WASHINGTON DC MAY 28, 2011

We caught the early Hop On Hop Off bus as our tickets were good for two dauys.  We just stayed on for the tour of Georgetown and got off at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum.  It was not really any more impressive than other Natural History museums I have seen but we did see the Hope Diamond.  I think that was the main reason Season wanted to go.  It is a 45+ carat deep blue coloured diamond from S. Africa and has been in circulation since 1846.  Henry Winston donated it to the Smithsonian in 1957.

The Hope Diamond

From there we went to the Old Post Office, had lunch in the food fair and then took the glass elevator to the top of the clock tower.  We also stopped to see the bells in the same tower. We had spectacular views of DC from the top of the tower.

Old Post Office Clock Tower

The Old Post Office

view of the Capitol from top of the Clock tower

View of Washington Monument from the clock tower

Bell room in the Post Office Clock Tower

We then went over to Union Station via the metro, did some shopping and then went back to hotel.

Union Station

 By then it was about 5:00 pm so I went to read by the pool for a couple of hours before we went back to The Diner, apparently our favourite place to eat.  Home by 9:30pm on a Saturday night, our last night in DC.

Washington DC May 27, 2011

Sitting in Starbucks enjoying a coffee frapp. I just got off a 3 hour bus tour. Hop-on Hop-off but I just stayed on the entire time. I am meeting Season in an hour to do the third route. It is hot and sunny but I love it.

So far today I have seen the Pentagon, Arlington Cemetery both of which are in Virginia, as well as the Jefferson memorial, crossed the famous Potomac bridge a couple if time, the White House, although you can't get really close, the Ford Theatre where Lincoln was shot - it is still a theatre to this day.  

Ford Theatre

This city is full of embassies from various countries and the houses they live in are ridiculously large. They must have staff there as well. I took a photo of the Turkish ambassadors home. The largest by far is the Australian ambassadors home. I was surprised to see the Vatican has a huge embassy as well.

I had never heard of the Washington National Cathedral but it is the 6th largest Cathedral in the world and was built using medieval methods, stone on stone with no steel or concrete framing even though it was only completed in the late 19th century. It is spectacular from the outside

Washington DC. May 26, 2011

32C here and it is hot and muggy but I am so happy to have sunshine. Last night we checked into the Washington Hilton and then took a cab to the Shops at Georgetown. We expected a mall but it was several streets of well known stores, many restaurants and the Georgetown Cupcake store better known from TV as DC cupcakes. We each bought 3 different ones but they aren't any better than any we can get at home. They have a huge selection of flavours though.

We ate at a great little pizza place, did a bit if shopping and then walked all the way back to the hotel. It was still very hot even though it was dark.
We saw the Old Stone House, the oldest freestanding building in DC. Georgetown is the oldest neighborhood in DC as well and most of the residences cannot not be changed on the outside but they are free to paint the exterior and to renovate interiors.
Today for breakfast we went to a place called the Diner that Season had heard about. It was so good we went back for supper and had cheeseburgers
After breakfast Season went to her conference and I took the metro downtown

MAY 18, 2011

Returned home from Kyuquot.  Sara had to drop me at the float plane dock. 

Sara in the white boat.  She has to return to her home/nursing station via this boat

The float plane is a little 5 seater Beaver and judging by the stick it is probably fairly old

From the air I could see several fish farms and logging camps

When I got to Duke Point for the 8:15 ferry, I was the only car there.  A few came a few minutes after me.

Duke Point ferry terminal

KYUQUOT May 15, 2011

We took the power boat over to an island and walked around the beaches for a few hours.  We were beachcombing for Indian money, small white tubular sheels about 1"-2" long.  I found nine and Sara found about the same.  Natives use them as beads for shawls now but in the past they were used as money as they are very rare and hard to find.  Latin name is 'dentalia'.  It rained most of the day but we had rain gear and it was not cold so it was a good day.  Saw more otters and there are always lots of birds on Sara's porch-jays, doves, crows, etc.

blue jay on Sara's deck

Dentalia aka Indian money. 3 Coloured ones are just sea urchin spines.

Sea Lion Skeleton

Sara's house. Hospital is same building but side entrance

Ramp to Sara's dock from the house/nursing station

Sun set view from Sara's living room window

It is a beautiful place to be.  Sara cooked wonderful meals of homemade soup, bread, cookies etc. 

KYUQUOT-May 14, 2011

Modes of transportation yesterday: car, ferry, float plane, power boat, kayak. 

This is the village of Kyuquot from the air.  250 people live here.

Shortly after I arrived yesterday, we took kayaks out to tour the area.  Lots of islands and little bits of mainland so we didn't go out to open ocean.  Sara took me to an island where the beach is covered with fossils of shells.  I picked a couple to take home for yard decoration.  The water is calm and everything is beautiful.

Today we took the power boat to Spring Island and walked across the island from the kayak camp to the open ocean.  The island is very lush and green, the ground of all moss and the tress are covered in angels hair.  We hiked to several different beaches, had our picnic lunch, picked a few bits of ocean glass and looked for glass balls.  We saw eagles, oyster catchers and watched a hummingbird go from flower to flower right at our eye level. 

To get on the island, Sara dropped me off on a Rock and then moored the boat to a bouy and came up to the beach in the kayak we carried on the boat.  When we were leaving the tide was out so she took the kayak to the boat but when she came to pick me up, I was standing on a rock in fairly shallow water and she knocked me off with the boat as I was trying to hand her the bag of gear we had carried (coats, lunch, shoes etc).  She was laughing so hard, she couldn't even grab the bag I was trying to hand her.  Fortunately only my pants got wet, I managed to throw the bag in the boat and had my shoes hanging around my neck so they stayed dry.  Sara went around again, and then floated up to me on my rock and I managed to get in the boat.  I had to take my pants off as they were soaked so riding back with no pants and wet undies was a bit chilly. 

We saw a wolf standing on another island but he left before we could manoever close enough for a photo.  We saw lots of sea otters and one in particular was not the least bit threatened by us.  Sara kept taking the boat right up to him and then we would float along side the otter and take pictures but he just cruised along on his back watching us.  We both got some good video of him.