Day 1: The REAL Housewife of Snohomish County takes the REAL Canada!

Well let me say that today has been one helluva busy day! Holy hell! We woke up around 5:45 AM and I showered to get my day started. We then started the process of getting the dogs up and at 'em, fed, and taken out to do their business. We also got ourselves ready and left the house by 7:45. Very rarely are we able to keep the dogs in the dark about what was happening. But we didn't pull out our suitcases or move their kennel until they were outside. Cooper always manages to know when we are leaving and he mopes around the house like we are abandoning him.

We got out of the house and headed towards Everett to The Dog Spot. As soon as we got there and pull the blanket off the kennel Cooper and Puck started to go NUTS! The LOVE THE DOG SPOT! Cooper could not wait to get inside. He started barking outside as if he was calling to the dogs in there letting them know he was there. He is so embarrassing! **sigh** While we were in there Puck started his ridiculous squealing, and Cooper was doing this crazy panting/whine that he only does when we get to The Dog Spot. Mike and I both agree that it is so much easier on us when we take a vacation knowing that our boys LOVE going there! So we took them off their leashes and off they went, and we got in the car and headed north.

We made GREAT time to Vancouver. And we checked into our hotel, La Grande Residence Vancouver at Sutton Place. Let me just say...wow...the lobby of this building is quite swanky. I was used to the Super 8 lobby before I met Michael...but I can get used to this! :) After checking in we figured out where our lunch spot was...Meat & Bread...as seen on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on Food Network. After walking for what seemed FOREVER...we found it and I could NOT have been happier with the food. I had the Porchetta Sandwich. O.M.G! Soooooo good! If you come to Vancouver...I suggest you go to this place! They have four sandwiches on their menu, and they change. But let me tell you I think you could have any of these sandwiches and you'd agree they are GREAT!!!! We are looking forward to eating there tomorrow!!! :)

After we scarfed down our dinner, we headed back to the hotel to get ready to head to the aquarium! I've been so excited for today! I loved the Beluga Experience in Connecticut, so I was hoping this would be just like it. Well I have to say...it's like comparing apples and oranges. This was good, but after doing the one at the Mystic Aquarium...this one fell a little short for me. BUT...that being said, it was a great thing. We were actually interacting with the belugas during the 4pm show! :) They take 4 people at a time in the group...and we were with a 10 year old kid who had 10 million questions and his 300 year old grandmother. I don't really think she even knew where she was at. And I'm not 100% sure she had her teeth in. But I digress. So we sat through 1/2 hour of the kid asking questions during a little information session on belugas. Then we suited up and headed to the kitchen to get fish and then out to the beluga tank.

During the 1/2 hour we were out there it was pretty cool. We were able to interact with the beluga, her name was Aurora. Looking in their eyes is so amazing. They are definitely gentle giants. They always look like they are happy and almost reminded us of our dogs, just happy to be around their trainers and trying to please them. It's amazing the sounds they are able to make and how they are able to read the hand gestures made by the trainer. Overall I think it was definitely worth the money and the time.

Included in the price of the experience a member of the staff took pictures throughout the interaction with the belugas. This was great, because she got some awesome pictures, even ones with Grandma Moses. ;-) So here are a few pictures...

Okay...I was wearing a life jacket under this raincoat! I promise...I lost weight!!!!

Aurora smiling, as she waited for some fish! :) Sooooo cute!

We also walked around the aquarium before the beluga interaction. I seriously recommend this aquarium, it is by far one of the best I've ever been to! They have some amazing exhibits and everything is labeled nicely so you know what everything is.(unlike the Seattle Aquarium where you have to wait 4 hours for their TV screens to scroll around to find out what one fish is in a tank of 400)

Kavna, the oldest of the belugas...she is gorgeous :)

I can't resist a photo opp!

After our time at the aquarium we headed back to the hotel to figure out what we were going to have for dinner. With the help of Yelp, we chose a place on Granville Street called Twisted Fork. This was SUCH a good find! I had an Onion tart with a pear chutney for an appetizer and then my entree was grilled tenderloin with mashed potatoes and asparagus with a delicious sweet corn sauce! I can't even being to explain how good the food was! Michael had Asparagus with wild mushrooms and mozzarella with a balsamic reduction as an appetizer and then the Arctic char for his entree. The food was amazing, and we felt so lucky to have stumbled upon this place! We had two GREAT meals today! And we are capping the evening off with a nice bottle of wine from the wine shop outside of our hotel!

On the way back to the hotel we passed a hot dog place...and you know me...I can't pass by something if it is a photo opp! So here is the final one for the day!

Day one of our vacation was a success! I can't wait for tomorrow! We are planning on eating at a food truck also seen on Triple D (Diners, Drive-ins and Dives) called Fresh Local Wild. And then for dinner we will probably get two sandwiches from Meat & Bread! One to eat there and one to eat later!! :) Oh YUMMY!! Until next time!!