I never thought Canada could be so much fun in the summer time. I have always looked upon it as a place to escape to during Winter and that it couldn't offer up anything different from Australia during the warmer months. How wrong I was. Vancouver is a buzz at this time of year. I guess the people here have been hibernating to some degree during Winter and once the white stuff melts away they come alive. If you love the great outdoors (as I do) then there is an endless list of activities to do right in this backyard that is Vancouver.
Caro & the boys headed off to Europe at the end of July for 4 weeks holiday so armed with a car & GPS I had some great adventures over summer.
I've fallen in love with hiking since moving here and there are so many trails across this part of the country. 2 hikes I've done recently are Mt Seymour & The Chief. Mt Seymour is a local mountain located on the North Shore in Van. If offers some good local skiing, boarding & snow shoeing in winter & some great hiking & biking during summer. There are plenty of different trails to choose from at all levels & distances. It's one of my favourite places to go when I want some nice quiet reflection time.
If you're feeling adventurous & wanting something a little more challenging then The Chief is the place to go. Follow Highway #99 North from Van (towards Whistler) for about 45km's and you can't miss the huge granite rock face sticking out just past Murrin Park. It takes about 2-3 hours to climb the 6km long trail with a 500m elevation gain. Like the sign says "This is no walk in the park". Manda, being the little trooper she is still managed to summit after throwing up twice on the way up. We've had some 400+ fires burning across BC this summer and unfortunately the day we climbed The Chief there was quite a bit of smoke obstructing our view. On a clear day you can see all the way to Whistler. I'll definitely be climbing this mountain again before I leave here.
In the middle of August I made a trip across to Chicago care of Icekool. It was a whirlwind trip but I managed to get in a little sightseeing while I was there. I spent the spare time I did have hitting the pavers with my head up towards the sky. This city some amazing architecture. Since most buildings in the downtown area were destroyed (the water tower being a famous exception) by the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, Chicago buildings are noted for their originality rather than their antiquity. I hired a car while I was there as I had to spend most days at the warehouse which is located in the birthplace of Wayne, Garth & the Mirth mobile, Aurora, IL. I was glad to hand that rental back in one piece - Chicagoans drive like assholes. There's no other way to describe it. 5 things you must do if you ever find yourself in Chicago:
1. Take a boat tour around downtown to admire the great buildings, 2. John Hancock observation deck to get a great view of Lake Michigan & it's surroundings, 3. Navy Pier, 4. Chicago Cubs Baseball Game, 5. Eat a famous Chicago Deep Dish Pizza at East Gino's.
I've managed to catch a couple of the Vancouver Canadians (minor league baseball) games lately. For 12 bucks it's a great way to spend a couple of entertaining hours on a Friday or Sunday avo. If you're at the ball then you must indulge in a hotdog (footlong of course!) and beer. You won't feel too good after ingesting this but when in Rome........I've also been to watch Manda's local baseball team, the infamous "Dirty's Dozen" play on Sunday avo's. Now this league although not as skilled as the minor league, is still very much an entertaining game to watch. It's more like a drinking session with some light exercise involved. Some teams even like to partake in smoking a little wacky baccy, during the game. I'm taking over Manda's score keeping duties next season so I'd better start learning the rules of the game.
Next on the list of things to do will be to go to an Ice Hockey game, the season kicks off this month. Hockey here is like AFL to Victorians. The 2 local teams here are the Canucks (NHL) & the Giants (CHL). Apparently the Giants are just as good to watch, if not better than the Canucks as these guys really put themselves on the line. They're playing to be drafted into the NHL & one can expect to see quite a bit of fisty cuffs at their games so I'm told. I can't bloody wait! I took Tyler to hockey camp the other week. One of the most hilarious things I've seen was him exiting the change rooms in his goalie gear. You would never guess that there's nothing but a scrawny kid underneath all that gear. I have a new appreciation for the role that goalies play, I have no idea how they manage to skate let alone block pucks in that stuff. I'm dying to get on the ice all decked out in hockey gear and hit that puck around.
I've found a channel on cable that plays AFL games here & not too late at night either. We've had a couple of game nights where all the imports come over to watch. Can't say I'm the best person to explain the rules of the game, the only call I really know is 'ball!' I've met some ex-pats that actually play AFL games here on the weekends. Rugby is a different story. They play quite a bit of proper footy here & one of my boys Ryan plays for the local North Shore club.
I've felt a change in the air of late & noticed the first few leaves starting to turn. I'm waiting in anticipation to see this place in it's full colour. I think part of the lure of Fall is that Winter follows. I'm happy to say I now have in my possession a season pass for Cypress mountain. Only a 15 minute drive away & open at nights. There's quite a few good bands coming through town at the moment, I'll be seeing The Black Keys, The Beautiful Girls, Angus & Julia Stone & Phoenix in the next couple of weeks.
The boys are heading back to school this month, I'm looking forward to having a bit of routine although I do appreciate the variety in my life at the moment. Only a few weeks left to enjoy the remnants of sun. Apparently I have months of wet weather to look forward to.
Gettin loose at Manda's farewell
Kyle on the drums
Manda & I about to hike The Chief 
Vancouver sunset from Loins Gate Bridge
The Rockies from 35,000ft 
