Canada – twoOregonians

Winding Down: Scandinave Spa and Whistler Wanderings

September 1, 2014

Summer in the Pacific Northwest is winding down. The final few hours of the Labor Day weekend are slipping away; August is yesterday, September is freshly here.

Lucie turns a year old in just a few weeks… The recollections of our summer travels are still dancing in my recent memory, but I know they’ll soon fade, too. So here are a few sweet favorites, highlights from windows and walks and wanderings in British Columbia.

(I hope you’ll enjoy the captured moments as much as I love cataloging our past adventures…)

Bridges of Vancouver to the Whistler Woods

We crossed into and out of the city of Vancouver on beautiful bridges: the medians splitting car lanes, the rails splitting sights, the urban skyline so perfectly juxtaposed with tall trees of Stanley Park. Continue Reading…

BabyOregonian, Canada, Destinations, Musings

Peak to Peak with a Baby

August 23, 2014

Low clouds hung over the mountains on the day we planned to ride the Whistler Blackcomb Peak 2 Peak gondola with a baby. From the perch of a cabin suspended 1,430′ above the valley on a cable strung almost two miles between towers on opposite mountains, the modern marvel of engineering offers passengers incredible 360 degree views…on a clear day.

What about a not-so-clear one?

With limited views, our trip through the skies prompted reflections on the parallels to parenting…and surprised me with discoveries along the way. Continue Reading…

Canada, Destinations

An Ever-Fixed Mark: Love on the Move

August 17, 2014

Sea to Sky Highway: British Columbia, Canada

Where did we leave off? Oh, yes: at the border crossing with the baby, headed to Whistler, British Columbia for a wedding.

But let me fill you in on the back story. Two summers ago (well, two years, three summers, I guess? If you count this current one), Ted and I landed in Beirut, Lebanon, not quite half way through our year long trip and not quite half way around the world from Oregon.

We were in the nitty gritty of learning love on the road.

As in: “Love is patient, love is kind…it doesn’t seek its own advantage, it isn’t irritable, it doesn’t keep a record of complaints…” and “Love puts up with all things, trusts in all things, hopes for all things, endures all things…”

As in: long-term travel and long-term love are hard work. Continue Reading…

Canada, Destinations, Feature Trips, Musings

Back to British Columbia: Woven Lands, Woven Lives

August 5, 2014

It makes me incredibly happy to map this unfolding life in relationships: people and memories rooted in places and adventures and shared celebrations.

When Ted and I married, we honeymooned in Cascadia. (I like that title. It sounds even more romantic than “Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia,” doesn’t it?) Continue Reading…

BabyOregonian, Canada, Destinations, Oregon, Tidbits About Us, Where to Stay

High Desert to Hawaii: Our 2014 Itinerary

February 8, 2014

And then there were threeOregonians, with new adventures ahead!

Ted and I managed Pacific Coast beach runs and northwest road trips in 2013, but last year was really all about returning from our journey around the globe, pioneering life in Oregon once again, and growing a sweet little girl from scratch.

This year, we’re pulling a few repeats, but we’re also branching out, braving border crossings, and attempting a few plane rides with a baby. (Speaking of border crossings, I need to get Passport paperwork done for the wee one.)

While this current winter snowstorm pummels us here in Portland, I’m anticipating trips out and about to Oregon’s high desert and rocky coast, rural Texas, “Beautiful British Columbia,” and (!) out into the middle of the Pacific Ocean to the warm and welcoming Hawaiian Islands. Here’s a sneak peek of where you’ll be seeing us in 2014: Continue Reading…