did
best.....
We were done and made it back to the hotel, wound down a little by watching some Olympics on TV and went to bed. Now it's time to pack up and brave the border again. Hopefully it will be as smooth as the trip over.
I think the kids had fun. Jarret even made a comment that he was glad we let him tag along with us to the Olympics......that made the trip even better.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Day 3 at the Olympics
Jill's words for Tuesday, Feb. 16th: What a fun day at Whistler! Rylee already wants to come back someday and spend the day in the village. A couple of funny things the kids said: Jarret said, "I love being a foreigner" as we were driving from the hotel to the sky train station. He counted 7 different forms of transportation we used today: walking, elevator, escalator, sky train, sea bus (very cool), charter bus, and gondola on Whistler mountain. Wow, no wonder our feet and legs are tired! After walking all day long, a lot of it UP and UP and UP Whistler mountain to see different views of the luge track, we finally got off the sky train to come back to our hotel. We all stood up to get off the train and groaned at the same time. Rylee said, "my lower body is cussing like a gangster"...man we laughed.
Watching the luge was really fun. At some points along the track, we were only a few feet from the lugers! They whizzed by us so fast that we almost missed the first two or three. The crowds really got into it and were yelling and ringing the cow bells. We didn't stay for the entire two heats as we wanted to see Whistler village before we had to ride the charter bus back to Vancouver (2 hr drive). Actually we took the sea bus from Vancouver to Lonsdale Quay, then boarded the bus for the drive up to Whistler. We only got drizzled on once or twice on the mountain, and didn't even use our hats and gloves. In the village we found a store called "Cows". You guessed it, it was all cow stuff. Rylee nearly wet her pants! Of course we had to go in and spend some money. We also tried poutines. What, you ask, are poutines? They're french fries covered in gravy and cheese curd. I know, I know, it sounds gross, but hey, when you're in Canada, you do as the Canadians do, right? They were actually pretty good!
I wore my Zags sweatshirt today, and just waited for one of the many thousands of Olympic fans to recognize it. Nothing. Until we were back in downtown Vancouver tonight taking pics of the Olympic torch, and a couple yelled "Gonzaga"!! They are alums and live in Seattle now. Yay, someone finally recognized it! The torch was blocked off with fencing, so we couldn't get too close. Apparently the protesters ruined it for the rest of us. Tomorrow is hockey and shopping!
Watching the luge was really fun. At some points along the track, we were only a few feet from the lugers! They whizzed by us so fast that we almost missed the first two or three. The crowds really got into it and were yelling and ringing the cow bells. We didn't stay for the entire two heats as we wanted to see Whistler village before we had to ride the charter bus back to Vancouver (2 hr drive). Actually we took the sea bus from Vancouver to Lonsdale Quay, then boarded the bus for the drive up to Whistler. We only got drizzled on once or twice on the mountain, and didn't even use our hats and gloves. In the village we found a store called "Cows". You guessed it, it was all cow stuff. Rylee nearly wet her pants! Of course we had to go in and spend some money. We also tried poutines. What, you ask, are poutines? They're french fries covered in gravy and cheese curd. I know, I know, it sounds gross, but hey, when you're in Canada, you do as the Canadians do, right? They were actually pretty good!
I wore my Zags sweatshirt today, and just waited for one of the many thousands of Olympic fans to recognize it. Nothing. Until we were back in downtown Vancouver tonight taking pics of the Olympic torch, and a couple yelled "Gonzaga"!! They are alums and live in Seattle now. Yay, someone finally recognized it! The torch was blocked off with fencing, so we couldn't get too close. Apparently the protesters ruined it for the rest of us. Tomorrow is hockey and shopping!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Day 2 at the Olympics
We started the day taking the Skytrain downtown. we decided to walk down to the USA team house, I heard they had a team store. We got down there only to find out it's only for VIP's and they don't have a store. They were very nice and told us where we could go to find things. The Hudson Bay store is where the Olympic Superstore is. They told us that if we just wanted USA stuff, we could go up to the 5th floor and find what they have. We decided to go there and take a look. The superstore has all the licensed merchandise but there was probably a 30 - 60 minute wait just to get in - then probably another 30 minutes to wait in line to buy. We decided to skip it. We did go up to the 5th floor and found that you could buy a Ralph Lauren knit hat for $60. I don't know why in the world the USA would license to them when it's so expensive.
We left the store and walked around until we got to one of the malls. We found an Apple store and they told us we could use the wireless connections there to check emails or update the facebook page. We also got a few limited edition Apple pins which were pretty cool. We found a place to grab a little lunch before heading to the Richmond Oval to watch the speed skating.
We got to the Oval a couple hours before it started, waited in line and then got in. We found a souvenir shop and picked up a few things without having to wait in a long line. The speed skating was really neat to see. It's amazing how fast they get going on the ice. In the middle of the race, they went to re-ice the surface and had trouble with the zamboni's. At least one of them broke and they had to find a replacement. The replacement one didn't finish off the ice very well so they had to make some more runs at it. They were really under the gun to get it fixed. After at least an hour, they started things back up again.
After it was over, we took the Skytrain back and got some dinner at McD's. Our eating schedule and meals have been pretty bad. I don't think tomorrow is going to be any better.
We've met alot of really nice people and both the fans and volunteers have been great. So far it's been a really great trip. Tomorrow we head to Whistler and the Luge.
We left the store and walked around until we got to one of the malls. We found an Apple store and they told us we could use the wireless connections there to check emails or update the facebook page. We also got a few limited edition Apple pins which were pretty cool. We found a place to grab a little lunch before heading to the Richmond Oval to watch the speed skating.
We got to the Oval a couple hours before it started, waited in line and then got in. We found a souvenir shop and picked up a few things without having to wait in a long line. The speed skating was really neat to see. It's amazing how fast they get going on the ice. In the middle of the race, they went to re-ice the surface and had trouble with the zamboni's. At least one of them broke and they had to find a replacement. The replacement one didn't finish off the ice very well so they had to make some more runs at it. They were really under the gun to get it fixed. After at least an hour, they started things back up again.
After it was over, we took the Skytrain back and got some dinner at McD's. Our eating schedule and meals have been pretty bad. I don't think tomorrow is going to be any better.
We've met alot of really nice people and both the fans and volunteers have been great. So far it's been a really great trip. Tomorrow we head to Whistler and the Luge.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
1st day at Olympics
The first day started off well. We got out of town about the time we wanted and made it to Vancouver ahead of schedule. The border was nothing to worry about. We only had to wait for one car in front of us to go through. I didn't have any problems at the border.....I had an answer for all their quest ions.
After getting to the hotel, we drove down and parked at lot by the SkyTrain station. We took the train to downtown where we picked up the tickets for the Victory Ceremony. We walked around a little bit and then got in line for the security check before we got to the stadium. Once we were through that, we ended up having to wait for about an hour before they got things started.
We decided to pick up dinner at the stadium, so 4 hot dogs, 4 drinks and some jo-jo's and $44.50 in the whole, we ate our dinner. By the way, we stumbled across a Costco that is part of the complex around BC Place. We should have just eaten there.
The ceremony was pretty neat. We got to see a few medals awarded. The first one was for the US womens mogel champion. It was nice to hear the US National Anthem. We also got to see Anton Ono get his silver medal.
The concert by Nelly Furtado was OK but it was really loud and hard to see and hear. Jill wasn't feeling all that well so we decided to duck out early. As we were leaving, the music actually sounded better in the hallways. We made our way to the Skytrain after walking along the water and getting some nice nightime pictures of the city.
Tomorrow we'll try and make it to the US House to shop for some US Team merchandise before heading to the Speed Skating. The kids seem to be enjoying themselves, Rylee commented that she liked Vancouver. The Skytrains run really well but they were crowded. On the way back, we went past our station. We just got off, and then caught the next one going the other way a couple minutes later. No harm...no foul but I don't think the kids will let me forget it.
I'm having a few problems posting pictures but if I can figure it out, you'll see some show up. Otherwise, you might have to wait until we get back. We'll have more tomorrow, for now it's time to get some sleep.
After getting to the hotel, we drove down and parked at lot by the SkyTrain station. We took the train to downtown where we picked up the tickets for the Victory Ceremony. We walked around a little bit and then got in line for the security check before we got to the stadium. Once we were through that, we ended up having to wait for about an hour before they got things started.
We decided to pick up dinner at the stadium, so 4 hot dogs, 4 drinks and some jo-jo's and $44.50 in the whole, we ate our dinner. By the way, we stumbled across a Costco that is part of the complex around BC Place. We should have just eaten there.
The ceremony was pretty neat. We got to see a few medals awarded. The first one was for the US womens mogel champion. It was nice to hear the US National Anthem. We also got to see Anton Ono get his silver medal.
The concert by Nelly Furtado was OK but it was really loud and hard to see and hear. Jill wasn't feeling all that well so we decided to duck out early. As we were leaving, the music actually sounded better in the hallways. We made our way to the Skytrain after walking along the water and getting some nice nightime pictures of the city.
Tomorrow we'll try and make it to the US House to shop for some US Team merchandise before heading to the Speed Skating. The kids seem to be enjoying themselves, Rylee commented that she liked Vancouver. The Skytrains run really well but they were crowded. On the way back, we went past our station. We just got off, and then caught the next one going the other way a couple minutes later. No harm...no foul but I don't think the kids will let me forget it.
I'm having a few problems posting pictures but if I can figure it out, you'll see some show up. Otherwise, you might have to wait until we get back. We'll have more tomorrow, for now it's time to get some sleep.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Jarret's surprise party
He turned 12 today and there was a theme. He got 12 of a bunch of different things.
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