July 17 & 18 Vancouver, Canada

July 17 – Washington to Vancouver

The weather this trip has been fantastic so far, there hasn\’t been a day that was too hot or too cold. The sun is just warm enough and the breeze is just cool enough to allow for perfect sightseeing. On our way from Raymond to Vancouver, we had the pleasure of stopping by the Boeing Aircraft Factory. We were guided on a tour where we witnessed enormous wings and engines being placed onto aircraft chassis. The building we walked through is the largest building on the planet in terms of volume. The engines that are used on their biggest aircraft could also suck all of the air out of the entire building in four seconds at full power! Photographs, videos, and phones were prohibited in the factory but we all carry the unique experience in our minds. After a nice stop here we continued our approach to British Columbia. We crossed over to Canada just as the sun was setting and we got to witness the first golden hour there with the trees and stones of our destination surrounding us.

 

July 18 – Capilano Suspension Bridge

Today, our adventure took us to North Vancouver. We went to the Capilano Suspension Bridge which joins two sides of a large canyon together. The day couldn\’t have been clearer or more accommodating to us.  The park hosts many attractions, including the bridge itself, a cliff walk where you\’re extended away from the cliff on a small walkway, and the treetop adventures; small bridges linking tree canopy to tree canopy. The boys enjoyed conquering each challenge and pushing themselves to go out of their comfort zones; be it walking across a suspended bridge or high into the tree canopies. It was very crowded that day due to the beautiful weather. The bridge was shaking and swaying more than usual which was fun to some boys and intimidating to others. Nonetheless we all explored the great view and walked the trails within the park all before heading to the Canada Games pool.

The Canada games pool is an enormous indoor pool with a 5 and 7 meter diving ledge. This place is truly a well-remembered tradition, from the water slides to jumping off the high jumps. Many boys ran straight to the ledges and jumped, others nudged themselves little by little off the jump. This location is not only fun but helps raise confidence in themselves. The kids who take the most time to take the jump also feel the most accomplished and really feel proud and happy of themselves to have conquered such a feat. It\’s a memory they will keep for a lifetime. Aside from the high jumps the boys plunged off smaller diving boards, swam in the pools, there was even a large rope hanging from the ceiling that could help anyone live their dream of being Tarzan. The pool was enjoyed for several hours before we broke for dinner next door, and of course exhausted, we headed back to our rooms for another night in Canada.