Three Women on an APT Tour of North America

Wednesday, 13 August 2014       Victoria, British Columbia

This afternoon, Wednesday 13 August in New Zealand, we, Bronwyn Clarke, Karen Boyce-Bacon and our mother, Anna Bevege set off on a thirteen and a quarter hour flight east across the Pacific from Auckland and arrived on the same day in Vancouver; a long flight made without fuss but with the assistance of little sleeping pills, for which we were all truly thankful. 

At Vancouver we retrieved our luggage and connected with the domestic flight on to Victoria, British Columbia’s capital city, which is situated on the southern coastline of Vancouver Island. Our plane was a Dash 8, carrying only about forty eight passengers and took just over ten minutes; this would normally be quite a scenic trip over the Georgia Strait, alas our views were obscured by low cloud. At Victoria we were met by APT staff, who seemed more like volunteer city ambassadors, as there are in Melbourne to welcome tourists rather than paid operators; perhaps they were?

British Columbia’s capital, Victoria with a population 344,600, lies about half an hour south of the airport, which itself is near the ferry terminal to be revisited on the morrow. At the airport we were advised that the “meet and greet dinner” for our tour was to take place at 6.30 pm which left us little time but to check our bags into our room and attend to immediate comfort. Over dinner we met our tour guide, Mary Simpson-Galna and our driver, Marek Zemla. We found our table companions a mixed bag, as they no doubt found us; we three Kiwis, the only non-Australians in this tour of forty seven.

The Marriot Hotel is one of the more modern hotels in the Inner Harbour area, unlike the grand Fairmont Empress Hotel which was the location for those who chose to take high tea the following day. The Marriot has 236 rooms and four diamonds; perhaps “stars” are not used here in Canada?

Thursday, 14 August 2014             Victoria, British Columbia

This morning was the first of many early starts, even earlier today because we were to dine at the world renowned Burchart Gardens. The Gardens are situated about half an hour from the Inner Harbour, back toward Sidney, (not to be confused with Australia’s Sydney)  turning off near Elk Lake. Our delightful breakfast was served in the Dining Room Restaurant, part of the original family residence, from where we enjoyed views out over the Italian Garden. We sat with a mother and daughter couple, soon joined by Mary, and began to form relationships with our fellow travel companions, evolving as they do on such tours.

The Burchart Gardens cover more than twenty two hectares of a fifty three hectare estate. They were established in 1904 when Jenny Burchart began to beautify the worked out limestone quarry which had supplied the family business, the nearby Portland cement plant.  Like many such projects, the gardens grew and grew; by the 1920s more than fifty thousand people were visiting each year. The Gardens are still owned and operated by family with the help of a very large staff. These days the visitor numbers are close to a million per annum and we could see why.

We wandered through the various areas; the Sunken Garden and stood above the Quarry Lake, admired the Ross Fountain, created and installed in 1964 for the 60^th anniversary of the gardens by Jenny’s own grandson, Ross, through the Rose Garden, the Japanese and Italian Gardens, by the Star Pond and through the Piazza, the Mediterranean Garden and down toward Burchart Cove. We were so caught up in the grandeur of the gardens that we were the last back to the bus, not a good look at all.

Back in Victoria, we all went off to enjoy our selected tours and to see what the Inner Harbour of Victoria could offer. For ourselves, we had chosen to take a horse and carriage tour around the city, securing a carriage to ourselves, drawn by four year old Cash. We were taken past the lovely neo-baroque parliament buildings dating from 1898, up through Beacon Hill Park and back down through James Bay where all the lovely old residences dating back to the 1800s have Heritage status and as such, are allowed little renovation.

Beacon Hills Park covers an area of seventy five hectares and was set aside as a protected area by Sir James Douglas, governor of the Colony of Vancouver Island in 1858. Twenty four years later the land was officially made into a municipal park of the City of Victoria and given its present name.  70% of the park is left in a wilderness state to encourage wild life back, apart from the walking and cycling tracks, the sport grounds and children playgrounds, to name but a few of the exceptions. Today more than a hundred bird species, river otters, racoons, squirrels, sunfish, painted turtles and crayfish are among those who call Beacon Hill home. We were delighted to see squirrels scampering up into the trees. Apropos the hundred birds; apparently Canada has a paucity of birdlife, but perhaps that was conveyed to us in light of most of us being from Australia, where there is an absolute abundance of avian life. 

Back under our own steam, we set off up along the waterfront, busy with buskers and stalls, then up Government Street as far as Chinatown, which was once upon a time a gambling district full of restaurants, shops and opium deans. After passing through the rather ornate Gates of Harmonious Interest, we wandered toward the harbour, past shops which could have been anywhere in Asia, before turning down Fan Tan Alley, the narrowest street in Canada, just 900 cm wide at its narrowest point. In 1990 a motorcycle chase scene was filmed in the alley; Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn’s Bird on a Wire. 

Still being left to our own devices for the rest of the day, we took ourselves to The Spaghetti Factory, which we found later to be a chain of restaurants. Here we enjoyed a delightful meal and discovered how expensive buying wine in Canada was to be, treating ourselves to a bottle of New Zealand’s own Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc. As darkness fell we walked back along past the British Columbia Legislature and found this grand building all lit up just as Mary had said they would be. Apparently there are 3,333 lights however we made no effort to verify this; the temperatures had dropped and rain threatened, it was time for bed and another early start.

Friday, 15 August 2014   En Route to Jasper, Via Rail Vancouver

Back on the bus in the morning, we travelled north through Sidney to the ferry terminal at Swartz Bay, where we boarded the very large BC Ferry still seated on our coach. We sailed through calm seas across the Georgia Strait, past a multitude of islands very reminiscent of the Marlborough Sounds en route to Picton. The twenty four nautical miles (or forty four kilometres) takes a mere one hour and thirty minutes, the ferry well-appointed with cafeterias, gift shops and lounges, so there is little time to become bored or the requirement for film entertainment. As we approached the mainland ferry terminal at Tsawwassen, Vancouver’s port industry could be seen in the distance.

Back on the bus we travelled through a swathe of native land toward Vancouver, unusual for the numerous of advertising signs planted along the roadside like a forest. British Columbian law does not allow for roadside signage, however land held by First Nation People is exempt from such law; this makes for a lucrative side-line to the manufacturing of gewgaws for the tourist, and specialist entertainments for the same. The road from the south into Vancouver passes under the South Arm of the Fraser River, the George Massey Tunnel being the only road tunnel below sea level in Canada. Reaching the more built areas of British Columbia’s largest city, with a population of 2.3 million, the many high skyscrapers announced we were arriving at a world class city. In 2014, Travel + Leisure magazine recognised Vancouver as the top city in Canada and the Economist Intelligence Unit (EUI) has given the World’s Most Liveable City award to the city eight times since 2002.

Marek manoeuvred our coach about the city streets with skill; we watched the busy and vibrant crowds from our mobile cocoon while Mary pointed out various noteworthy aspects of the scenes unfolding before us. About midday we arrived at the Granville Island Public Market where we alighted to wander through the green-grocer, bakery, butchery and fishmongers stalls. We purchased several bags of fresh berries and cherries, and then sat out on the waterfront courtyard, people watching and gazing in wonderment across False Creek to the towering skyscrapers that make up the central city of Vancouver, while sampling our purchases.

Back on the bus, we were taken into Stanley Park on the north-west edge of the city, a glorious place that invited further exploration, however there were other plans for us. We continued north across the Lions Gate Bridge and up toward Grouse Mountain which stands like a sentinel over Vancouver albeit at a distance. Part way up this road is the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, where we stopped for some time to enjoy the many facets of the park. Alas we were running on a tight schedule so our time was less than we would have chosen as self-guided tourists. We were met by a guide who rushed us past the many interpretative panels, which needed to be read and studied in depth, but there was no time for those wanting to cross the suspension bridge, walk in the treetops and along the Cliffwalk.

The 140 metre suspension bridge crosses 70 metres above the Capilano River, and while there is a “bridge guard” armed with a speaker system checking that punters do not try to rock or overcrowd the bridge, the crossing is not an easy business. Apparently 800,000 folk visit the park each year and today it seemed a fair few were on the bridge with us. The original bridge was built in 1889 by a Scottish civil engineer and park commissioner, made from hemp ropes with a deck of cedar planks. These were replaced in 1903 with a wire cable bridge and this latest edition was rebuilt n 1956, which still makes it as old as Karen.

Across on the western bank is the Treetops Walk, consisting of seven footbridges suspended between old-growth Douglas Fir trees, raised 30 metres above the forest floor. Standing on the viewing platforms is an excellent opportunity to catch site of any lurking wildlife, perhaps a squirrel or even a bear. Alas, the only life we saw were our fellow travellers who enjoyed it all as much as we did.

The third and more recent feature of the park is the Cliffwalk which follows a granite precipice along the river with a labyrinth-like series of cantilevered bridges, stairs and platforms and only sixteen anchor points in the cliff supporting the structure. Alas there were hundreds of others enjoying this amazing feat of engineering and the views beyond and below; progressing at a speed to re-join our tour was difficult. We all agreed it would have been more pleasant to do with a tenth, or less, of the numbers today.

At the allotted hour we gathered together, exited this park that demands so much more time, and crossed the road to the Bridge House Restaurant where we were treated to a divine meal, the star being the oh-so-tender slow-cooked buffalo. Again it was an opportunity to acquaint ourselves further with others in our group and then it was back on our bus and off to the Vancouver railway station.

We waited for about an hour before embarking into our carriage, a delay which annoyed some of our party who were most vocal expressing their disdain. However once we were on board and settled into our quaint little sleeping compartments, we were invited to partake of free champagne and canapés in the lounge cars, an opportunity to mix further with those in our party and to appreciate our fellow travellers.

The VIA Rail Canada is touted to be “the more human way to travel” and we could argue until the cows came home why it is, and why it is not. The 4,446 kilometre rail trip from Vancouver to Toronto passes through amazing country and we only touched on a mere 850 or so kilometres of it, possibly through the most scenic, or at least when the weather is clear. Alas the cloud was low most of our journey and the high peaks that are apparently visible from the excellent viewing points were mostly hidden from our view. The particular train we travelled on was the longest for the summer so far, with a total of 28 carriages.

Saturday, 16 August 2014             Jasper, Alberta

On waking we found ourselves to be travelling alongside the northern shore of Lake Kamloops, the land all around very barren and very like that one finds in Central Otago. Soon we pulled into Kamloops, or rather the railway station from where one had no idea of the extent or character of this town which has a population of over 85,000 folk. Settlement of Kamloops began in 1812, when it was merely a trading post for those passing through to hopefully greener fields, but serious growth came during the gold rush of the 1860s and later again in the 1880s during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. But even then, in 1893 when the city was incorporated, the population was a mere 500. Nowadays the cities wealth is derived from primary resource processing; a pulp mill, manufacture of plywood and veneer, cement and a copper mine to name but a few. It was interesting to learn that the hospital is the city’s largest employer!

Once we pulled out of Kamloops, it was time to enjoy the luxury services of the rail tour; a wonderful a la carte breakfast, lunch likewise, rail staff speaking about the natural aspects of the land we were passing through and generally watch out for the small settlements along route. We passed the spectacular Pyramid Falls where the train slowed down for a photo opportunity, Blue River, a has-been mill town now surviving on heli-skiiing, fishing and outdoor adventure tourists, sitting at 682 metres ASL, sitting under five metres of snow each winter,  Valemount with a grand population of 1,020, still a lumber town located on the long arm of water created by the Mica dam almost one hundred kilometres to the south and Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Rockies at 3,954 metres ASL.  We crossed the border between the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta then about a further twenty kilometres or so, we arrived in Jasper.

Jasper is a mountain village, or resort community, in the middle of the Jasper National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a site that contains glaciers, ice fields, snow-capped mountain peaks, alpine lakes, waterfalls, hot springs, rocky canyons, wildflower meadows and more. The park covers an area of just under 11,000 square kilometres and was established in 1885 making it Canada’s oldest. It is also the largest in the Rockies. This is why we had disembarked here, not to settle into the “resort” but to change direction and continue on a road journey to take in all this national park and those about had to offer. Marek was there to meet us with the coach, now a familiar sight. 

We spent half an hour or so wandering about Jasper, the streets full of boutiques and cafes to serve the many thousands, perhaps millions, of tourists who call by or stay each year. With a permanent population of just over 4,000 there are all the regular services here, although most probably go through to Edmonton, a further one hundred and fifty kilometres to the east. After being conveyed to the Sawridge Inn, we dined and slept in accommodation that one could well become accustomed.

Sunday, 17 August 2014                Banff, Alberta

From Banff the Icefields Parkway travels south east, and this was to be the feature of today’s travel. But first we headed north east to the Maligne Canyon where we took a short walk down one side of the Maligne River and up the other where the force of the water has cut deep into the limestone rock, in some places as much as fifty metres. Returning to the entrance we were encouraged to wander through the gift shop packed with valuable giftware and souvenirs, and some not so expensive which we managed to add to our luggage, for a fee of course.

The Icefields Parkway is about two hundred and ninety kilometres long so probably could be travelled in four hours or even less, but it is such a scenic route even if you want only to enjoy the free attractions along the way, a day is barely enough.

The Athabasca Falls were our first port of call proving to be simply spectacular. Apparently today they were even more so than usual, because the river was swollen from the recent rains. We walked up and down all the paths about, taking a million photos as one must in such a magnificent spot.  

We pulled into a rest area to photograph the Stuttfield Glacier across the Athabasca River which the road followed for much of the way. There we came across the first Least Chipmunks we had seen. These are the smallest of chipmunks and found throughout most of North America. We were delighted by the scampering and darting, almost to the exclusion of the spectacular glacier.

The Tangle Falls were the next attraction, but for these we only slowed for a photo opportunity and then really only for those on the left hand side of the coach. And soon we arrived at the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre where we lunched then were taken up on to the Athabasca Glacier by Ice Explorer. The Columbia Icefield straddles North America’s Continental Divide, and includes about thirty glaciers covering more than 325 square kilometres, ranging in depth from 100 metres to over 350 metres.

Brewster Travel employs an assortment of youthful snow bunny types, some from Australia, some from New Zealand and Shane from Nova Scotia who had verbal diarrhoea, was totally self-obsessed but also very funny. We were supposed to have learned many facts about glaciers because we were quizzed on these on our return but none of us could particularly remember the lesson, only the entertainment. Our time on the ice should have been about twenty minutes, however it was so very cold and none of us were really equipped for polar conditions.

We returned to the Parkway and soon were passing through the Banff National Park, the scenery still stunning, but time was against us and when there are schedules to meet, stops must be few. We did make a comfort stop at Saskatchwan River Crossing, the junction of the Parkway and a road to the east, and the confluence of the Bow  and Oldman rivers, in other words, the genesis of the South Saskatchwan River. This readied us for our next treat, a short walk down to a lookout over Peyto Lake, a glacier fed lake lying in a valley between Caldron Peak, Peyto Peak and Mount Jimmy Simpson at an elevation of 1,860 metres ASL. The turquoise colour of the lake below us is caused by rock flour, the rock particles stirred up by the glacial activity, making the colours seem quite unreal.

From here we continued on down past Lake Louise, to be called into another day, and through the lovely town of Banff to our amazing accommodation here at the Fairmont Banff Springs, where we settled in then wandered about in awe of this incredible “castle”.

Banff, at an elevation of 1,463 metres ASL, was only incorporated as a town in 1990, not so long ago at all, and today has a permanent population of about 8,000. However the spot was selected way back in 1883 near a proposed tunnel site for the Canadian Pacific Railway. This rail runs south of that we had travelled yesterday but would feature on the road ahead of us. A couple of years later, in 1885 the Banff Hot Springs Reserve was formed around the hot springs and two years later gain, the Rocky Mountain Park was born. It was not until 1930 that the Banff National Park came into being. Our luxury 770 room hotel was opened in 1888 as one of Canada’s grand railway hotels, constructed in Scottish Baronial style which really says it all. In its day, it was the largest hotel in the world!  The views from our rooms down the Bow River were wonderful and it was that river where we were to raft the next day.

Monday, 18 August 2014              Banff, Alberta

We started our day with an amazing breakfast, shopping in the hotel boutiques then a wander down through the hotel grounds to the Bow River Falls. These are lovely although not as spectacular as those seen yesterday, however there are tantalising stories which make them all the more interesting. In 1953 the film River of No Return was being filmed here and one of the scenes demanded that the beautiful starlet Marilyn Monroe be swept down over the falls. In reality, she was to grab a wire at the top of the falls thus saving herself from the dunking that would be otherwise guaranteed. Alas she missed the wire and ended up laid up at the Banff Springs Hotel for some time in a state of disrepair. It is said that a certain young United States president was in attendance, however I do wonder if this is a myth that has been created for titillation rather than history; the dates simply do not stack up.

Down at the river we sat on the rocky banks and watched as a rafting party left from the confluence of the Spray River and the Bow, below the Falls. We were keen to see how our own adventure would play out. It was then a rushed return to the hotel, along paths that should have been easier than the uphill climb, but turned into a lengthy maze of elevations and directions. Back at the hotel we joined our own tour and were soon off to enjoy our own rafting adventure, a gentle float over many gentle rapids, surrounded by the majestic peaks of Rundle, Tunnel and Sulphur Mountains. Again we were on the lookout for wildlife; eagles, bears, elks, but alas had to settle for crows. The river flows around wide bends and on one of these we passed beneath the Hoodoos, needle or tower-like geological formations composed of sedimentary rock carved by wind and water, not unlike cathedral ant hills, although these, the hoodoos, are covered by a hard cap of rock at the peak.  

The afternoon was our own and we wandered into town, to enjoy the crowds and the general atmosphere of the place, finishing with dinner in an Asian Restaurant and a bus trip back to luxury.

Tuesday, 19 August 2014              Lake Louise, Alberta

After we were breakfasted and packed up, we were gathered together to meet with a real Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman. To meet such an icon was on the wish list of more than one of our fellow travellers, not so much our own. He came without his horse but in full dress regalia, normally reserved for formal occasions. Despite initial appearances, was probably just younger than us. He proved to be quite interesting after all, and we lined up with everyone else to have our picture taken with a real live Mountie, albeit a retired one. As regards the horse, Mounties have been without these since about 1966, apart from the Horses of the Musical Ride who tour worldwide to entertain and raise money for over forty community causes.

More appealing was our next activity; we were bussed up the eastern side of Sulphur Mountain, past the old hot springs and then to the top at 2,451 metres aboard the Banff Gondola. This too is run by Brewster Travel and like all such tourist attractions is well appointed with restaurants and gift shops to capture more tourist dollars. We enjoyed our eight minute ride to the top and wandered from one viewing platform to another, taking in the 360 degree views of the six Rocky Mountain ranges. It would have been nice to have walked down the zigzag path to the bottom, but again time did not allow so we made the most of our descent, swinging high above the forest floor. 

It was time to leave lovely Banff, but not before Marek had taken us across to the other side of the Bow River Falls from where we could see our hotel home of the last two nights, sitting high above the forest in a most baronial fashion; certainly another photo opportunity.

It is only fifty nine kilometres back along the road travelled two days ago to Lake Louise, but before we were allowed to see our next hotel, we were whisked up to the Morraine Lake which sits at 1,950 metres ASL in the Valley of Ten Peaks. There is a walk up The Rocks from where one has the best views of this glacial lake, and it was certainly worth the effort, even though this had to be done within certain time restrictions. Again we were delighted to find Least Chipmunks and Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrels, these little critters distracting us from the fact that to date eagles, moose, bears and elks remained elusive. Morraine Lake is stunning, in the same way that Peyto Lake had been a few days ago, but even more so, in our opinion.

Lake Louise is breath-taking, for its beauty and for the fact the air is thin and time spent here at 1,800 metres ASL does indeed take your breath away. On arrival, even before we had the opportunity to ooh and ah about our rooms, we were taken on a Nature Tour by our own personal Mountain heritage Guide, Ned Flanders, a retired teacher who subsidises his pension boring tourists. Actually much of what he had to impart was interesting, but his manner was condescending and laborious. Incidentally, his name was not actually Ned Flanders; that character lives in fictitious Springfield close to equally the fictitious Simpsons, but they do share the same annoying characteristics.

The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is another Fairmont Hotel situated right on the eastern shore of the lake. The hotel has been built in several stages, the first part at the end of the 19^th century by the railway as a vacation destination for rail passengers. Parts of the hotel underwent fire damage and today the oldest part left standing is the Painter Wing which was built in 1913.

Our spacious room had views over the lovely hotel gardens, the blue-green lake, the backdrop of the Victoria Glacier; the scenes majestic, this the best adjective for the geography in this part of the world. Again we dined in style and slept in feather beds; pure luxury.

Wednesday, 20 August 2014       Sun Peaks, British Columbia

Mary had spoken about the many faces of Lake Louise and the Vitoria Glacier and suggested that we rise early to enjoy them as the sun came over the mountain; this we did and took photo after photo, each one moment after another so different. This was indeed another picture postcard place.

During the morning, we descended from the Rockies, crossing Kicking Horse Pass at 1,627 metres ASL. First explored by Europeans in 1858, the pass, which straddles the Continental Divide on the provincial border, was subsequently selected as the route for the transcontinental Canadian Pacific Railway despite its severe inclines; construction was completed in 1884. The steep rail grades of 4.5% on the British Columbia side of the pass were lessened to 1.2% by construction of Spiral Tunnels in 1909. The pass connects the Yoho and Banff national parks.   As we came down the western side of the pass, we glimpsed a train entering the complex maze of tunnels but to see it clearly one would have to have x-ray eyes or spend time understanding a relief cross-sectioned model, if such a thing exists.

On down we came until we reached the settlement of Golden at an elevation of just 800 metres ASL; here any altitude nausea dissipated. We passed through Glacier and Mt Revelstoke National Parks, crossing the Columbia River twice as it winds its way north and then south again. We stopped at a little place called Three Valley for lunch, admired the plaster donkey and miner, then retreated to the edge of a small lake to eat our sandwiches. Our next stop was at Craigellachie, the site of the last rail spike on the Canadian Pacific Railway on 7 November 1885. Much is made of this event and the memorial park is a pleasant place to pass a few moments or even stop for a picnic. However the significance of the rail line should not be forgotten; had British Columbia not been linked with the eastern provinces, Canada could well look very different today.

We travelled along the southern shore of Shuswap Lake, a spidery lake of four arms, passing through Salmon Arm on one of those, then on to Kamloops, this time seeing the industry and bustle of this large inland city, albeit the outskirts. Here we turned north, crossing the South Thompson River then following the North Thompson River for about another thirty kilometres before turning east again toward Sun Peaks. We had travelled just over five hundred kilometres over the day.

Sun Peaks is an alpine ski resort all about tubing, snowboarding, golfing, mountain biking and of course, skiing. Prior to 1993, it was simply known as Tod Mountain, and even today does not feature on all maps as Sun Peaks. The ski area comprises three mountains: Tod Mountain, Sundance Mountain and Mt Morrisey.


For us on this APT tour, the village was all about breaking our long road journey and appreciation of the alpine resort and the charming hotel. We wandered about the streets, up through a few residential areas and along a path that took us across the golf course. Chance encounters with bears are always possible; in this case we were pleased to report there was none.

Thursday, 21 August 2014             Whistler, British Columbia

We left early this morning after yet another splendid breakfast, all wondering whether our wardrobes would shrink before we reached home. Our journey took us back south to Kamloops, then westward along the southern shore of the Kamloops Lake, directly across from where we had travelled in the opposite direction by train just days ago, on to Cache Creek where we snacked on cinnamon swirls and coffee at Annie’s, then north a little to join the north end of Highway 99 where there were reports of extensive damage by landslide. 

It was as we came through the Avalanche Valley, dodging around slips and passing through one way sections already under repair that we saw the two bears of the day; there was much jubilation, because these along with the Mounties were on many travellers’ must-see lists, as they are indeed icons of this marvellous country. We also saw deer and osprey just as it had been predicted at the start of the day’s travelling.

At Lilloet, we stopped for lunch and found sustenance at a service station. We were one of several buses all stopped for the same purpose and the staff were working overtime to make enough sandwiches to satisfy the demand. 

Lilloet is an unattractive settlement spread along the edges of the Fraser River gorge, only 200 metres ASL, and has the reputation for being one of the hottest places in Canada, with temperatures sometimes reaching 40 degree in the shade. It, like so many places in British Columbia, had its genesis in the Gold Rushes, or more particularly the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush of 1858-59 and then it was reckoned to be the largest town west of Chicago and north of San Francisco. Nowadays there are about 2,000 folk who call Lilloet home.

We pressed on past Seton Lake, then climbed and wound our way on twisty roads, across fabulous scenery above high drops. Marek put a DVD on to distract the nervous from the views outside, but we took them all in, as we travelled along the Anderson River, paused for a photo opportunity at the log jammed Lake Seton, on and on through beautiful forest clad mountainous land, through the rugged Cariboo Chicotin Coast region, until we arrived at civilization, ice-creams and comfort stop at Pemberton.  We finally arrived at Whistler after about 360 kilometres of gloriously scenic touring and were most impressed with what is essentially just another ski resort.

But it is not just that; it has a permanent population of about 10,000 plus a larger transient population of those who follow the seasons about the snow-world. Over two million people visit Whistler annually to enjoy alpine skiing, snowboarding, mountain boarding and other mountain pursuits. Since the mid-1990s, Whistler has been voted among the top destinations in North America by major ski magazines, and won prestige in 2010 when it hosted the Winter Olympics. It is a vibrant and bustling place and its pedestrian-only village is alive with pubs, music and shopping. School holidays were still underway so there were quite a few locals enjoying the facilities.


We wondered if there was a Mountain Bike event going on given the hundreds of youths, male and female, coming down the mountain at high speed, and hanging about the precinct for more inspiration and excitement. But we were wrong; we had missed the annual ten day multi-disciplinary Crankworx Freeride Mountain Bike Festival by just days and while it would have been exciting to see the action, sharing the space with twenty five thousand other spectators would not have been so.

We wandered about the charming streets and appreciated our wonderful hotel, the Westlin Resort & Spa Hotel, one of Whistlers top hotels, with 419 residentially-designed suites which include fireplaces and kitchens.  Again we dined well.

Friday, 22 August 2014   Vancouver, British Columbia

It would have been a crime to leave Whistler without some mountain adventure, something to challenge our normal quiet existence and so we elected to do some Ziplining before we left. The pickup depot was just across the street from our hotel; we were there at 8.40 am ready to be strapped into our harnesses and take up into the mountains. Whistler resort is actually all about two mountains, Blackcomb Peak at 2,437 metres and Whistler at 2,170 metres; particularly so for Ziptrek Ecotours, the company who have developed this tourist attraction. Ten ziplines have been strung across between the two mountains, some 732 metres long and some 89 metres high, however one should not forget that the Peak to Peak Gondola passes over much higher. The ziplines are all linked with seven suspension bridges, two aerial bridges and twenty eight observation decks, all high in the canopy of the old-growth forest. We had chosen the Bear Tour which was limited to five ziplines, four treetop bridges and took two and a half hours. It was flying fox fun, faster, higher, very safe and awesome! But alas, no bear sightings.

And so, on that high, we left Whistler travelling west on the Sea to Sky Highway, also known as the Skier Die Road, one of Canada’s most spectacular drives, although yesterday’s had been very special too. We passed through Squamish at the end of Howe Sound, then Britannia Beach which in the very first years of last century was an important copper mining and smelting site, in fact in its day, the largest in the commonwealth. Today the town is host to the Britannia Mine Museum, formerly known as the British Columbia Museum of Mining.

Further on we pulled into the Shannon Falls Provincial Park and walked up to British Columbia’s third highest falls, falling from perpendicular cliffs 335 metres above us. Not only were the falls spectacular; the walk through the forest along the creek was equally so.

Soon we were within sight of Vancouver, crossing the Lions’ Gate Bridge once more and delivered to our hotel, the lovely modern Fairmont Waterfront Hotel. After a wander along the nearby streets we readied ourselves for our farewell dinner; farewell to Marek who would not be joining us as we continued on with the cruise segment of our tour.

Saturday, 23 August 2014             At Sea, Westerdam, Holland America Line

After rising and breakfasting we were soon on our way south to the US Border before 7 am, all having been warned about the frustrations we might find there. It seemed that it depended which way the hotcakes were placed on an officer’s plate for breakfast as to whether he or she would be co-operative or not. We sat in a bus queue at the border for two hours before being allowed to disembark and then had to queue again with our luggage as we passed through all the intricacies of US Border control, taking yet another hour. Then we were in Washington State, travelling on through Bellingham, Mt Vernon and then on to the port at Seattle. We could not help but note Seattle’s Needle standing tall over the city, but Seattle was not our destination; the Westerdam was. More queues, identity photos, questionnaires, and finally into our cabin; compact, cosy but with a surprising amount of storage. We stood on the deck as we departed at 4 pm, and watched Seattle fade from view. We will pass out through the Juan de Fuca Strait tonight.

Our cruise ship is one of several similar vessels operated by the Holland America Line, ours 82,000 tons, 935 feet or 285 metres long, and 106 feet or just over 32 metres wide. There are 805 crew members and 2,125 guests; a total 2,930 souls on board. We will be sailing a total of 2,095 nautical miles before docking at Seattle.

Sunday, 24 August 2014                At Sea, Westerdam, Holland America Line

We decided that breakfast in our cabin would be the order of the day and probably all those ahead, rather than battling for a table for three in the large dining room, and this turned out to be most satisfactory. Today was spent entirely at sea, exploring this amazing ship and enjoying the dining options there are on board. Seasick tablets are available from the administration desk, something appreciated by at least one of our party.

Karen shouted champagne during the cocktail hour to celebrate her sister’s sixtieth birthday, and we dressed for the first Formal evening to dine in style.

We sailed north up the coast of British Columbia toward the Alaskan Inner Passage and saw whales en route to their next seasonal destination, always a joy to behold.

Monday, 25 August 2014        At Sea, Westerdam, Holland America Line

We woke to find ourselves much nearer land, misty views of forests and hills. We sailed past icy rivers and the dramatic glaciers of Tracy Arm Ford, but alas visibility was poor and much of this natural grandeur was lost on us. We docked on the Juneau wharf during lunch and spent the afternoon exploring the crowded wet streets of Juneau with the passengers of at least two other cruise ships. Juneau, or at least that part we explored, is entirely about the cruise ship industry selling diamonds, furs, alpaca garments from South America and every other souvenir you can imagine. We shopped for a few sundry items and sought refuge and internet in a café over coffee and cake, but alas were not overly impressed with Juneau.

It had been our intention to ride aboard the Mt Roberts Tramway and enjoy the views from the 541 metre summit, the walks and the Observation Centre which boasts a theatre, restaurant, bar, and the inevitable gift shop. But as we watched those already committed with their bookings disappear into the rain mist, we were glad we had left our options open. A sunny clear day in Juneau might have been very different.

Juneau is the capital of Alaska, and has been the seat of government since 1959, when Alaska was granted statehood. It is also the home of Sarah Palin who was not so long ago in the running for President of the United States and still somehow manages to remain in the media spotlight, often for all the wrong reasons. 

The town was founded way back in 1880 when gold was discovered in what is now Gold Creek. Mining reached its peak in 1915, two years before a cave-in flooded three of Treadwell’s four mines. The Second World War created shortages of manpower and the remaining A-J Mine closed in 1944. Today the town, with a population of 31,275 survives as the state’s administration centre, four out of every ten workers employed by the government, from tourism and commercial fishing and some mining. And strangely, particularly thinking of Juneau as the state’s capital, there are forty one miles of road about, going nowhere. The only way in and out of here is by air or sea.

After several hours ashore, we were happy to return to the ship and leave Juneau to the inclement weather. We undocked at 11.00 pm, after we were long asleep in our beds.

Tuesday, 26 August 2014              At Sea, Westerdam, Holland America Line

During the night we sailed on up the Stephens Passage, down the Lynn Canal, turning west into the Icy Strait, then up into Glacier Bay. We woke to much better weather and the sight of Glacier Bay National Park. As we sailed past Bartlett Cove, we picked up National Park Rangers who spent the morning on board in the Crow’s Nest lounge and library selling books and explaining the wonders of the area. We passed small icebergs, or those that appeared small on the sea surface, home to seals and their pups. At one point bears were spotted grazing in low scrub on the side of a hill; we were invited to find these for ourselves, two black spots contrasting with the vegetation all around them. Close by, another bear was seen frolicking along the water’s edge, probably fishing for salmon; we were able to watch his progress as he continued long the shore and then finally moved up the beach and into the undergrowth, the captain slowing the ship almost to a standstill so that we could watch this scene from the deck. Alas without a very sophisticated camera, photographing these wild events was beyond the average Joe; however we shared the delight of one fellow passenger who managed to capture close-ups with her camera, evidence to the interpretation.

We sailed on up the Tarr Inlet finally right up to the Margerie Glacier, and stopped for a long while simply starring up at this amazing ice wall and the jagged and twisted shapes, almost blue in colour. From time to time we would hear a rifle-like crack and booming roar as great shards of ice, many many metres high would break off with a thunderous crash, often accompanied by a great spurt of water. This was awesome, in the true sense of the word. We were also pleased that apart from one very small cruise ship spotted on our exit, we were the only ship in the Bay.

The Glacier Bay National Park covers 3.3 million acres or 13,355 square kilometres of rugged mountains, glaciers, temperate rain forest, wild coastlines and deep sheltered fjords. Those are figures beyond imagining until you look on a North American map; huge in any measure. The Park is a United States national park and preserve, proclaimed as such in 1925. It became part of a bi-national UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979; bi-national because it shares the area with Canada.

The Margerie Glacier, named for the French geographer and geologist, Emmanuel de Margerie, is a thirty four kilometre long glacier, its source on the southern slopes of Mount Root, at the Alaska-Canada border. The steep drop off of the glacier cliff to which cruise ships can approach so closely is about 1.6 kilometres wide. Margerie Glacier is classified as a “tide-water” glacier, which means that it generates enough snow to flow out from the mountains to the sea, and has a total height of 106 metres, of which 76 metres rises above the water level and 30 metres is below. This glacier is a much cleaner glacier than others in the bay, another reason for being top of the cruise ship visitors list and is also the most active for “calving”, a term used for that breaking and dropping of ice walls into the sea.

 Wednesday, 27 August 2014                       At Sea, Westerdam, Holland America Line

This morning we woke as we came through the low islands about Sitka, yet another Alaskan settlement, but once the capital of Russian Alaska. We were safely anchored before breakfast, along with several other cruise ships and learned that we would have to be ferried from the ship to shore in lighters. We had not opted to take any of the tours on offer but instead chose to wander through the small town and along to the Sitka National Historic Park.

Sitka is located on the west coast of Baranof Islands in South east Alaska, within the Tongrass National Forest, the largest temperate rainforest in the world. With the current population at about 9,000, the economy is driven mostly by the fishing industry and of course tourism, however here was not the same “in-your-face” merchandising we had seen in Juneau .

The Tlingit people have lived on this island for over ten thousand years, but with most history that takes our fancy, it is more recent European history we pay attention to.  In 1741, the Vitus Bering expedition, (him of Bering Strait fame) recorded the location of the Tlinget settlement. Recognizing the value of Sitka’s location and resources, the Russians returned in 1799, built a fort and trading post, and named the site “New Archangel” (but in Russian). In 1802 the Tlingit destroyed the Russian outpost, and the Russians retaliated in 1804 by destroying the Tlingit fort in the battle of Sitka. By 1808, Sitka was capital of Russian-America, which extended from Northern Alaska, south to Fort Ross in California. 

During the mid-1800s, Sitka, known at the “Paris of the Pacific”, was the largest, most industrious city on the Pacific Rim, with Canton, China and San Francisco, California following behind. Ships from many nations visited the port. Furs, salmon, lumber and ice were exported to Hawaii, Mexico and California. There was an active shipyard and foundry. After the purchase of Alaska by the US in 1867, Sitka remained the capital of the Territory until 1906, when it was moved to Juneau.

An arrival we first took ourselves up Castle Hill, a rocky outcrop about 18 metres in height which occupies a prominent position overlooking the town, the harbour and the spot we disembarked from the lighter. It was here that Russian Alaska was formerly handed over to the United States in 1867, and where the 49-star United States flag was first flown when Alaska became a state on 1959. To celebrate these facts, there are many interpretative panels all about the flat summit to explain Sitka’s history.

From here we could see another of Sitka’s landmarks, the Cathedral of St Michael, built originally in 1848 to become the seat of the Russian Orthodox Bishop of Kamchatka, the Kurile and Aleutian Islands, and Alaska. It burnt down to the ground in 1966 but has been restored to its original appearance, with the exception of its clock face. Although we did not pay the entry fee, we could not but be impressed by this white wooden building standing slap bang in the middle of the shopping precinct.

 The waterfront called, and we wandered further, past the many fishing boats tied up to the marina, and along toward the 45 hectare Sitka National Historical Park, from where we had views across the sheltered bay to our cruise ship. Wide paths between the giant Sitka Spruce trees enticed us and here and there along the way we found numerous native totem poles.

After a long walk back to the wharf, we were weary and satisfied with our excellent visit to lovely Sitka and of course appreciative of the good weather, albeit partly cloudy skies. It was anchors aweigh just before 3 pm.

 Thursday, 28 August 2014            At Sea, Westerdam, Holland America Line

This morning we woke to find ourselves docking on the long wharf at Ketchikan, along with several others. Alighting we found ourselves in the busy downtown centre of our most southern Alaskan port, as busy as Juneau but a place that appeared to have more charm. Ketchikan has a population of 13,500 and has spent most of its life as an industry town as opposed to the gold rush history of Juneau and the trading of Sitka. It was founded as a cannery site in 1885 and continued to base its industry entirely on salmon until the huge Ketchikan Pulp Mill was built in 1954. In the 1970s and over the subsequent years, strikes and changes to public policy forced the closure of this and the related industries that grew up all about timber. Commercial fishing still makes up 30% of the local economy and the rest must rely heavily on tourism. There is certainly space to accommodate the cruise ships because by the time we left there were five of us tied up, pouring foreign currency into the town.

Ketchikan makes no secret of the amount of rain it receives; in fact there is a tall board, the Liquid Sunshine Gauge, to greet the visitor which expounds the following facts:

Ketchikan 

•          is the King Salmon Capital of the World
•          is Alaska’s 4^th largest city 
•          has an average annual rainfall of 12.5 feet (3.81 metres) 
•          had the most rain recorded in 1949 – 202.55 inches (5.15 metres) 
•          has an average temperature in January (mid-winter) of 32.6oF (0oC) 
•          has a an average temperature in July (mid-summer) of 57.5oF (14oC)

Our guide book had warned us to expect every hour; today must have been an exception.

We wandered along the Waterfront Promenade then up Creek Street, a boardwalk street on pilings which was once the town’s red-light district for over a century until laws were changed in 1953. Today there is Dolly’s House, a museum of those bawdy and bygone days, but we were more taken by the general charm of the buildings, the picturesque creek and observe the annual run of the salmon. We rode the Cape Fox Hill Funicular to a hotel lobby, then found our way out past a cluster of shorter totem figures and wandered on down through the forest on the Married Man’s Trail, emerging near a bridge and a fish ladder, facilitating the busy traffic of those salmon seen further downstream. We followed the river upstream finally arriving at a spot where there was a seething mass of salmon, in their dying throes of semelparous orgasm, the fate of 90 to 95% of mainly female salmon. Corpses of fish in various states of composition lay on the river banks or in the shallow waters; it was not a particularly sweet place to hang about, albeit a fascinating one.

We made our way back down into the town and mozzied about the shops adding to the contents of our luggage before returning to the ship to put our feet up and enjoy our luxury accommodation. We sailed out of Ketchikan at about midnight.

Friday, 29 August 2014            Victoria, British Columbia

Most of the day was spent sailing down the coast of British Columbia and in through the Juan de Fuca Strait, arriving at Victoria just after 6 pm. Our time in port was to be brief so needed a clear plan. We had heard about the Fisherman’s Wharf area when we were in Victoria nearly two weeks ago but had not had the time to fit it into our schedule; today was the day. We set off on foot around the harbour from the port, but still back from Victoria’s Inner Harbour, soon arriving at this charming area.

The area has had a colourful and chequered history, but even now since the rules and regulations have been laid down, there remains an atmosphere that must truly be unique. From the end of the Second World War to about 1990 was the heyday of the fishing fleet at Fisherman’s Wharf. Fishing vessels were tied up to every dock, except for two docks at the east end, which became home to a diverse and often eccentric community from the 1970s right up until 2000. Local police were often busy breaking up fights and cross-checking their list of outstanding arrest warrants with the roster of wharf inhabitants. There used to be a floating shower with its own hot water tank that all could use, but this was discontinued when people began to receive large electric shocks during their ablutions. There were a handful of float homes, or house boats, during this era but most were real boats. 

In 2002, the federal government handed the area over to the Greater Harbour Authority, and from there on it has been operated by a real business. The marina is still home to a changing group of float homes, but limited to thirty three berths, and numerous little eateries. Barb’s Fish ’n Chips had been highly recommended to us, however none of us fancied sitting out on the exposed decking in the cold evening air, so we set off back to our ship and dined in style, the last of our cruise.

Saturday, 30 August 2014       Home, New Zealand

Time zones made this day a very long one; almost two days’ worth.  We docked back in Seattle before breakfast after which we disembarked, farewelled our fellow travellers, most particularly Mary, our guide, and were soon on our way by taxi through the city to the airport. Our United Airlines flight to San Francisco was even shorter than the scheduled two hours and we flew in over San Francisco in the bright sunshine. The city and harbour beckoned for future exploration but that was not to be for today. We had a long wait in the international airport, but not long enough to go off traveling and anyway, the prospect of having to come back through US immigration is enough to limit anyone’s coming and going.

Again armed with our little sleeping pills, our return flight on Air New Zealand was uneventful and we were soon home again in the arms of our husbands and familiarity of our homes, after a thoroughly excellent tour.