Lost Girls Adventures: September 2015

Once - REVIEW

By Anna Carey Once is the second book in the EVE trilogy. Just like with Eve, Once had me hooked from the very beginning. So many things happen in this book but I'll try to avoid any spoilers.

Eve has been living in Califia for 3 months. She is desperately missing Caleb and doesn't feel like she quite fits in with the other women in the camp. After hearing rumors that Caleb is injured and in an abandoned warehouse ouside Califia, Eve sets off to rescue him. It was all a trap of course and she is captured and taken to the City of Sand. When she meets the King he is not at all what Eve or I had expected. I'll just leave it at that.

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, by Lost Girl BW

adventure

Our Trip to Vancouver!

As soon as we landed in Vancouver we headed to Stanley Park. I had read so much about all the wonderful things to see and do there. It did not disappoint! We walked around for hours and still did not get to see everything. We started off walking along the seawall and just taking in the scenery. It was so beautiful! Then we decided to go deeper into the park and explore the forest trails. Did I mention we didn't have a map? We had no clue where we were going, but that's what made it so fun!
There were several beautiful gardens, my favorite being the Shakespeare Garden. Many of the trees had plaques with Shakespeare quotes and we enjoyed reading them all as we explored. After walking for about 2 hours we we came upon a nice little restaurant, The Stanley Park Pavilion. The food was sooo good!

After our much needed break we started walking again. This time we grabbed a map and headed over to the Lost Lagoon. As soon as we reached the edge of the Lagoon you could see an amazing view of the city. I had waited so long to be here and I just took a few minutes to soak it all in.

As we continued on our way we were amazed with all the wildlife. I spotted several different birds including swans, geese and several families of ducks. Those ducklings were SO CUTE swimming along after their mother. We came across beavers building a dam. I must say, it amazed me. I'd never seen a beaver before and they were hard at work!

Just before heading back to the hotel we stopped at Vancouver Lookout where we enjoyed a 360 degree aerial view of Vancouver. There were many plaques located throughout the panoramic observation deck, giving insight to the history, infrastructure, local trends and many different cultures of the city.

The next day we went to Grouse Mountain to zip line! We rode the SkyRide up the mountain (and up and up and up!). We did the 5-Line Tour and had a blast! There's nothing quite like zipping across mountains and canyons at around 50 mph! The last two zips are at the very top of the mountains. We had to hop on the chair lift to reach the top. It was nice to take a min to relax and enjoy the amazing view. When we were all done zipping we headed to the cafe for some lunch and ate outdoors on the patio overlooking the lower mainland.

We couldn't leave without visiting the famous Capilano Suspension Bridge. It was one of the things on my "must do" list. The Suspension Bridge has an interesting history that you can read about here . The first thing I did was race over to that bridge and start across it! The bridge is 450 feet across and 230 feet above the Capilano River. I felt like the Queen of the world standing up there! Next we did the Treetops Adventure that gives you a "squirrels eye view" of the forest. It has a series of 7 suspension bridges taking you 110 feet above the forest floor. I felt like Tarzan cruising through the treetops. The newest addition to the park is the Cliffwalk which takes you on suspended walkways that jut out from the mountain side. It is very high, narrow and in some places the walkway is GLASS. So of course we had to do it! It was such a fun and unique experience and I would love to do it again some day!

WELCOME TO STORYBROOKE

We are huge fans of the show Once Upon a Time and have waited SO LONG to visit the real Storybrooke aka Steveston, B.C. This was the highlight of the trip. I finally got to cross off the #1 thing on my bucket list- visit Granny's Diner. And not only visit, but grab some lunch inside! Granny's Diner is actually The Cannery Cafe when the show is not filming. I was fangirling SO HARD.I stopped in to the Steveston Post Office and Visitor's Center and was given this handy guide to everything Once related in town! After buying alot of OUaT related merchandise we started our Once adventure! We visited every place on Moncton Street. It was so incredible to be in the world of of my favorite show. I kept pointing out all the little places I remembered from the show. "Maleficent met her daughter RIGHT HERE IN THIS SPOT" Lol! Some of my favorites were Gold's Pawn Shop, Storybrooke Library, Any Given Sundae and of course Granny's Diner.

Our hotel was right next to the Cannery and from our room we could see right down Moncton street, where all the magic happens. I was in heaven! All the Once stuff aside. Steveston is such a gorgeous little coastal village. It's the kind of place I could see myself staying for a while. Everyone is so friendly, the food is great, and every where you look has a beautiful view. It was so nice to relax and take a stroll down the docks after a busy day of sightseeing.

There were many things we didn't get a chance to do but we had an amazing time! Can't wait to visit Vancouver again!

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, by Lost Girl BW

adventure

Geocaching with Snakes

We've been hearing a lot about this crazy thing called Geocaching. People hide containers all over the world, you take the coordinates and your phone or GPS, and head out on a treasure hunt.

Treasure you say? What kind of treasure? Toys, trading cards, key chains, trinkets, coins, random stuff. You just never know until you open the cache.

Why would I want someone else's junk? Good question. It's not about the random "treasure" you find in the caches, it's about...well, this.

Mother nature's beauty

Geocaching can take you places you may not even know about, right in your own back yard. Being nature lovers, and in desperate need of a new mini adventure, we decided to give it a try. The first two coordinates we attempted were complete failures. We searched and searched. Nothing. We started getting frustrated. So frustrated I deleted the app, twice!

I refused to be defeated, so we tried one last time. We headed to one of our favorite parks and went to work. We were looking for a tree. Okay, we were surrounded by trees. A specific tree, according to the hint. We find a tree that matches the description but it looks like someone got here before us and we were really hoping he wasn't still around!

Sneaky serpent. Guardian of the cache

We did not want to meet the owner of that snake skin! We almost gave up but I was pretty determined. We knew it had to be close.
I tiptoed, ducked, danced around the tree assuming random ninja poses any time a spider web touched my arm, and finally found our very first cache! I almost missed it. The little camo container did a pretty good job of blending in.

Our first cache blending in quite well!

We snagged the container and attempted to sign the log book but the log was a bit damp so we just settled for logging it online and replaced it exactly as we found it.

Okay I admit, that was fun. I got bit by the geocaching bug. I would have done a happy dance at this point but between the jumbo sized banana spiders and that snake I just knew was lurking, we were out of there! On to the next cache.

This contained a log only

This one was a bit larger and completely full of swag. The only thing we took were pictures. We had absolutely no idea what to expect. Now that we know how this works, we'll come prepared next time with some goodies to trade or to fill up a dwindling cache.

This one was well hidden but termites were having a feast so we had to carefully place it back together and toss some foliage on top to hide the cracks in the lid.

We stopped to take in the scenery many times. I have to admit, my favorite part of this experience is getting to explore places you wouldn't normally think to go. The wonderful, creative owners of these caches put a lot of thought into finding these amazing hiding places.

This next cache was tricky! We had to do some searching to find it. I'm pretty sure if we didn't work together to find it, I'd still be out there searching.

This cache contains two little trinkets and a log. We weren't able to sign any of the logs because of the dampness but we really liked the idea of using a stamp as others had done.

This little guy was hanging out and watching the action. We asked him for hints but his lips were sealed. I'm sure the critters got a good snicker out of us trying to be stealthy so people in the area wouldn't see us searching.

If you are out in the woods wearing a bright purple shirt, stiffly hiding behind a tree and you have to ask, "am I blending?" the answer is most likely, no. I will neither confirm nor deny that I have done this.

There are geocaches out there only reachable by boat, and we are going to find them! But not today. The weather was changing and we did not want to get caught in a downpour, plus the temperature was approaching Mordor, so we headed out.

We learned a lot from our first geocaching adventure. Next time we plan to go prepared.

We'll need:

1. A stamp or really good pen to log our visits
2. A kayak to reach those hard to get to areas
3. Fun swag or signature items to leave behind
4. Neutral colored clothing for better blending

Now we just have to get creative and figure out some unique signature items. As soon as the weather cools off (and all the creepy crawlies go into hiding) we will be back. There are so many geocaches to find!

If you want to join the fun we suggest visiting Geocaching.com and sign up for a free membership.

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, by Lost Girl SW

cons

Dragon Con 2015

We had a great time at Dragon Con 2015! Here are a few of our highlights.

Lost Girls

We've been waiting so long to meet Anna and Ksenia and it finally happened. Both ladies are so incredibly kind.

Kris Holden-Ried "Groupie" Collage

Ran into our favorite werewolf, had some laughs and took some goofy selfies. What a character!

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, by Lost Girl SW

adventure

Adventures in Wine Country

The top of my bucket list consists of sky diving, visiting New Zealand and touring my favorite wineries in Napa Valley. I have finally...FINALLY had the opportunity to visit Napa. Dreams really do come true!

First on my list was Castello Di Amorosa. The "castle of love." This winery did not disappoint. We took a self guided tour and took our time climbing to the top and enjoying the views. This is an authentic, 13th century, Tuscan style castle. I was already in love!

We headed down to the courtyard while I snapped pictures every chance I got. It was my first time in a castle! Actually, my second time if you count Cinderella's castle at Disney World.

The courtyard is beautiful. I could just sit with a glass of white wine and read all day. Maybe even write a book. I never wanted to leave.

There was only one thing that could make this tour even more enjoyable. Wine tasting! The wine was amazing. It took everything I had not to spend all our vacation money ordering several cases.

The wine they make here is not sold in stores, which made the tasting all the more exciting. I will be hopping on their website and ordering my favorites to share with family and friends.

We picked our favorite bottle to take back to our resort to celebrate and headed out through the gift shop. This suit of armor was calling my name but alas, it wouldn't fit in my suitcase.

Once outside the castle we explored a little of the grounds and everywhere we turned these guys appeared. I want a whole flock of these chickens! How cute are they with their poofy feathers?

August was the perfect month to visit. Just look at those beautiful grapes begging to be picked! I was so excited to see them up close. We were sad to leave but excited to visit the next winery on our list.

Grapes almost ready for harvest

We headed over to my favorite winery, who's wine we are very familiar with, Beringer. This wine can be easily found and purchased in stores all over. Beringer was one of the first wineries in Napa, so I just had to see it.

This winery was also one of the filming locations of the movie, A Walk in the Clouds. This movie is a favorite of my family, including my Grandmother, who insisted I take pictures of where part of the movie was filmed.

My favorite part of the tour was exploring the tunnels and tasting some amazing wine. So many glorious barrels. Like the suit of armor, not one would fit in my purse or luggage!

Every time I buy a bottle of Beringer wine I will always think fondly back to our trip.

Further into the tunnel we came to the spot the scene was filmed where Anthony Quinn and Keanu Reeves sat and drank wine right before the drunken serenade.

A Walk in the Clouds filming location

It was a tight squeeze but I managed to get a closer shot.

Keanu Reeves & Anthony Quinn sat in this spot

Outside we were able to see and tour the Rhine House which was built in 1884. Absolutely beautiful.

Front of Rhine House

Side view of Rhine House

Here we have the Hudson House. Built in 1850 and eventually moved using logs and horses so the Rhine House could be built in it's spot.

Our tour was over and it was time to head back. We were looking forward to some dinner and a chance to savor our bottle of Simpatica. A wonderful sweet white wine from Castello Di Amorosa. The perfect end to a perfect day.