Venturing Into Vancouver

Yesterday was my first entire day off so naturally I went to Vancouver to see experience the Olympic Games away from the mountains and in the big city. After freezing at the alpine venue the past week, I welcomed the opportunity to thaw out at some indoor sports. First off was U.S. women's hockey semifinal match against Sweden. Team USA won and go on to play Canada in the gold medal match on Thursday. Then I saw the U.S. men's curling match against China. Curling has been one of the few areas where the Americans have underperformed and yesterday resulted in another loss. Nevertheless, it was very cool to see the sport in person for the first time and to hang out with former USOC intern Maura.

In between the two competitions, I was able to walk around Vancouver, which is much more urban and diverse than I expected. It seemed like a less intense version of London or New York. It was every bit as visually stunning and hip as I expected with lots of interesting bars, restaurants and artwork. Tons of people were out on the streets, soaking in the Olympic spirit. I stopped by the USA House, where I ate a gourmet lunch and met up with former USOC intern Vanessa. It was a great day off and it has re-energized me to finish off these Olympic Games strong.

Click HERE for flash quotes from the men's alpine event today.

Canadian Observation of the Day: Tim Horton's is the Canadian Dunkin' Donuts, Blenz is the Canadian Starbucks, they also have plenty of Starbucks.

Medal Count: USA 26, Germany 23, Norway 17