We flew to Seattle, took a high-speed catamaran to Victoria, took the ferry to Vancouver, went by Rocky Mountaineer Railroad to Kamloops and Jasper, took a motor coach to the Columbia Icefield where we road a snocoach, then on to Lake Louise, Banff and then Calgary where we took several planes to get home. What a trip!
The details: Our first stop was Seattle where we stayed for several days. The old Pike Place Market has many levels, and the flowers for sale are breathtaking. They really throw the fish and crabs around as is their reputation. We took a harbor tour--which we always do in any city on water. I rode the 520 feet to the top of the space needle. You can see the snow-capped Olympia Mountains (even from the ground). We also saw Mt. Rainer. We watched the boats go through the Hiram Chittenden Locks where the samon were climbing the ladders to get up stream to spawn.
We then went on a Victoria Clipper cruise to Victoria, British Columbia. We stayed in the old Empress Hotel right on the harbor. We watched the planes take off from the water, enjoyed the harbor-side musicians, and went to Butchart Gardens. The gardens are the "must see" spot in Victoria. They have been developed in an old limestone quarry by the quarry owner's wife. Magnificient, as the photo below shows. Victoria is a wonderful, very British town.
We then took a motor coach and ferry to Vancouver for a three-night stay. Vancouver is surrounded on three sides by water. The very large city has a tropical rain forest on its west end. There were palm trees growing in a couple places. Amazing! I went on the trolly tour, and on their sky rail and water taxi. I got the water taxi at Science World, part of the 1986 world's fair. I got off at Grandville Island, where there is a hugh indoor famers market and street musicians. Old Town has an operating steam clock that whistles every fifteen minutes. There were two cruise ships docked at the hugh transportation center.
From Vancouver we took the Goldleaf Rocky Mountaineer Railroad to Jasper, which took two days. There is a hotel stay in Kamloops at the halfway point. The dome car used with the Goldleaf service is really great. You are in the mountains rather than seeing the mountains from your window. You can also stand on a platform outside at the rear of the train as the dome car was the last car. Below the dome seating is a dinning room with excellent meals that are part of the package.
Jasper is at the end of the rail trip. We stayed at the Jasper Park Lodge, which is on the shore of Lac Beauvert. Our tour of the Jasper area included Pyramid Lake that is shown below. There were some magnificent water falls to see also. I took a tram to the top of 7,500 ft Whistler's Mountain. I stood in the snow and could see all of Jasper and the Athabasca River Valley.
We then took a motor coach down the Icefields Parkway to the Columbia Icefield. There we road a snocoach with six hugh wheels up onto the ice. It is the largest body of ice in the Rocky Mountains -- 130 square miles. It's greatest depth is 1200 feet, and it drains into three different oceans.
Our next over-night was at Chateau Lake Louise. We arrived and checked in, not realizing where we really were. Then I walked out the "back" door and WOW! The hotel has huge mountains really close on each side and the lake is about 100 meters from the door. At the end of the fairly small lake is an even larger mountain with a glacier coming down about half way. Really amazing.
We then went to Banff, and stayed at the Rimrock Resort Hotel. We went down to our room, which had a spectacular view of the Bow River Valley. The hotel is on a mountain side with a hot spring pouring into the swimming pool. We left for Calgary in the afternoon. We stayed an extra day in Calgary as it was the week of the Calgary Stampede. Everyone in the city was wearing western clothes and the rodeo was in full swing. We flew home from Calgary. It was a great trip.
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| Butchart Gardens in Victoria | Vancouver from Grandville Island in False Creek |
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| Fraser River from the Rocky Mountaineer Railroad | Pyramid Lake and Mountain in Jasper |
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| Columbia Icefield accessed by snocoach | Lake Louise and the Victoria Glacier |
