Seattle

Had an enjoyable couple of days here. Stayed in a B&B full of art work and with a very posh bathroom! Wandered round Seattle's permanent market yesterday. Loads to look at: we especially enjoyed the bunches of flowers for sale most of which were really beautiful arrangements. Went on a duck ride round the city and into Union Lake which was really good fun, mostly due to the driver who had us singing and cheering (Uff dah!) at everybody along the way!


 

Feeling like we've not just travelled thousands of miles!

I've just run into Eun-mi Pearson and family from school in the hotel corridor! Always say to Neil,"wouldn't it be weird if we saw someone we know?" So OBVIOUSLY it had to happen eventually!

We are liking Vancouver. Yesterday we hired bikes and cycled around the sea wall in Stanley Park. We watched some sea planes take off and land and spotted cormorants, herons, black squirrels (which I didn't know we get in England too) and later a raccoon. We went paddling in the Pacific for the first time-too cold in there to swim!

Today we spent all day in the aquarium. It was a v good one. They have a team that rescues and either rehabilitates or keeps the animals  at the aquarium for the public to see, and they give out lots of info and advice about conservation. We saw a couple of Beluga whales-they are soooo white! They had everyone giggling as they wiggled the lumpy bit on top of their heads, called a melon!

 

Great sign!

Revelstoke Park

Yesterday we drove from the best accommodation so far (a lodge in the middle of nowhere) to Revelstoke mountain. Views were not good from the top- it was very cloudy, in fact we drove through quite a lot of clouds, but the flower meadows up there were really lovely. Photo for you Jo!
 

 

 

Today we had a long drive to Vancouver Just enjoying our first reliable internet connection to date and investigating plans for the next three days here.

Last few days

Saw another bear! So here's a picture of a moose in a lake! Eventually we may have the camera ready!!

 

We spent a day a Lake Malign and took a boat trip to Spirit Island. Saw this moose in the lake. Took some nice atmospheric photos. It was hazy, but most of the early clouds had disappeared so we were able to properly admire the heavenly scenery.

On Saturday we had a long drive to Revelstoke Park. We visited a great canyon - Mistaya canyon, which is an Indian word for grizzly bear. You would have loved all the amazingly eroded rocks Mum!.. On the way we also had a close encounter with a black coyote who ran along the road beside us for several minutes. A bit later in the day we stopped at some falls in the Canadian Glacier N.P. It was one of those big ones that as soon as you start to get closer you start getting soaked! Had another stop off for a walk into an ancient forest. There were LOADS of different sorts of lichen all over the trees and rocks. Never knew there were so many!

 

A bit of R&R

A relaxing couple of hours reading with a lovely view of Pyramid Mountain from an island in the lake of the same name. See photo!

We walked this morning and then it got a bit hot to do too much else. Below is my arty shot of one of the lakes on the walk and a waterfall from yesterday.


 

"One of the most beautiful drives in the world"

Lake Louise to Jasper along the Icefields Parkway.

It WAS a beautiful drive, with lots of bright blue lakes, this due to just the right amount of "rock flour" - the tiny fragments of rock that fall into the lake that can alter the colour from a bright blue to a milky green. We took far too many photos, probably of practically the same thing! Had to dig out our waterproofs about lunchtime but it didn't stop us getting on this big bus for a trip onto the glacier.


 

Sorry

Even better than a photo of a bear (mainly as we weren't quick enough) here's proof that we're here. What more could you want!

Bear Day!

Yay, we saw a bear!  A black one on the road early on our drive over the scenic route from Glacier to Banff. We'd literally just said, what are the chances... and there he was. We were the only ones there for a few mins and he moved into the forest but kept popping his head up to look at us. What a treat! That was the start of a really good wildlife day. Saw mountain goat, big horn sheep, deer (really close), marmots, weasel and gophers galore! Had a great breakfast in a real hillbilly shack.  Long but lovely drive to Banff. Dinner cost us £8 each for soup, pasta ice cream and coffee- result!

McDonald Lake

 

Drove to McDonald Lake in the park. Caught a shuttle bus to walk to Avalanche Lake, about a 4 mile hike along a river and gorge. Lovely mostly cool walk in the forest, great as it's really warm again. Came back and flopped by the lake, reading for a bit . Huckleberry pie again for pud tonight.Yum!

 

Second day here, up early to catch the shuttle again to Avalanche and then a very peaceful walk back through the forest. Saw one walker and a couple of joggers in 3 hours. Later walked along the creek (is that American for river?!) Interesting rock formations at the edges. You could climb down and paddle in the FREEZING water. Went to a ranger talk in the evening about poo!
 

Two Medicine area

 

 

So...here's the car!

And this photo is from yesterday, showing the colourful pebbles in the creek. Saw lots of bear...grass, an indigenous plant on our walks today and yesterday - sorry Jude, got your hopes up!

Day 1

Had a great first day in Glacier national park. Drove from Calgary early this morning, stopping off for 20 mins to work out the boot lock on our v sporty hire car! Walked to Red rock falls this pm. Lovely mountain scenery and a lake with a family of moose! I really want to say meese! Photos to follow, struggling with internet connection tonight.

Ready,steady...

 

 

Pack it all in!