Just got back from Washington and Canada!

JoeReal · 04-13-2009, 05:19 AM

Arrived around 1:00 am today, after driving from Vancouver and University of Washington at Seattle. Was hoping to visit Chong in Seattle, but I lost his contact info and had no time. Will post some pics of the excellent Cherry blossoms and the magnificent campus of UW.

My oldest son is now most inclined to study at UW from amongst the many universities he has applied and got accepted. And indeed, UW is one of the most beautiful campuses we have visited.

Most people I talked to at Vancouver and Washington are into organic and they are very receptive to AZ41. Will have to sell some AZ41 so that I can deduct the expense of the trip from my taxes,

Well, Washington has about 50,000 total acres planted to grapes, about 34,000 acres of it to known wine grape growers alone, so definitely, there is potential there for the business. If they used AZ41 first, before the people in Napa Valley does, then they would lay claim to marked improvement in the aroma of their wines by getting rid of nasty fungicides.

But aside from my "business" trip, here's some interesting info that I'd like to share:

Well, going into Canada at the border takes just 20 minutes. Going back into the US from Canada, is 2-hour wait time at the border. Really big hassle!

The trip was pleasant, as my son and the missus took turns at the wheel. No much trouble, people in other States are generally more well behaved than Californians when it comes to driving.

I'm still amazed at the eternal "Road Work" signs that practically occupy the entire length of I-5 in Oregon! You know, Traffic Fines are doubled in construction zones, so maybe, this is a ploy to balance their budget especially that the State of Oregon doesn't charge any sales tax. There's always extra-ordinary amount of Road Work sections at I-5 in Oregon since 1991, and still true to this very day. Tax dollars at work? At least, the roads are better in Oregon compared to that in California.

And to think we were whining at the increased sales tax in California, compliments of Arnold? Well, the sales tax at the college bookstore in Seattle is a whopping 10%! But then again, I'd rather pay 10% sales tax in Washington than pay State Income tax in California on top of an already exorbitant sales tax!

People from Oregon just show their ID's at Washington and avoid the local sales tax, something that is not allowed in California. And I know of some people from Canada driving all the way down to shop tax-free at Portland, and wear 5-layers of pants, jackets, shirts or dresses on their way back to avoid the tariff. Whatever happened to NAFTA?

Chironex · 04-17-2009, 05:55 PM

Welcome back Joe.

conejov · 04-17-2009, 06:33 PM

Welcome Back sir. Please do share some pictures of the Cherry blossoms

JoeReal · 04-18-2009, 09:30 PM

Arrived Canada at around 10:00 PM

By joereal at 2009-04-18

We visited my Aunt and Uncle in Surrey, the first city from the Border. This is the view to the cul-de-sac going into their place at the left side. We visited them and dropped samples of AZ41. They're excited about it.

By joereal at 2009-04-18

It's been raining cats and dogs in Canada

By joereal at 2009-04-18

We had little time to visit places. Not shown are the mangoes, mangosteen, longans and apple guavas that we feasted on just before we head back to the US.

By joereal at 2009-04-18

The three flags of friendship

By joereal at 2009-04-18

Duty Free Shop near the border.

By joereal at 2009-04-18

Oh man! The line is too long. It's gonna be an agonizing 2-hours wait!

By joereal at 2009-04-18

Almost there but not moving anywhere!

By joereal at 2009-04-18

This guy can't take it anymore, so he hiked to the border!

By joereal at 2009-04-18

Meanwhile, my son got off and took this pictures of the coastline.

By joereal at 2009-04-18

Maybe it's faster if we swam instead!

By joereal at 2009-04-18

Finally, the USA welcomes us back!

By joereal at 2009-04-18

And we're not the only ones having the same ideas.

By joereal at 2009-04-18

JoeReal · 04-18-2009, 11:01 PM

Actually, we also had an appointment in here, UW's visitor's center

By joereal at 2009-04-18

The skybridge to the campus.

By joereal at 2009-04-18

Walkway on rooftops.

By joereal at 2009-04-18

And here we are, George Washington Welcomes you to University of Washington Seattle

By joereal at 2009-04-18

Donated by:

By joereal at 2009-04-18

Peaceful revolution

By joereal at 2009-04-18

Oh yes, he dood it! This is my boy almost certain to to UW...

By joereal at 2009-04-18

Some light to guide you, and that's the "thought" in the back ground!

By joereal at 2009-04-18

Drumhueller Fountain

By joereal at 2009-04-18

JoeReal · 04-18-2009, 11:16 PM

The famous Red Square for public outcries and meetings, but not in China.

By joereal at 2009-04-18

But just the same, with combat ready campus police to control the rowdy crowds in the Red Square!

By joereal at 2009-04-18

JoeReal · 04-18-2009, 11:26 PM

Some of the buildings in the UW campus:

Practically one of the biggest landmarks in case you get lost, but it does really nothing more than being a landmark!

By joereal at 2009-04-18

There's a crocodile in the fountain, can you spot it?

By joereal at 2009-04-18

By joereal at 2009-04-18

One of the beautiful buildings. It is a library, the Suzallo Library. Inside it is a place that looks similar to the formal dining room at Hogwort's (Harry Potter movie).

By joereal at 2009-04-18

JoeReal · 04-18-2009, 11:48 PM

Ahhh, the finale of our trip! The famous Cherry Blossoms in the Quad. Too bad the sun isn't shining, otherwise, the whole city would be on a picnic in the Quad.

By joereal at 2009-04-18

By joereal at 2009-04-18

These ornamental cherry trees have blossoms from the roots to the sky!

By joereal at 2009-04-18

JoeReal · 04-19-2009, 12:04 AM

And yes, they have plum blossoms too. Just starting to open:

By joereal at 2009-04-18

Fragrant Jasmine flowers.

By joereal at 2009-04-18

Beautiful Camelia

By joereal at 2009-04-18

Even the lawn have very pretty tiny flowers.

By joereal at 2009-04-18

And other pretty flowers.

By joereal at 2009-04-18

Overall, University of Washington Seattle is one of the most beautiful campuses we've been to in the West Coast. The dorms have outstanding view of the waterways and the city. The only other campus that has fantastic view but not much beautiful buildings would be the Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.

04-13-2009, 05:19 AM	#1 (permalink)
JoeReal Senior Member JoeReal's Photo Gallery Location: Davis, California USDA zone 9 Find me on the map! Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,034 BananaBucks : 406,726 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 108 Times Was Thanked 474 Times in 228 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 16 Times	Just got back from Washington and Canada! Arrived around 1:00 am today, after driving from Vancouver and University of Washington at Seattle. Was hoping to visit Chong in Seattle, but I lost his contact info and had no time. Will post some pics of the excellent Cherry blossoms and the magnificent campus of UW. My oldest son is now most inclined to study at UW from amongst the many universities he has applied and got accepted. And indeed, UW is one of the most beautiful campuses we have visited. Most people I talked to at Vancouver and Washington are into organic and they are very receptive to AZ41. Will have to sell some AZ41 so that I can deduct the expense of the trip from my taxes, Well, Washington has about 50,000 total acres planted to grapes, about 34,000 acres of it to known wine grape growers alone, so definitely, there is potential there for the business. If they used AZ41 first, before the people in Napa Valley does, then they would lay claim to marked improvement in the aroma of their wines by getting rid of nasty fungicides. But aside from my "business" trip, here's some interesting info that I'd like to share: Well, going into Canada at the border takes just 20 minutes. Going back into the US from Canada, is 2-hour wait time at the border. Really big hassle! The trip was pleasant, as my son and the missus took turns at the wheel. No much trouble, people in other States are generally more well behaved than Californians when it comes to driving. I'm still amazed at the eternal "Road Work" signs that practically occupy the entire length of I-5 in Oregon! You know, Traffic Fines are doubled in construction zones, so maybe, this is a ploy to balance their budget especially that the State of Oregon doesn't charge any sales tax. There's always extra-ordinary amount of Road Work sections at I-5 in Oregon since 1991, and still true to this very day. Tax dollars at work? At least, the roads are better in Oregon compared to that in California. And to think we were whining at the increased sales tax in California, compliments of Arnold? Well, the sales tax at the college bookstore in Seattle is a whopping 10%! But then again, I'd rather pay 10% sales tax in Washington than pay State Income tax in California on top of an already exorbitant sales tax! People from Oregon just show their ID's at Washington and avoid the local sales tax, something that is not allowed in California. And I know of some people from Canada driving all the way down to shop tax-free at Portland, and wear 5-layers of pants, jackets, shirts or dresses on their way back to avoid the tariff. Whatever happened to NAFTA?

04-17-2009, 05:55 PM	#2 (permalink)
Chironex The causasian Asian! Chironex's Photo Gallery Location: Jakarta, Indonesia Find me on the map! Zone: I have no idea Name: Scot Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 2,788 BananaBucks : 118,290 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 4,544 Times Was Thanked 1,406 Times in 808 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 609 Times	Re: Just got back from Washington and Canada! Welcome back Joe. __________________ Scot

04-17-2009, 06:33 PM	#3 (permalink)
conejov Rabid Nanner Location: Houston, Tx Zone: 9 Name: Alex Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 559 BananaBucks : 89,340 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 40 Times Was Thanked 374 Times in 218 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 107 Times	Re: Just got back from Washington and Canada! Welcome Back sir. Please do share some pictures of the Cherry blossoms __________________

04-18-2009, 09:30 PM	#4 (permalink)
JoeReal Senior Member JoeReal's Photo Gallery Location: Davis, California USDA zone 9 Find me on the map! Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,034 BananaBucks : 406,726 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 108 Times Was Thanked 474 Times in 228 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 16 Times	Re: Just got back from Washington and Canada! Arrived Canada at around 10:00 PM By joereal at 2009-04-18 We visited my Aunt and Uncle in Surrey, the first city from the Border. This is the view to the cul-de-sac going into their place at the left side. We visited them and dropped samples of AZ41. They're excited about it. By joereal at 2009-04-18 It's been raining cats and dogs in Canada By joereal at 2009-04-18 We had little time to visit places. Not shown are the mangoes, mangosteen, longans and apple guavas that we feasted on just before we head back to the US. By joereal at 2009-04-18 The three flags of friendship By joereal at 2009-04-18 Duty Free Shop near the border. By joereal at 2009-04-18 Oh man! The line is too long. It's gonna be an agonizing 2-hours wait! By joereal at 2009-04-18 Almost there but not moving anywhere! By joereal at 2009-04-18 This guy can't take it anymore, so he hiked to the border! By joereal at 2009-04-18 Meanwhile, my son got off and took this pictures of the coastline. By joereal at 2009-04-18 Maybe it's faster if we swam instead! By joereal at 2009-04-18 Finally, the USA welcomes us back! By joereal at 2009-04-18 And we're not the only ones having the same ideas. By joereal at 2009-04-18 By joereal at 2009-04-18

04-18-2009, 11:01 PM	#5 (permalink)
JoeReal Senior Member JoeReal's Photo Gallery Location: Davis, California USDA zone 9 Find me on the map! Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,034 BananaBucks : 406,726 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 108 Times Was Thanked 474 Times in 228 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 16 Times	Re: Just got back from Washington and Canada! Actually, we also had an appointment in here, UW's visitor's center By joereal at 2009-04-18 The skybridge to the campus. By joereal at 2009-04-18 Walkway on rooftops. By joereal at 2009-04-18 And here we are, George Washington Welcomes you to University of Washington Seattle By joereal at 2009-04-18 Donated by: By joereal at 2009-04-18 Peaceful revolution By joereal at 2009-04-18 Oh yes, he dood it! This is my boy almost certain to to UW... By joereal at 2009-04-18 Some light to guide you, and that's the "thought" in the back ground! By joereal at 2009-04-18 Drumhueller Fountain By joereal at 2009-04-18

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04-18-2009, 11:16 PM	#6 (permalink)
JoeReal Senior Member JoeReal's Photo Gallery Location: Davis, California USDA zone 9 Find me on the map! Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,034 BananaBucks : 406,726 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 108 Times Was Thanked 474 Times in 228 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 16 Times	Re: Just got back from Washington and Canada! The famous Red Square for public outcries and meetings, but not in China. By joereal at 2009-04-18 But just the same, with combat ready campus police to control the rowdy crowds in the Red Square! By joereal at 2009-04-18

04-18-2009, 11:26 PM	#7 (permalink)
JoeReal Senior Member JoeReal's Photo Gallery Location: Davis, California USDA zone 9 Find me on the map! Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,034 BananaBucks : 406,726 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 108 Times Was Thanked 474 Times in 228 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 16 Times	Re: Just got back from Washington and Canada! Some of the buildings in the UW campus: Practically one of the biggest landmarks in case you get lost, but it does really nothing more than being a landmark! By joereal at 2009-04-18 There's a crocodile in the fountain, can you spot it? By joereal at 2009-04-18 By joereal at 2009-04-18 By joereal at 2009-04-18 By joereal at 2009-04-18 One of the beautiful buildings. It is a library, the Suzallo Library. Inside it is a place that looks similar to the formal dining room at Hogwort's (Harry Potter movie). By joereal at 2009-04-18

04-18-2009, 11:48 PM	#8 (permalink)
JoeReal Senior Member JoeReal's Photo Gallery Location: Davis, California USDA zone 9 Find me on the map! Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,034 BananaBucks : 406,726 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 108 Times Was Thanked 474 Times in 228 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 16 Times	Re: Just got back from Washington and Canada! Ahhh, the finale of our trip! The famous Cherry Blossoms in the Quad. Too bad the sun isn't shining, otherwise, the whole city would be on a picnic in the Quad. By joereal at 2009-04-18 By joereal at 2009-04-18 By joereal at 2009-04-18 By joereal at 2009-04-18 By joereal at 2009-04-18 By joereal at 2009-04-18 By joereal at 2009-04-18 These ornamental cherry trees have blossoms from the roots to the sky! By joereal at 2009-04-18

04-19-2009, 12:04 AM	#9 (permalink)
JoeReal Senior Member JoeReal's Photo Gallery Location: Davis, California USDA zone 9 Find me on the map! Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,034 BananaBucks : 406,726 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 108 Times Was Thanked 474 Times in 228 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 16 Times	Re: Just got back from Washington and Canada! And yes, they have plum blossoms too. Just starting to open: By joereal at 2009-04-18 Fragrant Jasmine flowers. By joereal at 2009-04-18 Beautiful Camelia By joereal at 2009-04-18 Even the lawn have very pretty tiny flowers. By joereal at 2009-04-18 And other pretty flowers. By joereal at 2009-04-18 Overall, University of Washington Seattle is one of the most beautiful campuses we've been to in the West Coast. The dorms have outstanding view of the waterways and the city. The only other campus that has fantastic view but not much beautiful buildings would be the Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.

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