Kayak trip in an Archipelago

So we're back! Posting in a blog in the middle of the Canadian wilderness is a bit weird, but for some reason we felt the need to make use of the cell signal. Tonight is the end of a very long third day of a five day kayak camping trip in the Broughton Archipelago Marine Park, off Vancouver island. Today we paddled eighteen miles into a very annoying headwind due to a serious navigational error. That is, after having to lug our three loaded boats over the mucky bottom of a cove at low tide. I have exceedingly sore shoulders and I'm sure I'm not alone in that sentiment.
This park is nice, but after spending several similar trips in Alaska and Maine, the scenery sort of redundant but still beautiful. I could go on about our adventures here but I will leave you in suspense (ha) because my dad wants his phone back.

NYC!!! by Kayley

I thought I'd never write another blog on this site but here goes.

Bippy and Gramps took Sarah and me to New York City!!! It was everything I thought it would be and more. It was fun to shop there. The streets were just the right amount of busy and the museums weren't to boring.

Everyone says that NYC is a walking city and its true. We probably walked 5 miles every day to and from museums, land marks, and best of all, up and down 5th Avenue, the shopping paradise of NYC. Judging from the other pedestrians, they walked everywhere too. Walking the streets of NYC you wouldn't see the usual American obesity, everyone looked pretty fit, even if they ate fast food every meal of the day. They walked of  most of the calories.

What makes NYC so different from all the other big cities I've seen if that on the bottom floors of all the buildings are shops, eateries and other businesses, and everyone walks everywhere. You could literally go shopping right next door or even on the first floor of your apartment building! New York has the widest side walks I've seen and they are put to good use. The sidewalks were probable 5 times the width of a regular sidewalk, so it feels really spacious when you're walking down the streets.

Going to museums in NYC wasn't that different than in other big cities, and surprisingly Bippy only made us go to two, MoMA and the Museum of Agriculture and Space. MoMA or the Museum of Modern Art was pretty wacky. You know how Modern art is nowadays, random and so complicated that sometimes even the artist doesn't even understand it. My favorite piece of modern art was a painting of an eye with a picture of the sky as the iris. The other 5 pieces I liked were late Impressionist.  Three of them were by Vincent Van Gogh the others were by an artist I did not recognize.

I loved visiting  and getting to know NYC. I have a feeling you would to, if you like walking, shopping or giant museums. Thank You!!! Bippy and Gramps for taking me because I've always wanted to see NYC.

by Kayley Sienna Rolph

The White House By Sarah

                My Uncle Duncan, Cousin Everett, and I went to the White House in Washington D.C. I was very excited about going to the White House because I had never been inside before and of course it’s where the President lives.

                When we were waiting in front of the White House, 2 police cars blocked the road and the Vice President came down the road with lots of police cars. When the person that we were suppose to meet came (he was very nice), he lead us to the security. The security was no stronger than the airport. I think that’s fine. They do not allow a single bag, not even a purse in the White House.

                The first story that we saw was full of pictures of Presidents that lived in the White House. The pictures on the walls were of fun or important times of the Presidents’ lives and under every picture it has an explanation about what is happening in the picture. On the ground floor, there was also a library, the China Room, and the Vermeil Room and of course some security.  The first floor also had a couple of sculptures of gun fights and Indians killing buffalos.

                We went up the stairs to the second floor to see the Green Room, the Blue Room, the Red room, the State Dining Room, the East Room, the Cross Hall and the Entrance Hall. The White House has lots of rooms but I only got to see 2 stories. My favorite rooms on that story were the Red Room, the Blue Room, and the Green Room. Those rooms were the only rooms on that floor that had lots of color and was not white. My favorite parts of the White House were all the chandlers because they were big and made out of little pieces of glass. The biggest room in the White House was called the East Room. It had 4 fire places and 2 giant chandeliers made out of 6000 mini pieces of glass. 

me in front of the white house!

                It was very cool to see the White House in person. The White house is very beautiful but a bit too white but that’s kind of obvious. Anyways, I think that if you get the chance you should go to the White House!!!

By Sarah