Our Trip to Visit 

Andrew, Kristie and Tessa

 July 27th to August 10th, 2014

On July 27 we flew to Vancouver to meet Andrew, Kristie and Tessa at a Fly Ball Tournament being held in Pitt Meadows. The tournament lasted two days and besides watching the races, enjoying a few meals on the town, we went into Vancouver to see the aquarium with Andrew and Tessa. A Farmers Fair was being held at the same location and it was interesting to see all the top farm animals that were being shown in the competitions. The races ended Sunday and we drove to Duvall to start our stay with Andrew and family.

While in Duvall I installed an automated watering system for Kristie's garden, we visited the Seattle Zoo, spent a day shopping with Tessa in Bellevue, Bob and Andrew took a tour of the Boeing Aircraft Factory in Everett, enjoyed fine quizine at a number of local restaurants and enjoyed time with their five dogs and seven hens. The Boeing plant was huge and the visit very interesting. Unfortunately, no pictures are allowed to be taken and one does not have an opportunity to get up close on the production line.

It was a delight to be able to have this much time with our grand daughter. Tessa has grown a lot since we last saw her and she really warmed up to us. We believed that she really enjoyed the visit and is looking forward to a trip to Nova Scotia next year.

On the final week we spent 3 days touring the Oregon coast. It is very picturesque with lots of huge trees and sandy beaches. The KOA Campgrounds near Astoria offer small log cabins to stay in. This was an interesting experience as the one we choose had no amenities, only bunks with no water or bathroom. These amenities are available in the larger cabins but the cost is very high. We are extreme cheapskates!!

After breakfast at the Duvall Grill, we departed for Vancouver early morning stopping a a few stores along the way to do some last minute shopping. Of course, Cabela's is an essential stop; however, no moose lamps were acquired on this trip. I was on the lookout for USB wall receptacles but had no luck. All the stores told me that they are a new item and they fly off the shelves as soon as a few are received.

We stayed overnight near the airport since our flight departed at 6:00 AM. Arrived at the airport shortly after 4:00, only to learn that the baggage conveyor system was not working and we waited for over an hour before we could check in. The lineup was horrendous and after a long wait the best Air Chance could do for us was standby boarding passes. After another struggle to get through security, we got to the gate just in time and were able to get seats. On the way out we arrived in Calgary only to find out that our scheduled flight was canceled due to mechanical problems. Air Chance booked us on the next flight, Genevieve was given a boarding pass and I received a standby voucher. Fortunately I was able to get a seat on that flight. We hate flying !!!!!

Had a really great trip but it feels good to be home.

Photo's by Kristie, Bob and from WEB Sources.

Click to enlarge pictures.

A view of the flyball tournament in Pitt Meadows, BC.

Genevieve enjoying some time with the dogs.

Kristie's dogs -  Gremlin, Sprite and Danger.

Gremlin on a practise run.

Kristie walking Gremlin and Danger.

Genevieve, Kristie, Tessa and the dogs.

Lots of chickens.

A Llama.

Another Llama.

One of the prize sheep.

An Alpaca

Bison

Enjoying flyball.

Relaxing at the Andrew and Kristie's RV.

Visiting Snoqualmie Falls.

A panorama of the falls.

A panorama of the falls.

The Boeing plant in Everett, Washington. It is one of the largest building in the world.

Boeing operate a fleet of 6 Dreamlifters to transport large aircraft components such as wings, engines etc. to this facility.This aircraft is a modified 747.

A view of the facility from the air.

The 787 Dreamliner production line.

Putting the finishing touches on a Dreamliner.

Another view of the 787 Dreamliner production line.

Air Chance also flies Dreamliners.

The 747 production line.

Add engines to this 747 and it will be almost finished.

Hitched up and ready to go to Oregon.

Stopped for lunch at this place which had old tractors on display.

Lots of big logging trucks are on the Oregon highways.

Tessa enjoyed the ride.

The cabin we stayed in at the KOA Campground near Astoria, Oregon. Very cosy but no amenities such as bathroom or basic cooking facilities.

An inside view.

Tessa enjoyed the KOA playground.

What every good campground must have.

The part of the campground where the cabins were located.

Push a button to do all the work. Not so good when the battery fails.

The honey dew boy demonstrates his expertise !

A panorama of the beach.

Soaking up the sun.

Kristie, Andrew and Tessa.

Playing in the sand. We didn't reach China !

Tessa

Relaxing in the sun.

Andrew and Kristie.

Breathtaking scenery on the Oregon coast near Cannon Beach.

A typical Oregon beach.

This building was used as the jail for the Goonies movie.

Andrew enjoying one of his favourite past times.

A small Mexican Restaurant that had excellent food. Kristie found it using the App Urban Spoon.

Andrew and Kristie's new home. It is located a few miles from the town center of Duvall.

Lots of deer and rabbits hang out on the property.

Work on the installation of an automated watering system for Kristie's gardens. I ended up installing a 2 zone system with lots of drippers and sprinklers.

Testing and tuning the sprinklers.

Kristie has six hens and a rooster. They are not the normal breeds and have very different plumage styles.

They are all very friendly and like treats such as blackberries, zucchini and cucumbers.

On our last day of the visit Chef Andrew prepared one of his culinary specialities for us on the Green Egg  -- smoked pulled pork.

Preparing the meat for a great meal.

Genevieve admiring the pulled pork chef.

On our day of departure we took Andrew and Tessa out for breakfast at the Duvall Grill. Kristie was at a Flyball Tournament.

We arrived in Vancouver late afternoon, dumped the rented car and hopped the go train to downtown for a leisurely walk and dinner at the Spaghetti Factory. The next morning, August 11th,  we departed for Halifax at 6:00 AM.