British Columbia

This past weekend Mark took a couple of days off and we took a four-day family vacation to Victoria and Vancouver. Carlton's first international trip! Each city is only a few hours away from Seattle...there's so much to explore in this NW part of the country (or SW part of Canada, as Mark reminded me :) We took ferries from the WA mainland over to Victoria, then ferried to Vancouver, then drove home from there. We had to wait in some lines as the ferries were loading, so Carlton joined us up in the front seat for some car games and banana eating.

It was Carlton's first time on a boat, and he loved it! I think he really enjoyed the wind in his hair and the constant motion.

Our poor NW child, still not used to the sunshine....he actually sneezes a few times every time he sees the sun (just like his dad!)

Victoria was a charming city, with beautiful architecture, cobblestone streets, elegant gardens, and lots of water views.

One of our favorite evenings was eating fish and chips from a stall down at the Fisherman's Wharf. Carlton loved his meal, too....which was finished off by a round of Cheerios. Here I'm convinced he's contemplating how to escape from his stroller and devour the tupperware of Cheerios...
We also loved strolling around one of Victoria's city parks, Beacon Hill Park. In the middle of the park, they have a children's petting zoo, so Carlton got to see a bunch of farm animals and pet some goats. He was a little hesitant at first, but it didn't take him long to become bolder.

We finished our time in Victoria with a visit to a butterfly garden, and Carlton was fascinated by the giant moths. Almost as fascinated as Mark, I'd say :)
Like father, like son....they both loved this garden.
Unfortunately, it rained the entire time we were in Vancouver. Literally. We still enjoyed exploring the city, but took zero photos. In retrospect, we're all the more thankful for the gorgeous days of sun in Victoria!