Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 34 mm — ¹/80 sec, f/3.2, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
What am I?

I'm traveling back to Ohio today, so no time to show all 600 pictures I took yesterday, but here's one. What is it? (Looking at the “full exif & map” link gives a strong clue, so no guessing after having looked.)

The answer is given here.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/8, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Lost in Thought
Lost Lake
Whistler, Canada

We're in Whistler (British Columbia, Canada) for a couple of days, and this morning went for a bike ride. We rented bikes at our hotel (the Four Seasons Resort Whistler) and headed out on the easy trails to the nearby “Lost Lake”....

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 34 mm — ¹/500 sec, f/4, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Ready to Go

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 19 mm — ¹/180 sec, f/3.5, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Pre-Trip Photo Op

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/180 sec, f/3.5, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Some Trails Were Paved

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/4, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Some Trails Were Gravel

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/4, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
The Lake Was Almost Always in View

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 22 mm — ¹/90 sec, f/4, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Non-Biking Fun, Too

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 32 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/8, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Minor Diversion

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/8, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Time for a Short Rest

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/1500 sec, f/4, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Doggie Contrails

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/4, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Heading Home

“Lost Lake” seems to be a popular name for lakes. Two years ago in Oregon, we happened upon a different “Lost Lake” during a side trip on a visit to Portland.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/5, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Out on the Deck
of our suite at the Four Seasons, Whistler (BC, Canada)

We took the Whistler Mountaineer this morning from Vancouver to Whistler. The trip takes something like two hours by car, but three and a half by train. I thought it was odd that the train took longer, until I realized that they go slow (sometimes stopping) so that you can enjoy the often-spectacular scenery. More on the wonderful train ride another day.

Arriving in Whistler, our “room” at the Four Seasons Whistler was a bit more than we bargained for, having gotten bumped up to a multi-room, aptly-named “Deluxe Executive Suite”.

The room is amazing. At 800 sq. ft., it's almost as big as the two-bedroom apartment I rented in California before I got married. It is certainly the nicest hotel room I will ever step foot in.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/45 sec, f/3.5, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Anthony pretends to take a shower in the
Front Bath

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/3.5, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Master Bedroom
as Anthony waits patiently....

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 22 mm — ¹/100 sec, f/3.5, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
...picture having been taken,
Anthony Puts the Bed to Use

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/90 sec, f/4.5, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Lotsa' Trees and Mountains

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 32 mm — ¹/50 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
View of the Master Bath
looking past the walk-in closet

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/20 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Walk-in Closet
looks boring (unless you have a lot of luggage)

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/50 sec, f/3.5, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Master-Bath Vanity

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/40 sec, f/3.5, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Shower & Extra-Deep Tub

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/40 sec, f/2.8, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Tuckered Out
in the livingroom

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Enjoying the Mountain Air

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/13 sec handheld, f/3.2, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 48 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Playing with Mommy

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Being Silly
( using toy sushi as extra eyeballs )

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/2000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Relaxing on the Deck

Two bathrooms, two showers, one bath, two bedrooms (the living room converting with a hide-a-bed), wonderful mountain views from all windows, tons of storage, and exquisite and impeccable styling and detail everywhere. There's nothing the least bit wrong with this room. It's amazing. It's such a contrast to the utter dump that is the Sheraton Suites Hotel in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio that we had the unfortunate experience to stay at two years ago.

I do feel a bit iffy about how we ended up with this room. As I'd mentioned, we'd come on the Whistler Mountaineer train, which arrives at noon every day. Every customer that arrives by train arrives to the hotel at about 12:30. There's just one train, at the same time. Every day. It didn't even cross my mind that hotels doing business in this little resort town wouldn't accommodate that very specific schedule, so I was shocked when the train's shuttle dropped us off at 12:30 to check in, and we were told that our room wouldn't be ready until the 3:00 check-in time.

Now, I should state here that it's my own fault for not paying attention to the check-in time, but really, it's a remarkably stupid business decision. The train arrives at the same time every day.

So, we had two and a half hours to kill, so we wandered to the restaurant to eat. While waiting for the food, I stole away to have a chat with a manager, to ask whether they knew about the really famous train that arrives at noon every day. Wouldn't it be smarter for business to accommodate that schedule? A 3pm check-in time says “don't stay here if you take the train.”

He suggested that if we'd asked for an early check-in, they would have tried to accommodate it, and indeed, it's my own fault for not even thinking about it. Still, the concierge at the Four Seasons in Vancouver helped us with our arrangements to arrive up here, and didn't warn us that the schedule would result in two and a half hours of dead time.

Anyway, I learned my lesson to be sure to check the check-in time, even when it seems like it should obviously be okay.

In looking to see when our room would be ready, he noticed that our reservation was for a room with two small twin beds, which is all Fumie could get when she booked it. He suggested that we'd be more comfortable in a room with a king, and I immediately interjected that I didn't come to talk to him because I was trying to get something. I came because a business had made a poor decision that I was affected by, and I wanted them to know. I was pleasant, but informative; if no one tells them, how would they know?

He said that the thought of moving to a bigger room was unrelated – he wanted his customers to be comfortable – so he'd look into it while we ate. I don't believe for a moment that it's unrelated, so half of me wants to pay for it to preserve some kind of standard of conduct for myself, but there's no way I could afford this amazing suite of rooms.

As Seth Godin says, good marketing is all about delight, and in this case, wow, we're delighted.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 35 mm — ¹/80 sec, f/9, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
Hello!
Anthony and a Sea Otter

On our first full day of our visit to Vancouver, we visited the Vancouver Aquarium. We didn't think it'd be crowded on a Tuesday afternoon, but it was packed, with a long line waiting to get in (to pay – another shock – $25 per person, $18 for kids!) Apparently, Vancouverites are going nuts over a baby whale that was born two weeks ago. Oh well.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 34 mm — ¹/60 sec, f/2.8, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos

It was drizzling most of the day, but it was clear a bit when we left the aquarium, which was near the shore...

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/750 sec, f/6.3, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/4 sec handheld (braced against window), f/2.8, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Vancouver
View from our Room, Four Seasons Hotel
Vancouver, Canada

We're in Canada for a week, land of slightly odd spellings (e.g. “Centre”), specifically in Vancouver. It's very nice, but very, shockingly expensive... much much more expensive than Japan. It's more expensive by every metric I've noticed, except gasoline. Gasoline is slightly more expensive in Japan.

But it's nice. Pretty. Clean. Safe. We had a nice evening yesterday watching “floatboats” landing (pontoon boats) at the nearby harbor airport. The view when I took the photo above was filled with subtle, wispy deep colors, but they didn't really come out.

In the lower left is the Museum of Art. The stately copper-topped building to the right is a hotel (The Fairmont, I think). It's a pretty view.