The advantage of having friends all over town is that you get to visit their cities. This time, we ventured into the land of White Rock, which is nothing like I remembered... Assuming that I have been here once. Let's look at this beautiful day.
Even washrooms are beautifully designed
June 11, 2015
In my circle of friends, we usually do whatever the celebrant wants to do. Although the majority of us live close to one another, our one friend Samantha lives all the way in White Rock. I met Samantha through our friend Taamisah, which was all the way back in university. She was a Biology assistant, but I believe the lab has entirely changed so that they do not need help...
Before getting into undiscovered territories, I met up with Taamisah and Candice where we took a bus over there. It's not your typical bus ride, as it goes along the highway and into neighbourhoods within a matter of minutes. Not knowing exactly where we were heading, Taamisah all of a sudden told us to get off the bus, and walk all the way down the road. The street was quite steep, with these little groves on the sidewalk which assist in difficult conditions - that's genius.
We eventually got to the water, waiting for everyone to meet up with us. Being the explorer that I am, I saw this little building with the most unique painting I have seen:
Sunset spectacular
Fish inside of a fish
Painted by 4Cats Art Studio
I do wish more buildings were painted like this, it adds more colour that is much needed in the community. Samantha found us, and off we were headed by the water. It's incredible to see train tracks by the water, as Samantha explained that people wanted to reopen the train station at White Rock - except, barely anyone showed enough support. But regardless, it adds a beauty to its surroundings:
Goes on and on...
...and never stops
The construction in White Rock is a blend of both old and new, but the real winner would have to be these uniform buildings, with the majority being ice cream, coffee, or a restaurant; maybe White Rock citizens love their food? Nonetheless, this is oddly satisfying:
Like everything in place
Samantha also pointed out a pub, which is owned by the Joseph Richard Group. I find it interesting that most of their locations are in towns that I don't usually visit such as Surrey, Coquitlam, and Langley. What makes this place interesting is the Union Jack painted on the door. That, and it's the only building with poles sticking out of the building:
Intricate, or abstract?
While finding a place to set up our picnic, I noticed by the museum (once the train station) was this sun dial, something I never knew how to read. Always been amused by the time telling contraption, and had to see what the time indicated:
The almighty sun dial
Does this mean noon?
We eventually found Rachel, who parked by the train station. For a little while, we walked towards the pier, finding that there we were unlikely going to find a table, and resorted walking back. Strange as it may seem, tables were available all around the area. Tried to look for the one with shade, and settled for one not to far from where we met up with Samantha.
Everyone made a dish, and it was truly delectable. Taamisah made a veggie pasta salad, while Candice made some date protein balls. Rachel brought nachos with salsa and Samantha made a fruit salad - we are quite the healthy bunch here. I just brought fruits that I found out later were probably not organic. Although it may be labelled 'organic,' Taamisah was telling me that there is no such thing as organic melons... Oh well, more honeydew for all!
Taamisah brought one more dish, which was incredible! She explained how she had to freeze the cupcakes to prevent melted icing, and it still looked fresh. What I love about this were there the coffee chips. They may look like chocolate chips, but the strength of these chips indicate a caffeine buzz. Just look at her creation:
So amazing, it's orgasmic
After the picnic, we had to look into White Rock and all that it has to offer. Like tourists in a new town, we walked and talked and most importantly, took photos. First off, a photo op for Taamisah. She said that we should take a picture - she was the only one:
Looking good here, mountie
Then we made our way to the pier, which looked amazing from afar just as close by. Before entering the pier, there is a plaque with the history of its inception. Truly remarkable:
Dates back to 100 years
Look at the beauty
Let's enter
Not sure how long this path goes, but it seemed to take some time before getting to the end. Not knowing how cold it would have been, I was just walking with a tank top, freezing on the inside. When we got to the lookout point, there were some unique features here. It was absolutely delightful.
White Rock cares about your skin
Bird be perching on some wood
People jumping off the pier, no big deal
The trail that goes on forever
Graffiti: the cherry on top
The perfect day to sail
Pushing the button on accident creates artsy photos
(From left: Taamisah, Candice, Samantha)
Capturing a moment
(From left: Rachel, Candice, Taamisah, Samantha)
It may be beautiful to look at the water, but eventually one does not know what to do after looking at the blue on blue landscape. So what else could one do other than take some selfies? The following are a series of attempts to capture the best photos with the wind being a challenge. Be warned, hair goes everywhere:
Myself and Rachel
Top: Rachel and Taamisah
Bottom: Candice, Samantha, myself
Somewhat better, but Samantha's face is covered
Rachel's face is partially there... Oh well, close enough
Another fun fact that Samantha provided was the rock in the middle of the water. She says that it is the division between Canada and the United States, which makes me wonder how geographers figured this out, or, even put a rock in the middle of the ocean:
Can you identify the rock?
A closer look
Not the border, but still beautiful to see rock and water together
In the far off distance, when I was taking photos of the border, I noticed to two fellows who where on what looked like surfboards, but with paddles in their hands. I'm not sure how this sorcery works, paddling while standing on a board, but it's quite fascinating (not to mention, the eye candy):
A sight for sore eyes
Along the trail, I saw this adorable sign. Me wants to try it some time
Now I know you all have been asking this question to yourself: why is the place called White Rock? Apparently, the community/city/whoever is in charge of White Rock decided to paint one gigantic rock sitting on the beach white. Not sure how long ago this tradition started, but Samantha states that they paint the rock every year. To say that's impressive in an understatement. Like all good tourists, we had to take photos by this white rock:
Left: Taamisah, Candice, Samantha, myself
Left: Rachel, Candice, Samantha, myself
Pass the white rock is more beach, but a little more rocky than expected. It's rather quiet despite the fact that a handful of people were lying around primarily on the grass. It may not be much, but it's still captivating of a view. Let's take a glimpse:
Peaceful silence
A look at the pier
Familiar faces
Before the grass was this unique monument of a bear, with a minimal background to it. On the label, it says that it is dedicated to a person who passed away, and that this bear is a grizzly. I wonder how long it took this person to make it, especially with its chipped nose (that's not cool):
Standing in its glory
A donated statue, how thoughtful
Me riding a bear d";
If there was anything that popped out, it was the couple who really enjoyed tanning. They are not only tanned, but almost an orange pigment compared to the rest of the beachgoers, whom seemed to no understand the tanning concept. Whatever pigmentation of your skin, it's incredible to see the different types of people who enjoy the beach:
Can you spot them?
Certainly, it was a change of the typical things that we do when we hang out with one another. Samantha was an excellent tour guide, and provided an experience unlike any other, especially as it was her birthday. While she walked home, Rachel brought Candice, Taamisah, and myself in her car as we sang our childhood music on the long ride home.
There was no dull moment on this June day. I can't wait to visit White Rock again (and try all of the food too!)
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