Oh Canada!!!!

So as it turns out....Idaho was not our favorite state (sorry potato heads! :o) so we high-tailed it through there as fast as our sweet motorcycle could take us! We actually high-tailed it to Vancouver where we were greeted by a lil' slice o' heaven! We made reservations at The Blue Horizon Hotel right on Robson street, where we could walk to everything!!! We arrived a bit road weary and frazzled, and the front desk attendant was so impressed with the tale of our 4300 mile journey that she upgraded us to a corner "superior" room on the 25th floor......oh my!!!!












....the "superior" view!!!!

We had so much fun in Vancouver! We had a great dinner and then walked all over town taking in the vibe of the city! We saw a band performing from the back of a U-haul get shooed along by the Mounties, we met a very cool and talented Native American wood carver named Andrew, who was carving on the street, we saw people dressed in mime garb running about having encounters with random passers-by....gotta love Vancouver' ay?

The next morning, we ferried from Vancouver to Nanaimo Bay on Vancouver Island. Beauty beyond the beyond!












Upon arrival, we sped to Cowichan Bay for an amazing locavore lunch at the granary and cheese shop! Oh so delicious meal in the quaintest of settings!!!!










From Cowichan we had to hurry to Victoria to catch our ferry back to the ol' US of A. We departed at dusk for our journey across the Straits of Juan de Fuca....another gorgeous crossing!






We finally tucked in at a wee motel in Port Angeles!!! No bad days!!!!

Damascus source

Since the snow and freezing temperatures pushed us south, we decided to change our path to Vancouver. Josh has been wanting to buy some Damascus steel knives for which he could carve handles and has purchased some from a master artisan in Idaho Falls, so we set our course for the potato state! Josh emailed and then called Grand who graciously gave us a tour of his forge and took us step by step through the process of forging his gorgeous steel implements. It was such an honor to meet him! We had a little camera issue, so I will post photos of the knives Josh chose Asap...but not today! ;o)

Keepers

While in Lander, we got some precious ancestral photos. Deborah also sent me some more sweet photos of little Josh....going back to the roots has really stirred up the memory pot! Enjoy!.....



--Josh's beautiful mama, Deborah!



Josh' gorgeous grandma, Pearl and sweet baby Deborah!



Josh's sweet mama, Deborah gettin' down with her hip pants!



Cutesy little Deborah!



Bundled wee Josh and sweet mama Deborah at Sinks Canyon.



Cute lil' Josh at Sulfur Cauldron in Yellowstone.

And a few cute other keepers....



Me and Papa!



....when in Jackson Hole....

Respite in Jackson

Sadly, the snow drove us out of Yellowstone early! Fortunately, we were able to get lots of exploration, photo documentation and utter awe and wonder in first! Yellowstone is amazing. You all should go there as soon as it stops snowing!










































We have run into a wee snag...the motor on our camera that opens and closes the lens is virtually dead. At this point it is opening only occasionally, so although we saw Old Faithful, today, we just do not have photo evidence! :o( I think a new camera is in our VERY near future!

We are spending tonight in Jackson Hole in a warm, cozy hotel. Tomorrow we will head to Idaho Falls to meet with a guy who makes Damascus steel blades....Josh wants to buy some and carve handles for them!

Sending all of you so much love from the road! xo

Wilds o' Wyoming

I have not blogged in several days because we have been lost in the wilds of Wyoming where no cell phone or wifi can go! After 4 wonderful days in Lander being spoiled by Aunt Bev and all the cousins and a wondrous tribe of younglings, we headed out to Josh's grandpa's drop dead gorgeous 160 acres deep in a canyon near the Wind River and Dubois, Wyoming. No words can describe the peace and beauty of this place!












We had the wonderful surprise of Chelsea meeting us and staying the night at Papa and Verna's with us! She went on an impromptu road trip with her friends Joe and Zane and called me saying "I will be in Yellowstone tomorrow, where are you?". We were SO excited! We met them in Dubois for dinner at the Cowboy Cafe where we enjoyed steak salad and buffalo burgers. Verna made us an amazing farm breakfast and we headed out into the canyon hiking. This is a place where mountain lions, grizzly bears, wolves, coyote, antelope and mountain sheep roam free, so Papa gave us a gun to take with us just in case....definitely a first for my hiking adventures! The land is amazing, gorgeous orange lichen on the rocks...Joe ran around like a little boy exclaiming "this is the playground I have been looking for all my life!"


















We had the best time with Papa and Verna! We heard so many great stories and saw so much beautiful art! It was hard to leave!

Lovin' Lander

We have seen so many gorgeous places on our journey thus far, but Lander, Wyoming has stolen my heart! To begin with, the smell!!!! It is a combination of sage, grass and big sky. The landscape is beautiful beyond articulation, so I will let the pictures try to show you why I nearly cried the first time I saw Sinks Canyon!


















Lander is the home of NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) so there is a cool eco/outdoorsy element to the town! We have had good food and the people are lovely! Send me my belongings...I am stayin'!

This is where Josh was born and he has a big chunk of family here. It has been wonderful to meet them all! We have been enjoying big family dinners!



Josh's cousin, Nathan, is learning contact juggling, something Josh has a talent for! Here Josh is teaching him some tricks while cousins Nathan, Ben, Jacob and Olivia watch.

More exploring and photos tomorrow!