Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Vancouver: Hotels, Food & Shopping
Hotels:
We stayed at the Seattle Pan Pacific and Vancouver Pan Pacific and I was more than pleased with both hotels. They were elegant, comfortable, cozy and both provided great views. Once we get all our photos uploaded I'll post some for you! I was also impressed with the service at both hotels. The staff were always friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.
One thing that was really cool was the amount of Olympic stuff in Vancouver. As a matter of fact, our hotel seemed to be gearing up to be what looked like the Olympic Base Camp. Some sort of registration booth was set up in the lower level of the hotel and we also saw a room filled with people, tables and computers labeled "NBC Staging Area." It was cool to think that in just a couple of weeks Olympic athletes from all over the globe would be filling the Pan Pacific as well as the rest of the Vancouver area.
Food:
Even though we were "on vacation" for 48 hours, much of that was spent traveling and we only got to eat at one "real" restaurant in Vancouver. Before the game we had a late lunch at The Cactus Club Cafe in downtown Vancouver. It was only a few blocks away from the hotel so we walked there and continued to walk around and do some shopping after lunch. The Cactus Club was great! The atmosphere was a kind of hybrid modern restaurant/wine bar/sports bar (very little emphasis on sports bar -- there were hockey games on the TVs, and that's about the only reason I included it as a descriptor). The overall atmosphere was nice, but they did put us in a corner underneath some stairs. I tried to imagine it as the VIP area and we were just too cool to sit out in the open, but I also worried that we would be forgotten back there.
Jerry and I started out with Thai wings as an appetizer. I'm not a huge wing fan -- mostly because I'm pretty picky about chicken -- but they were quite tasty and came with celery that actually tasted good! Jerry and I think celery usually tastes like dirt and this stuff didn't! For our entrees, I had a the Gardenburger, which was really good. It came topped with sauteed mushrooms and melted cheddar. I'm usually not a fan of mushrooms but these were really good and complimented the burger really well. The burger came with a side of sea-salted fries. To be honest, I was kind of expecting more out of the fries. They were good, but next to the burger they were a disappointment.
I THINK Jerry got a regular burger, which I THINK he enjoyed. I do remember that it came with a side of sweet potato fries which were really, really good. They came with a side of garlic aioli, which was yummmmmmy! I also had a glass of Grey Monk, a Pinot Grigio made in British Columbia (2007). I'm not a wine connoisseur, but I thought it was a very nice drink. The waitress recommended it and I was quite pleased!
Shopping:
As we were driving from Seattle to Vancouver we passed through Bellingham, Wash. I kept thinking the whole time, "Why does Bellingham sound so familiar?" And then it hit me: There's a soap store/supply store/soap making bar called Otion Soaps. I just recently got into soap making so I made Jerry turn to car around and drive back to Otion where I was like a kid in a candy store. They have tons of scents, pigments, bases, molds and other accessories for making soaps. The gal helping me was so friendly and sweet. I got a bunch of things to bring home to play with. If you're at all into soap making I'd definitely recommend stopping by Otion if you're ever in the area. Or, check out their Web site.
My all-time favorite place to shop anytime I'm in Canada is........ Roots!! I absolutely ADORE Roots! I wish we had one a little closer, although I would wind up spending way too much money there. Ha! Of course, right now they have ton of Olympic gear and other items that say "Right to Play." Pretty cool stuff. I got some shirts, Jerry got some sweatshirts and a couple cool hats.
We also stopped at L'Occitane, a bath and beauty store with soaps and lotions that are all made in France. I've seen the products before and have used the hand cream (which is AMAZING, by the way) but I'd never been in a store or seen the whole line of products. I got some of the hand cream I'd used before. It's relatively spendy... ok, it's expensive. $30 for a tube of hand lotion. But the product is great so I'm willing to spend a little more for a quality product.
That was really all the shopping we did because we had to run back to the hotel and get to the game in time. Overall, Vancouver was GREAT and I can't wait to go back someday.
We stayed at the Seattle Pan Pacific and Vancouver Pan Pacific and I was more than pleased with both hotels. They were elegant, comfortable, cozy and both provided great views. Once we get all our photos uploaded I'll post some for you! I was also impressed with the service at both hotels. The staff were always friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.
One thing that was really cool was the amount of Olympic stuff in Vancouver. As a matter of fact, our hotel seemed to be gearing up to be what looked like the Olympic Base Camp. Some sort of registration booth was set up in the lower level of the hotel and we also saw a room filled with people, tables and computers labeled "NBC Staging Area." It was cool to think that in just a couple of weeks Olympic athletes from all over the globe would be filling the Pan Pacific as well as the rest of the Vancouver area.
Food:
Even though we were "on vacation" for 48 hours, much of that was spent traveling and we only got to eat at one "real" restaurant in Vancouver. Before the game we had a late lunch at The Cactus Club Cafe in downtown Vancouver. It was only a few blocks away from the hotel so we walked there and continued to walk around and do some shopping after lunch. The Cactus Club was great! The atmosphere was a kind of hybrid modern restaurant/wine bar/sports bar (very little emphasis on sports bar -- there were hockey games on the TVs, and that's about the only reason I included it as a descriptor). The overall atmosphere was nice, but they did put us in a corner underneath some stairs. I tried to imagine it as the VIP area and we were just too cool to sit out in the open, but I also worried that we would be forgotten back there.
Jerry and I started out with Thai wings as an appetizer. I'm not a huge wing fan -- mostly because I'm pretty picky about chicken -- but they were quite tasty and came with celery that actually tasted good! Jerry and I think celery usually tastes like dirt and this stuff didn't! For our entrees, I had a the Gardenburger, which was really good. It came topped with sauteed mushrooms and melted cheddar. I'm usually not a fan of mushrooms but these were really good and complimented the burger really well. The burger came with a side of sea-salted fries. To be honest, I was kind of expecting more out of the fries. They were good, but next to the burger they were a disappointment.
I THINK Jerry got a regular burger, which I THINK he enjoyed. I do remember that it came with a side of sweet potato fries which were really, really good. They came with a side of garlic aioli, which was yummmmmmy! I also had a glass of Grey Monk, a Pinot Grigio made in British Columbia (2007). I'm not a wine connoisseur, but I thought it was a very nice drink. The waitress recommended it and I was quite pleased!
Shopping:
As we were driving from Seattle to Vancouver we passed through Bellingham, Wash. I kept thinking the whole time, "Why does Bellingham sound so familiar?" And then it hit me: There's a soap store/supply store/soap making bar called Otion Soaps. I just recently got into soap making so I made Jerry turn to car around and drive back to Otion where I was like a kid in a candy store. They have tons of scents, pigments, bases, molds and other accessories for making soaps. The gal helping me was so friendly and sweet. I got a bunch of things to bring home to play with. If you're at all into soap making I'd definitely recommend stopping by Otion if you're ever in the area. Or, check out their Web site.
My all-time favorite place to shop anytime I'm in Canada is....
We also stopped at L'Occitane, a bath and beauty store with soaps and lotions that are all made in France. I've seen the products before and have used the hand cream (which is AMAZING, by the way) but I'd never been in a store or seen the whole line of products. I got some of the hand cream I'd used before. It's relatively spendy... ok, it's expensive. $30 for a tube of hand lotion. But the product is great so I'm willing to spend a little more for a quality product.
That was really all the shopping we did because we had to run back to the hotel and get to the game in time. Overall, Vancouver was GREAT and I can't wait to go back someday.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Jerry's Game Recap - Blackhawks vs Canucks
Well... The first stop on our tour was rather disappointing hockey wise due to the Hawks 5-1 loss to the Canucks. The Blackhawks seemed flat-footed from the drop of the puck, and it only got worse as the Canucks put 3 unanswered on the board in the first period.
Second period got pretty chippy as Ladd tried to change the momentum by dropping the gloves with Ryan Kesler at a faceoff. From where we were sitting, it looked like nary a punch was landed before they ended up in a heap on the ice. There was a couple more penalties, and even more weak play by the hawks. They were able to get the puck deep in the offensive zone, but once they got it there they couldn't capitalize on any of their efforts.
Third period brought a glimmer of hope with a Toews goal, but it was quickly answered by Henrik Sedin and then the middle finger goal by Daniel Sedin was just insult to injury.
I hate to say this, but the Hawks were out done in every aspect... Except for padding Luongo's stat sheet, since he stopped 43 of their 44 shots on goal. One of them was an insane glove save that even I clapped for.
Some good things were Brouwer provided a pretty good physical presence, and Toews seems to be letting a little of that Fighting Sioux shine. He seems to be playing a bit more aggressive/physical in my opinion, and reminded me a little of a young Roenick. He is awesome! Kane is pretty sweet to watch when he gets in the offensive zone with the puck, but on the other hand, he plays so emotionless, it can often seem borderline boring. Seabrook, and Keith just played two steps behind, and Sopel... Let's just say, that Rockford should be stitching up your sweater as we speak.
The General Motors Place was a nice stadium full of rabid fans in #1 jerseys. It was the 290th consecutive sellout. Surprisingly, there was a good amount of Chicago fans there as well. Beer was $8.50 for a friggin' dixie cup, and a official puck was $14. Expensive place but a great atmosphere and a fun arena to watch a game.
The next game on the tour: Saturday Feb. 6 - Wild vs Flyers @ Xcel Energy Center. After the expensive canadian beer, we had to save money and stay closer to home! Not sure who I'll be rooting for as of yet? Also, I will be attending the Hawks/Wild game at Xcel on March 31st - But since Jen can't go it doesn't count for our tour.
Better luck next time, Jerry
Second period got pretty chippy as Ladd tried to change the momentum by dropping the gloves with Ryan Kesler at a faceoff. From where we were sitting, it looked like nary a punch was landed before they ended up in a heap on the ice. There was a couple more penalties, and even more weak play by the hawks. They were able to get the puck deep in the offensive zone, but once they got it there they couldn't capitalize on any of their efforts.
Third period brought a glimmer of hope with a Toews goal, but it was quickly answered by Henrik Sedin and then the middle finger goal by Daniel Sedin was just insult to injury.
I hate to say this, but the Hawks were out done in every aspect... Except for padding Luongo's stat sheet, since he stopped 43 of their 44 shots on goal. One of them was an insane glove save that even I clapped for.
Some good things were Brouwer provided a pretty good physical presence, and Toews seems to be letting a little of that Fighting Sioux shine. He seems to be playing a bit more aggressive/physical in my opinion, and reminded me a little of a young Roenick. He is awesome! Kane is pretty sweet to watch when he gets in the offensive zone with the puck, but on the other hand, he plays so emotionless, it can often seem borderline boring. Seabrook, and Keith just played two steps behind, and Sopel... Let's just say, that Rockford should be stitching up your sweater as we speak.
The General Motors Place was a nice stadium full of rabid fans in #1 jerseys. It was the 290th consecutive sellout. Surprisingly, there was a good amount of Chicago fans there as well. Beer was $8.50 for a friggin' dixie cup, and a official puck was $14. Expensive place but a great atmosphere and a fun arena to watch a game.
The next game on the tour: Saturday Feb. 6 - Wild vs Flyers @ Xcel Energy Center. After the expensive canadian beer, we had to save money and stay closer to home! Not sure who I'll be rooting for as of yet? Also, I will be attending the Hawks/Wild game at Xcel on March 31st - But since Jen can't go it doesn't count for our tour.
Better luck next time, Jerry
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Post Game Blues
Well, we just got back to our hotel after the Hawks-Canucks game. What an ugly game it was! The Canucks won 5-1 and scored three goals in the first period alone. It was pretty disappointing. The Blackhawks seemed to just be spinning their wheels the whole game and could never get enough momentum to actually do anything.
Other than the horrible game, we had a great time on our drive from Seattle and the time we spent exploring Vancouver this afternoon. I really wish we had more time to spend here. I love Vancouver!
More details to come on the game and the rest of our adventures on the trip. We've been taking some video so expect to see some entertaining out-takes. For now, we're hitting the hay. Our flight leaves Seattle tomorrow around 2 p.m. so we've got to get up early and get on the road.
Until then, happy hockey!
Jen and Jerry
Other than the horrible game, we had a great time on our drive from Seattle and the time we spent exploring Vancouver this afternoon. I really wish we had more time to spend here. I love Vancouver!
More details to come on the game and the rest of our adventures on the trip. We've been taking some video so expect to see some entertaining out-takes. For now, we're hitting the hay. Our flight leaves Seattle tomorrow around 2 p.m. so we've got to get up early and get on the road.
Until then, happy hockey!
Jen and Jerry
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Off to Vancouver!
Tomorrow begins our very first adventure in the tour!! We're heading to Vancouver, British Columbia tomorrow evening to see the Chicago Blackhawks take on the Vancouver Canucks. I am so excited I can hardly help myself!
I've been to Vancouver a couple times before and so has Jerry. All I can really say is that I'm bummed out we're only going to be there for about 48 hours (not even that long). Vancouver is a beautiful city with a little gem of a sister city across the sound. Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, is one of my favorite places of all time. Jerry and I were there at the end of our honeymoon (an Alaskan cruise) and seriously considered purchasing a condo there. Obviously, we didn't buy but I could easily be convinced to move there permanently.
We're leaving in less than 24 hours and I still have to pack a bag. Please leave a comment if you have any suggestions for things to do/see/eat in Vancouver... OR Seattle, where we're flying in to. We'll be renting a car and driving across the border Saturday morning.
Until next time, happy hockey!
Jen
I've been to Vancouver a couple times before and so has Jerry. All I can really say is that I'm bummed out we're only going to be there for about 48 hours (not even that long). Vancouver is a beautiful city with a little gem of a sister city across the sound. Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, is one of my favorite places of all time. Jerry and I were there at the end of our honeymoon (an Alaskan cruise) and seriously considered purchasing a condo there. Obviously, we didn't buy but I could easily be convinced to move there permanently.
We're leaving in less than 24 hours and I still have to pack a bag. Please leave a comment if you have any suggestions for things to do/see/eat in Vancouver... OR Seattle, where we're flying in to. We'll be renting a car and driving across the border Saturday morning.
Until next time, happy hockey!
Jen
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Welcome!
Welcome to our new blog: Jen and Jerry's Hockey Tour Adventure!We are Jen and Jerry, a married couple from Minnesota who are about to embark on an adventure that will take years to complete and will lead us all around North America.
We both love the game of hockey and we both adore traveling so we decided to combine the two passions. Over the next few years we are going to visit every NHL hockey arena to see either the Blackhawks (Jerry's favorite team) or the Wild (Jen's favorite team) play.
We're both really excited to get started on our hockey tour and will be posting notes and videos as we go on each trip.
In addition, if you have any recommendations of what to do in certain NHL cities please let us know. We're going to share our entire trip with you -- hotels, restaurants, transportation and hockey -- so we'd love to hear if there's any great place we should stay, eat or visit.
Our plan isn't completely laid out yet and we'll be posting more details as they form.
For now, take care and happy hockey!
Jen and Jerry
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