Thursday, August 25, 2011

Vancouver may be the most functional and pedestrian/bike-friendly city yet. It’s new (only 125 years old), and that helps. We toured the city all day on bikes, and never left a bike lane. It’s also surrounded by water and mountains; surely that affects who you are as a culture.

Houseboats in Vancouver      Rene in Stanley Park

We really grappled with the whole idea of taking a cruise boat through the Inside Passage (the southeastern panhandle of Alaska):  a cruise ship, with swimming pools and dance floors and colorful cocktails with umbrellas? Not our style. The alternative Alaskan Ferry seemed much more hardy and flexible. The idea of spreading out your sleeping bag on the common deck every night seemed like an adventure in itself. But, in the end, for the same price, we chose indoor plumbing and our own room and formal dinners from 7-9 each night. And here’s the surprise: it’s fun! Rene & I think we’ve got everyone fooled by now that we're grownups. Ha! On the first night I simply had to order a funny little cocktail just to complete the experience.

Rene hard at work