Glacier National Park, Mt to Great Falls, Mt

Back in the USA! Our first destination was Glacier National Park, which is in the northwest corner of Montana, in the Rocky Mountains. We had heard last year how beautiful the park was, and we were not disappointed! Unfortunately, Glacier Park, known for it's glaciers, has only 25 glaciers remaining, and it has been predicted that most of the glaciers will be gone by 2020 due to melting! There are only about 12 glaciers that can be seen from the road and the rest can only be seen by hiking quite a distance into the backwoods. One of the largest visible from the road was Jackson Glacier.

On one of our days in Glacier, we took the famous "Red Bus" tour. There have been 3 generations of the Red Bus, first starting in 1936. When the last generation of buses started to break down, the park wanted to get rid of them. After protests, the buses were refurbished by Ford Motor Company at the cost of $250,000 each! Each coach holds about 12 passengers. They are convertible, so unless it is raining, the top is down and it is great to be able to see the mountains and scenery above you as you are driving. At certain times, when the vehicles are stopped, the passengers are allowed to stand up in the bus and take pictures. The vintage coach drivers were called "Jammers", because they could be heard jamming the gears on the original stick-shift vehicles when driving up and down the mountains.

Our tour went along the "Going to the Sun Road", which traverses the park from east to west. It is considered one of the most beautiful drives in the country. The road is narrow and winding, and is built on the side of the mountains. At Logan's Pass, in the middle of the park, the elevation of the road is 6600 ft! It is an amazing road with spectacular sights. All I can say is that I'm glad we didn't try to drive our big truck in there, and relied on Evelyn, our Red Bus tour guide! Had we driven, probably both Art and I would have had heart attacks! In some areas, there seemed to be only inches to pass by the other vehicles going the opposite direction!

After deciding we needed to get some exercise one day, Art and I planned to take a "short" hike within the park to see the St Mary's Waterfalls. While riding a shuttle to the trail head, we met a nice couple, Judy and Bob, (she a patent attorney) who were also planning to hike in the same area, so we joined them. The trail was marked "easy", but it seemed steeper, longer, and more dense than we had anticipated. There were bear warning signs along the way, and before long, we ran across some fresh droppings with berries in them. Since bears are real berry lovers, we became a little nervous. A lot of hikers bring bear spray, which, of course, we didn't have. However, I got out my "Off " insect spray, hoping the bear wouldn't know the difference, in case of an encounter! All of us also talked loudly the entire way, since bears like to know you are coming and not be surprised! Although we didn't run into a bear, we were face to face with a weasel, which Art managed to catch a picture of. We ended up walking over 4 miles, and finally did make it to the waterfalls!

While driving on the "Many Glacier" road in the evening, we were able to spot Grizzly Bears coming down from the mountains, looking for food. Before dusk, the bears get more active, so your chances of seeing them are greater. They are very large, but move quite fast. No matter how many you see, it is still thrilling to see them in the wild! On the way home we saw the most beautiful harvest moon rising over the treeline. A perfect ending!

During our brief stay in Great Falls, we made a trip to the Charles Marion Russell Museum. Russell became known as the "Cowboy Artist", and was a gifted painter, writer, and sculptor. He moved from St Louis to Montana as a young man, having always been fascinated by the Old West, and drew and painted while working as a cowboy. His love of the West and respect and sympathy for the Native Americans was evident in his artwork. The museum was very well done and also housed large exhibits of other Western and Native American artists and artifacts, as well as a great exhibit on the American Bison.

Banff, Alberta, CA to Calgary, Alberta, CA

We rejoined the Johnstons in Banff. They had spent some time in Jasper, which they really enjoyed. Our campground was right in Banff National Park and it was in a beautiful setting. On our first evening together, we went to the town of Banff for dinner. The town was quite picturesque, with lots of restaurants and shops. Unfortunately, Joanne and I never got time to go shopping there, which probably was a good thing, since everything was quite expensive like Vancouver. I just drooled as we passed by some of the stores!

The first full day together, we decided to explore sights near Banff. We went hiking at Johnston Canyon, (no, not owned by Les and Joanne), and hiked a steep path to a beautiful waterfall! After lunch, Les talked all of us into going for a dip in one of the area hot springs called the "Upper Springs" on Sulfur Mountain. Although Joanne, and I were not thrilled about putting bathing suits on and Art wanted to wear his "Speedo", it turned out to be a pleasant and relaxing experience. The spring water was actually in a huge swimming pool and there were all ages and body types. Because the temperature was maintained in the upper 90s, it was only recommended you stay in the water for 20 minutes. I hate to disappoint all of you, but there will be no photos of us soaking at the hot springs!!!! Before dusk we all went wild game "hunting" in the park. We were able to spot a Grizzly Bear in the bushes just off the road, some elk, and mountain goats, who happened to be walking down the street and blocking traffic! A successful hunt!!!!!!

The next day was so exciting! Les kindly offered to drive us on the "Icefields Parkway" which connects Banff to Jasper. The scenery was spectacular with the Canadian Rockies looming on either side of the road! These were the largest mountains we had ever seen and they were awe inspiring! At every curve of the road, there was another beautiful sight, including glaciers on some of the mountains. Our main destination of the day was the Columbia Icefield and a ride onto the Athabasca Glacier. Our mode of transportation was the Brewster Ice Explorer, a bus-like vehicle with huge tires to grip the ice, unique to this glacier. What a thrill! Although the glacier has receded, it is still huge. After we stopped to walk on the glacier, there were still 2 more miles beyond where we were to reach the end. We were only allowed to walk in a certain area, due to crevasses, or cracks, that formed in the ice, some of which were very deep. 2 days after we left, we heard that a body was discovered on the glacier, that was believed to have been lost 25 years ago! The body probably fell into a crevasse and was discovered once the ice had melted enough.

Our adventures with Les and Joanne were lots of fun and unfortunately had to end! We both left for Calgary, they to fly home and us to spend a few days to catch up with cleaning and laundry. We enjoyed our time in Calgary. One of the nights there, we attended "Globalfest", a week long festival celebrating the diversity present in Calgary, with different cultural presentations of entertainment and food, and also a firework competition between countries. The night we were present, Germany put on a fireworks display, synchronized to music. It lasted 30 minutes and was one of the best fireworks show we had ever seen!

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada-Part II

We felt our day at Grouse Mountain deserved it's own blog. The mountain is about 15 minutes outside of Vancouver. This is where Art, Les, Joanne, and I decided to try "Ziplining". I suggested it and thought it would be fun, but when everyone agreed to try it, I started to get nervous!

Once at the mountain, we took a gondola ride up to the "Flight Center". Here we were fitted for equipment, including helmets and harnesses, and given some instructions. The harnesses themselves were on our backs, and when we sat they fit under our legs, providing support, and felt like being in a sling chair. We each were given a metal apparatus with 2 wheels, which would attach to our harnesses and then the wheel side would be placed on the cable. We were responsible to carry these to each of the runs. Actually, they were quite heavy for Joanne and I to carry, especially when walking up some of the terrain and climbing up the different platforms where the ziplines were located.

There were a total of 5 separate runs we would take. Each was in a different place, with it's own platform at each end of the run. There were 2 cables side by side, so 2 people could zip together, although depending on weight and position, usually one person got across before the other. We had 2 guides with us the entire time, and one would zip before us and wait on the other side until everyone got across, and then the other guide would zip to join us. The first run was short and not very fast, so you could get the hang of it. The second run was very fast, and they said we would be going about 50 mph! Just before the end of a run, we were instructed to assume the "crash position", which meant you tucked your head and feet in to prevent whiplash and injury when you reached the giant "spring" at the end, used to stop the zipping person. Would that person be called a "zipper"? Even though we all maintained this position, running into a giant spring at 50 mph made you see "stars"!!!!!!!!

After the first 3 runs, we were all having a great time and feeling comfortable, when we were informed we would be taking the chairlift up to the last 2 runs. I started getting nervous again, thinking we were high enough already!! Once off the chairlift, we even had to climb higher up the mountain to get to the other platforms. By the time we reached the higher elevations, it had become somewhat foggy. Our last run was the length of a football field and we would be sailing way above the pine trees on the mountain! It was exciting and frightening, all at the same time, especially with the intermittent fog. Because of the fog, you weren't sure where the end of the run was, so you could assume the crash position! Fortunately, the guides were watching out for us, and yelled when it was time to assume the position. We all had a blast, and were so proud of ourselves at the end of our ziplining adventure!!

The rest of our day on Grouse Mountain proved to be lots of fun also! There was a lumberjack show where 2 lumberjacks competed in different events such as log rolling and climbing up and down a tall timber. We weren't sure if the winning lumberjack really won, or if they took turns during each of the shows. Oh well, it was quite entertaining anyway! Besides the lumberjacks, there was also a "birds of prey" show. We got an up close look at some beautiful birds, such as a Red-Tailed Hawk and Bald Eagle. To end the day, we were able to observe 2 resident Grizzly Bears. They were pretty big fellows!!!!!!!!!

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada-Part I

Our Canadian RV adventure began in Vancouver, British Columbia. Vancouver is an extremely modern, large, cosmopolitan city, and the first thing that struck us as we drove in was the number of high-rise apartment buildings everywhere around the city. Our GPS was not very kind and took us right through the middle of downtown as we arrived. There was a lot of traffic, and not the best place to be towing our rig! Some of the turns were very tight, and as we made them, we noticed people jumping back away from the curb!!! Les and Joanne met us in Vancouver, and we had fun exploring the city together. We all agreed it was a great place to visit, but extremely expensive!

The first day we toured the city, and started at Granville Island. The island is home to a very active public market with shops and restaurants surrounding it. It is located on a harbor which was very colorful with water taxis coming and going from area hotels. After touring Granville, we stopped at Canada Place, which was originally created for a world exposition. There was not a lot to do there, but we were able to see the famous canvas "sails" that make the building look like a cruise ship. There are cruise ships that dock there, many of which are going to Alaska. Our next stop was Gastown, an historic district of Vancouver. We sat at a restaurant, across from the famous "Steamclock", the first steamclock in the world. I'm not sure how popular they ever became. The clock would whistle and let off steam on the hour and at 15 minute intervals. Very interesting, and definitely a place for people to gather and watch! We ended the day with dinner at the "Boathouse", a restaurant on English Bay. Not only did we have a delicious dinner, we watched a beautiful Pacific sunset!

On our second day in Vancouver, we drove to Whistler Mountain, where some of the 2010 Olympics took place. It was located about 50 miles from the city, and we took Highway 99, the "Sea to Sky" Highway to get there. Absolutely gorgeous scenery! Once there, we decided to take the gondola ride, which was labeled the "longest continuous lift system in the world"! Actually, there were 2 gondola rides, one to the top of Whistler, and "Peak 2 Peak", which traveled from Whistler Mountain to Blackcomb Mountain. In the second gondola, we were over 6000 ft in the air, suspended only by the steel cable! It took 11 minutes to cross: a little scary, but what magnificent views of the mountains, valleys, and millions of pine trees! Although there was no skiing, the Whistler resort was quite busy with mountain bike competitors, who actually took the gondola rides with their bikes to get to the higher elevations and try out the different trails, some of which were quite steep!

Les and Joanne left Vancouver before us to drive to Jasper, and we were to meet them in Banff 3 days later. On our last day in Vancouver, Art and I decided to go for a bike ride. Stanley Park was set aside 100 years ago as a natural area for the citizens to enjoy. It is a beautiful park right in Vancouver at one end of the Lion's Gate Bridge, which connects North Vancouver with Vancouver. There is a paved path around the entire exterior of the park, (6 miles), to accommodate bikers, walkers, and inline skaters and it is right next to the water. What a great place to enjoy the outdoors! Our campground was at the opposite end of the bridge, so Art and I decided to ride across the bridge to the park. It was a little longer and steeper than we had anticipated! We did make it, however, with a little sweat and some rests along the way.

Seattle, Washington

After leaving the Olympic Peninsula, we headed for Seattle. We were excited to go there and had heard what a great city Seattle was. Also, we were looking forward to the arrival of our good friends, Les and Joanne Johnston, who were flying to Seattle later in the week and doing some traveling with us!

Art and I stayed in Everett, just north of Seattle, which is also the home of Boeing. Our first sightseeing adventure was to the Boeing factory and the "Future of Flight" Museum. The tour of the factory was fascinating! The building where the planes are manufactured is the largest building in the world by volume! Our guide said 76 football fields would easily fit inside! There is a tunnel underneath the building which is 2/3 of a mile long! Boeing is manufacturing a new passenger plane and cargo plane called the "Dreamliner" and "Dreamlifter". It was amazing to watch these huge machines being built!

Once Les and Joanne arrived, we spent 2 days touring the actual city of Seattle. On our first day, we headed downtown to the harbor area. We started with a cruise of the Seattle Harbor. Our cruise narrator was very informative and it was fun to look at the city from Puget Sound. After the cruise, we headed for the Pike Place Market, which lived up to all the hype we had heard! It is a huge public market, full of vendors with fresh fruits, meats, vegetables, flowers, crafts, etc. You name it and it probably was available! Also, within and surrounding the market were shops, restaurants, street performers, and lots of people. The Pike Place Fish Market is famous for their "fish" throwing. As customers order fish, the employees have a routine of calling out and throwing the fish across the store, even the large ones, for another employee to catch and wrap. It is quite an entertaining routine and crowds gather around to watch. The original Starbucks is also in the market area, and people were constantly lined up to buy coffee there.

The "Wall of Gum" deserves mention. A Seattle native told us of a shortcut between the market and the harbor, and mentioned the gum wall as a point of interest. We took his advice on the shortcut, and sure enough there was a long wall of gum that people deposited after chewing! Some depositors even spelled out words with their gum! Gross, but interesting, all at the same time! Yes, I did add to the wall!

To end our first day of touring, we went to the Seattle Space Needle. First built in 1962 for a world's fair, it remains today as a popular tourist attraction. There are great 360 degree views from the top!

Our second day in Seattle, we decided to go on the "Underground Seattle" tour. When Seattle was first built, it was constructed below sea level which caused many problems, including the back-up of sewage! After a fire in the late 1800's, the city was rebuilt on top of the old city, leaving a network of tunnels below the new streets. For a time, this space was used for commercial purposes and eventually closed when it became rat infested. In the 60's, a local historian, Bill Speidel, was aware of these tunnels and wanted to preserve them, so he began lecturing about them. The lectures grew into regular tours, which are now extremely popular! It was so interesting to see this area, and the tour guides were very entertaining and funny. Who would have known when you were walking in parts of Seattle, this was underneath you??