Where are you from?

Another big problem with not having a stable home I discovered this weekend: Customs. I was barraged (well, maybe not barraged, but asked) a bunch of questions crossing the border both ways. I’m not sure what I was expecting – something along the lines of me showing them my passport and them welcoming me to Canada/U.S. Yeah, didn’t go that way.
First question: Where do you live? Hmmm…that’s kind of complicated. I want to go with the simple answer, and since all of my paperwork says it, I say, “Missouri.”
What are you doing here? “I’m going on vacation.”
How long are you going to stay? “Probably two days.”
Probably? “Yes, two days.”
What are you doing up here, I mean, in this part of the country?
OK, I’m nervous by this point. What does he want? My whole life story? “I was in Olympia for four months working as a reporter covering the Legislature.”
He stopped asking questions after I said “reporter.”
On the way back to the U.S. (I took a ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles), I was questioned by three different officers. It was kind of crazy. First question: Where are you from? Ughhh…not THIS question again. I explain myself. One of the officers: “You’re traveling ALL by yourself?” Yep, is that strange or something? “Why did you go to Canada?” Uh, vacation. “Were you visiting a friend?” OK, I don’t see why she needed to know this, but if she finds it SOO unfathomable for a 20-something single female to travel ALL BY HERSELF—I tell her, I did see a friend. We had dinner. It was true, after all. “Well, OK, then.” I know she’s just doing her job, but customs officers make me very nervous. I don’t think I’ll be leaving the country again for a while.

Crossing the Strait of Juan de FucaGoing into Port Angeles.

Gorgeous view from the Olympic National Park.

At Hurricane Ridge.

Pacific Ocean from the west side of the Olympic Peninsula.

Victoria: Pretty buildings and good pho

I took the ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo. The drive down to Victoria took a couple hours. When I decided to take that route instead of the more direct Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay, I thought it’d be a cool drive. Well, that would have been true if it hadn’t been RAINING!!! It’s April; I really need to quit my complaining. Victoria is a nice city. The downtown has a bunch of shops and the Empress Hotel and the Parliament buildings are beautiful. I had dinner James – a friend of Staci’s -- and his girlfriend Sheena. We went to a pho place, which is actually a healthy food that I’ve become quite the fan of.

Horseshoe Bay

The Empress hotel in Victoria, B.C.Parliament

Royal seal (I think?)

It says: "The Virtue of Prosperity is Temperance"

I can't seem to stay away from legislative buildings.

The rotunda.

Her majesty.

Her Majesty, part two.

Vancouver Rain

So, it has rained the entire two days I spent in Vancouver, but I suppose that's normal for this time of year. I walked around downtown yesterday and spent some quality time in the Library---which takes up an entire city square!! I suppose that tells you something about the priorities of the place. I always find it so interesting listening to Canadians. They're chatting away and sound like Americans. And then there are the particular words that take you buy surprise -- about, out, PROcess. Anyway, Vancouver seems like a very cool city. I keep imagining how beautiful it's got to look like when the sun is out. And, note to self: Granville Island Pale Ale is muy bien. Loved all of Granville Island.

Granville Island has a big indoor farmers market on it. The market is not quite as big as Pike Place Market in Seattle, but still a very nice place to wander.

Pretty flowers by Canada Place. You can kind of see the convention center in the background.
Vancouver has the second largest Chinatown in North America the city tour said (I'm guessing it's No. 2 behind San Francisco, but don't quote me.)
A cool looking steam clock in Gastown.

Vancouver Art Gallery. The aquarium in Stanley Park. I didn't go in because the line was too long---lots of people wanting to get out of the rain, I guess. And lots of children running around and screaming makes me nervous.
Stanley Park.
Pretty flowers in Stanley Park.
The Stanley Park Pavilion. So, I kind of want a house that looks like that. In my dreams, right?
Vancouver is hosting the winter Olympics in 2010--the countdown is ON!

San Juan Islands

It was kind of a rainy day, but it got better as the day went on. I was surprised by how many people live on the islands -- and the prices of the houses for sale! I'm sure people love living there, but I kind of question the development of these "natural crown jewels" of the United States. But I guess the building has been going on for a long time. Lopez Island is called the "friendly island" because everyone waves at passersby (if you know them or not.) The man working on the ferry boat told me that Lopez has a lot of "artsy people with alternative lifestyles, you know." I'm not really sure what that means, but he also told me that if you move there, you have to start waving at people. I got off at Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Since I didn't take my car, that was one of the few places I could get to as a "walk-on." The huge semis coming out of the ferries kind of surprised me. But, how else do you get building materials to the islands? But with all the natural beauty of the islands, the huge diesel trucks looked out of place.

Beautiful sunset pictures on the way back to Anacortes from Friday Harbor.

The ferry coming into port at Friday Harbor.

On the ride to Friday Harbor, it was pretty cloudy and rainy.

Deception pass between Anacortes and Oak Harbor.

I took this from the bridge at the Deception Pass. All the cars driving by scared the crap out me though, so this is one of the few pictures I actually got around to taking on this side of the road. The two pictures above were taken from the other side of the road, which wasn't nearly as scary!

It will live on in infamy

http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/4/25/1017534/Curt%20rant.WMA" autostart=false loop=false height=62 width=144 controls="console">

Another cute photo from slog