John Harvey Photo

August 2019

Go to Slide Show Smaller Images Summer Fun!



I've heard Vancouver described as a great place for kids - just not so good for adults.  There is a Rock and Gem show at Kitsilano Arena (not far from our house) so we decided to bike over and check it out!
 
Starting Bike RideNara Showing Off TricksFilling Bag At Rock Show
Rock shows have an interesting mix of things.  Every vendors seems to be trying to find a diferent market - jewelry, or  "make jewelry" market, casual home decorations or Crystals affect your life, kids activites or adult level gems.  The show had 80 vendors so the kids had fun finding things. 

The next day, we took a bike + scooter ride down to Granville Island.  There is often something to do down there if you look for it.

Claira Riding Her BikeRiding Granville IslandNara On Her Scooter

The kids were reminded of the water park at Granville Island so the next week we came down with bathing suits to play on the slide and in the spray park:

Claira On SlideClaira Preparing For ColdClaira Done Ride

Nara With Water WallClaira With Hose
  The kids complained it was cold.

Downtown Movie Screen
Grandma kindly offered to take the kids for a few days this summer.  When the kids were gone, Helen and I could try out some summer activities!  Close to my work, the plaza in front of the art gallery hosts a summer movie.  We grabbed dinner and then watched a movie outside on the big screen.  The city as your theatre is a bit strange - the sirens of emergency vehicles can kind of clash with the film and it never really gets quite, but it was still a fun "try it out" activity.


Plaza Pano

Rockhounding Agate near Boston Bar

The kids were still over at my Mom's house so Helen and I had a free weekend.  I thought it would be fun to drive up near Boston Bar and try to find some agate listed in a BC Rock guide book.  The directions in the book weren't supper clear and I couldn't find anything else on the internet, but hey why not try?

View Over Valley

Crack Mined Out
The directions are basically "Turn on Ainslie Road North, follow the markers until you get to about km 36".  It seems really good for the first 15km or so as you watch prominent km markers slide by.  As you get further in, you find more forks in the road and the km markers become less frequent and eventually become markers for other roads.  We went by odometer in the car and did get to roughly where I figured it would be.  The view was great but finding agates was tricky.  I eventually found some part of a roadside cutting that had been worked.  We must be in the right place.


Zakwaski Mountain

The book suggested another stop a few km further down the road.  Again, the road markers are gone, but we did eventually find a road side rock face that had veins of Agate.  Some large areas had been mined out, but we found some areas that could still be broken into.  Helen isn't so much into breaking rocks but she was able to find rocks lying around that we thought might work in the rock tumbler.

Vein Of AgateSmall Pieces Of Agate With Chisels
This isn't the exciting agate you see online - the material is basically white without bands of color, patterns or gradients.  Helen found a dropped sphere than had crystals inside, but the crystals were all the same color and very plain.

Almost 40km from the highway, it's good to remember you really are in wild BC.  We had been mining for about an hour when Helen spotted a mother bear and two babies feeding at the side of the road.  The bears apparently didn't see us - when we closed the truck of the car, the startled and headed in the other direction.  There were lots of insects and road side flowers to see as well.

Bear Eating With YouthMormon Fritillary On Pearly EverlastingGrasshopper
 
FireweedRed ElderberryRoadside Oxeye Daisy

We set a "we are missing" time of 7pm with family because there is no cell phone coverage up here and I really didn't want to spend the night and the next day walking to the highway to get help.  We turned around and were back to civilization by 6:30.

Namesless Pond
 

Summer Playgrounds

Kids With Bunny Ears
We had some time between picking the kids up at the ferry and going out to dinner with family so we stopped in at the Richmond Nature Park for a bit of play. 


Richmond Nature Park put in a bunch of new playground equipment.  The trend right now is to use a lot of natural elements (wood and stone) and let the kids make up their own games. Nara likes photos of her flying so she jumped off the log again and again asking me to take photos.
 
  Nara On Swinging BridgeNara Flying HighNara Preparing For Landing

Terra Nova Adventure Playground

When the weather is nice out, it's hard to not to get outside.  I had a day with the kids (Helen was working) so we started the morning with a trip to Terra Nova Adventure Playground.  Of course this playground gets busy as the day goes on so we try to arrive early to get the quickest turn around on the zip line.

Claira Smiling On ZiplineClaira Start Of RideNara Zipping By

Nara Swinging Between GripsClaira Walking Elevated TrailGirls Sitting In Tree

Ice Cream!

Watching Ice Cream Being Made

At the Terra Nova Adventure playground you will sometimes see an ice-creme truck.  The ice creme is generally the same kinds of treats you get at convenience stores - basically frozen sugar water.  The kids wanted ice creme and it was time to go so we went to find a place in Richond that had decent - also know as "craft" - ice-cream.  We wound up trying I.ce Queen - a small shop in a mall.  The mix your ingredients with cream and freeze it on a metal pan.  They then scrape the frozen cream into rolls and make your desert.


Because every order is hand made from scratch, you have a lot of choice how to customize your desert.  Compared to a Nestle ice cream, this was amazing.

Claira With Her TreatNara With TreatIce Cream Treat

Richmond Night Market 

Claira Coming Out
The Richmond Night Market is a lot of fun once you have the expectations set correctly.  For us, a visit looks like: $25 for a 6 pack of admission tickets (of which we will use 2).  Kids will do two activities at $10 each.  Snacks are about $8 each.  Expect about $100 for the night.  Bring cash.

New this year, we found these inflatable spheres where the kids go for a run on a pond.  The kids were really excited about this activity so we did it first.

Inflating Nara Capsule

Claira Trying To RunNara Having Fun In Pool
Each kid is loaded and a leaf blower makes the ball full.  The kids are sealed in with a waterproof zipper.  The kids have five minutes to run around and fall down.  Both kids came out with big smiles.

Girls Seperated By Distance


Crowd At Market
Next up - snack!  We had already eaten dinner because eating dinner at the night market would set back retirement by a year.  The kids of course wanted sweet things.  Helen found a cracker with seafood.

Corner Of Market

  Whipped Cream For Fried Cookie DoughClaira Eating TreatMoms Seafood CrackerNara With Watermellon Drink

 
For the second activity, the kids picked a cool net climbing space.  Using prety heavy cord, there was a large space setup for climbing.  The walls were folded over so there was climbing space between the outside and the center area.  The cord was large enough that it didn't really snag fingers or toes.

  Bubbles With Climbing NetClaira Climbing In NetNara Climbing In NetMotion Blur Bubbles
 
Of course we got home late with tired but happy kids.
 


Watching Ice Cream Being Made
Nara Showing Off Tricks
Person: Claira, Nara
Tags: biking
Claira Start Of Ride
Person: Claira, Nara
Altitude: 5m (16 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: playground, Terra Nova Adventure Play Environment, zipline
Bear Eating With Youth
Species: Ursus americanus (American Black Bear)
Altitude: 1581m (5187 feet)
Location: Go To...
Inflating Nara Capsule
Altitude: 1m (3 feet)
Location: Go To...
Grasshopper
Altitude: 1580m (5183 feet)
Location: Go To...
Girls Sitting In Tree
Person: Claira, Nara
Altitude: 5m (16 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: climbing, Terra Nova Adventure Play Environment, tree
Nara On Her Scooter
Person: Nara
Claira Preparing For Cold
Person: Claira
Tags: Granville Island, slide, water park, water slide
Claira On Slide
Person: Claira
Tags: Granville Island, slide, water park, water slide
Motion Blur Bubbles
Tags: bubble, motion blur, Richmond Night Market
View Over Valley
Altitude: 1426m (4678 feet)
Location: Go To...
Claira With Her Treat
Person: Claira
Tags: dessert
Mormon Fritillary On Pearly Everlasting
Species: Speyeria mormonia (Mormon Fritillary), Anaphalis margaritacea (western pearly everlasting)
Altitude: 1564m (5131 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: butterfly, dorsal, flower
Claira Eating Treat
Person: Claira
Altitude: 4m (13 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: dessert, Richmond Night Market
Moms Seafood Cracker
Person: Claira, Helen, Nara
Altitude: 5m (16 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: Richmond Night Market, seafood
Claira Coming Out
Location: Go To...
Claira Done Ride
Person: Claira
Tags: Granville Island, slide, water park, water slide
Claira Smiling On Zipline
Person: Claira
Altitude: 3m (9 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: playground, Terra Nova Adventure Play Environment, zipline
Nara With Water Wall
Person: Nara
Tags: Granville Island, water park
Fireweed
Species: Chamerion angustifolium (fireweed)
Altitude: 1564m (5131 feet)
Location: Go To...
Whipped Cream For Fried Cookie Dough
Altitude: 4m (13 feet)
Location: Go To...
Nara Zipping By
Person: Nara
Altitude: 2m (6 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: playground, Terra Nova Adventure Play Environment, zipline
Nara Having Fun In Pool
Location: Go To...
Nara Preparing For Landing
Person: Nara
Tags: levitating, playground, Richmond Nature Park
Bubbles With Climbing Net
Tags: bubble, Richmond Night Market
Ice Cream Treat
Tags: food porn, ice cream
Claira Trying To Run
Location: Go To...
Nara With Treat
Person: Nara
Tags: dessert
Claira Riding Her Bike
Person: Claira
Nara Climbing In Net
Girls Seperated By Distance
Location: Go To...
Downtown Movie Screen
Tags: Downtown, Vancouver
Vein Of Agate
Altitude: 1581m (5187 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: rockhounding
Corner Of Market
Altitude: 9m (29 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: crowd, market, panorama, Richmond Night Market
Namesless Pond
Altitude: 1280m (4199 feet)
Location: Go To...
Kids With Bunny Ears
Person: Claira, Nara
Roadside Oxeye Daisy
Species: Leucanthemum vulgare (Oxeye Daisy)
Altitude: 1539m (5049 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: invasive
Nara Flying High
Person: Nara
Tags: levitating, playground, Richmond Nature Park
Riding Granville Island
Tags: biking, Granville Island
Crowd At Market
Tags: crowd, Richmond Night Market, sunset
Filling Bag At Rock Show
Person: Nara
Tags: rock
Plaza Pano
Altitude: 57m (187 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: Downtown, Vancouver
Zakwaski Mountain
Altitude: 1592m (5223 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: mountain, panorama
Claira Walking Elevated Trail
Person: Claira
Altitude: 5m (16 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: Terra Nova Adventure Play Environment
Starting Bike Ride
Person: Claira, Nara
Tags: biking
Red Elderberry
Species: Sambucus racemosa (Red-berried Elder)
Altitude: 1564m (5131 feet)
Location: Go To...
Claira Climbing In Net
Nara With Watermellon Drink
Altitude: 14m (45 feet)
Location: Go To...
Small Pieces Of Agate With Chisels
Altitude: 1582m (5190 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: rockhounding, tool
Crack Mined Out
Altitude: 1420m (4658 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: rockhounding
Nara On Swinging Bridge
Person: Nara
Tags: playground, Richmond Nature Park
Nara Swinging Between Grips
Person: Nara
Altitude: 5m (16 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: monkey bars, playground, Terra Nova Adventure Play Environment
Claira With Hose
Person: Claira
Tags: Granville Island, water park
Tags: playground(7), Terra Nova Adventure Play Environment(6), Granville Island(6), Richmond Night Market(6), water park(5), biking(3)
People: Claira(15), Nara(15), Helen(1)
From: John Harvey Photo > Blogs for 2023 to 2005 > August 2019

Leave a Comment

Some HTML allowed: <b>, <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>, but most isn't.  Text length is limited.  comments from first time authors will be reviewed before being posted. comments with swearing or painfully poor spelling will probably be rejected.


Last Modified Sunday, January 22nd, 2023 at 00:05:36 Edit
Copyright and Contact Information.