Whistler, Canada Sea to Sky Climb

We were up early and walked the short block from our hotel, Hyatt Regency, to the Fairmont Vancouver to catch our transfer to the Rocky Mountaineer train station.  After obtaining our boarding passes, the six of us boarded the bus for the 20 minute ride through Vancouver to the train station.  Embarkation was easy... we were all seated close together in comfortable seats.  Dome class service was not available for the Sea to Sky Climb itinerary but we were well taken care of and have plenty of photo opportunities.  The scenery was amazing.  We saw everything from the poor salmon who didn't make it all the way up the river and ended up being dinner for the bald eagles and black bears to dramatic river gorges, to mountains capped with snow.  The trip was leisurely and our train car attendant was a tour guide, giving us all sorts of interesting and sometimes humorous information.

What a beautiful, sunny, and unseasonably hot day in Whistler, Canada!  Even Ken, my nonshopper, had to purchase a short sleeve tee shirt.  We wandered around and found the will call booth and collected our beer festival tickets for the first every whistler village beer festival. Tickets were required & I purchased them online in advance for $35 per ticket.  There were about 47 craft beer brewers on hand and 4000 or so attendees.  It was held on Whistler's Olympic Plaza.  I sampled one beer from the Dead Frog Brewery that was my personal favorite as it was "citrusy" and I gave the rest of my beer tickets to Al and Susan.  My favorite, though, was the cute tank top with the logo and motto of the festival:  "beauty lies in the eyes of the beer holder"!!  I made sure to grab lots of coasters and a few labels.  Now I just need to get the Dead Frog tee with a logo that reads "nothing goes down like a cold dead frog"! 

Then back for some pool and steam room time before meeting everyone for dinner.  

After dining on wonderful Alaskan halibut for almost every meal, I was quite ready for some spaghetti! The Old Spaghetti Factory fit the bill perfectly...spaghetti with meat sauce, salad, garlic bread, and even 3 flavors of ice cream for dessert!  Oh yes.. The price was right too.  I know what you're thinking:  with all those great restaurants in Whistler why would you choose the Old Spaghetti Factory?  Well... I guess we were "fine cuisined out" and wanted something homey and simple.  The other reason is that when Ken & I first traveled, the Old Spaghetti Factory was quite a place and we tried to find one everywhere we went!  So there's a bit of sentimentality in the decision as well.  The six of us were exhausted after all of our travels via planes, trains, and automobiles so we decided to make it an early night ... though there were many all night "after festival" parties.

We stayed at the Pan Pacific Mountainside.  The restaurant associated with the hotel is the Dubh Linn Gate Pub and it rocks!!!  Literally and physically.  Pure and simple.  Friday night was our first night so the six of us went about 6:30 as we had noted that the live music began at 8pm.  I ordered steak and Guinness pie and was in food heaven.  Filled with tasty beef, potatoes, carrots, and onions in a rich brown Guinness infused gravy..  My heart be still!  

And then the band, Ruckus Deluxe appeared on stage... Awesome duo of Chad Oliver on acoustic guitar (former lead singer for cirque du soleil) and Ian Cameron (Grammy nominated violinist) on fiddle, electric guitar and mandolin.  They played everything from country to rock to their own originals and I could have danced all night.  Incredible. 

Next morning we had breakfast at the pub since our room rate included a nice voucher.. Again, excellent!! The Irish potato cake "took the cake" but the English bacon and fluffy scrambled eggs were perfect.  Sunday brunch is served at the Dubh Linn so we were there at 11 am on Sunday!  My favorite was the whole grain blueberry pancakes  with Canadian maple syrup!! My other favorite was the duo, The Splinters, who provided wonderful music in our outdoor brunch setting!

 We met the train shuttle at 2:45 pm and arrived back in Vancouver at 7:30 pm for an overnight stay at the Hyatt Regency in Vancouver, before boarding our ship, Norwegian Sun, the following morning.

A couple of notes regarding Whistler:  the train ride on the Rocky Mountaineer is 4 hours each way..some do this as a day trip from Vancouver; I don't advise that as you have only have about 3 hours in whistler.  I think one overnight would have been perfect.  We stayed for 2 nights and unless you are a mountain biker or avid hiker, one will do for sightseeing, photography, and hanging out.  It's claim to fame is skiing so visit Whistler in winter for some of the best in North America.

The Pan Pacific Mountainside is nicely located, within a three minute walk from the gondola transit station.  It's located in the pedestrian only Whistler Village.  We had a one bedroom suite on an upper floor.  Pool, spa, fitness center and steam room are nice.  I spent time in the eucalyptus infused steam room to relieve some head congestion .. It helped!

All in all, we had a fun couple of days in Whistler.  The scenery is awesome, the night life rocks, the food is great, and I purchased a red Helly Hansen Vancouver jacket!  It pairs well with my black leggings and Harley boots!

A Couple of Days in Vancouver, Canada

To try something a bit different, we booked the Amtrak Cascades train from Seattle to Vancouver.  Our train departed the Seattle train station at 7:30 am for the almost 4 hour scenic trip to Vancouver.  We grabbed a cab from the hotel to the train station and were the first in line, getting there before the train station even opened!  There were 6 of us hearty souls who arrived around 6:30 am.   Seats are assigned once you get there as you can't get assignments in advance.  We purchased business class seats (the additional charge to upgrade was not much) so we had nice seats.  It was a scenic and leisurely trip & quite relaxing.  We had breakfast onboard.  The menu was limited but it was fun going to the dining car!

Upon arrival in Vancouver, we disembarked the train and went through Immigration.  I didn't think the immigration officials were very welcoming but I guess they were just doing their job!  We hailed a cab to our hotel, Hyatt Regency Vancouver.  Our rooms were not ready, so we checked our luggage and grabbed a soft drink in the club lounge before heading out to find a lunch spot.  The Hyatt Regency is nicely located on Burrard Street and within a couple of blocks of Robson Street where we found a nice place for lunch, with outdoor seating.  We chose Abode.  The chef's pulled chicken sandwich with dried  vine ripened tomatoes, house made dijon aioli, and fresh baby arugula on ciabatta was beautifully presented but needed just a tad more of the dijon aioli or such to give it some pizazz.  Our glasses of wine hit the spot after a day of train travel!

We wandered and explored a bit and then went back to our hotel (our rooms were ready!) for some r&r before meeting for cocktails in the Club Lounge.  Our room was large and beautiful and being located on the 30th floor we had expansive views of Vancouver's skyline and waterfront.  The bathroom was quite lovely too... large with black tile and even a rain shower fixture (and oh yes Aveda toiletries, tres bien)!
Here's a photo of the view from our hotel room

Cocktails & appetizers in the lounge were nice and then we headed off to Coast, where we had made dinner reservations.  Coast got great reviews on tripadvisor and we were not disappointed!  Coast is quite a hip and happening restaurant with a modern, dark and romantic ambiance and superb seafood.  As you may have guessed, I ordered the halibut fish & chips... as I am now in love with halibut and am quite the fish & chips connaisseur!  It was divine! 

We enjoyed a late dinner and, being quite exhausted from our cross country travels, we retired after a nice walk back to the hotel.  The next morning we were up bright and early to do some sightseeing, shopping, and dining in Vancouver!  Following another lovely light breakfast in the club lounge, we hit the streets in search of the False Creek ferry boats for some hop-on/hop-off fun.  One of our stops was Granville Island, which was one of the TO DOs on my list.  I will say that I was a bit disappointed in what we found there... some touristy shops, a few restaurants, and brew pubs.  We had lunch on the waterfront at Bridges Bistro & Bar and enjoyed a dungeness crab & halibut cake burger (YUM!) and a glass of wine.  The view of False Creek and English Bay was especially beautiful on our warm (hot - 80 degrees F) & sunny day.  This little guy waited beside our table in  hopes of some crumbs!  You can't really tell it from this photo, but he was quite a large sea gull!

We then hopped back on the ferry boat for more scenic views from the water.  We got off at Yale Town and headed back toward our hotel with a couple of shopping stops on the way.  As I mentioned, the temperature was record breaking for mid-September in Vancouver and we had brought mostly long sleeved shirts.  Hubby especially had not planned for the layering technique of dressing so we were in search of some short sleeve golf shirts and tee shirts to get him through the weather!  Success at Pacific Place Mall made for a smile or two.

Dinner reservations had been made for our group of six for Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House.  Located just a few blocks away we arrived in time for our 7:30 reservation and were promptly seated.  Joe's is not used to the high temperatures we were experiencing and does not have air conditioning!  The restaurant is a popular one and was packed so it was indeed a little "close" and warm for the duration of our dinner.  My steak was divine but I was ready to get out of there and get some fresh air by the time our meal was finished... no dessert for me!

We had a nice walk back to the hotel and went up to the club lounge for an after dinner glass of wine and sat on the verandah and enjoyed the view from the 29th floor of Vancouver.  Lovely way to end an evening with good friends.

From Sea to Shining Sea: Wilmington, NC to Seattle, WA!

Sorry for this delayed blog entry but I've been busy as well as jet lagged!   Anyway, our flights on Delta Airlines were all on time; we purchased economy plus seats so that we could enjoy a little extra leg room (especially Ken!).  So we were off from the east coast to the west coast!

Our friends, George & Paula, picked us up at 4:30 am and we were checked in at the airport by 5:30.  Upon arrival at Seattle's airport, we grabbed a taxi to the hotel; our rooms were ready so we refreshed and hit the streets to do some sightseeing and stretch our legs.   Down the hill to the waterfront we went just to make sure that pike place market was still there as you can see!

Paula and George enjoying Pike Place Market

Busy as ever, it did not disappoint; but we soon headed back to the room for a quick shower before joining our friends for cocktails and dinner at Blueacre Seafood.   We chose Blueacre for a couple of reasons.. Location and reviews on tripadvisor.    I ordered the potato chip encrusted halibut fish and chips and was in foodie heaven!

We got a great night's sleep..well I did wake up at 4 am which was 7 am eastern standard time!  We had a nice breakfast of frittatas and great Seattle coffee and headed down to pike place market for browsing  and lunch prior to our Savor Seattle food and culture tour of the famous market.   We stopped in at Maximilien for a a glass of Washington state wine and awesome view of the puget sound.  We found the infamous tourist attraction, the gum wall and snapped a requisite photo!  (it's quite "yucky" to me!)

and then found the perfect lunch spot.  Keeping with the French theme, we chose Cafe Campagne where I ordered the croque Monsieur... A delicious sandwich made with French bread, French ham, and French cheese.

Next on the agenda was our Savor Seattle tour, which was led by CJ, whom I am sure must be the best tour guide because I don't think a better job could be done. Paula and I high-fived a big fish that Shaun threw!

Photo courtesy of George Burn!

The tour we chose was a two hour tour and we enjoyed samples of everything from herbal tea, smoked salmon, cheese, to crab cakes! I highly recommend this tour! 

After this savory time, back to the hotel we went before getting picked up to join Robert and family in Edmonds, Washington!  Oh my!!  Here's a sunset view from their beautiful home... gorgeous home and gorgeous views!

What a feast we enjoyed...potato leek soup, salmon that melted in your mouth, and Eloise's famous pecan pie.  Thank you Eloise and Robert for a most perfect family gala dinner!!!

We loved the new home and so enjoyed seeing family and friends.

Packed and Ready to Go! West Coast Here I Come!

Yippee!  I've just finished packing for our Pacific Northwest trip and have room (or weight) to spare!  Ken is smiling at me now.   My new IT (ultra lightweight) luggage was of valuable assistance!  It weighs only 5.5 pounds empty.  Packing for this trip was a bit of a challenge since we will be as far north as Whistler in Canada and as far south as Los Angeles.  I've packed everything from boots to sequins to a swimsuit so I think I'm all set.  Shoes  you ask?  Being the shoe diva that I am, this was the most difficult part of packing for me!  Let's see... black motorcycle boots,  comfy black/lime green walking shoes (Jambu to be exact), another cutesie walking mule by Diesel, sparkly evening shoes, Spanish 2 1/2 inch heel pumps (comfy for walking AND dancing!), low dressier ankle boots... I think that's it at 6 pairs of shoes & they cover everything from hiking to dancing!

Astoria, Oregon

Since we jumped ship from our cancelled Celebrity Millennium and hopped onboard the Norwegian Sun, we get the special treat of visiting Astoria, Oregon.  Astoria, often noted as being one of the prettiest cities in the U.S., is located in the northwest corner of the state of Oregon.   Situated where the Columbia River merges into the Pacific Ocean, Astoria affords dramatic scenery where you can snap great photos of beautiful vistas.  Astoria welcomes cruise ship passengers with open arms!  There are lots of pier side activities including welcoming bands, pier side "never on a Sunday" festive open air market, bon voyage by the high school band, and much more. 
 

Astoria was named for John Jacob Astor, whose fur company founded Fort Astoria in 1811.  It was also home to more than a dozen seafood canneries, as Astoria was a West Coast hub for the fishing industry.  I discovered in my online research that Astoria is recognized as the place where the tuna fish sandwich originated! 

When speaking of tuna, Bumble Bee comes to mind.  Did you know that Albacore tuna was discovered off the Oregon coast near Astoria?  From Bumble Bee’s website I found a bit of the company’s history:

1899 – A group of 7 canners in Astoria, Oregon formed Columbia River Packers Association, CRPA. Together, they set out to fish and process salmon.

1900 – CRPA purchased several sailing ships and began building a cannery on Alaska’s Bristol Bay.

1910 – The Bumble Bee Brand was born as one of many CRPA marketed labels. Albacore tuna was discovered in seasonal abundance off the Oregon coast.

1920 – CRPA began expanding its cannery in Astoria to capitalize on Albacore

An article in the NY Times reports that “the town, you might say, is to canned tuna what Detroit is to the automobile.” 

What to do for a day in Astoria?  As always when visiting from a cruise ship, I know that a day will not be enough but that I can always return in the future to spend more time.  It sounds to me like Astoria will be one of those places!

I've booked a ship's excursion for a wine & seafood tasting.  We will taste Oregon's wines at the Cellar on the 10th and will also immerse ourselves in the seafood of the Pacific Northwest while enjoying a cooking class... could be hands-on too!  This will only take 3 hours of our day... so what to do with the remainder?

Ride the trolley  

The trolley ride is one of Astoria's most popular tourist attractions.  The conductors are certified and trained local volunteers.   "Old 300"  is a restored 1913 trolley car that runs from the Red Lion hotel to the foot of 39th Street 7 days a week, 12 Noon to 7:00 pm, Memorial Day to Labor Day.  It runs the rest of the year on a reduced schedule, which is posted in the trolley shelters.  

The fee is $1 per ride, or $2 per person, which will allow you to get on and off all day long if you desire.  There are about eleven stops during the narrated ride which lasts about an hour from end to end. I found this information on the website for Cruise Ship Days: On the days that cruise ships are in Astoria, the trolley and cruise host volunteers make every effort to provide rides on the trolley for as many passengers as possible. Therefore, a transportation sticker is sold for $7 that includes all day use of the shuttle to downtown Astoria, a transfer shuttle in the afternoons to the Astoria Column and the trolley. The trolley volunteers simply do not have time to collect individual fares if they are going to provide this valuable riverfront tour for as many visitors as possible. Passengers with stickers will have priority on the trolley.



Lewis and Clark’s Corp of Discovery spent the winter of 1805–1806 at Fort Clatsop, which they built and then named for the local Clatsop Indians.  You can see a replica of the fort at the FortClatsop National Memorial, administered by the National Park Service.  It is located four and one half miles southwest of Astoria, Oregon.  The current fort is a replica built in 1955 from drawings from William Clark’s journal. The area offers hiking trails, picnic locations, and canoe and kayak launches.

Today, Astoria is an up and coming artist haven and has been featured in a number of movies.  Movies that have been filmed in Astoria are: Kindergarten Cop, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, The Goonies, Short Circuit, Come See the Paradise, and Free Willy I and II.  One is Stephen Spielberg’s cult favorite, TheGoonies; you can even visit the Goonie's House in Astoria (click for YouTube video).

Some must-see venues include:

The Columbia River Maritime Museum

Visit here and you will learn about the history and importance of the Columbia River, the fishing industry, the Coast Guard, and much more.  

The Astoria Column was an incredible chance to see a 360 degree view of the Columbia River where it enters the Pacific and the surrounding areas. The column itself is spectacular. Built in 1926, it's 125 feet tall and you can climb all the way to the top of the column (164 steps) and step out onto the walkway.  T

Interested in a two, three, or four hour eco tour?  Columbia River Eco Tours takes visitors to locations along the river, including those explored by Lewis and Clark. The tour visits the Columbia Estuary and Lewis & Clark National Wildlife Refuge, offering wonderful photographic opportunities of bald eagles, blue herons, osprey and Canada geese. The tour explores everything from salmon nurseries to ocean-going ships up close. 

Click here for a YouTube video and enjoy!

Well, if you know me, you know I'm a foodie!  I've found some interesting and fun options for dining in Astoria!

Silver Salmon Grille
 How about some smoked salmon crepes or halibut fish & chips along with a glass of the house wine (made exclusively for the Grille by maryhill Winery further up the Columbia) while sitting at the beautiful antique bar with a history of its own. From the Silver Salmon website: The amazing 130 year old antique bar in the lounge is constructed of Scottish Cherrywood.  It was shipped around Cape Horn in the 1880's.  It was first used in Anna Bays Social Club, a house of ill repute here in Astoria in the latter part of the 19th century.  It was then abandoned in the 1920's at the Port of Astoria.  In the late 1940's it was found and refurbished over a three year period and installed in the early 1950's in its present location.  

 The website also tells me that the front label on the Silver Salmon house wine was done by local artist Bill Dodge and depicts many of the historic landmarks of Astoria.  I see a bottle or two in my future!  You see, I am a wine label collector!

Bridgewater Bistro

This 1896 waterfront building, situated at the base of the impressive Astoria-Megler Bridge, was once the offices and repair shop for an adjacent salmon cannery.    Now it shines as one of Astoria's most beautiful restaurants.  You can stop here for small plates or tapas, lunch, or dinner.

Bowpicker Fish & Chips

Before we head back to the cruise ship, I think a visit to Bowpicker Fish & Chips is a must-do for me.  I am a fish & chips connaisseur and Bowpicker's beer battered fish & chips sound ultra yummy!  It's located across from the Columbia River Maritime Museum in the converted gillnet boat!  Yes indeed!  From what I've read once you get on deck,  you will have two choices: a half order with three pieces or a full order with five pieces of the tasty beer battered albacore.  They are served on a bed of thick steak fries that are much more than a side dish.