Sat. July 3: We got up early to eat breakfast and be in place for our 8:10 walk-off disembarkation. We got through customs without a hitch, took a cab to Avis, and were on our way by 10:00. With the help of our GPS we drove straight to the 2400 Court Motel, about 15 minutes from downtown. It bills itself as an authentic drive-in motor lodge from the 50s and I guess it probably was. It will suit our needs alright for the three days but it’s a far cry from what we have experienced the last two weeks with Princess Cruise Lines! Two points in its favor are that it has a small kitchen so we can make our own food and it has free Wi-Fi. After getting settled a bit we drove to Andy McCoy’s brother’s family’s really new house (tonight will be their first night to sleep there). His mom and dad were there to help with the move so we visited with them all for a while and then followed the GPS instructions to Stanley Park. It is the second largest urban park in North America and was right across the harbor from where the ship was docked! Each couple shared a sandwich from the concession stand and we spent nearly 6 hours exploring, hiking, and enjoying all the park offers. We walked through the display of Totem Poles, the Rose Garden, Prospect Point, and two hiking trails that ran through towering old red cedar and hemlock trees, some of which must have been here back in the 1700s and early 1800s when it was a protected spot for First Nation people. What a gem! When we were all walked out we headed back to the 2400 to find a grocery store. They left me to work on the blog and the others went to the nearby Safeway to get food for breakfasts, lunches and tonight’s dinner. After a good chicken stir-fry we all did some computing, played a rousing game of Golf (cards), and went to bed.
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