Gloomy San Diego

Saturday we started our day with none other than Con Pane Bakery. What? It is that good. This time I traded one half of my Italian for Frank's turkey cobb. So good, but it does not compare to the Italian. It's just the perfect sandwich.

From there were were off to La Jolla Shores so the inlaws could experience the beach. The weather was awful, overcast, damp and chilly. The marine layer never broke away. Still, they frolicked in the water. I watched on from the shore. I was fully dressed with a jacket and I was FREEZING. I haven't a clue, how people were in suits let alone in the water.

Like my beachwear?














After the beach we went to Del Mar Racetrack. We had a table in the clubhouse. It was a real nice track and set up.


We settled in with a bucket of beers, placed our bets and waited for post time.


MIL bet the long shot on the first race, the horse won. She cashed a ticket for $96.




The next race I wanted Star Nicholas to win, but he showed. No win for me.




Frank cashed a winner after Race 3.


The next few races went off, wins were small. All was fun until we saw a horse go down. Nature of the sport, but it's still sad to see a horse break a leg. It took a little bit to take care of her, and clear the track. Fortunately, the jockey was ok. Once all was clear races resumed. The next race had a horse named Bearly Bearable. I had to play it. It lost.


We stayed through the 7th race, which was on turf. Frank won his final bets and we left ahead. It was a good day at the track.




Before leaving we took a quick look around.
















The plan was to head to La Jolla for dinner at Whisknladle, but we had a brief detour when Frank missed the turn off. We ended up near Soledad Mountain, which was a sight I wanted to see, only I wanted to visit on a clear day. Since we were there, we decided to stop and have a look. A wedding was wrapping up as we walked up. A shame they had such a gloomy day, the location is stunning.




There's a nice memorial up there, too.




It was FREEZING on the mountain so we didn't stay long, we'll have to make another trip there on a clear day. I bet you can see for miles and miles. We drove to La Jolla, and I hopped out to put our name down for a table at Whisknladle. Meanwhile, they parked the car. It was more than an hour for a table so I called to suggest going to Los Panchos in the gaslamp instead. Frank agreed, so I took our name off the list and walked over to meet them. FIL had paid for parking. By then it would've been a 1.5 hour wait easily so we just left. $3 wasted. We valeted at the hotel and walked over to Los Panchos. Their California burrito was great, as always. We passed on the magaritas at that point thinking Frank and I would return later. But that never worked out. No cadillac margaritas or Whisknladle for me. Boo. That's ok, it gives me the excuse for another trip in a few months. It was an exhausting day, we ended up turning in early. Frank and his mom enjoyed sometime on the rooftop but I passed fearing it would be too chilly. I relaxed in the room instead. We had another full day ahead of us.

Back to San Diego

It only took four months to head back to San Diego. We knew this drive would be longer than others, but fortunately traffic was light and we only had to stop once. We arrived in San Diego after 5 hours on the road. Con Pane Bakery was our first stop. The new location in Liberty Station is nearly four times the size of the old one, and they still pack them in. Thankfully, they are still serving up delicious breads, sandwiches, cinnamon rolls and other treats. I was afraid it might not be the same after the move. All my concerns washed away after the first bite of my Italian on rosemary bread. Frank enjoyed his Turkey Cobb. The inlaws were happy with their selections, too.

Next stop was the hotel. We stayed at the St. James Ramada again. It worked so well when traveling with Bob, since two rooms are joined by a bathroom. Plus, the location is fantastic right in the Gaslamp Quarter. We checked in, this time the room set up was a bit different. The bathroom was in one of the rooms, the second room only had a sink. We took the room without a bathroom. It worked out well for the most part. I only had one major inconvenience as you learn later. We needed a break before we set out to see the sights. We locked ourselves in our room for a couple hours.

Once refreshed and prepared for the next round we told Frank's parents to get ready to head out. We took them up to the rooftop deck to take in the views.








It felt great to be back. I love San Diego.

Valet pulled the car up and we were off to Pomegranate Russian-Georgian Restaurant. On the way we spotted this (yougottagged.com), why hadn't I thought of it? I would love to armed with a bunch of these bad boys.


We found the restaurant, it's a unique little place. Lots of writing on everything, reminded me of Gino's East when I was a kid (not sure if they still let you write on the walls). I picked it out since it had great reviews on yelp and I knew the inlaws would enjoy it. FIL is half Russian.


We started with Lobio, which is a bean salad with walnuts. It's dressed with feta and tomatoes. It was big hit with everyone but me, I've never been a fan of beans.


The Baltika Extra Lager on the other hand was awesome. I loved this beer! I have a new favorite.


Next up was Borscht. It was a very tasty soup.


That was followed by our entrees. Chicken Shashlik (similar to a kabab), Golubtsi (cabbage rolls), Chakhokhbili (like chicken stew), and Vareniki (reminds me of pierogies).








It was all very tasty. It bit pricey considering it is a cash only restaurant, but I suppose if your the only game in town, you make the rules.

The bathroom was odd here, you don't see a telescope, among other things, near the toilet often.


And this was the poster hanging on the ceiling above the toilet. Again, a bit unusual.


After dinner, we went to Old Town. We knew MIL would love it. And she did. I'm still not a fan. The Mexican restaurant reeked of greasy chips and junk shops do nothing for me. I do like the architecture in Old Town, however.




We wandered outside the square, and found a couple blocks of bars and restaurants mixed with shops, this area was more my style. It felt less touristy and grease stank no longer filled the air, instead it was the delicious scent of fresh corn tortilla being heated.

We stopped in Coyote Cafe for margaritas, but when we saw they had Pacifico on tap, we had to have it. We had never found it on draft before. It did not disappoint. FIL was thrilled with his margarita, MIL was less thrilled with her sangria. She wanted it sweeter.


We saw that they had a guy on hand to chat about tequilas, we chatted him up and tasted a couple, Fortaleza and Leguas. Both were tasty, clean and smooth.


One last shop we stopped in had a bunch of masks. These things kill me, they're hilariously creepy, awful masks. Frank had me going, it was a riot.


From Old Town we went back to the hotel. We walked over to the liquor store and bought a six-pack of Pacifico to enjoy on the rooftop. IL's joined us. It was so chilly and breezy up there I was freezing in no time. Before I could finish my first beer I was having Seattle flashbacks. I couldn't handle it. I was just too cold. We relaxed in the room a bit, IL's said goodnight and we left to head over to La Puerta for a late-night snack. We ordered a couple Dos Equis and devoured chips and salsa, and then scarfed down carne asada fries and carnitas in an instant. Yum! We were pretty beat once our bellies were full (for the third time today) so we went back to the hotel to crash.

Temptations

The weekend was good. I love San Diego. Even without Con Pane Bakery I think I'd still love it, but I don't even want to think about life without that amazingly delicious bread. We ate there three times, I definitely got my fill.

It's a damn good thing it is 4.5 hours away. If it were close to home I'd be in serious trouble.

Besides I have enough temptations right here at home. We recently returned to my favorite place for cheese, Morels at Palazzo. Turns out their steak is nicely done, too. Check out Vegas Values: Très Tasty for details. In the meantime, I'll sort through photos for a recap of our weekend in San Diego.

Garden Fresh

I've been spoiled lately by fresh produce. Co-workers have been bringing in their extra bounty. I've recently had wonderfully sweet and juicy peaches, plump tomatoes and the largest zucchini I've seen.

When I was given the zucchini I had no idea what to do with it. I use it most often in kabobs, but that would hardly make a dent in this puppy.

So, I went to allrecipes.com and typed in "zucchini" and searched for a recipe. I found Angel's Pasta, that was it. It was dinner.

I was able to use the garden fresh tomatoes and zucchini, and I also pulled a handful of basil from my own pot. It's the one thing I grew this year. Maybe next year, I'll get my act together and plant a garden before the heat hits? One can hope.

Freshly washed fixings.


8 ounces angel hair pasta
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 zucchini, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
3 tomatoes, chopped
12 leaves fresh basil
parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Pour in oil and saute garlic until golden. Stir in zucchini, salt and pepper. Saute 2 minutes, then mix in tomato and cook a few minutes more. Chop basil and add to vegetables right before mixing with pasta. Combine pasta and vegetables. Top with parmesan.

Voila!


The end result was a bit dry. The recipe as is, is a good foundation. I liked that it was light and fresh tasting. However, it could benefit from a light tomato sauce and I think feta would be a great addition. Will have to tweak it a bit next time to see if it can be a winner.

Headin' back to Cali

"Said, I'm going, going, back, back
All the way to Cali, Cali, that's where I wanna be"

San Diego is calling me. I want bread. I want margaritas. I want awesome Mexican food. I want Whisk n Ladle. With any luck the sun will even shine.

Ages ago we started planning a trip to San Diego to celebrate Frank's uncle's birthday. He couldn't make it, but Frank's parents thought it sounded fun. They wanted to go, they've never been to San Diego. So, we're going for the weekend.

I plan to eat. We will also hit Del Mar, the beach, possibly take in a Bears game and go on a fishing charter. We'll be staying in the Gaslamp Quarter. We're going back to the St. James Hotel. It's not fancy but we liked it last December. It's great when traveling with others.

It ought to be fun. However, I'm expecting the longest drive ever. I'm hopeful the bread will be worth it.


I think Con Pane Bakery might just be that good.

I'll let you know for sure.

20 Days to go!

There are only 20 days left until the most glorious week of the year. Those of you that have been around awhile will likely recall how much I love restaurant week. Well, boys and girls, mark your calendars! This year restaurant week is August 30 - September 5. At least forty restaurants are participating, we'll likely see more than fifty said and done; it seems more are added everyday. Menus this year are offered at $20.10, $30.10 and $50.10. It is really a fantastic way to try new restaurants while helping a great cause.

The last two years we've tried a different restaurant each day. We plan to do the same again this year. A slew of the offerings sound delicious. It'll be tough to narrow them down. However, here are some early contenders.

Andre's
Bradley Ogden
L'Atelier
Michael Mina
MOzen
Circo
RM Seafood
The Steakhouse
Vintner Grill

Click here for a complete listing & menus

We'll have to wait and see where we end up. In the meantime, I'll be drooling over the possibilities.

Scabs & Time

It is my sister's 21st birthday! Poor kid has been to Las Vegas dozens of times underage, and now that she is legal there is no trip planned. Her and Nicky were planning a trip in September, but it looks like it might be nixed. Her and Jeff have found a house to rent. They move in next weekend.

Today is also my dad's birthday. Yep, he got a baby girl for his birthday 21 years ago. They are both celebrating on 8/9/10. How funny?

My mom is feeling older than ever, her eldest is 30 and her baby is 21. I told her it can be worse, just wait until Amy is 30 and I'm nearing 40. Then, She WILL be old. I'm evil.

I mention it often, but I haven't grasped this whole years flying by thing. I can remember Amy asking me to play house with her, vividly, it feels like only yesterday. Her room was always a disaster, I'd have to clean and organize it before I could play. I think that was her motive all along, I could see her being sneaky like that. Now, she has a near 4-year-old son, she's 21 and moving into a house. My little sister is grown up.

On Friday, I found this awesome site www.animoto.com. I made a video to send birthday wishes to Amy. It's so easy, I bet I use it quite a bit.

Now, switching gears. Some weekends are more exhausting that others. This one wore me out. Not that we did a whole lot. It's just that... well, it's like when you have a wound. It begins to heal, the scab develops and you know you should leave it alone, but instead you let it get the best of you. You pick at it and you're left with a sore that festers. Then, it begins again. With any luck you learn to leave it be before it scars.

We had two family outings over the weekend. On Friday we had the seafood buffet at M Resort. While the buffet is good, and the only one I'll really consider these days... I've come to the conclusion that I am so over buffets. I'd much prefer a sit-down meal. It's one Vegasy aspect that has definitely lost its luster. We hung around and gambled. The crowd seemed much older than past visits, and the games were tighter than ever. Well, we were just unlucky. Lost everything we touched, I switched to video keno to ease the burn and it did the trick. I played forever and kept even. I'm seriously thinking of giving up all games but blackjack and keno. They're the only two that don't give me constant beatings, slots and video poker just haven't been fun. If it's not fun, I won't play. I suppose that is more luster being lost. But not to worry, all in all, I still love this bright light city! It hasn't even begun to fade.

Sunday we took Frank's parents to my mom's for a visit. It's been two years since they made it over the hump to Pahrump. They wanted to see my mom's new house. MIL also wanted to visit the brothels. My mom told her there was a tour at Sherri's Ranch. She wanted to drag us all, but Frank was having no part of it. Visiting the whorehouse with your parents, mother-in-law and wife. Could you imagine? We drove by so she could see. It's pretty anti-climatic. Maybe next time, we'll stop in for a bite? Rumor has it the burgers are very tasty.

Oh, how I love Fridays

Fridays are great! I get paid, and oddly enough, it's actually the start of my weekend. I say oddly because it is rare for those that work in Las Vegas to be off Saturday and Sunday. Figures during my fifteen years of working I didn't get weekends off until moving to Vegas, and Frank left his Monday-Friday gig back in Chicago, he's been on the casinos schedule ever since. Sunday & Monday is his weekend, unless it's football season. Then, it is back to no common day off and Monday-Tuesday is his weekend. Our weekends with time together are dwindling. Boo. Where has this summer gone? Seriously.

Friday also means another installment of Vegas Values, this week, I share my latest find which also brings more culture to Las Vegas. Give it a read, Vegas Values: The Art of it All.

You can be as random as you want to be because it's Friday, who cares at that point?

As I mentioned yesterday, the inlaws arrived. Yesterday was also Frank's uncle's birthday so we had dinner at Fat Greek to celebrate. It was less than an hour before closing when we sat down so they were out of a bunch since the majority is made fresh daily. No saganaki (their supplier has been out for a month-they're killing us), tiropita or octopus so we ended up with an eggplant dish with sauteed onions and tomato per the recommendation of the waitress. It was fantastic! As far as the rest of the grub we had a combo plate, lamb chops, gyro plate and fat greek salad and we had a bottle of Greek wine to wash it all done. So delicious, everyone was pleased.

Here's a tidbit from dinner that had a rolling. Hopefully, the hilarity translates... you must know that FIL is a man of few words. I mean very FEW words.

We're sitting waiting for our entrees to arrive. MIL and FIL are sitting opposite us and have a view of a mirror. MIL decides to be cute and makes FIL look up into the mirror and asks "Do you see that beautiful woman?" He looks up, sees her reflection and mutters, "where?". Oh my, it was classic.

I ate so well yesterday my scale claims I gained weight. Pad Thai from Archi's for lunch and a slew of Greek goodies from Fat Greek apparently equates to two pounds. Lovely. But, worth every bite.

Something not worth a single bite? That awful broccoli pesto pasta from Mac Shack. I submitted it as the worst pasta I ever ate to the Worst Thing I Ever Ate Blog. It posted yesterday.

So, Sunday...

We went to Hash House A Go Go at Imperial Palace for brunch. The food is just as good as the Sahara location, but this spot is roomier and more entertaining. One girl got taken out on a stretcher, a group of girls was getting hit on by a group of guys in town for a bachelor party. Just a reminder how much I love Las Vegas.

We went up to the Auto Collection afterwards. They had very few muscle cars, it was mainly Jaguars and Rolls Royces. Two of my least favorite makes. Past years have been more enjoyable, but still it's neat to see. Afterwards, we had no plans, so we drove east from there. Eventually winding up near Lake Las Vegas. We decided to go check it out. I haven't been there since last September. I heard bankruptcy had ended so I thought maybe it would be more lively. Nope, it is now an absolute ghost-town since Ritz-Carlton and the Casino both closed. Only Lowes remains open. It was eerie, desolate, and many the lush greens have died. It was really pretty sad to see.

From there we went to old Henderson, we gambled a bit at Emerald Isle and El Dorado. All of us won some money. We were happy. We went back home and relaxed. Then hunger struck around 9, so we went to Yard House at Red Rock. It was packed, but luckily there was no wait for a table. Yummy food and beer, as always. We were petering out while there. Got home and we all said good night. We were beat.

Shane left on Monday. We have had time for our livers to recover. We've also caught up on sleep. Just in time for the inlaws arrival. They get in around noon today and they'll be here until August 17. We have some fun stuff planned, with any luck it will be a good visit.

Lovin' the oomph

For months now, I've been contemplating dying my hair. The grays had gotten out of control and I couldn't stand it. I've never dyed my hair. I've been a natural redhead for life, however, my hair has faded over the last decade and it's become more golden than copper. Coupled with the grays, it was dull. I was ready for some oomph, only I was terrified to go through with it.

I've seen so many bad bottle jobs, I knew going to a professional was my only choice. Still, I was terrified to put my trust in someone. Then, a friend recommended her hair dresser. I took a leap of faith and made an appt. Boy was I anxious, excited and scared leading up to the appt. I tried to calm my nerves by reminding myself thousand of women dye their hair regularly, it was no big deal. But it was my first time, so it was a big deal.

Saturday was the big day. I arrived at the Euphoria Salon at Town Square at 11:00. I hoped my nerves would settle, but I only got more anxious. Am I ridiculous or what? I met my girl, she was cute and friendly. I felt a little relief. She asked what I wanted, told her I wasn't sure, but I didn't want to look like a bottle redhead and I wanted more oomph but wanted to stay natural. Told her it was my first time and I was nervous. Before I could finish she said she had just the color and she was so excited, which put me at ease. When I saw the color all mixed up it had a purplish hue and it got me a bit anxious, but I trusted her. After she rinsed me I got a look of it wet and it was wild, it was like looking in the mirror a decade ago. She went to work blow drying and styling it. Finally, she whipped me around and I got a look. I was very happy. It was a huge relief. It was my hair color with boost. She added copper back to my color, and it worked, it was like a flashback of my younger self. She gave me a big hug and thanked me for letting her be my first.

I should have taken before & after photos, that would have been fun. I should have taken a photo on Saturday when it was freshly done, but never thought of that either. Instead, I remembered on Sunday. Not the most flattering self-pic, but it shows my new color. Which is totally me, just my hair color as a teen. So wild, I tell you. I'm thrilled I went through with it.



So back to Saturday...

I met Shane and Frank for lunch at Amore. Frank was really impressed, they both liked it and couldn't believe how straight it was. Then, Frank was staring, he said it looked like a wig. A bad one? No, no, a good one, it's so shiny, straight and soft looking... It looks really great. Phew.

After yummy pizza, we dashed over to Town Square to catch Inception at Rave. Great premise, it had potential, but I thought it fell flat. In the end it was predicable and it dragged. Frank liked it more than I did. Shane was indifferent.

Next, we picked up Frank's cousin's boyfriend. Then we all went to the Putt Park for cosmic mini-golf. The guys made bets for the winner and closest to the whole, my foot served as the unit of measure. Shane won. I was kicking ass the first 9, but the back 9 killed my game. Lots of fun and laughs were had.

Back at the house we started playing LRC for quarters and tossing back beers. Darren's brother came by and Lauren arrived shortly after. We played cards and LRC. Made margaritas and had shots of Patron. Then, we played drunk Taboo. It's much different game when you've been drinking. So flipping funny! I was in tears, which made them all laugh harder. Which got me laughing harder and crying harder. Such a riot. Lauren crashed and we continued to play cards. About 1, we needed food and beer. We never had dinner, gotta love being a few blocks from In-N-Out. Ate and played more cards. About 3, I was done. I needed sleep. I said good night. Not long after Darren's brother left. Lauren went home leaving Darren behind and the guys went to Orleans for blackjack, tables weren't cheap enough so they went to Wild Wild West. It's a dump, but they had fun. They stayed up all night and came in about 6am with Dee's donuts. Two hours after Frank came to bed, I was up. Too funny. I cleaned up from the night before and the guys were back among the land of the living by noon.

Dirty Heads & Sublime with Rome

Friday night, our friend, Shane drove in for the weekend. He's was going to the concert with us. Beforehand, we went to PT's for wings and beers. Made it in time for happy hour, gotta love drinks at 1/2 price. Primed up we headed to the strip, we valeted at Four Seasons. We've dealt with the crowds at Mandalay Bay, traffic is just ridiculous. The Four Seasons is the perfect alternative.

We had time to grab a beer before the gates opened. We thought we'd stop at the bar, but we walked by the sundries shop they had tall boys two for $8. We were pounding them while waiting in line thinking we couldn't bring them in, but as long as it wasn't glass we were good. Of course we learned that tidbit just as we gained admission. We took seats right on the edge of the wave pool. We stayed dry until the crowd filled the pool toward the end of the show. Beers were $9, so we came up with the idea of going back in the hotel to purchase more tall boys, if they'd let us out. Frank was off to find out and Shane and I held our spots. Frank returned with a bag of tall boys. Perfect! We were sticking it to the man. We found the ultimate value.

Frank got back just before Dirty Heads took the stage. They were awesome, again! I'll gladly see them every chance I get. I went to the bathroom in between bands. Lines were long, but not out of control like at HR. Made friends with the girls ahead of me. They thought I was from Ireland, they said I didn't look like a Las Vegan. Ha! Got back to the guys and Sublime with Rome took the stage. Rome did great. They played all the hits only one I was missing was Caress Me Down. They ended with What I Got and Santeria. By now, my feet were soaked, I was wet up to my shins and I had sand stuck to me. We walked back to Four Seasons, amped up, wet and sandy. We got complimentary bottled water, no lines at valet and we're off in no time. Score another for us. Had we parked at Mandalay Bay we probably be waiting an hour or so to get out.

Plan was to head back to PT's since it was after midnight and happy hour had started. I was beat from being up early, and singing and dancing in the heat so I bowed out and went home to sleep. By the sound of it they drank my share and had a good time.

I'll add that Mandalay Bay Beach is a FAR better venue than Hard Rock's Pool. I'll happily catch another show at the beach.

Case of the Mondays

I'm having a case of the Mondays. I'm just wiped from this weekend. We had lots of fun which I tell you about a little later.

The details of our Pacific Northwest trip are all posted. Can you believe I brought humidity home with us? I did. And I'm so over it. If it's gonna be muggy it ought to rain. I've not seen a drop so there is no reason we should be dealing with the icky-stickiness. I'm tired of my cold beverages sweating all over me. I'm not expecting any sympathy, I'm just looking to whine.

I took a week off Living-Las-Vegas while I was on vacation, but I resumed my column last Friday with Mmmm.... Beer. Be sure to check it out for the scoop on cheap beer.

Weekend details will be shared tomorrow.

Vancouver: Day Four

Saturday was our departure day. We were heading home, hooray! We had been homesick for days. It was such a relief to know we'd soon be in the states, we'd be done with public transit and we'd sleep in our own bed. We had a leisurely morning I packed and we checked out at 11 o'clock. We left our bags with the bellman and we set off for the Sky Train. We were going back to Kirin Seafood, this time we opted for the location near city hall since it was a bit closer.






We loved the meal we had previously at Kirin so much we decided to repeat it. It was just as good, but I prefer the Richmond location. Stuffed again, we waddled back to the train station bound for Yaletown.


Art in the station


A quick walk back to the hotel and we were ready to go. Too bad we had 45 minutes to spare. We were so tired of walking we stayed put and read until the shuttle came to take us back to the train station. Finally, 1:30 rolled around and we were on our way. The Sky Train goes right to the airport so that was a breeze. At check in we were notified our flight had a 2.5 hour delay. We now had four hours to kill. Joy. We sat in the food court, next to the only plug we could find. Frank checked work emails while I read. Figures were were so psyched to be home at 6, just enough time to grill, before lounging in the hot tub with margaritas. Our plans were foiled but we made the best of it.

Maybe smokers in the US would think twice, with these types of warnings? The price is enough to scare me. This was at the duty-free store at the airport.


Near our gate, we spotted this sign below. Are that many people traveling with chickens?



We flew Philippine Airlines home. They have food service. How bizarre? I forgot what that was like. The ham and cheese was absolutely disgusting it's no wonder why airlines did away with food, why spend the money on such shitty food?


We got in just fine, customs took some time coming back. We had a dick taxi driver than whined about us only going to MGM Grand. He waited an hour... this was his chance... blah, blah, blah. Valet was insane. Waited forever for our car, but that was to be expected it was Saturday night.

We stopped at In-N-Out to grab dinner. Oh the sweet taste of home. Frank hopped in the pool and I headed for the hot tub. There is no place like home, sometimes I just have to leave to remember just how good we have it.

Final thoughts on Vancouver...

I'm happy we experienced the city, but I'm doubtful we'd return. However, we did enjoy Banana Leaf, Kirin Seafood and Guu immensely. They just might make another trip worthwhile. We found buying daily bus passes at 7 Eleven was the way to go $9 each and it was good for the trains, too. I loved the Sky Train, quick and super convenient. Busses were never on time, so I really appreciated the timeliness of the trains. The parks are lovely, I definitely recommend a bike ride through Stanley Park.