Anniversary Weekend in Squamish, BC
Adam and I met mid-July three years ago, just a month after I moved out to Seattle. By September, we were going on weekend adventures all over the Pacific Northwest and spending every minute of every day with each other, stuck together like glue.
Our first camping trip together was in Squamish, BC. It was my first time visiting Canada, and we spent a day in Vancouver before venturing further into Squamish. We camped in the back of Adam's old truck and hiked The Chief; a crazy trail leading to amazing views! It was an awesome weekend in one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. It quickly became one of our favorite spots and we always talked about going back but we never did.
Well, three years have gone by, and for our anniversary this year, Adam had a top-secret weekend planned for us. I hoped Squamish was where we were headed, but really, I had no idea, and I don't like guessing! So, we left on a Friday and made our way north. He exited in Bellingham (a city just shy of the Canadian border) and that's when I started to question where we were really headed... As we followed the map to this secret spot, Adam said, "Well, you're going to find out what we're doing as soon as we turn this corner."
So, we turned the corner, and THERE THEY WERE! The cutest vintage trailers! It's my dream to own one, and we've talked about renting one forever. We pulled up, met the super nice couple who rents them out, and hooked up the adorable 1970's boler to the truck. Her name was Bella!
I was so excited! After she was hooked up and we were back on the road, he finally spilled the beans and told me we were indeed heading to Squamish. Yay!
The views on the way to Squamish were just as gorgeous as I had remembered. The couple who owned the trailer told us that having one of these was like owning a puppy. "People will approach you constantly and ask a bunch of questions." We laughed of course, but boy, were they right! Everyone we passed either smiled, pointed, or stopped to come check it out. We even caught a family having a photo shoot in front of it. Bella just seemed to make people happy, haha.
The first night, we stayed in a campground where we were told a bear had been wandering around looking for food. I have a very real fear of bears, so that wasn't too comforting, but luckily we never saw it and we survived the night! In the morning, we ate breakfast at Fergie's, our favorite spot in Squamish. The benny's are to die for!
Afterward, we made our way to the Spit where we spent the rest of the day. We watched the kiteboarders, kitesurfers, and windsurfers cruise along and play in the beautiful blue water. The wind was out of control! We had to wear our puffy jackets because it was a bit chilly, but we didn't mind.
Check out this side-by-side taken in the same exact spot at the Spit. Three years ago, and now. I think we got a bit more sun that year... And we're a couple of old farts now. Time flies when you're having fun!
When Adam and I were here three years ago, there was no gondola up the mountain. The crazy hike we did the first time around gave us the views that the gondola now brings people up to. I can't believe how quickly that area has developed for tourists! We figured we better check it out. Luckily, we were given a discounted rate because there was some sort of Arcteryx climbing party happening, so the girl working slipped us the cheap tickets to join the party.
The views on the way up were incredible. If you look closely at the photo above, you can see little Bella! Adorable, even from way up there.
There was a crazy suspension bridge bringing you to an area where a bunch of trailheads were. We found a short hike and walked around for a while until we found a nice viewpoint. It started to rain a bit, so once it started to get dark, we didn't stay up there too much longer.
That night, we camped right outside the gated area leading to the Spit. I absolutely loved sleeping in the boler. It was so comfy and I think I liked the bed more than ours back home. We slept for 10 hours!
In the morning, we stumbled upon a farmer's market. All of the vendors were so great and we spent a good amount of money on fruit, marshmallows, bread, etc. It was impossible to resist!
Adam brought his windsurfing gear on the trip and decided to go out for a while. I stayed back and took photos, read, and enjoyed the view.
On our way back Sunday afternoon, we took our time and spent a few hours in Vancouver. I love Canada so much. The area we found to wander around in was so beautiful. It reminded me a lot of Seattle, but it had a different specialness about it.
Little did we know Sunday just happened to be National Ice Cream Day! We enjoyed some cones before getting on the road back to Washington. When we got to Bellingham, it was so hard returning the trailer to its owners. I tried not to cry! Ha, it was a great weekend and a wonderful anniversary. I feel so lucky to have Adam in my life. Here's to 100 more years of love and happiness. <3