The Trip You Must Take, Part VII

Post-cruise blahs evaporated quickly as we rented a car and hit the 5 bound for Canada. Renting the car at the Seattle airport was an experience-from start to finish, all by computer. No agents. Should I be frightened? At least concerned? I wondered about the computer phobic among us, especially (pardon the ageism), some of our elders.

After a few hours, we noted our famishment and stopped in the impossibly pleasant town of Bellingham, WA. Very quaint, artsy, and as some like to call, "granola." We parked near blocks of funky shops and cafes, settling on a good Mexican place for lunch. Upper deck, kissed by the sun. We listened to college students whine about their trivialities. Some locals spoke of where the best apartments were. We later meandered, strolled a bookstore, and stopped at a place called Katie's Cupcakes. Katie was the second young female entrepreneur we met on our honeymoon. She and her husband converted a downtown place of chipping plaster into a nice bit of shabby chicery, complete with vintage mini-chandeliers. The cupcakes were ornate and delicious. I had the red velevet cake one. I ate it slowly.

Back in our vehicle and onward. We stopped at the border and after some perfunctory Q & A from the guard, the 5 became the British Columbia Hwy 99. We were headed to the mysterious and exotic Vancouver. It did not disappoint, not by any stretch. In fact, even though we spent just about 24 hours there, it has become my new favorite city. Great architecture, that caught my eye. The people shuffling about downtown were diverse and friendly. None of the aversion of eyes you get in New York City or such. We passed so many places of interest I finally had to stop stopping. We ate at a very good Italian joint. Several windows advertised that authentic Cuban Cohibas were available for the smoking. That idea was entertained but eventually deep-sixed. Damn.

The next day was spent at the sprawling Stanley Park. Miles and miles (er, kilometers) of it winds in a circle in northern downtown. Circumscribed are forest trails we would've loved to explore, but we barely had enough daylight to hit the entire outer walk. Some nifty adventures we had, tossing coin into the hat of bagpipe players by the lighthouse, being chased by a (preseumably) momma raccoon, buying art from an ancient gentleman in a thicket of trees, eating what has now become a national ubiquity-poutine (French fries and mozzarella cheese drenched in brown gravy). If we lived in Vancouver, it would be a safe bet that we would spend much of our time at this Park. It has everything: pristine beaches, beautiful, jagged rocks jutting over the sea, cricket games, kilometers of gorgeous trails. Another site that was tough to leave.

While in Vancouver we stayed at the O Canada Bed & Breakfast, highly recommended. Just outside of downtown. One version of the famous national anthem was penned here just over a century ago. It was expectedly quaint, charming. Five or six rooms for lodging, all tastefully decorated. A lovely hostess who made batches of cookies each afternoon. A funny Asian gent who served us parfait and Eggs Benedict for breakfast in the dining room. A decanter of sherry sits in the parlor for evening imbibing. Bookshelves filled with books and DVDs. The house itself was a recently restored landmark. Beats the sterility of corporate hotels, any day.

After a tiring but fabulous day at the Park, we again reluctantly trode on. Back to the U.S. As we headed toward the border, my bride and I again voiced, semi-seriously, that we should move to Canada. British Columbia is a definite contender. I had been to Montreal and Quebec City in 1998, another superb trip. Wonder if I'd have to take another Board exam? And of course we'd apply for dual citizenship. Such a beautiful country.....