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Journal and Photos by Dan Skinner, President of Texas Public Radio Monday, July 28th: Travel to Vancouver It was my pleasure to accompany a group of 12 Texas Public Radio listeners on this Canadian Rockies Tour. For most of the TPR travelers the morning began very early, with a 4:30 a.m. arrival at the airport to catch a 5:50 a.m. flight out of San Antonio. The rest of our group flew out a couple of hours later. After clearing Canadian Customs in the early afternoon at the Vancouver, British Columbia Airport, the twelve of us met up again as we connected with our tour guide, David Lyle.
Our luggage was loaded onto our chartered bus and we headed to the Renaissance Harbourside Vancouver Hotel to settle in. The rest of the afternoon and evening was free for us to explore the city on our own. We will spend three nights at this hotel, which is located next to Coal Harbour. It will serve as our home base as we explore the area.
Tuesday, July 29th: Tour Vancouver This morning we woke to rain which continued throughout most of the day. This morning we woke to rain which continued throughout most of the day. However, we did not let the "liquid sunshine" dampen our spirits. Traveling out and back to the hotel we drove through Stanley Park, a one thousand acre heavily wooded park surrounding the harbour and made a couple of stops. We saw the First Nations totem display and also took in the view from The Prospect Point Lookout. (More info about Stanley Park at vancouver.ca/parks/parks/stanley/index.htm)
This morning we had breakfast at the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Rainforest Park. As we dined and visited with our traveling companions we were surrounded by the beauty of the tall trees and surrounding mountains. After breakfast we explored the park. The Suspension Bridge is not for the faint hearted. Suspended 230 feet above the valley, the 450 foot span sways sufficiently to make keeping your balance a challenge, and some walkers had to cling to the rails as they slowly make their way across. I loved it, but some visitors were clearly struggling to overcome their fear of heights. (More information about Capilano at www.capbridge.com/index.html)
After we left the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Rain Forest Park we began our bus tour of Vancouver. Our tour guide, David Lyle, provided a running commentary of history as we traveled through Chinatown, one of North America’s largest, and the waterfront area and continued through Gastown, Vancouver’s turn-of-the-century pedestrian mall filled with pubs, restaurants, art galleries, specialty stores, and the world-famous steam-powered clock. We returned to the hotel just before noon and the rest of the afternoon was free to explore the city on our own. In the evening, we had a group dinner at Steam Works Brewing Company in the Gastown section of Vancouver. Historic Gastown was created the same year that Canada became a nation.The restaurant is just around the corner from Gastown's famous Steam Powered clock. The clock's movements are steam drive and it plays Westminster Chimes on steam whistles located on the top. Learn more about Gastown at: www.gastown.org/history/index.html
Wednesday, July 30th: Vancouver - Victoria - Vancouver
Next, we traveled to the lovely Butchart Gardens. The Butchart family owned a cement factory, and after the quarry was worked out the owner's wife turned it into a botanical garden. It is now preserved as a national historic site. Butchart Gardens are considered to be among the world’s most beautiful and contain an amazing collection of plants that display an explosion of color and fragrances. Approximately 400 gardeners are employed to keep the gardens in splendid condition. The sky was threatening earlier in the day, but the weather cooperated to provide us with a wonderful visit to the Gardens. Learn more about Butchart Gardens at www.butchartgardens.com
Tomorrow we leave Vancouver, so that meant that we had to prepare for an early departure in the morning. I have had the privilege of visiting the city before and I was impressed with the cities continued growth. Vancouver will be hosting the Winter Olympics in 2010 and much construction is going on the city to prepare for the event. One could easily spend much more time here because there is so much to see and do. However, I'm looking forward to the next two days on the train. Thursday, July 31st: Rocky Mountaineer® Train travel from Vancouver to Kamloops This morning we placed our bags outside our doors at 6 a.m. so that they can be loaded for transport. Our bus left the hotel at 7 a.m. and we headed to the Rocky Mountaineer Train Station. There are two types of cars on the train. The Red Leaf Service is a single level train car, and the Gold Leave service features a B-Level Dome Coach with dining space on the first level and a domed glass second level providing spectacular views of the scenery. Our views included coastal forests, roaring river canyons, and mountain peaks. The rail line follows the Fraser River most of the day, then switch to following along the Thompson River. We ended the day with a view of Kamloops Lake before arriving in the city for an over night stay. Here a just a few of the many pictures I took during today's journey... (More about Kamloops at /www.venturekamloops.com/Pages/kamloops.htm
Friday, August 1st : Rocky Mountaineer® Train travel from Kamloops to Jasper, Alberta After spending the night in Kamloops, we boarded our bus at 8:00 a.m. and headed to the train station to continue our journey to Jasper. There was a light rain during much of the day, but since we were on the train, our travelers were able to enjoy the scenery without concern for the moisture. Among other sites, we passed the mountain peaks of the Monashee Mountains and saw Pyramid Falls cascading down Mt. Cheadle. Occasionally along the way, we had to pull over to a side track to give right of way to one of the Money Trains. Money trains are cargo trains on deadline and they lose money via fines if they are delayed. As we neared our destination, we saw the glaciers of the Albreda Icefields and tried to view Mt. Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. The top of Mount Robson is only visible about 10 days out of the year, and today was not one of them.
The attendants on the train told us that the area is home to moose, mountain goats, bear and caribou, and advised us to shout out wildlife sightings to the other passengers. To the delight of the passengers we saw a black bear and two cubs along the road about a half hour out of Jasper. However, the encounter was too brief for me to capture on camera. Early in the evening we arrived in Jasper, the northern gateway to the Icefields Parkway. From the Railway station we were took a quick bus tour around Jasper then we were taken to the Sawridge Hotel. This hotel has great views of the mountains and is in easy walking distance from downtown Jasper. Folks walked into Jasper to browse the shops and have dinner before returning to the hotel. Below are various views of the mountains that surround Jasper. More information about Jasper is available at www.jasper.ca
Saturday, August 2nd: Jasper We started our day with a visit to Maligne Canyon. Later, we traveled to the Maligne Lake, the largest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies where many of the travelers took a cruise of the lake that included a stop at Spirit Island. The cruise also afforded us spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and glaciers. On the way back to Jasper we also stopped to take in the view at Medicine Lake. The native tribes believed this lake had special healing powers.
After returning to Jasper for lunch, part of the group opted to go on a rafting adventure down the Athabasca River. The raft trip featured great views from the river, a couple of brief light rain showers and mild rapids that left us soaked.
The travelers who didn't go on the Jasper Rafting Tour enjoyed free time in the city. We had dinner together in the evening in small groups. Sunday, August 3rd: Jasper to Lake Louise via the Icefields Parkway This morning we left Jasper and made our way to Lake Louise. As we left Jasper a group of elk wandered out of the forest and across the intersection in front of us.The cars and buses patiently waited as the elk leisurely crossed the road. It made for an interesting start to the day. One of the highlights of our journey was traveling along Icefields Parkway through Jasper and Banff National Parks. The parkway is lined with rushing rivers, glacial peaks, imposing cliffs and snowcapped mountain ranges.
We visited the Columbia Icefields Center and rode in Ice Explorers to the Athabasca Glacier, which is over 1,000 feet thick. This outlet valley glacier is only 2% of the total Columbia Icefield which is the largest accumulation of ice south of the Arctic Circle. Water drainage from the Columbia Icefield drainage goes to the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. The Ice Explorer Vehicles were custom built for the Brewster Company to use to transport visitors. More information about the icefield is at www.columbiaicefield.ca
Following our visit to the Icefields we made a stop at Peyto Lake then we continued on to Lake Louise, and checked into the famous Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. We had time to explore the area around Lake Louise in front of the hotel and enjoy a nice meal in one of the several restaurants located in the Chateau.
Monday, August 4th : Lake Louise to Banff
We stopped in downtown Banff for lunch and the opportunity to stroll through the many shops of Banff. The city is nestled in the mountains with peaks vi sable above the city skyline.
After lunch part of the travel group went to Sulphur Mountain and rode gondolas to the top. The gondolas four people and were made by a Swiss manufacturer. The ride to the top takes eight minutes. The mountain top visitors center, where the gondolas arrive houses restaurants, an observation deck, gift shops, etc. The mountain top offers a 360 degree view of the surrounding mountain ranges.
Following our adventure on Sulphur Mountain, we rode the gondolas back down to our waiting bus and made the short trip to the magnificent Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. The hotel opened in 1888 and became known as the “Castle in the Mountains.” We enjoyed a very nice dinner complete with a view of mountains in the Bow River Valley Restaurant. I walked around the hotel, enjoyed the scenic vistas and took some pictures before turning in for the day. Tomorrow we travel on to Calgary for the final day of our Canada tour.
Tuesday, August 5th : Banff to Calgary
Just outside of Calgary we stopped at Canada Olympic Park. This was one of the sites for the Winter Olympics of 1988. The facility is still used for athletic training and still retains the ski jumps and luge run from the games. In the summer the ski jumps are used to carry off road bicyclists to the top of the hill for a wild ride back down.
The last stop on our Canadian tour is the cosmopolitan city of Calgary. We checked into the Westin Hotel and had a little time to relax before heading out for dinner. Tonight, we had a farewell dinner at a restaurant called M.T. Tuckers. The rustic decor of the restaurant pays tribute to the cowboy culture of Calgary.
Wednesday, August 6th : Today We Travel Back to San Antonio It's been a wonderful trip. We've seen wonders of nature, experienced new cities, and learned about Canada's history and diverse culture. Along the way we've also made new friends. I've enjoyed meeting and getting to know our group of TPR Travelers, plus the other folks who shared the tour bus with us. I hope that each of the travelers enjoyed the journey as much as I did. Thanks to my fellow travelers, and our guide David Lyle, for making the journey a joyful experience. Happy travels!
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