Beautiful Victoria, BC

It is called the City of Flowers and it is easy to see why. Victoria is a very beautiful city and the inner harbour area where we stayed just spectacular. The hanging baskets that adorn each lamp post are colourful and the gardens and flower boxes throughout the city well maintained and simply beautiful.

This morning we visited the Butchart Gardens. WOW!!! As you wandered around you were treated to endless colour and the most glorious scents filled the air. The different areas of the gardens showcased plants from all over the world. We had heard so many good reports from other travellers and we weren't disappointed. 

In the afternoon we climbed aboard a float plane for an aerial tour around the island. It was a very different experience and the views just fabulous.

Unfortunately our tour finishes with dinner tonight. Six of us are either returning home or setting off on individual tours while the other 30 board a cruise ship for a 7 day trip up the inside passage to Alaska. It really has been a terrific tour with a great group of people. We have a long journey home with long waits at both Vancouver and Los Angeles airports. It seems funny that we leave here on Wednesday but won't be home until Friday. We have loved our time in both the USA and Canada and while we are happy to be heading home we are not looking forward to the cold winter weather in Melbourne.

Whistler to Victoria

Our first stop today was the beautiful Shannon Falls about an hour out of Whistler on the road to Vancouver. 

We travelled along the Sea to Sky Highway which links Whistler to Vancouver as far as the ferry port at Horseshoe Bay. We then boarded a large ferry (bus and all) for our trip across Howe Sound to Vancouver Island. The trip takes 90 minutes. We docked at Nanaimo and then drove down the coast to Victoria.....about another hour. We arrived at The Empress, which overlooks the inner harbour, late in the afternoon. The Empress is a stunning building that speaks to a very grand past. The tea room is simply stunning and the hotel has played host to many royals and celebrities. 

For dinner we caught a small water taxi to Fisherman's Wharf where we ate the freshest piece of fish I think I have eaten at a picnic table on the floating dock. 

Tomorrow we are off to the Butchart Gardens in the morning and a float plane trip around the island in the afternoon. 

Another FIRST - Ziplining

Whistler is a busy playground for the very adventurous. As the saying goes - "When in Rome....." So today Stephen and I went on the SuperFly Zipline. Firstly we were driven high up into the mountain tops by four wheel drive vehicles. We then negotiated a series of ziplines back down to the base camp, flying over and through trees, clouds and valleys. We travelled on four different ziplines. One of the lines was 1.5 km long, another 1.2 km and the remaining two much shorter but steeper (aptly named Godzilla and Base Jump.) It was seriously heaps of fun (after I got past the first one.) Our four young guides were very encouraging and patient.

This video was produced by the SuperFly Zipline company but it gives you a good idea of what we actually did today. 

http://youtu.be/M2T166E2DPI

We then spent time exploring the small but interesting town of Whistler before walking home to the Fairmont. The weather has been a bit inclement but it certainly didn't spoil our day of fun. 

Big travel day x 2

We have spent the past two days travelling across Canada from Jasper in Alberta to Whistler in British Columbia. Last night we stayed in a pretty little ski village 31km outside of Kamloops called Sun Peaks. Tonight and tomorrow night we are staying at the Fairmont Chateau in Whistler (so named because of the whistling noise made by marmots, which are common in the area.) After two big days in the bus we are happy to have some time to explore the pretty village of Whistler. We also have an activity tomorrow and hope to go on the peak to peak gondola in the afternoon - weather permitting. After three and a half weeks of perfect weather it is raining in Whistler, which is actually a great thing for the locals as they have been fighting terrible forest fires for weeks. Today as we crossed the mountain range we drove through some ancient forests that were absolutely gorgeous. The variety of fir and spruce trees was truly amazing and the stands of birch trees glorious. We crossed many aqua, green and emerald rivers and saw a number of beautiful waterfalls. Apart from a few dear there was not an abundance of wildlife around, however, we did witness a large black bear crossing the road right in front of our bus yesterday. 

When was the last time you did something for the first time? TODAY!!!

I seem to be saying that a lot during this marvelous trip. Yesterday it was walking on a glacier and today it was riding on a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Wow! Our guide and driver Doug took us up to the ski field just outside of Jasper. Unfortunately we didn't spot any bears but we did see a herd of elk. The weather here is very hot. There are large forest fires burning in and around the area. Some of the valleys are a bit smokey but it is certainly not spoiling our time in this beautiful province of Alberta. 

Banff to Jasper

Today was another busy day!!! We were up early as we had appointments at a couple of popular tourist destinations. Scenic likes to make the times relatively early in order to beat the crowds and believe me there are crowds everywhere. Summer is Canada's very busy season. Our first stop was the very pretty Peyto Lake. Another emerald coloured lake. The colour is due to the glacier 'flour' (the term they use for the minerals in the crushed rock) that is washed down into the water.

Our next stop was the Columbia Icefields where we were taken to the Athabasca Glacier in an Ice Explorer. It was a very unique experience. 

This is a link for a short video Stephen filmed while we were on the glacier:

http://youtu.be/Cyy0HegCDks

The second major stop for the day was the Glacier Skywalk. The views from the top were spectacular. Stephen and I made it around the glass floored structure once but felt a little uncomfortable as it does move slightly in the wind. It wasn't as tall as the Skywalk at the Grand Canyon. 

Our hotel for the next two nights is the Jasper Park Lodge. Our room is a small log cabin in the woods next to another emerald coloured lake. 

Lake Louise to Banff - the story!

Today we travelled from Lake Louise to Banff. It is not a long way but we made a few stops along the way. 

Our first stop was the lookout overlooking the spiral tunnel. The tunnel was engineered so that trains could safely negotiate the steep decent. This picture is of the one train. The freight trains here are so long that you can clearly see them enter and exit the long spiral tunnel.....all in the one photo. 

Our next stop was Emerald Lake. Aptly named and very beautiful. 

Next it was on to the Natural Bridge. It is a rock formation that spans the Kicking Horse River. 

Next stop was the Banff Gondola. The steepest chairlift/gondola I have ever seen. The views (if you were game enough to look down) were spectacular. 

We then had a longer stop in the town of Banff. It is a very beautiful town absolutely full of young Aussies. There are some 10,000 of them working here at the moment. It was extremely busy. In winter the population is about 6,000 but in summer it increases to 35,000. The Canadians (like the Americans) are exceptionally passionate about 'the great outdoors.' They love to camp, cook out, hike and boat on the many lakes. As you drive along the Trans Canada Highway it is just so evident that this province is set up for tourists. There are camping areas, rest stops and parking bays with good services where people park while they hike off into the forest, everywhere. The highway is pristine. There is a high fence running along the entire edge. It is also buried some 2 metres into the ground. This is to protect the animals so that they can't stray out into the path of the traffic. Maximum speed is only 90km and animals have right of way. If a bird or animal does stray into the road the cars, etc have to pull off and wait for the animals to pass. There are huge fines if you do not comply. The other thing you see are animal overpasses. These are numerous and each one cost $6,000,000. They are completely planted out like the natural habit and have high fences that guide the animals over the highway so that they do not get hurt. It is incredible. 

While in town Stephen bought himself a Tilley Hat which is a very famous brand made exclusively in Canada. He is very happy with his purchase and was happy to model it while standing in front of the Bow River Falls.....our last stop for the day.

The other thing were bought while in town was a Bear Claw. Our guide had told us that there were two things we needed to try while in Canada. One was a Bear Claw and the other a Beaver Tail. A Bear Claw is cashews surrounded by caramel which is then dipped in chocolate. Three cashews then decorate the top.....thus the name. They are absolutely amazing. (Update: So good in fact that we went back to buy some more the next day.)

Finally we pulled into the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. It is referred to as the Castle in the Sky and as you drive up towards it you understand why. I will post picture of the hotel in a later entry. We had just enough for a quick shower before heading out to dinner at Castello's which is a very nice Italian restaurant.