Another fantastic weekend getaway with awesome friends, three days of surf,  yummy food, hours of dominos and beachfront fireworks.  The sun joined us too – we could even see Tatoosh Island!

Cape Flattery

Anyway, the surf was awesome.  We only made it out once but we went to Short Sands – a place Matty showed us a couple of years ago.  It’s a quick quarter-mile or so hike through a grove of old growth forest that leads to a protected cove where the waves are always nice (at least the two times we’ve gone!).  We surfed until we were almost too tired to hike out and were completely satisfied despite the downpour of rain the rest of the weekend.  Back in Portland, Matty and Alison took us to Mississippi Street where there’s this really cool salt shop with giant peonies.  Like the size of your head, giant.  We loved them and want them for our wedding.  I hope they’re in bloom mid-April but it may be a bit too early.  Matty and Alison we might have a job for you in transporting giant peonies!

Evidently, it's hard for me to take normal pictures...

We were lucky with great spring weather so we were able to shop Union Square, Haight Ashbury and Hayes Valley happily, ride bikes across the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito (our butts hurt SO BAD after!) and hang out in Golden Gate Park.  We also had delicious food, especially from the Clift where we got to sit in the Worlds Largest Table Chair!

We had the best time despite the weekend flying by! I think we’ll try to make it to SF every couple of years for traditions sake – if I say it on the blog, we have to do it!! Below is a highlight of my favorite moments and a video Kevin put together on our bike ride.  Click HERE for all of our weekend pictures.

I have a print of a similar picture (that I got on my trip to SF with D!) so it was fun to replicate it!

On our bike ride to Sausalito!

World's Largest Table Chair!

My new bag that I'm in love with!

We need your help!  Participate in the survey below and help us decide! 

**Final selection will be based upon equal parts poll results and how far our frequent flyer miles will take us.** 

**Update 4/14/2010**

Looks like we’re going to Fiji! Next step, cash in those miles. Thanks to everyone that voted….and those that voted three times on different computers

Several months prior, we had found a wonderful family to stay with (on CL).  They turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the trip.  So welcoming, generous and friendly.  It was like we had known them for years.  They had two boys, five and seven.  They all lived, breathed, played and watched non-stop hockey.  Not too surprising, as Canadians are koo koo for cocoa puffs for their hockey.  They quickly converted us into Olympic hockey fans and I shouldn’t admit this but I’m totally rooting for Canada to beat the US in the gold medal match.  It means so much more to them; “Go Canada, go!”

I’m having a really hard time putting into words the electric atmosphere that took over an entire city so I’m turning this post into a picture post; but even the pictures don’t do it justice.  During the day, it was camaraderie and strangers bonding over shared experiences.  At night, it was like New Years turned on repeat night after night.  Simply, Awesome.

The Olympic torch!

Watching the Canada v. Swiss hockey match in Robson Square with the Canadians.

Brodie and Rob celebrate the win!

Granville Street, packed with celebratory Canadians.

Kevin and me with Quatchy and Miga!

We saw a Latvia v. Czech Republic hockey match.

Canadians, full of pride, sing “Oh Canada” riding the sea bus to North Vancouver.

Karen and Ravi in front of the torch at night.

Kevin and me with the Inukshuk in Stanley Park.

Kevin, enjoying his Japadog! (We tried the Kobe beef and Ume- YUM!)

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Vancouver 2010 cancels ‘general admission standing room’ tickets to snowboard halfpipe, ski cross and snowboard parallel giant slalom events at Cypress Mountain Tickets to be refunded

Feb 16, 2010

West Vancouver, BC ― General admission standing room tickets have been cancelled for Olympic men’s and ladies’ snowboard halfpipe on February 17 and 18; ski cross on February 21 and 23; and snowboard parallel giant slalom on February 26 and 27 at Cypress Mountain. Tickets will be refunded, said the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).

Heavy warm rains on Saturday and Sunday have made the general admission standing room area at the Cypress snowboard stadium unsafe for spectators. The rains washed away almost a foot of snow in the area where the standing room area was to be located. General admission standing room tickets for men’s and ladies’ snowboard cross events were also previously cancelled for February 15 and 16.

With safety the top priority and with snowboard events taking place daily, there is insufficient snow to move and build the standing room area back up at the Cypress snowboard stadium. VANOC has protected sufficient contingency snow for field of play at Cypress Mountain.

“Our senior management and venue team have spent significant time on site to try and find a way to accommodate spectators in the standing room areas for the events. We’ve exhausted all avenues but it just wasn’t possible to make the area safe for spectators,” said Caley Denton, VANOC’s vice president of ticketing and consumer marketing.

This cancellation and refund will affect approximately 20,000 spectators.

It’s not the trip we had imagined.  In fact, in between bathroom visits I said, “Why didn’t we just go to Hawaii?  We love Hawaii.”  But what kind of adventurer’s would we be if we went to the same place all the time?  How will we find that perfect warm weather surf spot?  I can’t say we’re planning another trip to Mexico anytime soon but never say never…I guess.  Not in writing anyway.  In my head, I’m totally saying never.  We have learned our lesson.  No blended margaritas.  No pico de gallo.  No “fancy” restaurants.  It’s Pacifico and street meat all the way.

It wasn’t all bad.  The first couple of days were perfect, really.  We miss you sun and heat and ocean.  We do not miss you, Montezuma’s revenge.  Will you just go away already?

The next morning, Kevin had a brief conversation with Santiago, the caretaker at Casa Kukana.

Kevin: Our room is fine, but we’re going to need some more toilet paper.
Santiago: Oh, fun night, huh?
Kevin: Not really.  We had dinner at Calypso and both got sick.
Santiago: Jesus Christ, Calypso?!  That place is expensive!
Kevin: Yeah, we’re paying for it now.

So, that said, Saturday was spent at Casa Kukana.  Not exactly what we had pictured. And unfortunately, the thought of Mexican food is rather yuck.  As a reminder, if you’re going to Mexico soon, you’re not immune to everything, like we thought we were.  Bring Cipro.

It’s 80 some degrees here and fantastic.  We’ve surfed some, but the waves are bigger than expected so we tire quickly. On one hand it’s so great to surf in warm water.  On the other, we are so not used to paddling!  So, we don’t last long.  But it’s super fun nonetheless.  The time we thought we’d spend surfing, has instead been spent in extended siesta on the beach

We’re staying at Casa Kukana, which is a little off the beaten path. The grounds are beautiful.  So far, after a day at the beach, we’ve enjoyed a refreshing dip accompanied with a Pacifico in our infinity pool that overlooks the ocean.  The trade-off we’ve made for the amazing view is the mini hike to get into the town.  We’ve decided though it’s excercise needed after all the wonderful, fresh food we’ve eaten.

Like the fresh-out-the-back-of-the-yellow-truck churros we dined on tonight.  D.Lish.