Spokane

For the long weekend Branden and I decided to take an extra long weekend to go visit his dad in Spokane. This was my first trip up there so I was pretty excited to see a new place. The vacation started off slow since I was running a fever but once I was feeling better we made the best of our trip! We got there late Wednesday and left early Tuesday which left us with 5 whole days of fun.

Apparently it had snowed about 4 inches a few days before we got there but most of it was melted by the time we got there. I was really hoping it would snow while we were there but unfortunately it was too warm. I was able to snap a picture before it all melted though! This is the backyard.

Once I was feeling better we decided to head to downtown Spokane and check out the mall and a few stops. When we walked into the mall there was a flash mob going on so of course I had to take a picture!

Then we went to a store called Oil & Vinegar where we could try a ton of different dips! They were all so good. Because Rod had been there before he knew of a special vinegar they sell in the back and we were able to purchase some. It was the best one I had by far!

After the mall we walked to a store called Boo Radley's. They have all kinds of fun stuff. Most of them are joke gifts but it was neat messing around will all the trinkets. I found some awesome unicorn pooping rainbow socks as well as a Grumpy Cat book (my favorite).

One of Branden's favorite meals is hot pot so one night we decided to cook that! We went to the Asian Market in town and got all of the ingredients we needed. With hot pot you can pretty much put whatever you want in. We got lots of veggies and decided on beef, chicken, and shrimp for our meats.

Branden is excitedly preparing the hot pot

 All of our ingredients ready for cooking!

 With hot pot you just throw what you want into the pot and pull it out to eat as you cook.

On Sunday evening we drove into Spokane to go see the minor league hockey team play, the Spokane Chiefs. We had a ton of fun watching them play and realized we are getting old when the opposite team had a 15 year old goalie! The fans in the arena were very into the game which helped keep a fun atmosphere. Spokane ended up winning which made the game even more fun!

 In between periods the mascots played broom ball

 GOOOOAAAAALLLLL

 Final Score: 5-3

Because Spokane scored a 5th goal, everyone in the Arena got Doritos Locos Tacos! Even though we most likely won't redeem them it's always fun getting something free!

Our final day there we decided to do some shooting! Since we were in the country and had lots of hard to work with, what a better way to spend part of the day!

We ended up having a ton of fun in Spokane and can't wait for our next visit!

Honeymoon Recap - Part 2

Panama here we come!

After a half day in Colombia we were on our way to Panama to transit the Panama Canal. We arrived to the canal at about 5am and Branden and I were up and ready. We had to wait about an hour before we started transiting because of the scheduling of the boats, as well as the fact that it was still dark out.

As soon as we were ready to go through the canal, the ship had to give up control of the vessel to the Panamanian government. The captain of the ship is not allowed to navigate through the canal since it takes extreme skill and only those who have been trained can do it. In these pictures you can see the tugboats coming to the ship to gain control of it.

Once the ship was under the control of the Panamanians, we were on our way! The enginerd definitely came out in me since the canal is such an amazing engineering feat. They are even constructing a bigger and better canal that will allow massive carrier ships to come through. The current canal is 110 feet wide and 1,050 feet long. Our ship was 106 feet wide and 964 feet long (the maximum size a ship can be to safely navigate through). The new canal will be 1,400 feet long and 180 feet wide.

You can see the building of the new locks over to the left of the current locks.

 As you approach, the ship needs to be tied to little cars that help keep it in line and stop it from banging against the sides of the canal.

 A ship came up next to ours to navigate through the locks right next to us.

 You can see all the water gushing in down at the bottom right. The water gushing in helps to raise the ship to the level of the next canal.

After we navigated through the first set of locks, the Gatun Locks, we anchored in the middle of Gatun lake. From here, Branden and I decided to take a tour of the rest of the canal since our ship was going to be turning around and going back out to the Caribbean Sea. It was really an amazing experience being able to go through the locks in a large ship as well as a smaller boat. I loved being able to see the perspective of both.

Leaving our ship and heading to the tenders for our tour

 Construction on the new canal

 We made it to the Pacific Ocean!

I know the canal wasn't exactly Branden's favorite excursion to do but I'm so glad he put up with me being such a nerd. I was absolutely fascinated with how all the locks worked, how they brought he gallons of water in/out to raise/lower the ships, and the precision with which the workers are able to keep the ships so steady. Even though it was scolding hot and then pouring rain, we both had a great time and I would definitely recommend taking a trip to see the Panama Canal if you ever get the chance!

The next stop on our itinerary was Costa Rica! I'll post more about that (as well as our last stop in the Cayman Islands) in my 3rd and final portion of our honeymoon.