The Vacation is Almost Over

Today is our last day of vacation, tomorrow we fly home. It has been one of the most incredible trips we have ever taken. So lets see what happened on our last day.

We didn't get up until 9:00am and we ended up having a quick breakfast at the hotel before making our way to Stanley Park. We found parking off of Pipeline Rd. and walked down the street to the Tisdale Walk Trail. This took us to the Beaver Lake Trail where we went in search for Halloween Series: Monster Mash in Stanley Park. There were six boxes in this series and the search didn't start out well. We couldn't find the first box. We started from the beginning of the clue about six times and we still didn't find the box. Not sure if we just didn't get the clues or if the box is actually missing. But we continued on and by the time we finished the loop we had found four of the six. It was an enjoyable walk and I really liked the theme of this series. At the same time we were looking for this series we were also keeping an eye out for a single box - A Canadian Goose. Which we found without any problems. After completing the loop and getting back to the beginning of the trail we returned to the parking area.

There was another series near this parking lot at the miniature railway. So we found the starting point for the Wizard of Oz in Stanley Park. This series had seven boxes. We found the first box without any problems but things didn't stay that way. After following all the clues and walking around this area we only found three of the boxes. We even went back to check again on the ones we couldn't find but we still came up empty handed. After this series we decided we had letterboxed enough and we were going to leave Stanley Park and go and get something to eat. Then Thomas asked if I was going to check on my Lover's Walk box. I had completely forgotten about it. I placed this box on August 6, 2006. At first it was doing well and then I received the following note . . .

Hello! Benetti's Defense and I were in Stanley Park today, so we thought we'd look for your letterbox there... we knew two others had tried and thought it was buried; but we thought maybe the park crews had cleaned up a bit around your plant location since the last attempt... no such luck. It will easily take them years to clean up the whole park after that storm... Has anyone sent you any pictures from this location? We took some pics, and I'd be happy to share them with you... sadly, I think the box is lost. There is now a hole going completely under the tree and I poked into the various crevices, but didn't see anything. We also looked under another (smaller) fallen tree, thinking that when it was standing it may have been in the right sightline as well... didn't see it there either. Sorry. The trail was beautiful though, even with all the storm damage. Thanks for the experience. I don't think we would have taken that trail otherwise. Happy trails, Hufflepuff Lost

So I wrote them back and got another note and some pictures . . .

Hello Lionsmane, I kept the "new home" analogy for naming the pics... the neighbourhood is in rough shape... there aren't many "homes" left standing... Parks crews have cleared the paths, but haven't really cleared the damage from the sides yet. The "new neighbourhood" pic is what we saw as we walked up the path while following your directions. The huge hollow stump is kinda at the back towards the left of the pic. There is a pic with me standing in the door, but it's not as wide of a shot. There is also a pic that I took while standing in the "doorway". I think the tree in front is the one you would've hidden your box by. Underneath the tree (near the base of it) has been dug out almost entirely; I assume from the other boxers trying to rescue your box (or an animal needing to make a den). My husband was using his camera flash to see in better, and I could see the flash from the other side... Sadly we didn't anything that even resembled a box. I really is unbelieveable to see all the storm damage throughout the park... I don't know how familiar you are with the park, but there is a cafe at Prospect Point (Prospect Point is where you can view the Lions Gate Bridge). The grove across the street from this cafe was entirely flattened... and the length of Stanley Park Drive from there almost to the Teahouse is no longer mostly shaded... The trails along teh ocean on that side look like they are still closed and covered in fallen trees. It's so sad... Hufflepuff Lost

I had not heard anything about the Windstorm until I received this note. I was a little upset but also felt good that people cared enough to try and find the box. Since I don't live any where near this box I marked it as unknown and pretty much forgot about it. When the trip to Alaska came up and I realized I would be in Vancouver I was thrilled that I would get the chance to look for myself and see what happened. I made a decision not to replace the box if it indeed was missing. So we drove to the Tea House to park and headed down the Lovers Walk Trail. We got to the spot where my box was suppose to be and I realized I didn't have the clues so I would have to remember where I planted the box. The trail doesn't look anything like in the pictures above, they have really cleaned things up. So I stood at the large hollowed out stump that was one of the main landmarks and looked across the trail to see if I could remember what tree I had placed the box under. Then I thought that they may have cut up my tree and hauled it off. Anyway, Thomas started looking at the tree that was on the corner of the trail junction and I went and helped him. Then I remembered that I didn't want to hide the box that close to the main trail so I moved over to the next tree, which was now a sawed off stump (and maybe it was that way before, I really can't remember). I noticed two rocks pushed into a space made where two roots started and branched off. One of the rocks had like a light green, very thin moss on it. So I picked up that rock and saw the edge of a container and when I moved the second rock there was my box. I couldn't believe that it survived this major windstorm and the clean up afterwards. I grabbed the box and Thomas and I found another spot to hide the box because there is a hole under the stump and I was worried that the stump might eventually collapse and then the box might really be lost. So Lover's Walk is alive and well after just sitting and waiting for the last four and a half years and there are new clues - I hope someone visits him soon. Finding this box alive after all this time is one of my greatest thrills and memories of my five and a half years of letterboxing.

We left Stanley park and went to Denman St. to find something to eat. It took us a while to find parking and it was about five blocks away. We got to Denman and noticed some statues across the street in a little park and they looked really interesting so we went to investigate. There are 14 larger than life statues that make up this piece. It is called "A-MAZE-ING LAUGHTER" by Yue Minjun. I fell in love with the piece. Thomas and I took turns posing with a couple of the statues. When we read the plaque with the name Thomas said how appropriate it was. Everyone walking around the piece had an ear to ear grin - it just made you smile and laugh. We were both hungry so we started walking along Denman and eventually stopped at FatBurger. We both had been craving burgers and fries for the last four or five days and this looked like the place to satisfy us - and it did, we had a great meal. And for dessert, we crossed the street to Original Cupcakes and I got the caramella and Thomas got the red velvet.

After eating we decided to go back to the hotel and get things organized and packed for the trip home and maybe get a little rest from our 17 day trip. We spent about an hour getting all the luggage packed making sure to not go over the weight limit. Then Thomas read and I blogged.

Finding Lover's Walk alive at the end of this fabulous trip was the icing on the cake and now I was ready to go home. It has been an amazing time but as they say all good things must come to an end.