Cabin in the city - San Juan island

Just a week back we planned for the trip. Got the cabin booked. And was prepared for a cold weather. Set our minds that would rain and we will just do the best we could accommodate in just one and half days. We just booked the cabin for a night. 

Started early Saturday morning! Got the 930 am ferry from Anacortes to Friday Harbor- an hour ferry ride to the San Juan islands. There the ferry terminal on Friday Harbor, the cabin was just 4 min away. But our check in time was not until 2pm. Hungry were we. Looking for some Indian food- Lol. No we didn't find any. Stopped my an Thai restaurant. Filled our tummies. Then headed to Lime kiln state park and the lighthouse there. 

On the way, stopped by an overview point. There was a steep short trail there. Clicked a couple of pics. Our phones turned to roaming with Canada's signal. We quickly turned it to airplane mode. Haha. Last month, B and I saw Mexico, standing in San Diego. And now we were standing there watching Canada. Scenic roadways. An old and small lighthouse. 

It was almost close by 2pm. We needed a break. Headed to the cabin. Took some rest. Then by 5pm got refreshed again, for part two of fun. Headed out to a whale museum- thinking it was free. Yup you guessed it. Again a small place with a fee. Beside it was another view point. Facing the sea- Harbor we stood. 

Then pondered for a while where we could halt next. English camp it was. Foliage was everywhere. Beautiful! 

Picked a restaurant for early dinner - Mexican this time. Then back to the cabin. Played some games, danced, chit chatted till our shut closed. 

Sunday got ready early - got the 11:05 am ferry. The last one to hop on. Stopped by the outlet mall an hour away from home. Window shopped. Got home. Fell asleep. Dinner. And that was our quick weekend getaway. Oh I forgot to mention, the weather did not disappoint us at all. It was bright and sunny. 

VANCOUVER, CANADA

Sunday afternoon started driving to the Vancouver, Canada! Just 2.5 hours away. Drove to 7-11 and then to the apartment/ hotel. Click here for the key story/ Airbnb experience. 

Monday morning started out. Didn't find our car. It was towed away. Caught a cab, and got the car back, while mom was waiting in the apartment lobby with the bags. 

Then we started out to Canada Place. It's a place in the heart of downtown. A harbor. Clicked a couple of pics. Walked around. 

Then we drove to Stanley park. Drove around the huge park. Saw beautiful views of downtown, waterfront, harbor and ships. 

Then to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. It's a pretty small city-Vancouver. Drive anywhere within 15 mins. But parking- a trouble. All short durations. Searching for Canadian dollar coins to drop in the pay stations. The suspension bridge was great and there were lots of bridges connecting tree tops. A big forest with lot of bridges. We were walking high from the ground. The suspension bridge swang a lot with the weight of people walking cross it. 

Then evening we drove to see the next Airbnb accommodation. That's didn't fit well. Canceled it. Went to McDonalds close by. Sat and booked another better hotel around for the night. Then went and checked-in there. Tired after the long day. 

Tuesday just had beaches left to visit. Checked out of hotel. Halted for a couple minutes by Sunset park beach on the way. Then headed to the US-Canada border. This time it was a long queue to cross the border. Only 2 out of 5 lanes were open. Lots of traffic. Took a while to cross it rather than the in-traffic entering Canada. 

Drove back home. D dropped me home and not too late left on their drive back home. Would take another 2 days to reach back. Halting the night at a small city in Oregon. And number of other short breaks on the way back. 

B to busy traveling on work as usual. The house empty now. My sisters left Sunday past mid night... technically Monday! After a number of flight delays. A tired journey back home. 

State of Washington - family time

Just the day before my baby shower, my parents reached by car to my small apartment preoccupied by my in-laws. They drove over 2 days from Layton, UT to Bellevue WA, via Idaho and Oregon. And my sister and cousin sister landed by flight later in the night. B went to pick them up. We all had dinner around the same time. Aunty (MIL) prepared delicious home food before my family had dispersed to a nearby motel they booked a couple days ahead. 

Early October 6th, M, D, Sisters came over after their bath and light breakfast. Aunty had breakfast ready too. They had a little taste of it too. Then D, sisters and me went around for a short drive and to buy some sweets for the evening baby shower! 

Afternoon B was back home early from work. Then I dressed up for a pre baby shower function at home just among family. Then it was time to start getting ready for the evening party for friends. B went to pick up food. I got the keys to the party hall. M, D, sisters and me decorated the hall. Then we rushed home, next door to get dressed. 

Baby shower evening went well as planned. Photos, ceremony rituals, socializing, dinner. 

Friday morning, I woke up, got ready, had my breakfast, right in time to roam around Seattle downtown with my family. They got ready and came over to pick me up. We drove to Pike's market place. Parked the car there. Walked down to the waterfront, then along the market closer to the waterfront, along the pier coast. Walked to pier 52, that had ferries to two islands- Bainbridge and Bremerton. We chose Bainbridge island. Booked tickets for the ferry. Waited 30 mins for the next ferry. Reached the island, walked around- visited 2 museums - art and history. Every hour there was a return ferry. Rushed for the next ferry an hour later. Caught it just in time. Ferry ride and views from the ferry were amazing. It was windy. The ride was 35 mins each way. 

Then we halted for lunch. Then walked up to the monorail station, took the train to Seattle space center. Walked around a little. Clicked pictures and then got back to the car. Drove back home. On the way finishing dinner. 

Saturday B was home. We planned for Boeing factory tour with all! The bigger group- 8 of us! It was a rainy and cloudy day. Boeing factory tour was highly secure place- no pictures inside the plant. A huge factory, celebrating its 100th anniversary year. We enjoyed learning how planes were made and the different types of planes. 

Evening didn't have much plans- my friends pinged me about a festival (Bathukamma) happening in a school nearby. M, sisters and me joined them. Then D said we could go to any temple nearby. On the return we stopped directly at temple. B, aunty, uncle, and D came over in the other car. It was Navarathiri time, and there were special poojas happening in the temple. 

Sunday, we went to the Snoqualmie falls, I waited for morning for weather report to say it was a good day. M, D, sisters and me  went over. The flow was high this time. Water from the falls poured like rainfall over us. On the return, stopped by another temple close by to home. 

Evening M, D and me started to Canada, leaving behind sisters, as they were flying out that night back home- Chicago, IL and from there my sis heading home by train to a city in Indiana. 

VANCOUVER, CANADA continues. Click here

California - Los Angeles & San Diego

Monday morning - the house empty! Just me left behind. Aunty, uncle and Balu off to LA. Goodbyes and miss you's. And I left for work. 

Wednesday night- my flight was to be at 9:30pm and reach 12. Early evening around 3:30 pm emails poured in calling in for delays - 10:15 pm and then 10:30 pm and to reach post 1 am. I informed Balu about it. And he suggested to call the airlines and push the flight timings to Thursday morning. I was okay. A better plan 'Coz he could exchange his rental car and it wouldn't disturb our sleeps. 

Thursday morning - 7:30 am I called the cab guy- lyft. And reached early for my flight that was actually 9:30 am but delayed to almost 11 am. Reached 1:30 pm. Met Balu and his parents. 

Oh! I forgot to mention! This is my first time traveling hands- free! Believe me! Just phone and boarding pass ticket on me. (My phone case stores my purse ingredients -id and credit cards and I dropped my house key into it too). 

So then we went to the car rentals - hertz! Balu went in to do all the procedures to get the car- he was missing for a while. Meanwhile I ate some food, Aunty packed for me. Then we got the car. And started driving to SAN DIEGO! 

B- Balu and A- me (Aki) 

B - hey put the address... 

A- GPS isn't showing the route to i -1 -- pacific highway. Take the pacific highway. We need to get the awesome view. 

B- wondering how to get on there. Meanwhile some traffic on highway I - 405 south.  

A- we must get on that highway somehow. I don't know how to set the GPS that way! Lol 

B- figured it out. He skipped the toll part and reached the pacific highway. 

A- hooray! We hopped on the highway! Beautiful roadway. Pacific Ocean view! 

B- we stopping next on Laguna beach! 

A- (distracted) this street looks wowwww.... Lots of shops , palm trees and other nature! So beautiful. I missed clicking a picture. 

B- you want to go to beach or not?

A - I want both. Stop here. I need a picture of that tree- it had beautiful bunches of red flowers. 

Anyways, there was no parking space. We went to Laguna beach. Balu and I dipped our feet into the Pacific Ocean. 

Next stopped by another beach on the way- Aliso beach. 

7 pm reached hotel at San Diego after a short stop at Starbucks. Next dinner and then bed. 

Friday- 10 am started out to SeaWorld. SeaWorld is open from 10 to 5 pm. Time spent perfectly - eating, watching shows, uncle and Balu went on a roller coast ride with a water slide, we went on a sky tower ride that shows 360 degrees on the park, walked a lot, visited a lot of aquariums, again uncle and Balu witnessed a 4-D movie to the arctic on a flight, lots of fun, videos and pictures. But nothing like visiting the place directly. Awesome time we had. 

Out of SeaWorld, we headed to Coronado Bridge and beach. Right in time to see sunset. And all of us dipped our feet in the Pacific Ocean there. Saw the Mexico border from a distance. 

Saturday - 10:30 am started back to Los   Angeles. Drove back a straight stretch. So hot, so tired after the tiresome Friday program. Reached an Indian restaurant for lunch. 

From there pondered if we shall go the room- rest for a while or just tour around  and get back. 

Next it was Griffith observatory and the Hollywood sign. An hour drive. 

Then again pondered - beverly hills or universal studios (just from outside- not buying tickets) or Santa Monica beach or some random actors houses. Lol. 

Next it was walk of fame. Just drove across the streets. 

Eyes half open. I said lets get back. Aunty and uncle told Balu pity aki.. See her eyes. So we started back. One hour again to reach hotel. On the way back, Randy's donut shop randomly caught my eyes on the map. I in exclamation said lets stop there. It's on the way. 

6 pm were in hotel. Wrapped up like a burrito. 

Sunday- no one would call this Sunday. 3 am we were all awake. And 4 am at airport for 6 am flight. Now uploading pictures and videos to friends and family.