Note — I apologize that the photos are loading large but I don’t have a good photo editor on the laptop. The images will resize themselves once fully loaded so don’t panic if all you see is the eye of a totem or the detail of the hotel room’s curtains!

My earlier trip to Vancouver was actually part of a two-week vacation that was scrapped when the company got busy during the summer. Since I had originally planned to be in Vancouver at the end of March for two weeks, this current incarnation was postponed three times. With the hope of salvaging the airfares I had booked while simultaneously granting myself some much-needed R&R, I took one week alone in late June and booked Cyd’s trip with me for this week. I managed to get the two trips for the amount I would have lost had I just forgotten about the airfares — so, all in all, I consider it a fortuitous occasion.

Some things, however, do not work out as intended. The things with me, well, they are what they are. The things with Cyd, however, make for a very interesting excursion. This is, after all, her first major sojourn from home. She was barely a year old when she visited Maui, so has no recollection of it. In her mind, this trip has been a monumental undertaking. As comfortable as I have tried to make her, there are phobias that are surfacing which surprise me.

First, she developed a healthy dose of a fear of leaving home as soon as her father and grandmother (my mother) pulled away from the curb. There we were, waiting as the porter dealt with our bags and our check-in, my daughter an emotional wreck and me (trying to keep my own fear of flying nondescript) trying to calm her down. For two hours she was panicking, crying, doubting her ability to survive the plane ride.

Oddly, when we got on the airplane and she was able to read the emergency evacuation plan for the airplane, she was fine. I was instructed to stop hugging her (she had previously wanted me to “squeeze me so tight it hurts,”) and was informed that she was perfectly capable of handling the flight. As the plane made its way to take-off I popped my Xanax while she sat calmly hugging Baby Puppy, her sleeptime companion for the past few years. As the plane lifted and banked it took everything in me not to scream, but she just smiled and said, “Wow!” though her teeth were clenched and Baby Puppy was pretty much mega-squished.

Suffice it to say she was happy to be watching “Around The World In 80 Days” while I slept fitfully in the row behind her. The plane was half-empty. I was grateful. Cyd slept on and off. It was a 5-hour flight during which we both got about 3 hours of sleep.

Seattle was rainy when we arrived. We grabbed our luggage and our rental car and immediately started out for Vancouver (remind me never to do THAT again!). I wanted her to see the Cascades, to watch the progression of fall colors on the foliage, to spend some time chatting with me during the ride so we could get in some quality bonding. Alas, she was aghast at the chilly weather (60 degrees) while I was basking in it. I had to alternate between keeping the windows up or down depending on who needed what.

We finally made it to the U.S./Canada border, which made her gleeful. Aside from the view of the mountains along the way, I had wanted her to see what the border crossing would be like. It’s pretty tame (it’s not Mexico, after all) but still…Cydney was tickled to know that mom was officially in Canada in the front seat while she was officially in America in the back seat. Since this was also her first look at a totem pole, she was intrigued.

It took another hour to reach the Pan Pacific Hotel, a decadent treat of a property located on the waterfront in Vancouver. Much, much more to my liking than the Sandman I’d stayed at last time. Cyd and I are completely pleased with our room, which overlooks the city but eh, we’re from Hawaii, we see lots of water at home.

After a quick check of emails I took Cyd on a stroll down Cordova to see the Gaslamp District, which is filled with touristy hovels hawking souvenir t-shirts and carved wood hangings. There’s one hanging I want to get, it actually looks quite spiffy. As we made our way along the street the steam clock went off, so Cyd of course wanted a photo. Or two. Or three.

Brian joined us after work (rather he joined us in between work, as he had to get back to the office after we dined). On his suggestion we tried the Milestones Grille not far from the fabulous Thai restaurant we’d dined at during my previous trip. The prime rib was superb — blew my diet right out of the universe! Naturally, a photo op was available.

Now once we returned to the hotel, Cyd had trouble getting herself unstrung. She had at this point been without sleep for nearly two days. We had a massive argument, kissed and made up, then took a walk around the perimeter of the hotel, pretending it was the “Canadian Star” and we were on the promenade deck. This did the trick. A brisk 20-minute walk in 30-degree weather was enough to settle her down and she finally fell asleep.

I’m about to follow her there but I wanted to get this entry in tonight or I’d never get it in at all. Tomorrow we’re headed to the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park. Depending on her mood we may even take a Sky Train ride and/or catch the IMAX movie showing in the hotel’s adjacent theater.

There is an aeronautical convention in the hotel this week. Which explains the endless parade of very buff, very good-looking young men. Yep, I think I’m going to enjoy staying here, hahaha!