Sight-seeing – Page 8 – Just An East Coast Girl

ACROSS CANADA DAY: 15 July 24~ The Pacific Rim

Driving from Tofino to Victoria is like driving on the Cabot Trail and on the old road from Bridgewater to Peggy’s Cove…well kinda , ok not really but there are so many twists and turns and rug hugging narrow turns. For this girl…it makes me sick, literally. I was so happy to get off the worse stretch from Tofino to Port Alberni. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous and breath taking if you’re not feeling like you want to be sick. lol

We got through that and then stopped in Duncan, The City of Totems. ( That is where my friend Michelle lives) We had a picnic lunch in the park and snapped a few pics and then headed to the Shawinigan Lake area to see the Kinsol Trestle.

The Kinsol Trestle is a wooden railway trestle also known as the Koksilah River Trestle that crosses the Koksilah River.

Completed in 1920, its dimensions measure 144 ft high and 617 ft long, making it the largest wooden trestle in the Commonwealth of Nations, and one of the highest railway trestles in the world. It was very cool to see.

We arrived in Victoria and met my friend Michelle and her husband Peter for drinks, it was so nice to see them. Then we spent the rest of the evening seeing Victoria at Night!

ACROSS CANADA DAY: 14 July 23~ Surfer’s Town Tofino, BC

Ever since James was here, I wanted to go! What an amazing place. Beaches and mountains, hiking, fishing, whale watching…you name it, Tofino’s got it! A few people mentioned why do you want to go to Tofino? You don’t surf… BUT the vibe here is so unique. It is a fun little place to chill for a couple days. Time kinda stands still here…and as we are nearing the end of our adventure we needed a laid back, slow day with no agenda but just to enjoy the sun and surf and beach!

ACROSS CANADA DAY: 13 July 22~ Nanaimo Bar in Nanaimo, BC

Today I had one thing on my mind, haha. Well no, a lot more than one BUT today I knew we would be going through Nanaimo, BC and for the longest time, I have had on my bucket list to eat a delicious Nanaimo square in Nanaimo, BC!!! It can’t be too hard to find a great coffee shop that serves Nanaimo squares.

The other thing in this area that is so very cool are the humongous trees!!!!

The very early morning drive from Squamish to the “other Ferry route” ( Horseshoe Bay was sold out) the Ferry to the Island, the drive from Victoria up to Nanaimo to McMillan Park to Tofino was fabulous. Did I mention the goats on the roof? What a wonderful day, a highlight for sure!

Oh and dinner tonight at the Shelter…does it get any better?

pS Pictures to be posted later! Tofino is a surf town and Internet at our hotel is bad…so I’m just taking a couple days break and Chillin’ rather than be frustrated. After all isn’t that what you do here…

Here are some pics!

ACROSS CANADA DAY: 12 July 21~ Sea to Sky in Squamish

Squamish is a community in BC, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway. It had its beginning during the construction of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway in the 1910’s. It was the first southern terminus of that railway now CN.

It is THE “Outdoor Adventure” place in the area. We left Van city this morning and headed to Squamish. The road to Squamish is amazing as it winds through the mountains.

The Stawamus Chief on Canada’s West Coast is a world-renowned rock-climbing destination known for its beautiful multi-pitch routes and unrivalled crack-climbing pitches. But many visiting outdoor enthusiasts are unaware that the iconic granite monolith also carries the scars of a legendary battle. The region’s Squamish people tell of the mythical hero Xwech’taal vanquishing the double-headed sea serpent Sinulhkay before uniting the Squamish Nation.

The Stawamus Chief — pronounced stah-WAH’-muss, but known simply as “The Chief” attracts thousands of visitors every year, both for its premiere rock-climbing offerings but also for accessible hiking trails that climax in rewarding ridge-top vistas.

The mountain towers 700 metres over the head of a picturesque, inundated fjord, about 50 kilometres northwest of Vancouver. Looking down from the first of its three rounded granite summits, the slithering Squamish River can be seen reaching the salty waters of Howe Sound, which ripple between shades of teal and aquamarine under a shifting, cloud-covered sky. The initial peak is accessible about 1.5 kilometres from and 540 metres above the trail’s starting point, while the two remaining summits are located slightly higher and farther along. It’s all straight up climbing on all trails.

The panorama offers a view across the core of the Squamish Nation’s territory.

Today’s mission should you choose to accept it….to Conquer “THE CHIEF” To start our day, we took the Sea to Sky Gondola just to get a view of what we were looking at for a climb. We were able to look down on the Chief Peaks from a viewing platform a short hike away at the Gondola Summit. We had fun on the Suspension bridge and a snack before heading back down.

Later this afternoon when it was cooler we were ready to climb the Chief! We chose Peak 1 because it supposedly has the most amazing view of the 3.

We stopped by Shannon Falls and connected on the Sea to Sky trail then connected to the Stawamus Chief Trail. And from there it was straight up!!

It was a hardish climb…well for me with short legs, David was fine…

And after we were all finished and had a refreshing shower, we enjoyed a lovely dinner beside the Squamish River at the Watershed Restaurant.

ACROSS CANADA DAY: 11 July 20~ Vancouver Day 2…CHOICES

1st thing…Sleep in!!! I’m tired. All this sightseeing is hard work lol. Haha after all we are staying a couple of nights in the Granville Street district, the entertainment district in the heart of downtown which means no one is really up to early.

CHOICES!! Life is all about Choices, what to do?

We are just a short walk from the ferry terminal that goes to Granville Island so we thought it would be fun to check out the famous market. In the early 1900s, Granville Island was home to factories, plants and sawmills. Technically a sandspit and not really island, the neighbourhood sits just south of the downtown peninsula, right under the Granville Bridge. The Granville Island Public Market acts as a hub of activity, but it’s also one of the city’s most important cultural districts with theatres, artisan workshops and craft studios.

Yaletown was once the Western terminus for the Canadian Pacific Railway, but the area’s more recent reinvention dates back to 1986 when the waterfront along the north of False Creek was host to many of the venues when Vancouver hosted the World’s Fair. Since then that land, along with the warehouse district adjoining it have been transformed into one of the city’s chicest neighbourhoods, filled with residential loft spaces, sidewalk cafes, cool restaurants, unique shopping, and leafy parks. Sitting along the south side of the downtown Vancouver peninsula

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Chinatown of course I wanted to go to China town! Established back in the 1890s, Vancouver’s Chinatown has been humming busily for more than a century with vivid colours, exotic cuisine and a vibrant culture. Vancouver’s Chinese population originally made the journey to work in local mines and build the Trans-Canada railway. Rich in history and architecture, this area east of downtown boasts North America’s third-largest Chinatown after New York and San Francisco. Although we learned that especially these days the greater Chinese population live in Richmond. Authentic Chinese for lunch today!!

A really cool thing about Vancouver is that usually there is a movie or series being filmed. It just so happened that they were filming The Flash today. So cool!

Well…Van city…it’s been wonderful!

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ACROSS CANADA DAY: 10 July 19 ~ Vancouver bound

What a wonderful couple days celebrating us. We slept in just a little this morning and then to Calgary Airport to return our rental and fly to Vancouver. I was quite excited to fly to Van. I had an overnight stopover here on my way to China last Fall and loved that Vancouver Airport and Vancouver has so many Chinese people. The signs in the airport are actually in 3 languages ( English, French and Chinese). I was really looking forward to spending some time exploring. We even saw Gerald in the Airport as we were leaving.

So…Two days to explore Vancouver City, what to do?

TOP of my LIST for Vancouver…Stanley Park

Vancouver’s Stanley Park is larger than New York’s Central Park. with 100 acres in the heart of the city. With beaches and gardens and an 8.8km seawall path circling the park, it’s a great place to come and relax or get a little exercise. It also has some of the most fantastic views of the city.

One of the other cool things at Stanley Park are the Totem Poles. First Nations culture is an important part of the history of both Stanley Park and Vancouver. Parts of the park were the former site of a First Nations village. The totems and gateways at were carved in the late 1880s and replaced with lookalike versions in the 1980s to keep the originals preserved. I just had to see them!

By the time we got done exploring the park, it was time to check in to our hotel and get some dinner.

Tonight we headed to Gas Town, along the north of the downtown Vancouver peninsula. Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhood, Gastown grew from a single tavern founded by John ‘Gassy Jack’ Deighton back in 1867. The district retains its historic charm and independent spirit. Victorian architecture, boutiques, one-of-a-kind galleries and some of the best culinary fare in Vancouver. It’s the place to go for dinner. So…we strolled along Water Street, saw the Steam Clock, and vintage lampposts, and at the end of Water Street saw the statue of the man who started it all, Gassy Jack Deighton. Then we had dinner at a great spot on the patio. 131Water Kitchen & Bar.

What a great first night in Vancouver.

PS. We are on the West Coast!!!!

ACROSS CANADA DAY: 8 July 17~ Me & You in the Mountains

Today was awesome! We spent the day surrounded by beautiful mountains!

Destination— Canmore and Banff

Today we took a leisurely drive to Banff via Canmore.

Both places are absolutely breathtaking. The Mountains the views, they take your breathe away…

We are so happy we chose this area as the destination for our Anniversary,

We stopped in Canmore for a picnic lunch. We didn’t stay there too long because we will be back there tomorrow night to spend the night.

Then it was on the Banff. Banff Avenue is so beautiful. We walked the streets browsing the shops and enjoyed a beavertail.

We checked in to the Buffalo Mountain Lodge nestled in the mountains

We decided to do a suppertime hike to Sulfur Mountain. It was a 5.5km hike but I found it brutal. I guess I need to get in better shape. We made it to the top and the view is so amazing. Well worth the walk up! The gondola ride was the best way down after the hike.

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We quickly got dressed for dinner ( a late dinner) and went to Saltlik. The food was so delicious and just perfect after the hike.

It was after 10 by the time we got back to our hotel in the mountains so we went for a quick relax in the hot tub ( had it all to ourselves) and then back to our room for a cozy fire before bed.

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ACROSS CANADA DAY: 7 July 16~ Badlands & Hoodoos and Pearls & A Pirate Ship

This morning we left Calgary and headed for the Badlands! Drumheller and the Hoodoo trail to be exact. This is such a cool area just an hour and a half outside of Calgary. What is really cool is the way the landscape gradually changes as you get closer to the badlands. We went from flat land with roads that you can see for miles lined with beautiful green and yellow. The canola crop is in full bloom and it’s amazing. As you get closer it gets a little hilly and then all of a sudden you are in the Badlands!

Badlands are dramatic landforms that develop an intricate network of deeply incised, narrow, winding gullies and occasional fantastically shaped hoodoos. Steep, often precipitous and densely rilled slopes almost devoid of vegetation are striking evidence of the forces of erosion.

Hoodoos (aka fairy chimneys and earth pyramids) are tall rock pillars created from soft sedimentary rock (sandstone) topped with a harder rock which is more resistant to time and the elements like wind and rain. Over time the weather creates 4 to 7 metre tall red rock pillars shaped like mushrooms. The hoodoos are easily identified. These hoodoos are a symbol of the Canadian Badlands in Alberta, Canada. Aboriginals in the 18th century used “hoodoo” ( not voodoo) to communicate with evil and supernatural forces. They believed the hoodoos were evil giant gods turned to stone by the Great Spirit. It was really cool to see this!

After a quick lunch at a picnic spot along the way…

it was on to Edmonton. To West Edmonton Mall. We just HAD to go back! I wanted to see what changed in the last 29 years. There’s a huge pirate ship, the Santa Maria ( an exact replica of Christopher Columbus’ flagship for his first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492). And it is here at this spot, One of the special memories I have of our visit to West Edmonton Mall in July 1987 was choosing an oyster and inside was a beautiful pearl…a bluish one. David had the pearl put in to a ring as a 1st year Anniversary gift for me. I still have it BUT I don’t wear it often because the ring part has worn a little bit over the years.

My pearl ring from West Edmonton Mall 1987

I think that started my love for pearls and I am so fortunate to have many beautiful strands from China. Maybe I should have done this again for our 30th Anniversary, after all it’s the suggested gift 😛

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There’s a skating rink, an amusement park, mini golf, a Fantasyland hotel, a wave pool…all these things I remember. It was fun to go back!

There are also shops and many stores at West Edmonton Mall BUT really…who goes to shop?

On the way home we stopped very quickly to see our niece Rachel, Gerald & baby Kiet in Airdrie.

and the outlet mall, Cross Iron Mills.

To end another wonderful day we had a great visit with a very dear friend ( she’s like family) Amber. She used to baby sit our kids and is very close to our family. She know lives in Crossfield so she came to visit at our hotel and I totally forgot to get a picture…

Another great day but I need to get to bed and rested. Tomorrow starts our “romantic two days” that are celebrating our Anniversary.

ACROSS CANADA DAY: 6 July 15~ Home of the Stampede

We were up and at it early this morning!!

And flying to Calgary. We actually arrived in Calgary at 9am!!!! Ya, early! So it was breakfast on the airplane and a little nap. This is a great way to bypass the awful drive in Northern Ontario.

After we picked up our rental, a black charger…

we had a whole day to explore this city that is so well known as the Home of Canada’s Calgary Stampede. It is actually Stampede Days while we are here but with only so much time, that is not priority on our list. ( I know, I know…it should be) BUT, with only 3 weeks, it’s pick and choose and this is one of those times. So…NO stampede. Besides TODAY is TORRENTIAL rains and thunderstorms…just like Exhibition Week at home.

There’s lots to do in Calgary! First, a quick overview. Calgary Tower.

This was fun and we got some good pictures without bright sun and before it fogged in too much and down poured. And guess what? Guess who else was in Calgary for the Stampede today?

That’s right! Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. We actually saw all the streets blocked with police security while we were up in the Calgary Tower. We knew someone important was in town! He looks so great in a Stetson.

There’s a lot to see in Calgary that really doesn’t cost a lot. Lots of cool and interesting things. Like the Wonderland statue in front of the Bow Building, a walk along Stephen Avenue ( I would have loved this in nice weather) and a quick pic under the Galleria trees. The Canada Pacific building and other high-rises in the downtown. Calgary is an interesting spot during Stampede. Cowboys and Cowgirls, not necessarily authentic, could be locals, could be tourists…you see them everywhere. We felt a little under dressed but it’s not our style.

It’s hard to know what to do when it rains…

We ducked in to A&W on Stephen Avenue for a couple burgers at lunch. I guess burgers are a thing to have…or beef BECAUSE…

A “MUST DO” on the list for Calgary… Peter’s Drive-In. A very famous burgers and milkshake joint! Not a great day but we went anyway. So glad we did…very very good burgers!

Our Calgary hotel is so nice for two days here, a King Studio with a kitchen. It’s great for getting picnic lunches together for the next couple days and just an early relax evening on this cool rainy day.

Have a great night!

ACROSS CANADA DAY: 5 July 14~ Toronto

No stop in Ontario is complete without a bit of time in Toronto. When our kids were little we would often come to Ontario and do Toronto activities. However, the last few years, our Toronto stop was usually just at the airport for a few hours lay, waiting for connecting flights to either Brazil or China. How much fun is that? Trust me, it gets old quick!

So today we said farewell to our family and went in to the city for the day.

We wanted to do something different in Toronto that we haven’t done before so we went to the Harbour front and took a ferry to Toronto Island. It’s a great view of the Toronto Skyline and famous CN tower. We got lots of pics and had a delicious lunch with this awesome view!

A beautiful getaway from the hustle and bustle in downtown Toronto, $7.25 roundtrip and a short ferry ride brings you to the many beaches and parks here in the Islands. There are 3 different ferries you can take from the terminal to get to different points on the Islands: Hanlan’s Point, Centre Island, and Ward’s Island.

Once on the island, you are surrounded by Lake Ontario with a view of Toronto’s skyline. On a nice day, the sight can steal your breath away. The best view is right off the docks on Hanlan’s Island.( BUT it’s here where the nude beach is so we opted to stay at Centre Island lol)We didn’t have a lot of time so we enjoyed the Far Enough Farm and a nice stroll after lunch and then it was back to downtown.

The next thing I REALLY wanted to do was checkout was Toronto’s Chinatown! The boundaries of the area are Spadina Ave between College and Queen and East and West of Spadina Ave on Dundas. So we did a fair bit of walking to get there. BUT I got lots more interesting pictures. This Chinatown is the biggest Chinatown in the city. The first Chinatown was between Elizabeth Street and extended to Queen around 1910 when the number of Chinese Torontonians grew to over 1,000 residents. Next to the Streetcar tracks there are two red poles in the form of a dragon on the top of them, which I think is a staple art sculpture in the area. We had fun browsing, it felt so familiar, comfortable really. We enjoyed some authentic dumplings ( so delicious) picked up some fruit, and took the red street car back to our parking.