Activity date: 11 October 2010
Energy level: 2/10 (followed by 6/10 at the playground)
Cost: $0
We were visiting in friends in Seattle the weekend of a big beach clean up in Vancouver. I had meant to volunteer our family.
Today the boys and I decided to do our own beach clean up. We went to Cates Park in North Vancouver and filled one plastic bag each. The tide was in most of the way, so there wasn't much beach.
It was surprising how little garbage there was. Mostly hunks of polystyrene, aluminum cans and coffee cups.
Then we foraged for end-of-season blackberries, had a snack, and hit the playground.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Goat mountain
Activity date: Early October 2010
Energy level: 9/10
Cost: $0
We made it to the top of Goat Mountain!
It was a lovely Fall day -- 23 degrees C, and sunny. As we rode the gondola up to the Grouse Mountain recreation area we passed through a layer of low cloud that made me wonder whether it was prudent to go hiking in the woods, but the cloud was just passing. The entire day was lovely. I actually got slightly sunburned.
We followed the Alpine Ridge trail from Grouse Mountain. When we signed in at the trail head, there were notes from hikers that there were two bear cubs and a mother bear on the trail. We kept our eyes open, but did not see them.
The trail is rugged but the boys and I were full of energy. There were some good spots to stop along the way and forage for blueberries.
After an hour and half of scrambling over rocks and tree roots, the trail leveled out. We were on a ridge, skirting the crater around Kennedy Lake. We stopped to admire the view.
The signs said we were about 1km from the summit but what they didn't say was that the rest of the hike was vertical. There were even a few chains installed to hold onto while climbing the rocks. Our trusty trail guide book says the final ascent is 120 meters.
I think that my reassurances that "we're almost there" will never be given any credence in future. But we made it to the top -- a rocky mesa with spectacular views in all directions.
Thing 1 and Thing 2 are in excellent physical shape but this is by far the most grueling hike they have ever done. I was hiking in boots but they were only wearing sneakers. The trail was wetter than it had been on our previous adventures, and some of the rocks were slippery. Next season they get their own hiking boots. Several older hikers were impressed to see a six and eight year old tackling the mountain.
On the way back, they still had plenty of energy although Thing 2 stumbled several times. They were hoping for a treat from the concession stand in the touristy area at Grouse Mountain but it was just after 5pm when we got back and the stands were closed.
I always tell the boys to keep a look out for deer on the side of the trail. There was a deer casually grazing in the touristy area, oblivious to the tourists with their cameras.
We had to wait in line approximately 20 minutes for the gondola back down the mountain, then we headed off to the nearest Scottish restaurant to scarf down some dinner.
The boys slept well and were none the worse for wear the next day.
Energy level: 9/10
Cost: $0
We made it to the top of Goat Mountain!
It was a lovely Fall day -- 23 degrees C, and sunny. As we rode the gondola up to the Grouse Mountain recreation area we passed through a layer of low cloud that made me wonder whether it was prudent to go hiking in the woods, but the cloud was just passing. The entire day was lovely. I actually got slightly sunburned.
We followed the Alpine Ridge trail from Grouse Mountain. When we signed in at the trail head, there were notes from hikers that there were two bear cubs and a mother bear on the trail. We kept our eyes open, but did not see them.
The trail is rugged but the boys and I were full of energy. There were some good spots to stop along the way and forage for blueberries.
After an hour and half of scrambling over rocks and tree roots, the trail leveled out. We were on a ridge, skirting the crater around Kennedy Lake. We stopped to admire the view.
The signs said we were about 1km from the summit but what they didn't say was that the rest of the hike was vertical. There were even a few chains installed to hold onto while climbing the rocks. Our trusty trail guide book says the final ascent is 120 meters.
I think that my reassurances that "we're almost there" will never be given any credence in future. But we made it to the top -- a rocky mesa with spectacular views in all directions.
Thing 1 and Thing 2 are in excellent physical shape but this is by far the most grueling hike they have ever done. I was hiking in boots but they were only wearing sneakers. The trail was wetter than it had been on our previous adventures, and some of the rocks were slippery. Next season they get their own hiking boots. Several older hikers were impressed to see a six and eight year old tackling the mountain.
On the way back, they still had plenty of energy although Thing 2 stumbled several times. They were hoping for a treat from the concession stand in the touristy area at Grouse Mountain but it was just after 5pm when we got back and the stands were closed.
I always tell the boys to keep a look out for deer on the side of the trail. There was a deer casually grazing in the touristy area, oblivious to the tourists with their cameras.
We had to wait in line approximately 20 minutes for the gondola back down the mountain, then we headed off to the nearest Scottish restaurant to scarf down some dinner.
The boys slept well and were none the worse for wear the next day.
The rocket
Activity date: August 2010
Energy level: 2 / 10
Cost: $6 (vinegar and baking soda; the rocket was a gift).
Thing 1 got a rocket for his birthday last year. It sat in his closet until he rediscovered it recently.
The rocket gets its propulsion from a familiar chemical reaction -- the CO2 released when you combine vinegar and baking soda. We headed off to the supermarket to buy our fuel then went to lower Hume Park in New Westminster to launch it.
Conditions were perfect, and there were not too many innocent bystanders. We organized our equipment and made sure we looked stylish for the "before" photo.
You pack the baking soda into the base of the rocket, pour vinegar into rocket, push the rocket down on the base, shake two or three times, set it upright then run!
Our first few attempts fizzled. The baking soda plus vinegar reaction was obviously taking place, but all we saw was bubbles fizzing out the side. We had to tighten some seals and try again a few times before our first successful launch -- a modest two meters.
After some trial and error we realized that we had to thoroughly clean the base of the rocket before pouring in more baking soda. There was often a gooey mixture of baking soda and vinegar left. The vinegar would quietly react with the fresh baking soda before we really intended the reaction to start.
Our most successful launch was perhaps five meters high. We all took turns shaking the chemicals and placing the rocket ready to launch.
Energy level: 2 / 10
Cost: $6 (vinegar and baking soda; the rocket was a gift).
Thing 1 got a rocket for his birthday last year. It sat in his closet until he rediscovered it recently.
The rocket gets its propulsion from a familiar chemical reaction -- the CO2 released when you combine vinegar and baking soda. We headed off to the supermarket to buy our fuel then went to lower Hume Park in New Westminster to launch it.
Conditions were perfect, and there were not too many innocent bystanders. We organized our equipment and made sure we looked stylish for the "before" photo.
You pack the baking soda into the base of the rocket, pour vinegar into rocket, push the rocket down on the base, shake two or three times, set it upright then run!
Our first few attempts fizzled. The baking soda plus vinegar reaction was obviously taking place, but all we saw was bubbles fizzing out the side. We had to tighten some seals and try again a few times before our first successful launch -- a modest two meters.
After some trial and error we realized that we had to thoroughly clean the base of the rocket before pouring in more baking soda. There was often a gooey mixture of baking soda and vinegar left. The vinegar would quietly react with the fresh baking soda before we really intended the reaction to start.
Our most successful launch was perhaps five meters high. We all took turns shaking the chemicals and placing the rocket ready to launch.
Up close
Activity date: August 2010
Energy level: 3 / 10
Cost: $0
It was a rainy Saturday. Thing 1 was at a friend's house. Thing 2 is very observant, so I decided to take him on a different kind of hike, changing the level of detail. Instead of grand vistas, we would observe the woods close up.
We packed a plastic sheet and headed down a portion of the Central Valley Greenway, an urban green belt that runs through a large swath of Vancouver.
The heavy rain had brought the banana slugs out. We compared the sizes and colors.
We headed off the trail into a stand of cedar trees. We were only a few meters from the trail but felt like we were in the heart of the woods. We found a spot under the trees that was well sheltered, laid down our plastic sheet, got down on our tummies and poked around in the mulch. We shone our flashlights in the nooks and crannies and saw that what at first appeared to be eggs were actually some kind of insect.
Energy level: 3 / 10
Cost: $0
It was a rainy Saturday. Thing 1 was at a friend's house. Thing 2 is very observant, so I decided to take him on a different kind of hike, changing the level of detail. Instead of grand vistas, we would observe the woods close up.
We packed a plastic sheet and headed down a portion of the Central Valley Greenway, an urban green belt that runs through a large swath of Vancouver.
The heavy rain had brought the banana slugs out. We compared the sizes and colors.
We headed off the trail into a stand of cedar trees. We were only a few meters from the trail but felt like we were in the heart of the woods. We found a spot under the trees that was well sheltered, laid down our plastic sheet, got down on our tummies and poked around in the mulch. We shone our flashlights in the nooks and crannies and saw that what at first appeared to be eggs were actually some kind of insect.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Nova Scotia
Activity date: July 2010.
Energy level: 2/10.
Approx. cost: $0.
We headed to Montreal to visit family, then on to Halifax, Nova Scotia.
We headed down to the wharf to take a ride on Theodore tugboat. On the web, the tour company claimed that they go out rain or shine. It was moist, but nothing to deter people from Vancouver.
When we tried to buy tickets, they told us that they weren't sailing that day. They had made a judgment call in the morning based on forecasts of stormy weather. The ticket seller felt sorry for us, and when I asked if it was possible to go aboard she shuttered the kiosk and let us walk around on Theodore.
The weather cleared a little. We went and played with the anchors and other hardware outside the maritime museum.
I have been to that wharf three times now, at different times of year. It seems to always be raining.
Energy level: 2/10.
Approx. cost: $0.
We headed to Montreal to visit family, then on to Halifax, Nova Scotia.
We headed down to the wharf to take a ride on Theodore tugboat. On the web, the tour company claimed that they go out rain or shine. It was moist, but nothing to deter people from Vancouver.
When we tried to buy tickets, they told us that they weren't sailing that day. They had made a judgment call in the morning based on forecasts of stormy weather. The ticket seller felt sorry for us, and when I asked if it was possible to go aboard she shuttered the kiosk and let us walk around on Theodore.
The weather cleared a little. We went and played with the anchors and other hardware outside the maritime museum.
I have been to that wharf three times now, at different times of year. It seems to always be raining.
Grouse Mountain
Activity date: 11 July 2010.
Energy level: 6/10.
Approx. cost: $50.
I am catching up on a backlog of postings here, from mid-summer until late summer.
I was keen to take the boys on the Goat Mountain hike that I had read about in Easy Hiking around Vancouver. We didn't make it to the hike that day but still had a good time. We have been back a few times this summer to go hiking.
Finding Grouse Mountain was easy. We just headed for the Capilano suspension bridge, then kept going.
We rode a gondola up the mountain, climbing to approximately 3,700 feet in six minutes. My ears felt the pressure change but Thing One (8) and Thing Two (6) didn't seem bothered. Thing Two was nervous as the gondola passed each tower and swayed a little, but got in the spirit of things when the other passengers shouted "wheee" as if it were an amusement park ride.
The mountain was not what I expected. It's a ski field in the winter (we must try it out this year) and in the summer has a rather touristy flavour. I don't usually like tourist traps but the boys were captivated by the free lumberjack show. One of the lumberjacks sounded like a Kiwi. It turns out he is. I can't tell if he lays it on thick with the accent or if my own accent is just completely gone now.
Here is a lumberjack on top of a 60' pole.
We had brought lunch but couldn't resist trying the beaver tails. They looked like what we called elephant ears in Seattle -- deep fried dough with sugar and chocolate on top. Yum. I had my eye on the slope and figured they would burn off the sugar.
We watched a show about raptors that was fairly informative, checked out the grizzly bears in the enclosure then headed for the last patch of snow on the slopes. The snow patch was little more than a filthy patch of ice, but it seemed incongruous on a blazing hot summer day.
We hiked up the slope, walked to the enormous wind turbine (but decided not to pay extra to go inside it), then rode the chair lift down the slope.
We rode the gondola back down and went to the membership services office. We were able to credit our gondola tickets towards a one year membership. We have been back several times this summer and plan to visit in the winter.
Energy level: 6/10.
Approx. cost: $50.
I am catching up on a backlog of postings here, from mid-summer until late summer.
I was keen to take the boys on the Goat Mountain hike that I had read about in Easy Hiking around Vancouver. We didn't make it to the hike that day but still had a good time. We have been back a few times this summer to go hiking.
Finding Grouse Mountain was easy. We just headed for the Capilano suspension bridge, then kept going.
We rode a gondola up the mountain, climbing to approximately 3,700 feet in six minutes. My ears felt the pressure change but Thing One (8) and Thing Two (6) didn't seem bothered. Thing Two was nervous as the gondola passed each tower and swayed a little, but got in the spirit of things when the other passengers shouted "wheee" as if it were an amusement park ride.
The mountain was not what I expected. It's a ski field in the winter (we must try it out this year) and in the summer has a rather touristy flavour. I don't usually like tourist traps but the boys were captivated by the free lumberjack show. One of the lumberjacks sounded like a Kiwi. It turns out he is. I can't tell if he lays it on thick with the accent or if my own accent is just completely gone now.
Here is a lumberjack on top of a 60' pole.
We had brought lunch but couldn't resist trying the beaver tails. They looked like what we called elephant ears in Seattle -- deep fried dough with sugar and chocolate on top. Yum. I had my eye on the slope and figured they would burn off the sugar.
We watched a show about raptors that was fairly informative, checked out the grizzly bears in the enclosure then headed for the last patch of snow on the slopes. The snow patch was little more than a filthy patch of ice, but it seemed incongruous on a blazing hot summer day.
We hiked up the slope, walked to the enormous wind turbine (but decided not to pay extra to go inside it), then rode the chair lift down the slope.
We rode the gondola back down and went to the membership services office. We were able to credit our gondola tickets towards a one year membership. We have been back several times this summer and plan to visit in the winter.
Mystery Adventure 3000
Activity date: May 2010.
Energy level: 3/10.
Approx. cost: $25 for Skytrain and lunch.
Every time the boys and I go out for an adventure we have a good time, but sometimes getting the home-bodies out the door can be a challenge. I wanted to get us downtown to the Vancouver Art Gallery to see the latest exhibit so I made up an activity sheet and handed it to them.
Thing One (8) is a very proficient reader and was immediately intrigued. Thing Two (6) can't yet read but got excited when I read the various items to him. Once he had heard the activities, he rushed to get his shoes.
It was a ten minute walk down the hill to the Skytrain station to begin our adventure. We usually take the Skytrain for our adventures in downtown Vancouver. It's much faster than driving (25 minutes vs. 45 minutes by car) and the train is so much more exciting.
The boys added a few items to the list. The tape holds the lucky penny and the feather.
PS As any reader of Captain Underpants knows, anything sounds better if you append "2000" or "3000" to the name. Adding "of doom" to the end usually works well too.
We flashed our art gallery membership cards and breezed in to see the exhibit.
Energy level: 3/10.
Approx. cost: $25 for Skytrain and lunch.
Every time the boys and I go out for an adventure we have a good time, but sometimes getting the home-bodies out the door can be a challenge. I wanted to get us downtown to the Vancouver Art Gallery to see the latest exhibit so I made up an activity sheet and handed it to them.
Thing One (8) is a very proficient reader and was immediately intrigued. Thing Two (6) can't yet read but got excited when I read the various items to him. Once he had heard the activities, he rushed to get his shoes.
It was a ten minute walk down the hill to the Skytrain station to begin our adventure. We usually take the Skytrain for our adventures in downtown Vancouver. It's much faster than driving (25 minutes vs. 45 minutes by car) and the train is so much more exciting.
The boys added a few items to the list. The tape holds the lucky penny and the feather.
PS As any reader of Captain Underpants knows, anything sounds better if you append "2000" or "3000" to the name. Adding "of doom" to the end usually works well too.
We flashed our art gallery membership cards and breezed in to see the exhibit.
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