11.12.04
One more post for today.
Never take photos from a car while you're driving. But here are some nice examples - the Coquihalla highway and Okanogan Lake.
And if you happen to see something interesting, its always worth it to get out and snap a couple of photos - don't leave it for next time, you may not see it again. The following photos are sunrise from a balcony in New Westminster, a jetliner approaching Vancouver international at dusk, and the exit from Bear Tunnel.
In my next installment, I should be able to get some photos posted of my Aunt and Uncles anniversary and of my 30th birthday. I also posted some new photos in closeups for those interested.
And if you happen to see something interesting, its always worth it to get out and snap a couple of photos - don't leave it for next time, you may not see it again. The following photos are sunrise from a balcony in New Westminster, a jetliner approaching Vancouver international at dusk, and the exit from Bear Tunnel.
In my next installment, I should be able to get some photos posted of my Aunt and Uncles anniversary and of my 30th birthday. I also posted some new photos in closeups for those interested.
California
Well, who's to say that a 24 hour car ride with some hockey gear isn't good for your health? So 8 of us bundled into 3 cars and proceeded to do just that. Leaving at around 4:00 PM, we sailed through the border, then Seattle...
...but by the time we got into LA, traffic was killing half of us, and the other half were partially inebriated. So we decided to party a bit - going to the ESPN Zone in Disneyland. Even the police were nice enough to take our photo (or they wanted to get rid of a bunch of rowdy Canadians).
Then we got serious.
Then we played a bit of hockey, got beat up, and drank some more.
Then we got even more serious - although some of us needed some humiliation to keep us going.
Well, four days later, some of us needed sleep, but we all made it across the border, carrying the maximum amount of cheap liquour. We came in 3rd - not bad for a bunch of drunk Canadians.
...but by the time we got into LA, traffic was killing half of us, and the other half were partially inebriated. So we decided to party a bit - going to the ESPN Zone in Disneyland. Even the police were nice enough to take our photo (or they wanted to get rid of a bunch of rowdy Canadians).
Then we got serious.
Then we played a bit of hockey, got beat up, and drank some more.
Then we got even more serious - although some of us needed some humiliation to keep us going.
Well, four days later, some of us needed sleep, but we all made it across the border, carrying the maximum amount of cheap liquour. We came in 3rd - not bad for a bunch of drunk Canadians.
Harrison Lake
Well, it wasn't the sunniest place - but my brother, sister and I had a good weekend anyway. The panorama shot below is of 20 Mile Bay - its a great campsite on the west side of the lake (if you want to know how to get there, from Agassiz, go west along Highway 7 and then north along Harrison West Forestry Service for around 40km - I did it in a Chev Cavalier, so it is possible to get any car there, but it is an active logging road, so watch for trucks).
Some other sights from the bay. We did a bit of boating, but on a windy day, some of the currents in the lake around the island are amazingly deceptive (i.e. paddle until you die - you're still not going anywhere) and the whitecaps make it a little too hairy for any kind of boating. Saw a couple of loons, they're generally around for a good part of the summer - we saw some the last couple of years we've been as well.
Some other sights from the bay. We did a bit of boating, but on a windy day, some of the currents in the lake around the island are amazingly deceptive (i.e. paddle until you die - you're still not going anywhere) and the whitecaps make it a little too hairy for any kind of boating. Saw a couple of loons, they're generally around for a good part of the summer - we saw some the last couple of years we've been as well.
So sue me!
Ok, so I haven't updated anything in the last couple of months. Well I guess there's lots to go over and lots of pics to preview so I'll keep the introduction as short as possible.
Yet still more of Germany - that's right, there was more, much more...and my good friends over there are probably waiting with bated breath for the summary of my trip. Let's see, where was I...of course, the jewels. Well, first a quick trip past some wine country into the hills. From there over the Edelsteinstrasse literally the 'Jewel Route' in the Idar-Oberstein area. There, with a bunch of family and friends once again, we trudged the path to where they hoisted semi and precious jewels out of the ground by the ton in the 1500s - while mining stopped a couple of centuries later, Oberstein led the way in semiprecious and precious jewel trade actually earning the now dubious title of 'The World Trade Center of Jewels". And they weren't kidding while walking through Oberstein, you come upon hundreds of jewelry shops all offering everything from polished stones to dazzling emerald and diamond set in silver and gold, as well as stores offering tools in cutting and polishing. An amazing church is carved into the hillside above Oberstein while the landscape around is amazing. I must say that I do enjoy the fact that German and European cities in general have maintained the landscape around them, instead of slashing, burning and pillaging (of course, they did a bit of this over the last thousand years or so, but in general, it wasn't to put up new suburbs).
Dead Man's Table (if I got the translation) - we tempted the ghosts.
My juggling definitely improved over the course of the trip - however, my unicycling left something to be desired.
A couple of last parties and the trip was over - you definitely have to hand it to Klaus - he was treated like royalty on his 40th. And there's no doubt that a burnt bread doll will do the trick for anyone moving on to his 4th decade. And a couple of carnival girls don't hurt either.
Yet still more of Germany - that's right, there was more, much more...and my good friends over there are probably waiting with bated breath for the summary of my trip. Let's see, where was I...of course, the jewels. Well, first a quick trip past some wine country into the hills. From there over the Edelsteinstrasse literally the 'Jewel Route' in the Idar-Oberstein area. There, with a bunch of family and friends once again, we trudged the path to where they hoisted semi and precious jewels out of the ground by the ton in the 1500s - while mining stopped a couple of centuries later, Oberstein led the way in semiprecious and precious jewel trade actually earning the now dubious title of 'The World Trade Center of Jewels". And they weren't kidding while walking through Oberstein, you come upon hundreds of jewelry shops all offering everything from polished stones to dazzling emerald and diamond set in silver and gold, as well as stores offering tools in cutting and polishing. An amazing church is carved into the hillside above Oberstein while the landscape around is amazing. I must say that I do enjoy the fact that German and European cities in general have maintained the landscape around them, instead of slashing, burning and pillaging (of course, they did a bit of this over the last thousand years or so, but in general, it wasn't to put up new suburbs).
Dead Man's Table (if I got the translation) - we tempted the ghosts.
My juggling definitely improved over the course of the trip - however, my unicycling left something to be desired.
A couple of last parties and the trip was over - you definitely have to hand it to Klaus - he was treated like royalty on his 40th. And there's no doubt that a burnt bread doll will do the trick for anyone moving on to his 4th decade. And a couple of carnival girls don't hurt either.
