With one “dry” weather day left in Vancouver, we hike the interior of Stanley Park.  We feel like lost hobbits in this endless glade.

Dog walkers disappear as we delve deeper.  Misty and free of the city’s steel, we find something odd.

Four placards declare the historic importance of this landmark: Hollow Tree. Once cars even elephants parked in it.  A storm knocked it down in 2006 but private donations have propped it up with steel…moving on…

Another hour and we find the overlook near Lion Gate Bridge:

Oddly, Guinness (yes, Ireland’s Guinness) built the bridge half a century ago. Small world

The next day, we pack up and head to wine country (finally!).

An hour drive Southeast from Vancouver takes us to Fraser Valley: End of the World if I was a grape.  We pull up to Backyard Vineyards.  Luckily the building is labeled:

Tracy heads in to warm up.  I pass the winery to check out real, actual vines!

Not much, but they exist.  Shivering, I head inside to taste through their offerings.

Barely through the whites, they invite us into the winery. Stainless tanks loom behind doors, but right now, Backyard’s 2012 Cab is going into bottle:

Their winemaker, James, tastes me on the new cab. It’s tight, young, packed, but  in a few months, will be quite good.  He gives me a bottle. He expresses the tough balance between aging wines or releasing them according to the owner’s wishes.

We return to the quiet tasting room and take our time with their other wines (off season is glorious). This is what I think:

Hold your horses! It is only 11am! More wineries await!