Day 14 – Al and Ray’s Excellent Adventure

Day 14 – Al and Ray’s Excellent Adventure, Lies, Stairs, Chainsaws, and Pizza"

Status update: 14 days of 24/7 travel and nobody’s been pushed off a cliff. Yet.We kicked off the day with a solid breakfast at a little diner outside of town. It was the kind of breakfast that says, “You’re going to need carbs for what’s coming.” Spoiler alert: it was right. 

Next stop: Bridal Veil Falls. Now, the sign said “15-minute walk, no elevation.” HA! Lies. All lies. This was a mountain goat audition. It was up, it was down, and then… stairs. So many. Stairs. But Ray, like a mountain goat with sneakers, charged up to the falls. Coming down? Let’s just say it was less “gazelle” and more “baby giraffe on roller skates.” But we survived, and the falls were gorgeous—definitely worth the workout and potential knee surgery. 

After we regained feeling in our legs, we cruised over to Hope, BC—not because we lost it, but because that’s the town's name. Hope is known for its chainsaw carvings. There are a ton of them, which is both impressive and slightly concerning. At some point, you stop asking “Wow, how did they make that?” and start asking, “Should we be worried about all the chainsaws in this town?” Ray told his daughter: “Al has 20 more things planned for today. Send help.” 

Then it was off to Coquihalla Canyon, which was incredible. Ray opted to stay near the parking lot and get spiritual—reading, praying, meditating, and probably questioning his life choices. Meanwhile, I explored the canyon like a low budget Indiana Jones. There were waterfalls, a spooky tunnel, and scenery that made it worth dodging the bear warning signs. 

After that, we hit Vancouver traffic… and boy, did it hit back. It felt like NYC with more trees and less turn signals. Drivers here must get bonus points for cutting people off and pretending not to see you.We had plans to visit Whistler and Capilano Suspension Bridge, but thanks to the great Canadian traffic crawl, we had to adjust. 

Capilano was still an option, but first—pizza therapy.We found a place with a 4.7-star rating and a bold claim of “New York-style pizza.” I had one with prosciutto, fig, garlic, balsamic drizzle, and arugula—basically a salad on top of a pizza that got fancy. Bonus points: they fried the extra garlic. It was like garlic confetti for your taste buds. Ray played it cool with a “Say Cheese” pie—mozzarella, smoked provolone, manchego, and parmesan. He said it was great, and he looked very pleased, so we’ll count that as a win.

We finally made it back to the city, dodging the same maniac drivers but with fewer traffic jams. Hooray? Tomorrow’s adventure: Capilano Suspension Bridge (round two), Whistler’s Peak 2 Peak Gondola, and if time allows, Shannon Falls in Squamish. 

After that, we check in for our weekend conference and probably spend the next few days sitting quietly and pretending our legs aren’t on fire.The blog might be a little quiet through Sunday... unless something ridiculous happens. And let’s be honest—it probably will. 😎