We recently got back from a 17 day west coast trip to Salt Spring Island and Washington State. It was the first flight for baby gb in utero.
Ian and I, along with my sisters and their hubbies, surprised my dad for his 60th birthday! And did we ever shock him. He thought he was doing a favour for a friend of theirs on the island – picking up four people from London at the Victoria airport. Instead, he saw us, holding up happy birthday signs at the second floor window facing the arrivals waiting area. We loved seeing my dad’s surprised face! My mom, along with a friend of hers, did a great job organizing and pulling off the whole airport trip ploy.
We spent a week and half with my parents on Salt Spring Island and a few days in Seattle visiting some friends. Some of the highlights included:
- two fun days at the Island Saturday Market where my mom sells her adorable and very popular needle-felted earth fairy creatures; our favourite sprout wraps and tasting some yummy looking vegan cookies
- an island yoga class – always entertaining
- a sailing trip that we booked for my dad’s actual birthday (so relaxing)
- a jog almost every morning to enjoy the crisp, fresh, western air
- daily morning visit to Barb’s Bakery – my parents favourite breakfast spot
- a climb up Mt Erskine – taking the assault trail like always, did take me a bit longer at 18 weeks pregnant
- a couple trips to the beach, taking advantage of the very rare warm weather we luckily got some afternoons
- beautiful sunsets from the backyard deck
- lots of mom’s delicious cooking, lively family dinners and harvesting fresh vegetables from their garden
- Ian making a pie crust from scratch for the first time – I had to save the poor crust
- climbing rattlesnake ledge in Washington State
- cross-border shopping
- good food and good times with friends we don’t get to see often enough
- oh and trying an awesome dilletante mocha at the Seattle airport
And just for those a little more visual… a collage.
