American Parks Trail tour with Insight Vacations

Neil and I returned from our 12 day vacation last night - two days in Salt Lake City and then a 10 day bus tour with Insight Vacations called "American Parks Trail" from May 20 - 29.   We really enjoyed this tour - our tour director, Lynne Hendrick, and bus driver, Anson Jones, were absolutely outstanding.  Best ever, and we have been on 5 prior bus tours.

Anson and Lynne

The tour went from Salt Lake City to Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Cody and the Buffalo Bill Historical Centre, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, Cheyenne and then Denver.  Over the next few days, I will add some narrative of the hilights of this tour, and pictures.  I have already added some of my pictures from Salt Lake City into the May 19 blog below.

Great to go away to new, interesting places, but even better to come home!

Rain in Salt Lake City

This is our first full day in Salt Lake City, Utah and the weather is cool and rainy.  However, we have two days here before we join the Insight bus tour of the national parks.  Today we took the tram from near our hotel, the Marriot City Centre, up to Temple Square, a 35 acre site in downtown Salt Lake City.

Temple Square contains the international headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, more commonly known as Mormons, a religion with 14 million followers around the world.  We had two friendly guides show us several buildings.  They have two big visitor centres.  From the South Centre we could see a model of the Temple which we are not permitted to enter.  We visited the inside of the adjacent Assembly Hall built in 1882, with materials left over from the construction of the main Temple.

Then on to see the Tabernacle (more on that below), and the North Visitors Centre with its imposing 11 foot marble statue of Jesus. 

After that we went to see the Conference Centre and had a great tour.  We were amazed at its size - it seats 21,000 people and have two tiers of balconies, without any visible support pillars - a clear view for everyone.  This Centre was used during the 2002 Winter Olympics for the medal ceremonies and concerts.  Upstairs are art galleries, mainly depicting Mormom legends. 

Conference Centre

We then went for lunch at the Lion House where I innocently asked for tea before remembering Mormons don't drink coffee or tea.  It was built in 1854 as the official residence of Brigham Young, one of the original colonizers of Utah.

Then on to one of the Family Search Centres - this one in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.  We had a helpful guide show us how to use their genealogy sites and got mesmerized for hours searching for our ancestors, even Neil enjoyed it.  This Centre mainly focused on US ancestry and I was able to trace back to a great great grandmother Johana Kern who came to the US from Germany at the age of 4.  I found the ship's record listing her name with her parents and siblings.  Tomorrow we will go to the other search centre where we have been told they have specialists who can help us with other countries - I want to try to find ancestors born in Scotland and Ireland.

I had read that the Mormom Tabernacle Choir rehearsed on Thursday evenings and so we took the tram back to the Tabernacle after dinner.  It was teeming rain and we got soaked.  Normally they only let visitors into the Tabernacle at 8:00 p.m. for the rehearsal, but they very kindly let us in at 7:30 p.m. because of the rain, to see the tail end of a private concert.  The choir of course is magnificent.  We were thrilled when they sang the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" as their last concert number.  Gave us the shivers it was so moving.  Then we stayed for the rehearsal - they rehearsed "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" for a while.  The choir does Sunday morning broadcasts around the world from the Tabernacle.  Very worthwhile to see this.

Mormon Tabernacle Choir

WPGA Graduation Banquet - Teddy

Last night Neil and I attended the West Point Grey Academy Graduation Banquet for the 2011 graduating students held at the Westin Bayshore at the invitation of my brother, Ken.  His son, our nephew, Teddy, is graduating this year. 

There was a one hour pre-banquet reception in the foyer of the Stanley Park Pavilion with an endless supply of appetizers.  This was followed by the dinner banquet including a dessert buffet and chocolate fountain.

Teddy in his dark suit and tie

L to R: Ken (Dad), Chris (brother) and Neil (uncle)

The evening included an excellent, funny, "Toast to the Teachers" by Taylor Jones and Kyle Sia-Chan, and an outstanding power point presentation by Taylor Robins featuring pictures of each of the graduating students, alphabetically.  For each student, the presentation included their grad picture beside their baby picture, and pictures of them participating in various school activities.  Of course Teddy's featured a picture of him on the school soccer team.  The actual graduation ceremony and awards presentation will take place on June 16.

Nuba Restaurant in the Dominion Building

On Wednesday, May 11, we were in a group of 13 people who went for dinner at the Nuba Restaurant, 207B West Hastings Street, Vancouver, just north of Victory Square, to celebrate a birthday.  Nuba Restaurant specializes in authentic Lebanese cuisine, and is located in the basement of the historic Dominion Building, located to the west of the Woodward’s redevelopment.  See Nuba’s website:  www.nuba.ca

Groups over 8 are required to have a set menu.  This turned out to be a fabulous way to taste so many dishes.  The group menu was made up of seven cold starters, five hot starters and your choice of five different main courses.

Here is the menu for the Cold and Hot Starters:

Everything was beautifully presented and delicious.  The hummus was so smooth it was like mousse, as was the baba ghanooj.  The pita bread was thin and baked to perfection. 

Here are pictures we took at the table of two hot starters, first the Najib’s Special – crispy cauliflower with lemon juice and sea salt.  It was outstanding, almost to die for, but then you have to know that cauliflower is my favourite veggie. 

The second picture is of the Mjadra – organic green lentils with rice, topped with crispy onions – oh so good!

Here is the group menu for the main course (you are to choose one). 

I chose the Chicken Tawook skewer as my main course, and it was spiced and grilled very well.

I highly recommend Nuba Restaurant for its food and good service.  I prefer to go to this restaurant during the day, or when the evening hours are still light out, because the neighbourhood is filled with characters that you may not wish to run into at dusk or at night time.

The Nuba Restaurant is located in the basement level of the historic Dominion Building. 

In today's Vancouver Sun newspaper, there is an article "Our 10 Favourite Haunts" because it is Friday the 13th today.  The information comes from Lorne Richard, director of operations at Vancouver Trolley Tours, which conducts tours of local sites of murders and hauntings.  This is what was said about the Dominion Building:

"Opened in 1909, this 13-storey building was once the tallest in the British Empire, and Vancouver's first steel-framed highrise.  It's now headquarters to many of the city's young creative professionals who enjoy its well-maintained heritage character and affordable rent.  A building of this stature deserved the big grand opening celebration it received.  Sadly the party was cut short for its architect, John S. Helyer.  It is said he either threw himself or fell down the stairs, and was killed.  Since then, his spirt has been seen - and his footsteps heard - in the stairway between the seventh and eights floors."

For more information see Ghosts of Old Vancouver.

Nephew Teddy Turns 18!

Teddy, our youngest nephew on my side of the family, turns 18 today!  Here are some early pictures (forgive me Teddy):

Teddy - December, 1994 on his rocking horse

Teddy's Second Birthday - May 11, 1995

He sure knows what to do with those candles!

L to r:  Mom holding her three grandsons: Teddy, Chris & Sam

at Linda & Shelly's wedding on January 12, 1997

and here is a more recent picture:

L - R: Teddy & his brother, Sam.  Aren't they handsome!

Teddy is an avid soccer player, having played from an early age.  This year he has been on both the Kerrisdale Gold soccer team and the West Point Grey Academy school varsity soccer team:

We are delighted that Teddy has just been accepted for admission into the Applied Sciences Faculty at UBC, starting this September.

Kerry & Roger's Anniversary

Today is Roger and Kerry’s wedding anniversary.  They were married on May 10, 1969 with lots of friends and family in attendance.  

Kerry and I recently had a discussion about the TV program “Say Yes to the Dress”, which features brides shopping for their important wedding dress at KleinfeldBridal, which carries the largest selection of couture wedding dresses, designer exclusives, headpieces and veils.  Today’s brides are eager to spend big dollars to look like princesses on their wedding day:  $2,500 up to $30,000 and above!  On the program, brides try on dress after dress, modelling them for their mothers, mother-in-laws to be, bridesmaids, and sometimes the groom.  It is a big production.

Kerry and I laugh about our wedding dresses which in each case ended up being the first ones we tried on and only cost $100.  Consumerism has pushed wedding costs over the top – big, fancy receptions too, with huge, cascading table centrepieces, organza overlay tablecloths, chair skirts, lots of food, and then at midnight, sometimes hot dogs and ice cream.  All this is part of the American dream I guess.   

Here are some pictures from Kerry and Roger’s wedding day. Kerry’s bridesmaids were Marnie (her sister-in-law to be at that time), Janice and Donna (me). 

Kerry & Roger leaving the church

On the front steps of the church.

Bridesmaids from the top: Marnie, Janice and Donna.

Cutting the wedding cake.

First Dance with Bridal Party Joining In

L - R:  Marsh, Janice, Don & Donna

Sam in Paris

As I reported early, our nephew, Sam is studying in Paris at SciencesPo for the September 2010 to May 2011 term, on exchange from UBC.  His brother, Teddy, and mother, Gina, visited him a few weeks ago.  Here is a picture taken by Teddy of Sam in the Rodin Museum gardens during that visit:

Sam has a new camera and is really enjoying experimenting with it.  See the pictures on Sam's Blog.