Today was a blip in Blog history, it rained all day, I didn't do much, except take a drive south to Nanaimo (Na-Ni-Mo) to look for a Camera store that is no longer there.
Joy had a better day, she and Christine went off to Salt Spring island (south of Nanaimo) to visit another weaver and had a good day.
All home by about 7.30 pm, another great meal of leftovers from the previous nights dinners, a bottle of Red and all is good.
No pics today.
LB
Friday 31 October 2014
Thursday 30 October 2014
Parksville BC, Vancouver Island - Day 2
A relaxed day today for me, Christine (our host) had arranged for a gaggle of Weavers to drop around today to talk weaving stuff with Joy and others.
Dean (our other host) and I got in the car and cleared off and out if the way for a few hours.
We went to a Salmon Hatchery, not far from Parksville and then just meandered North for a while up to Courtney.
Here are some pics from today and yesterday;
Dean (our other host) and I got in the car and cleared off and out if the way for a few hours.
We went to a Salmon Hatchery, not far from Parksville and then just meandered North for a while up to Courtney.
Here are some pics from today and yesterday;
Leaves at Whistler
Coming over on the Ferry
Joy with Pirate
Chum Salmon
Energetic Buggers
Like Fish in a Barrel
Wednesday 29 October 2014
Parksville, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
Hi all,
Today we travelled to a Tapestry Weavers house in Parksville, a town of about 12,000 people on Vancouver Island. We crossed over on the 10.30 am ferry this morning with fairly calm waters, not like the storm and high winds which were forecast, although it did rain a lot.
Lunch in Nanaimo and then easy drive here to Parksville, north of Nanaimo. Tonight we had a dinner with our hosts Christine and Dean and another couple Tom and Linda. A few wines and laughs all round, plus a delicious home cooked meal.
No pics as it is late and I need to update this quickly, only a few ferry shots taken today which I may review and post tomorrow if any good.
We are here until about next Monday.
LB
Today we travelled to a Tapestry Weavers house in Parksville, a town of about 12,000 people on Vancouver Island. We crossed over on the 10.30 am ferry this morning with fairly calm waters, not like the storm and high winds which were forecast, although it did rain a lot.
Lunch in Nanaimo and then easy drive here to Parksville, north of Nanaimo. Tonight we had a dinner with our hosts Christine and Dean and another couple Tom and Linda. A few wines and laughs all round, plus a delicious home cooked meal.
No pics as it is late and I need to update this quickly, only a few ferry shots taken today which I may review and post tomorrow if any good.
We are here until about next Monday.
LB
Tuesday 28 October 2014
Easy Day in Vancouver
Hi all,
A slow paced day today, went to a cafe in Vancouver that I had visited 24 years ago and had coffee. It turns out that the guy behind the counter, although not the owner, started working there 24 years ago.
This was a good introduction because he gave the me the name of a good barber down the street and I had myself a trim and neaten up. We then found place selling German sausages in Bread and we went to the park and had lunch.
Afterwards we went to an commercial area not far from downtown and I checked out a few camera shops, but behaved myself and did not buy anything. We then came home about 3pm and it has since started to rain, slightly, again.
Tomorrow, we head across to Vancouver Island - this might be fun as a storm is expected tonight/tomorrow.
Ces't la Vie
A slow paced day today, went to a cafe in Vancouver that I had visited 24 years ago and had coffee. It turns out that the guy behind the counter, although not the owner, started working there 24 years ago.
This was a good introduction because he gave the me the name of a good barber down the street and I had myself a trim and neaten up. We then found place selling German sausages in Bread and we went to the park and had lunch.
Afterwards we went to an commercial area not far from downtown and I checked out a few camera shops, but behaved myself and did not buy anything. We then came home about 3pm and it has since started to rain, slightly, again.
Tomorrow, we head across to Vancouver Island - this might be fun as a storm is expected tonight/tomorrow.
Ces't la Vie
Monday 27 October 2014
Squamish & Whistler 24 Years later
Hi all,
It finally stopped raining in Vancouver this morning, revealing a partly cloudy day. Today we went backtracking over territory I visited 24 years ago when I was last in Vancouver and BC. Things have changed considerably.
We took a drive up the 99 highway to Squamish and then on to Whistler Ski resort, both places I visited when I was here last. The 99 highway is perhaps the best and easiest scenic drive in BC. It is now a modern 4 lane highway for most of it and whilst it misses a bit of scenery the old windy 2 lane road used to see as it followed the shoreline a bit closer, it is still a great road.
Squamish is (still) a small town about 80k from Vancouver at the end of one of the inlets (Fjords) on the mainland coast north of Vancouver. It is past Horseshoe bay where you get the ferry across to Vancouver Island.
Unfortunately I cannot include the Old photos I took in Squamish and Whistler from last trip, whilst I have the thumbnails on my computer to view them, I do not actually have the files to upload.
Here are todays Pics
It finally stopped raining in Vancouver this morning, revealing a partly cloudy day. Today we went backtracking over territory I visited 24 years ago when I was last in Vancouver and BC. Things have changed considerably.
We took a drive up the 99 highway to Squamish and then on to Whistler Ski resort, both places I visited when I was here last. The 99 highway is perhaps the best and easiest scenic drive in BC. It is now a modern 4 lane highway for most of it and whilst it misses a bit of scenery the old windy 2 lane road used to see as it followed the shoreline a bit closer, it is still a great road.
Squamish is (still) a small town about 80k from Vancouver at the end of one of the inlets (Fjords) on the mainland coast north of Vancouver. It is past Horseshoe bay where you get the ferry across to Vancouver Island.
Unfortunately I cannot include the Old photos I took in Squamish and Whistler from last trip, whilst I have the thumbnails on my computer to view them, I do not actually have the files to upload.
Here are todays Pics
Squamish Hotel where I drank at when I was there last.
Chieftan Hotel (which is where I think I stayed, sort of across the road and down the street) I remember drinking at one pub and staying at the other.
Big D cafe, how appropriate to have lunch there in Squamish
Whistler, unfortunately this cloud seemed to hover over the summit as soon as we got there, yet when parking the car, it was clear.
Still good colour in the trees
My new shirt
Other side of Whistler
Streams have plenty of water after rains
Mountain views driving back from Whistler
Our Car, A Jeep Grande Cherokee, made By Chrysler (not as good as the GMC beast in Bozeman and quite a lot smaller)
Views of the Chieftan, A big Rock face at Squamish
More roadside views on the drive back.
Sunday 26 October 2014
Vancouver in the rain
First full day in Vancouver and it has been raining solid all day. Last nights hotel was a bit of a dive so we left early and have transferred to another place in Northern Vancouver, across the bridge.
Not a lot to report today, we left early and went to the University of BC, which have fabulous grounds overlooking the sea and surrounded by forest, only a few km from downtown Vancouver, after that we found great coffee and mediocre breakfast, then drove through the downtown city area of Vancouver (just like any other city) and then on to Stanley Park, another big park area on the opposite side of the side from the University. More coffee and still raining, we went over the Lionsgate bridge to North Vancouver (where I bought a Garmin portable GPS for the Car) and had lunch. We then had the new hotel confirmed and arrived here about 2pm and started to do some washing. It is one of those days for doing laundry.
I have now book my flight home and will be arriving in Melbourne of Sat 15 Nov about 5.30pm, Joy will be arriving on the 6th of November. All I have to do now is book my tickets and accommodation for Hawaii between 4th and the 14th of Nov. I am planning to visit the big island and see both the Volcano and the telescopes.
Pics
Looking from Stanley Park back toward city
Looking at Lions Gate Bridge (Built by Guiness)
Still few Red trees around
Overllooking harbour from Stanly Park, This ship appears to be loading Sulphur.
Canadian Geese in Canada
No, not the Little Mermaid
Guinness, not only a drink that cheers, but also a brewery that builds bridges
This is my excuse
Saturday 25 October 2014
Goodbye Bozeman, Hi to Salt Lake City and Hello Vancouver BC Canada.
Hi all,
Arrived safely in Vancouver late this afternoon, very rushed transfer at Salt lake City but got the plane OK. Not much to tell or say today, basically an all day travel day.
Picked up a car in Vancouver, it is a Jeep, seems OK but has not Sat Nav. Car hire here in Nth america is deceptively priced, I got the car for $123 Canadian a week, and have taken it for 11 days but Insurances and extra driver fees and extra taxes and this and that means it is costing over $1000 or about $100 a day. Its a bit of scam but what can you do.
A few pics Joy had taken from the plane as we approached Salt lake City, does not look like anyone would want to live there, but they do, mostly Mormons.
Arrived safely in Vancouver late this afternoon, very rushed transfer at Salt lake City but got the plane OK. Not much to tell or say today, basically an all day travel day.
Picked up a car in Vancouver, it is a Jeep, seems OK but has not Sat Nav. Car hire here in Nth america is deceptively priced, I got the car for $123 Canadian a week, and have taken it for 11 days but Insurances and extra driver fees and extra taxes and this and that means it is costing over $1000 or about $100 a day. Its a bit of scam but what can you do.
A few pics Joy had taken from the plane as we approached Salt lake City, does not look like anyone would want to live there, but they do, mostly Mormons.
Tonight we had dinner her in Vancouver in a nice Vietnamese restaurant, we seem to be in the asian part of town, good thing is it is probably cheap. Motel is dodgy, but cheap.
More exploring tomorrow.
Friday 24 October 2014
Butte is Beaut
Howdy Pilgrims,
This is the wild west of Montana. Today we went to Butte, about 80 mile (not 40 as I wrongly reported yesterday) from Bozeman. Butte was larger town than I expected and is historically a copper mining town with a heavy emphasis on its Irish heritage, being the miners who originally came to work in the dirty mines. It is sort of divided into two parts, Upper Butte and Lower Butte. Upper Butte is where the mines seem to be and is the more interesting part of town. Main Street runs up a big long hill to where the mines are. We had lunch there in good old fashion american diner, I had Bean & ham soup and a hamburger. All home made and nice. Like Bozeman, Butte is surrounded by snow capped mountains. The Continental divide is about 10 mile east of Butte. I suppose the mountains are loosely part of the Rockies.
On the way back we stopped at Cardwell for coffee. It's claim to fame is that the early US explorers Lewis & Clarke camped at Cardwell.
After that we headed back to Bozeman, got the beast (car) washed and then joy relaxed and I went shopping. After that we went to "Famous Daves" for Ribs and it was delicious. I like many things about the US, Ribs are one of them.
Tomorrow is a travel day and it is off to Vancouver BC Canada. This should use up most of the day so don't expect much tomorrow.
Pics
This is the wild west of Montana. Today we went to Butte, about 80 mile (not 40 as I wrongly reported yesterday) from Bozeman. Butte was larger town than I expected and is historically a copper mining town with a heavy emphasis on its Irish heritage, being the miners who originally came to work in the dirty mines. It is sort of divided into two parts, Upper Butte and Lower Butte. Upper Butte is where the mines seem to be and is the more interesting part of town. Main Street runs up a big long hill to where the mines are. We had lunch there in good old fashion american diner, I had Bean & ham soup and a hamburger. All home made and nice. Like Bozeman, Butte is surrounded by snow capped mountains. The Continental divide is about 10 mile east of Butte. I suppose the mountains are loosely part of the Rockies.
On the way back we stopped at Cardwell for coffee. It's claim to fame is that the early US explorers Lewis & Clarke camped at Cardwell.
After that we headed back to Bozeman, got the beast (car) washed and then joy relaxed and I went shopping. After that we went to "Famous Daves" for Ribs and it was delicious. I like many things about the US, Ribs are one of them.
Tomorrow is a travel day and it is off to Vancouver BC Canada. This should use up most of the day so don't expect much tomorrow.
Pics
Over looking Butte
Mine of Butte
Looking down Main Street Butte
Overlooking scenery from the car
More Scenery, this is big sky country, you would need to stitch about 8 of these pics side by side to get a sense of the view.
At Cardwell with BooBoo (In case you were wondering what had happened to Yogi and Boo Boo from Jellystone Nat. Park) Yogi is in an aged retirement home in Livingston and Boo Boo got a job as a doorbear at this gas station in Cardwell.
Beers at "Famous Daves" BBQ
Ribs at Famous Daves.
p.s The background music seemed to be either Little Feat or the Doobie Bros, how appropriate.
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