Home, Missouri, USA - 30th April 2009
By: brilliantlyxx
Hello,
My name is Noelle. I'm a loving little puppy who has been living in her dog house for FAR too long. Although I may look sad, I really am not THAT sad. Well, I currently am a bit blue, but I know that once I get out, I will feel MUCH better.
I would LOVE to visit anyone. Send my mentor a PM if you would like to host me!
Travel List:
AbbyB in Canada (had a lovely time with Abby! Thank you!)
maelle in Belgium (In Belgium now!)
blueanka in Romania
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Posted May 2, 2009, 2:44 pm Last edited Sep 13, 2009, 6:04 am by brilliantlyxx
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Home, Missouri, USA - 1st May 2009
By: brilliantlyxx
Today, I met Ricky the Rat. He's a nice rat and we had a lot of fun just talking. He told me about the things he has seen so far, which got me REALLY excited about my journey!
Here we are having a chat. We really get along well.
We came across a toy truck that had been abandoned on the counter top. I got the idea that we should take it for a spin. Ricky thought I was crazy, but he agreed.
After about twenty minutes of riding around on the kitchen floor, Ricky realized that the truck opened! I decided that I should drive, and Ricky really didn't mind. I knew he was a nice boy!
I did great with my driving, besides the occasional rat bottom getting in the way. We rode around and around for AGES, and it didn't seem to get old.
But, then Ricky got in my way and wouldn't move. I paniced and suddenly, we were zooming out of the kitchen and into the living room. We ran right into the end table and poor Ricky fell off. No worries, though, no one was hurt. I checked! Ricky only said that his head hurt a bit. He thought I felt bad, must've been my sad little face.
Then, we did something REALLY cool. We put on sunglasses that we found around my house. Now, who's the AWESOMEST dog in the world?
Oh, and the TV WILD RELEASE is here this weekend! My mom showed us all the TVs she plans to release and asked us to help. Of course, we said we would, but jeez! That's a LOT of toys we will have to help with! Should be fun!
Well, there's a fair going on this weekend and Mom said that I get to go tomorrow! Can't wait! Hope the rain stops, though.
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Posted May 2, 2009, 6:13 pm
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Fort Langley, BC, Canada - 2nd June 2009
By: AbbyB
We are visiting Fort Langley, which is referred to as the 'Birthplace of BC.'
This plaque says: Fort Langley was built by the Hudson's Bay Company 2 1/2 miles below this site in 1827 and moved here in 1839. It burned and was rebuilt in 1840. As fur resources were exhausted, supply replaced trade as the fort's major role. Here the company operated a large far, began the west coast salmon packing industry, and exported produce to ports in Alaska, Hawaii and other Pacific areas. Fort Langley was also a terminus of the first practical, all-British route from the coast to the interior. On 19 November 1858 the colony of British Columbia was here proclaimed.
This is a piece of the Beaver, the first steamship on the Pacific Northwest.
The plaque reads: The Beaver, the first steamship on the North Pacific Ocean, was a wooden paddle boat of 109 tons built in England, in 1835, for the Hudson's Bay Company. For over 20 years she was supply ship to Company posts on the Northwest Coast. During and after the 1858 gold rush she carried freight and passengers between Vancouver Island and the mainland. Subsequentlychartered to the British Admiralty, she was used as a hydrographic survey ship between 1863-70. Sold in 1874, and in her final years used as a towboat, she was wrecked at Prospect Point, at the entrance to Vancouver Harbour, in 1888.
This mural is on the side of the Fort Langley giftshop attatched to the actual fort, of what the area would have
looked like at the fort's peak. We are not going inside today because Abby and Erin have other things planned.
This is the fort from the West side. The white building you can just see on the right was the house of the head
of the fort.
This statue is of James Douglas, the first Governor of BC.
In downtown Fort Langley is the Community Hall. It was built in 1931 and has been featured in many movies.
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Posted Jun 4, 2009, 3:25 am
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Vancouver, BC, Canada - 7th June 2009
By: AbbyB
Today I am visiting heritage houses on the Vancouver Heritage House Tour. Here's a map of all of the houses on the tour this year:
Each house on the tour has a write-up in the booklet everyone is given.
Abby was not allowed to take photos inside of the houses, as they are all private residences, but I will show you the outside of the house and tell you a little about it.
This is the first house we went to, Number 4 on the map.
It was built in 1910 and has a twin house directly across the street that was built at the same time. The area at the front on the second floor used to be a porch, but it was closed in sometime during the 1920s or 30s. There is an infill house in the backyard that is nearly as pretty as the house itself. The current owners have built a rather nice wine cellar in the basement.
The next house we went to was Number 1 on the map.
This house was built in 1905. The front part of the house used to be a candy store called the Georgia Confectionary, hence the boxy shape with the large windows. The current owner is Bill Richardson, who is a broadcaster on CBC Radio Two. He encouraged everybody to write on his walls in the front room.
The next house we went to was Number 2 on the map.
This house is a designated heritage building.
It was built in 1903 and was a rental house to many people over the years. One group was the family of a ship captain, James John Bartlett; when the current homeowners were renovating they found a postcard from him dated November 1914 and they now have it framed in their dining room.
Abby completely forgot to take photos me me at the next house, Number 3 on the map, so here is the photo from the program:
It is a yellow house built in 1908. When the area (called Grandview) was first opened up for development, this would have been a rather working-class lot. The current owners kept a lot of the original elements of the house, but opened the area up a lot more.
The next house was Number 8 on the map.
It was built in 1930 and the first owners were a dentist and his family; his practice was at the back of the house. It was a rather grand house at the time it was built; only those of a high class would have been able to afford to live there. The current owners kept the same basic layout of the house.
The last house we went to was Number 7 on the map.
It was built in 1912. Most of the original documents regarding this house were destroyed, so not much is known about its early years. The current owners were not around, but I noticed based on the pictures around the house that one of the owners is a former Olympian.
Abby's parents got to see the rest of the houses on the tour, but Abby and Erin had something else planned...
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Posted Jun 8, 2009, 8:37 pm
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Vancouver, BC, Canada - 7th June 2009
By: AbbyB
I went with Abby and Erin to their audition to be in the 2010 Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Abby was rather busy during the audition (they looked like they were working very hard), so she really couldn't get any pictures.
This is Abby's audition number.
While we were waiting for everyone to arrive (there were aobut 45 people at this particular tap dancing audition), we watched the opening ceremonies for the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Afterwards Abby and Erin were very tired, so we cooled down at Starbucks.
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Posted Jun 8, 2009, 8:38 pm
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Vancouver, BC, Canada - 7th June 2009
By: AbbyB
Next, it was time for some sight-seeing downtown.
This is Victory Square, Vancouver's war memorial. It used to be overrun with homeless people (being on the infamous Downtown East Side), but the area has cleaned up somewhat in recent years.
This is the Dominion Building. When it was built it was the tallest building in Canada. Apparently it is haunted by the architect, who died falling down the big spiral staircase in the centre of the building becore it was completed. The building is trangular.
That tall building you can see in the background is the new Woodwards building. Woodwards was a department store that went bankrupt in 1993. It was vacant until it was purchased by Simon Fraser University a few years ago to become part of its Vancouver campus. The building will be the new home of all of the fine arts programs, as well as a community centre for the Downtown East Side, student residences and low-income housing. Part of the original facade was kept, and once construction is complete they will restore the old, neon Woodwards 'W' that sat atop the old building.
This is the Gastown Steamclock, the first clock of its kind to run solely on steam power. It is a huge tourist attraction. It chimes every quarter hour and releases a lot of steam in the process. Unfortunately we just missed one of those moments, as it would have made a good photo.
This is not a great photo, but down the street you can see the district of Gastown, the oldest business district in Vancouver.
In the distance you can see Canada Place. It has many large halls and is used for conventions and parties. The sails are lit up at night.
This is Waterfront Station, which is the terminus station for many different modes of transportation. The commuter train West Coast Express stops here, as well as the Skytrain, Seabus and many buses.
This is the Marine Building. It is the best example of art deco architecture on the West Coast of North America. The interior was used in the Fantastic Four movies. It was built right at the beginning of the Depression, and because the contractors went bankrupt, the interiors were not completed as they were originally meant to be until recently.
Here is a close up of some of the detailing.
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Posted Jun 8, 2009, 8:39 pm
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