Salt Lake City Trip, January 2008

Salt Lake City Trip, January 2008

Our travel down to the great SLC before stopping through Toronto & then flying off to Ireland.

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Updates

(I haven't posted in forever as it is easier to just upload albums onto Facebook, but here are the links at least.)

Thanksgiving 2007

Robert & I drove down 12 hours to Salt Lake for US Thanksgiving & got to chill with my cute fam. Good times & great oldies. =]

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Ape Cave at Mount St Helen's near Cougar, Washington =]

This excursion was super freaky as the tours and everything were closed for the year & there was absolutely no one else up there. Entering a cave mid-summer with a bunch of people around is not so bad, but venturing into a big black hole completely alone in the forest is a bit more chilling.

Facing the mouth of the beast.

Deep inside the lava tube cave.

It was pitch, pitch black except for our dinky flashlights (& my camera flash). We were completely alone in the dark cave...dun dun dun...

Notice the drips of the lava as it dried. Cool cool.
Looking up in the cave.
Returning to daylight & the surface of the earth once again.

Ascending from the depths of the cave.
Ah ha, I am a true spelunker.

Aw, I love this one. Robert, the explorer. =]

Helene on an old abandoned bridge somewhere in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Mount St Helens, currently erupting volcano, covered in clouds.

Yale Resevoir

Robert, a man on a resevoir... "Aha...I found a lake."
Helene, a woman on resevoir.... "Actually it is a resevoir, my dear."
Aw, we're so cute. =]
Hmm, might be good to listen to the sign as there are rocks directly beneath it. I'll take the warning into consideration.

My Mom Visits Portland

Yay!! My mom visited me in Portland! This was her second trip up here, since she came last year this time as well. Her work sent her again this year on another fancy conference trip up here & then she stayed an extra day with Robert & I. We prowled around downtown Portland & showed her my school, Portland State University, went to the Audubon Society & said hi to some pretty birds of prey, & then went on a gorgeous little hike in Portland's beautiful green forests. Robert made her a delicious spicy homemade curry dinner with chicken & frech mushrooms & peppers!! Mmm... She was very impressed. The next morning my mom took us out for a charming breakfast at a little place in SE Portland & then we went on a drive long the Columbia River on the way to the airport. It was so great to see my mumsie in my Portland town! =]

Astoria, Oregon

Astoria, Oregon
09/23/2007

My Robert & I decided to drive out to the Oregon coast on Sunday & visit the little town of Astoria. =]

Pretty tree on the way there...if you look really close I am at the bottom climbing the tree...

Helene in a tree.
Looking up. =]

The Astor Column on the top of the hill overlooking Astoria, Oregon, the Pacific Ocean & over to the Washington coast.
Us at the base of the tower with the bridge into Washtington in the background & Astoria being blocked by us.

Us at the top of the tower.
Views from the top.

Looking out on Astoria, if you look close there is the bridge that crosses over into Washington.

View from the bridge.
We traveled down the tower & drove across the other bridge to Fort Stevens. On the ocean beach there is a shipwreck of a 1906 English sailing ship. =]

Aw...how cute...hmm, but we're blocking the ship. oops.
Well according to Robert, this is my signature pose...what does that mean? I never pose like that! Hmph. Well except for here I suppose.

Hidey-ho. I'm swinging from the wreckage!
At Fort Stevens there is a base that was used through World War II with abandoned gun batteries & such.

I just saw this sign post & thought it was awesome & pulled over & made Robert take a picture of it. Where it points to, I have not a clue.
Now, when driving back we stopped at Rogue Ale House for some grub...fish 'n chips for Robert. There were all these docks that have been overrun by sea lions...a couple of them have been given up on & were just cut off from the pier & the sea lions have claimed em. Now, there was a bit of an incident that may have included the danger of death by sea lion attack for Helene...Robert claims that this was all due to Helene not listening to him...hmph.

Toronto, Ontario!!!!

I love Canada! & I love Toronto! & I love Robert! =]


On September 1st, after a whole summer of being away from my darling boyfriend, I flew up to Toronto, Ontario. Toronto is absolutely beautiful & his family was charming & sweet (very fun British Canadians! =] ).


The next day he took me to a Toronto Blue Jays baseball game at Rogers Stadium in downtown Toronto.This is Greg, one of Robert's best friends who was with him when we met & is totally cool, me of course, & my cutie (who has such sensitive eyes that they won't stay open in pictures...aw, poor baby...lol). Shenela, another of his good friends & his regular Blue Jays buddy, also very cool, came with us too.

After the game, Richard & Jayne (Robert's parents) picked us up & we drove down to Niagara Falls! It was such an incredible experience!!










We took the Behind the Falls tour & got absolutely drenched.

I love his "I have to wait in another line" look.




This is from the Ex - the big exhibition fair in Toronto at the end of every summer.

Crazy Canadian waffle ice cream sandwiches.



"Farm to Fork - Quality People, Quality Pork" Robert loved this and insisted on making all sorts of terrible comments about delicious bacon sandwiches in front of the poor pigs & passersby.

Greg! Robert's super cool friend who came with us to the Ex.




This is at his friend's wedding that we went to & he really does look like he's checking me out. He looks kinda creepy old manish in the photo though.

Robert & I and Greg & some tart from Maryland.

Gangstas