V is for Vancouver

It was 1981, I had just finished the seventh grade and was excited about being almost finished grade school.  The summer was a nice, but cool one so far, and I was going to be going on my first ever plane ride.

My parents had planned a trip to Vancouver British Columbia for the three of us.  I had never been to the west coast of Canada, although my father had worked there several times in his career.  They had the trip planned and we were going to be heading west in July.

The plane trip was like no other I have ever taken since.  It was back when going on a plane was almost a formal outing.  People wore their good clothes, the flight attendants wore skirts and were very proper, and the plane was huge.  There were smoking sections on the plane, can you imagine that, and there were stairs leading up to where the pilots were.  I loved ever single minute of the three hour flight. 

My parents had planned a few thing to do while we were there, and I had a short list of my own as well.  Terry Fox had just recently died, and I wanted to go pay my respects at his grave site.  I had been granted the opportunity to meet him the summer before and felt the need to take some flowers and thank him for what he did for our country and for the fight against cancer.  Also, I knew that the "Love Boat" docked somewhere in the greater Vancouver area and I wanted to see it.  I had watched the show religiously for several years and would get a real kick out of seeing the real boat.  My parents had planned smaller trips to Whistler, and to Victoria, and a few little spots in between.  All in all it was going to be a busy 2 weeks.

The landscape was so different than anything I had ever seen before.  The tree didn't look normal to me, they seemed bigger, and they were.  We drove through area's where you could drive right threw the middle of trees, they were that big.  The mountains were beautiful, and I loved that no matter where you were you could see them off in the distance.  It was a beautiful place, breath taking.

While we were there Princess Diana and Prince Charles were married.  We had to be up by 4 am to watch the ceremony.  What an amazing sight that was, you knew you were watching history in the making.  I will never forget that day, or they day she died in that terrible accident.

I did see the love boat while I was there, and I was also able to find Terry Fox's grave, even thought there was no marker there yet.  I was happy that I got to complete both of my wishes during the trip.

Out of the whole trip I loved Victoria the most.  I love the sea, and being beside it was amazing for me.  We ate all our meals at the shore, and walked many walkways along the ocean.  You could look down into the rocks below and see star fish and other colourful sea creatures, it was so beautiful.  I love the British feel of the whole place, and since it was the summer of the royal wedding they had it decorated up for the event.

That was the last family vacation I ever went on, and it has stayed with me all of these years.  If you ever get a chance to get to Vancouver, go, you will not be disappointed, and there is no other place like it!