vancouver | whale watching + seattle

I'll be straight up - I didn't get good pictures of the whales. There. I've been putting it off because I was kind of dissapointed, but I have also realized that the experience of being out on the open water and seeing them in person was a great memory, and I'm so thankful for that, rather than the perfect picture. It was so cool seeing actual humpback whale in person, knowing how big & wild they were. I'd definitely go whale watching again, just for that feeling! Our day on the ocean was filled with a lot more than just whales - we saw seals and lighthouses, and experienced converging deep sea currents... all while bundled up zipping around on our speedboat.

[mom helping gramps with his stuck zipper. cute. he did so good on the boat!]

[these guys were awesome. especially the fat one. seriously, I mean, look at him!]

And this didn't freak me out at all - no, I haven't been watching too many James Bond movies... a sub surfaced eerily close to us... not just in the movies people... eek.

Feelin' the wind. :)

We made it all the way over into U.S. waters during our excursion! 

So that was our day on the open sea. It was a blast, and although my camera didn't totally come through for me with the best whale pictures, I have some awesome memories! We closed off our trip the following day back in the states, at this lovely place...

Seattle & Pike Market in all it's glory... fish throwin', coffee lovin', cobblestone, flowers, and the pier. We crammed quite a lot into one day, but I'm so glad we swung by.

the closer. We had such a wonderful trip in the Pacific Northwest and would go back in a heartbeat! So many great memories touring a part of the country completely unknown to us. We got the travel bug and have our next destination in mind already. :) So, adios Vancouver + Seattle! Until next time...