One More Time.

Something I never considered, which my European partner mentioned through our travels is the amazing fact that the mountains never end. In France, he's seen the Alps many times and the mountains are just as big (if not bigger) and just as beautiful, but after an hour you've driven through them and it's done. On this trip, we drive 2300km and the mountains didn't end until Calgary...and even then you could still see them in the distance of the skyline!

It's hard to describe the mountains in Canada though. In Vancouver and on the Island everything is green and you have beautiful rolling mountains coming right out of the ocean. The rockies are a little different though. Named the 'rockies' for a reason, some parts of this drive can be quite grey because, well, of course the mountains are rock. This is why I've always loved the northern part of the Rocky Mountains in Jasper the most and would far more recommend this area over Banff of Lake Louise to anyone coming to visit. The mountains here have created a beautiful valley and because they're low the towering pine trees in their overwhelming capacity filter up the mountains and then peak with snow.



Not only is Jasper one of the most beautiful areas in terms of scenery but it also lacks the tourists that the other locations get. It's quiet, small and quite often you'll find you get a lot of trails all to yourself. In fact, it was almost of a bit of a shock to come from such serenity into the noise and mess of tourists in Lake Louise and Banff after four days of camping right on the river of the Athabasca.



And you'll probably have the opportunity to get a better glance at the wildlife.

You can quite literally camp amoung elk, deer and even bears. Check this out...

And Take It To the Limit...

Quite honestly, I'm not going to spend a lot of time on the Okanagan Valley. I had heard so much about it, people told me it was beautiful, that they "fell in love with it so much they had to move there", and I don't know if I missed something but I certainly didn't see that.

Perhaps the forest fires two years ago took out a lot of the trees and in turn, the landscape changed, but I was sorely disappointed with this part of the province. We did manage to take in some wine tastings, which were great and really inexpensive, however that was the extent of my excitement in the Valley.



The drive however, through Chilliwack, Abbotsford and Hope was incredible and well worth the trip on its own. Here, you're right in the mountains and the road is winding through these little towns with beautiful farms situated on the backdrop of the hovering mountains. It's truly beautiful...

I will say, I did this drive once before about 5 years ago, however I went north from Vancouver through Whistler, Squamish and then east towards Jasper. I found this drive to be more awe-inspiring and would recommend if you're planning this type of trip to go that route.

Going north a little from Kelowna, we decided to stay in a B&B near Kamloops in order to shorten the distance of our drive to Jasper the next day. We stayed at a beautiful house on Lac le Jeune which was a fantastic getaway. Unfortunately the weather was a little cool to enjoy the hot tub on the deck, but it's okay because you can cozy up in their magnificent log home situated right on the lake, in the middle of rugged British Columbia forests. It was a wonderful welcome to a long day of driving and in the morning we wake up to a marvellously healthy breakfast of whole wheat pancakes and turkey bacon. Just another thing to love: the health conscious of the west coast!

And Show Me a Sign...

Vancouver...who knew?

I don't know what I was expecting, but not this. Ocean, mountains, sailing, hiking and to top it off a clean and beautiful city to go along with it. No wonder this city is rated in the top five for the highest quality of life.



When in any city, I figure the best way to get around is to, well, plan nothing. Just walk and enjoy. Or in my case, rent a bike! Call me old fashioned but this whole bike thing is sort of a rediscovery for me. I forgot how fantastic they are and I definitely recommend this to anyone seeing Vancouver for the first time.



One thing everyone does in Vancouver is visit Stanley Park. Big, beautiful, old trees are well maintained here, and a complete walking and biking path surrounds it for whatever your pleasure. There are many bike shops situated at the park entrance on Georgia Street, and you can get a bike for a half day (four hours) for about $20...well worth it. Biking around the seawall and other areas gave me a great feel for the city, and an efficient and healthy way to be a tourist as well.

One thing I wanted to do was to visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge. This bridge is situated high above the trees in Vancouver's forest and is great for photos and a little bit of excitement. But at $30/person just to walk across a bridge, it's pretty pricey. Thankfully I have a friend who lives in Vancouver and suggested we go to Lynn Canyon. Oh, how I love to have friends in city's. Lynn Canyon is only a few kilometres from the Capilano Bridge, and guess what? Not only is there a suspension bridge there (a little smaller, but still...) but it's also FREE. I love "free". So our group enjoyed an afternoon of hiking (sans millions of tourists) in the forests of North Vancouver and took our pictures peacefully and quietly.



For a couple of drinks later on, we head down to Gastown and enjoy the nightlife and some of the breweries along Water Street and just take in the city's vibe. Vancouver is a great place to just take in the surroundings, it's a fairly safe city and very easy to get around in (probably due somewhat to the 2010 Olympics but hey, I'm not complaining.)



Don't forget if you're hungry, check out the Food Critique for the latest Vancouver restaurant postings.

Onwards we go, driving through wine country...

Put Me On A Highway...

Leave it to Meatloaf to put it perfectly: Paradise by the Dashboard Light. I could never have come up with anything better.

This year's adventure takes us to the Canadian west coast and onwards through the Rocky Mountains. A real road trip this time, we rent a Nissan Altima in hopes that our fearless little car takes us through these winding roads. This turns into a real vacation, where time is your own and all you have to do is sit back and take in the scenery, serenity and cool, clean air.



We start our 10-day journey in Vancouver, and make our way east through the Kelowna wine country, heading north to Jasper and then down through to Lake Louise, Banff and finally taking off from Calgary.



People come from all over the globe to view some of the world's greatest mountains here in Canada, and not only that but some of the best kayaking, canoeing, whitewater rafting, hiking and mountain biking. For a lover of the outdoors, or for just a relaxing vacation in a country full of nice people, Canada's got it all.

This time I'll take you through some of what each destination has to offer and some tips along the way. I hope you enjoy!