San Diego Life – Bar and Bonus

November 2018

 

We have reservations at Raised by Wolves. A speakeasy in a shopping mall not ten minutes from home. We = the B-I-L, the husband and I. We’ve had dinner. The kids are in bed. It’s time to hit the bar. I was pleasantly intrigued when I saw Vegan Eggnog on the menu. I don’t like egg, I don’t like milk and the idea of mixing the raw eggs and milk together is frankly abhorrent. Now that I’m vegan (almost), even more. I ordered it, and the minute our waitress walked away, I regretted it. When she came back a while later, I asked if it was too late to change my mind. I wanted the highly recommended Mexican coffee cocktail. It was too late, but.. It was too late, but the eggnog was delicious and she brought me the other cocktail on the house.

Bonus – Ice-skating by the sea

Only in San Diego can you go ice skating by the beach. The sister had reserved a cozy booth with a fit pit next to the rink, where the non-skaters (and sulkers) could enjoy the spectacular Coronado sunset, hot chocolate, coffee, cookies and cocktails.

Capilano Bridge Park

April 10, 2019

The tourist attractions at both Victoria and Vancouver are expensive, but there the one place I felt was completely worth the money was the Capilano Bridge Park. Initially, I had planned to combine it with a visit to Grouse Mountain, but further research indicated it would be too rushed to enjoy either place. So, I dropped Grouse Mountain in favour of the park because it seemed to have more to do in this season, and the name said park. When you have five children in your party, one only 18 months old, it makes a difference.

 

It is a rainy day and the LO is napping so we opt to stay back in the parking lot while the others go ahead. When she wakes up, we are still doubtful. Then it stops raining. There is a light drizzle,but we decide to take our chances. I load the LO on my back and wake my way to the famous bridge.  I’ve been on suspension rope bridges before, am fairly stable and not afraid of heights so I was not expecting any thrills. However, it’s a whole different experience with a baby on your back and an umbrella in one hand. Unlike the rickety suspension bridges of my past, sometimes with a plank missing, open sides and just ropes for railings, this one is wobbly but undoubtedly safe.450 feet below, the Capilano river gushes through the evergreens. On the other side is the treetop adventure that takes guests 100 feet up in the coastal rainforest. You walk through the dark green foliage on narrow walkways attached to old-growth trees. At the other end of the bridge, starts the tree top walk and the real adventure. We climbed into the trees and walked through the lush green canopy.  The best part is that the viewing platforms are attached to an innovative tree collar system that is adjustable and moveable and has no nails or bolts penetrating into the trees. No trees were harmed in the making of this walkway. Yay!! At the start of the walk, a park official gave the kids scavenger hunt sheets and it was as much fun for the adults as it was for the kids. We are a mad family like that.

The last piece was the Cliffwalk –  a cantilevered and suspended walkway jutting out from the granite cliff face above Capilano River. In some sections you are walking on glass, so you can see the canyon far below.

To sum it up, everyone in our motley crew, from 18 m to almost 70 years, loved this park. As for me,  at the end of all the climbing and walking, with a baby on my back, I realized I truly am stronger than I think!

San Diego Life – Safari Park

November 2018

We could have gone to the zoo, but A picks the Safari Park instead. We know we want to feed the lorikeets, go one the carousal and take the Safari train. By the time we get into the park, the LO has settled in for a snooze in her stroller. We have to wait for her to wake to do any of the above. The first thing we see is an armadillo. I never imagined them to be that small. The sister and Big Bro make a detour to the Ranger Station to return a $5 bill we found. The LO is comfortably asleep as we push her through the tiger trail. We hike up to see the condors. The California condor is the largest flying bird in North America. Their wings may stretch nearly ten feet from tip to tip. This enables them to glide on thermal currents 15,000 feet up in the air, but makes it very cumbersome to hop over a couple of feet. The LO wakes up sometime in the Australian Outback. Strollers are not allowed in the kangaroo (+wallaby) exhibit, so the LO stayed out with her aunt. After lunch we go to feed the Lorikeets. Before that Big Bro and the husband go to the bat house, while Big Sis gets her carousal ride. She picks an Okapi and insists it’s her pony, petting and nuzzling it. Everybody loves the Lorikeet feeding experience. What is not to love! The follow up is petting the goats. The line to get on the Safari Tram is now an hour long. We collectively decide we don’t want to stand in line that long.  Instead we have another go at the carousal, see the flamingoes again, but a blue ceramic gecko at the gift shop, watch a cockatoo go berserk and go home.