...Canada Photos...

Friday 14th Aug. We arrived in Vancouver a little after lunch. We took a taxi into town and checked into our hotel.

Moraine Lake

Arrival in Vancouver

We were staying at The Loden. We walked down to the waterfront then into downtown via Robson Street. The Kamei Royale proved a good choice for a sushi dinner.

Granville Island

Saturday 15th. We took the ferry from the end of Hornby street across False Creek to Granville Island where we had breakfast at The Granville Island Hotel. We spent the morning walking around the shops and galleries of Granville Island, picking up punnets of huge strawberries and cherries.

False Creek Ferry

We took the ferry back across False Creek to Yaletown.

Gastown Steam Clock

We walked around Yaletown, Robson Street, Chinatown and Gastown, coming across a flash mob of zombies outside The Vancouver Art Gallery. We had dinner at Goldfish Pacific Kitchen in Yaletown – great food and great for people watching!

Stanley Park

Sunday 16th. We had brunch at the Wedgewood Hotel and spent the afternoon walking around Stanley Park (along the 10.5km coastal path).

Girl in Wetsuit

Part way around Stanley Park you come across 'Girl in Wetsuit', a sculpture by Elek Imredy which was inspired by the famous Copenhagen mermaid.

Stacked stones by Kent Avery

Since the late 1990's, local Vancouver artist Kent Avery has spent his weekends stacking stones on the English Bay waterfront. I even remember seeing these in 2000 when I last walked around the Stanley Park water front. Avery hops down off the seawall and begins to setting one rock atop another, sometimes more than a hundred of them. As we looked at the stones in amazement the incoming tide started to knock some of them down. A tip jar is left on the sea wall beside his photos. We eventually stopped at Third Beach for a picnic. We were so tired by the end of the day we didn't even go out for dinner.

Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo

Monday 17th. After breakfast at the hotel we took a taxi to Horseshoe Bay for the ferry ride to Nanaimo.

Englishman River Falls

We picked up a hire car and started to make our way to the Long Beach Lodge (near Tofino).

Englishman River Falls

We punctuated our journey with stops at the Englishman River Falls and Cathedral Grove.

Englishman River Falls

Long Beach Lodge

The Long Beach Lodge is located right on the beach of Cox Bay. We took a sunset stroll on the beach.

Our room

Our room had a balcony and a lovely view of the sea.

Cox Bay

Tuesday 18th. An early walk along the beach. After breakfast we sat in the 'Great Room' reading our books and enjoying the view.

Cox Bay

Later that day we went for another walk along the full length of the beach.

Cox Bay

We finished off the food we had left from the day before and had a Picnic on the balcony.

Cox Bay

We drove into Tofino for a stroll around town – Tammay managed to find herself a new handbag!

Cox Bay

We had an early dinner at the hotel and followed it up with a sunset stroll along the beach.

Cox Bay

We went to bed watching 'Angels & Demons'.

Wild Pacific Trail

Wednesday 19th. We made the most of the beach by going for another walk before breakfast. We then drove into Ucluelet for the Wild Pacific Trail. Firstly a 2.5km loop via the Amphitrite Lighthouse which gave us some great coastal views.

Wild Pacific Trail

We had lunch at the Driftwood Cafe in Ucluelet. Secondly a 3km stretch of the Wild Pacific Trail from Big Beach Park, returning along a bike path.

Wild Pacific Trail

We drove into Tofino for dinner, stopping at the Spotted Bear Bistro – we were not disappointed! We headed back to the hotel to watch the end of 'Angels & Demons'.

Radar Hill

Thursday 20th. In the morning we visited some of the local points of interest. First up was Radar Hill – which was used during the Second World War & Cold War but has since been cleared. The site normally gives great views of the surrounding area however the weather wasn't the best when we were there.

Combers Beach

A short walk through the forest from the car park we came out onto Combers Beach. We took a long walk down the beach as a cold wind started to bite.

Combers Beach

After Combers Beach we took a twin 1km loop track through pristine old growth rainforest. Next up was a 1km rainforest trail that took us to Schooner Cove – located at the north end of Long Beach. That evening we passed on room service and took a drive into Tofino to pick up a couple of takeaway pizzas from Tony's (which doubled as a great snack the next day on our drive back to Nanimo!).

Onward to Banff!

Friday 21st. A 7am start for our journey to Banff which involved a number of forms of transport! A drive to Nanimo, seaplane to Vancouver, bus transfer to the airport, then a flight to Calgary followed by a drive to Banff in our new rental car. We stayed at the Royal Canadian Lodge. Following a recommendation we had a sushi dinner at Sukiyaki House. The restaurant was located on the 1st floor and was a little hard to find but was well worth the effort.

Johnston Canyon Trail

Saturday 22nd. We decided to have a lazy day and made a late start on the Johnston Canyon Trail. We took the trail to the Lower Falls...

Johnston Canyon Trail

...and the Upper Falls.

Johnston Canyon Trail

Upper Falls.

Johnston Canyon Trail

It was only once we made our way further along the trail that we started to see some spectacular views across the valley. Surprisingly the trail also became quite quiet.

Ink Pots

We finally reached the Ink Pots.

Ink Pots

The views of the surrounding mountains were spectacular.

Ink Pots

It was surprising how few people made it this far.

Ink Pots

After quite a long day we felt we deserved a steak dinner at Saltlik Steakhouse, which was great.

The view from Tunnel Mountain

Sunday 23rd. My birthday, and a slightly earlier start to the day. In the morning we made our way to the top of Tunnel Mountain – supposibly Banff's most popular trek.

The view from Tunnel Mountain

It was quite a short hike (about 2km each way) but the heat of the morning sun and some steep sections took its toll. At the top we had some good views of Banff and the surrounding area.

The view from Sulphur Mountain

In the afternoon we made our way up Sulphur Mountain but thought the $60 needed to take the gondala to the top was a good investment. As we travelled up in the cable car we had a good view of Tunnel Mountain (which suddenly looked quite small!). At the bottom right of the frame is the Rimrock Resort.

The view from Sulphur Mountain

Another view of Tunnel Mountain.

The cable-cars on Sulphur Mountain

Sulphur Mountain

Me at the top of Sulphur Mountain.

Banff

As a special birthday treat we went back to Sukiyaki House for dinner and ordered the 'Love Boat' (a huge dish of sushi & sashimi to share) plus another sashimi dish – we both felt very full afterwards!

The journey to Lake Louise

Monday 24th. We departed Banff and drove an hour or so North to Lake Louise, admiring the spectacular scenery.

Lake Louise

After a short consultation with a local guide and our map we chose to complete a 15km loop trail.

Lake Louise

The trail took us from the edge of Lake Louise (foreground), to Mirror Lake (which sits at the foot of Big Beehive), Agnes Lake (and its teahouse) and finally to the summit of Big Beehive. This was followed by a descent down the other side of the mountain dropping us off at the far end of Lake Louise allowing us to walk around the edge of the lake, back to our starting point.

The Big Beehive

In this photo, Big Beehive sits at the centre of the frame. Mirror Lake sits (unseen) amidst the trees at the foot of Big Beehive. Lake Agnes sits on the far side of Big Beehive.

Mirror Lake

Mirror Lake in front of Big Beehive.

On towards Big Beehive

After Mirror Lake we passed the Little Beehive trail and continued towards the Teahouse.

Big Beehive

Another view of Big Beehive.

Lake Agnes

The Teahouse sits at an idillic spot on the edge of Lake Agnes.

Lake Agnes

The Teahouse from across Lake Agnes.

Lake Agnes

Tammay next to Lake Agnes

Lake Agnes

A great view of the Teahouse, Lake Agnes and the scenery beyond.

Lake Louise

This is a view of Lake Louise and Chateau Lake Louise from the top of the Big Beehive. Fairview Mountain can be seen on the right.

Lake Louise

We finally came to the end of our desent and walked back along the shore to reach the 'chateau'. While I was sitting next to the lake (waiting for Tammay) an American lady approached me with some camera trouble... I'm not sure what was wrong with it, but it was working afterwards. Tammay and I spent a little while chatting with her and her son before making the short drive back to Moraine Lake.

Moraine Lake Lodge

At Moraine Lake we stayed at the Moraine Lake Lodge. We had a wonderful cabin with an open fire and views of the lake.

Moraine Lake

As the sun started to set we took a kayak out onto the lake for a paddle... however Tammay didn't seem to be doing much of the paddling! The little hut that rented the kayaks had already closed (as guests of the lodge we still had access) leaving us almost totally alone on the lake.

Moraine Lake

After dinner we retired to our room and relaxed in front of a lovely roaring open fire!

Moraine Lake

Tuesday 25th. We got up early and walked down to the edge of the lake for a good 'sunrise' view. The air was totally still, leaving the lake surface acting like a perfect mirror.

Moraine Lake

Before the sun had time to rise far enough to illuminate the trees at the edge of the lake the wind started to pick up and the mirror effect was lost.

Consolation Lake

We made our way to the trail head of the Consolation Lake hike. Due to the number of bears in the area the trail was restricted to groups of 4 or more. We waited a short while and met up with a group of Canadians. A relatively sedate walk got us to the lake.

Consolation Lake

Landslides have brought a large quantity of rock from the surrounding mountains all the way to the lake shore. While we were there we heard, then saw, some smaller boulders making the journey down the mountainside – one of which managed to reach the lake.

Consolation Lake

We rockhopped our way to the edge of the lake and enjoyed the scenery.

Consolation Lake

Me at Consolation Lake.

Consolation Lake

We made the return journey back to Moraine Lake with an American couple.

Moraine Lake

As we got back to the lake we decided to get some warmer clothes from our cabin. It only took us a couple of minutes but right at the same time a bear appeared on the other side of the lake and swam across onto the shore in front of our cabin. Instead of taking a photo of this little guy I should have been looking out for the bear!

Moraine Lake

We went for a walk around the lake.

Moraine Lake

Tammay next to Moraine Lake.

Moraine Lake

The shore trail continues to the far end of the lake where you come to the river that feeds it.

Moraine Lake

Without the impressive mountain backdrop, the view of Moraine Lake from the opposite side is far less impressive.

Moraine Lake

After another great 3 course dinner we moved to the lodge library for an hour long talk on the smaller creatures that can be found in the area. The lady giving the talk was completely nuts! We retired to our room to sit infront of another roaring fire.

Moraine Lake

Wednesday 26th. Another early morning visit to the rock pile for a 'sunrise' view of reflections on the lake, followed by breakfast. We drove further north to Jasper making a number of stops to break up the journey. First up was a view of the Crowfoot Glacier from the side of the road.

Peyto Lake

A short walk from the road got us to the Peyto Lake lookout and this view of Peyto Lake.

Mistaya Canyon

Also a short and very worthwhile walk from the road is Mistaya Canyon.

Mistaya Canyon

Mistaya Canyon is a river gouged slot canyon.

Mistaya Canyon

We spent quite a while here.

Mistaya Canyon

Our guide book recommended a 1km unmarked trail to the Panther Falls. We stopped at the neighbouring Bridal Veil Falls view point and found the top of a water fall just a short distance from the road. The river had created another slot canyon however it was not as impressive as Mistaya Canyon. We decided not to attempt the steep decent into the valley below.

Athabasca Glacier

The next stop on our journey was the Columbia Ice Fields and the Athabasca Glacier. We parked the car and made the short walk up to the toe of the glacier. We also made a very quick stop at the Tangle Creek Falls, located right at the roadside.

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

We checked into the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge.

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

The hotel is set in a stunning location next to a lake. As the sun started to set we took a walk around the edge of the lake and went to the hotel's 'Emerald Lounge' to read for a while.

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

Our room at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge was large but a little dated, however the surroundings more than made up for it.

Maligne Canyon

Thursday 27th. Following breakfast at the Soft Rock Cafe, we went to Maligne Canyon. It was a slot canyon but not as impressive as Mistaya Canyon.

Maligne Canyon

However, we did come across this quite picturesque section of rapids.

Maligne Canyon

Maligne Canyon falls.

Maligne Lake

In the afternoon we drove to Maligne Lake, passing the supposibly 'picture perfect' Medicine Lake. Unfortunately we found the lake almost empty.

Maligne Tours Boat House

Once we got to Maligne Lake we booked ourselves onto the 17:00 boat trip (the last of the day). We were dubious about spending the $110 but it proved well worth it. While waiting we ate a late lunch on the shore.

Maligne Lake

It was a 90min round trip taking us a little over half way along the lake (further south the lake is protected and motor boats are not permitted). At 22km long Maligne Lake is the largest lake in the Rockies.

Maligne Lake

Our guide gave a great commentary with a good mix of local history, geology and humour!

Maligne Lake

The trip culminated with a 30 minute stop allowing us to view the famous Spirit Island.

Maligne Lake

The late afternoon sunlight gave us a great view of the surrounding mountain ranges and the same was true for Spirit Island.

Spirit Island

Robert had recommended that we visit Maligne Lake and see Spirit Island and we could see why.

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

Upon returning to our hotel we sat next to the lake and read while the sun set.

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

We moved inside for dinner.

Pyramid Lake

Friday 28th. Following breakfast at Coco's Cafe and a stroll up and down Patricia Street (purchasing a case for our new camera) we drove to Pyramid Lake. A short bridge took us over to Pyramid Island. While we were there a small wedding party arrived and gathered at the water line. They covered the picnic benches in white cloth and laid out lunch.

Pyramid Lake

We whiled away an hour reading and enjoying the stunning views.

Athabasca Falls

We drove back through town (picking up a Subway for lunch) and made our way to the Athabasca Falls were we had a late lunch.

Athabasca Falls

We had dinner at Jasper Pizza Place (famous for displaying historic black & white photos of the local area on its walls).

Saturday 29th. Our last day in Canada and an early start on the drive back to Calgary. We stop briefly at Mistaya Canyon for a 20min break then push on to Banff for lunch at Melissa's Restaurant and a hit of Starbucks. The last hour of our journey was mainly taken up with heavy Calgary traffic, our fuel guage firmly on empty and the light flashing with contempt. Somehow we managed to coast into the airport on the fumes still wafting around the tank. It's far less stressful when you agree to return a hire car with a full tank!