Canada 2025 The West

This is going to be a bit of an unusual trip as we are doing a lot of visiting of friends and relatives. Scenery and excursions are necessarily taking a back seat to time spent with old friends. And those activites are probably of interest only to those involved. However, here goes. We landed in Vancouver and went directly to the ferry dock in Horseshoe Bay. On a previous trip we left too little time between the airport and the Ferry, and missed it. This time we had so much time we walked around Horseshoe Bay and had lunch. Horseshoe Bay is mainly a ferry dock and loading ramps. There is a pleasant park by the waterfront where we watched the myriads of Canada Geese. The geese are very prolific as they love to eat the tender shoots of grass on any lawn. They forage all through the parks, breeding and shitting, annoying all the locals and being photographed by tourists. They are a protected species, so they are not hunted but they can be real pests. 

Leaving the geese behind, we caught the 20:30 ferry to Naniamo, then drove north on Vancouver Island to Courtenay and the home of friends Helen and Glyn. They seemed happy to see us despite our arrival about 23:00. We were all very happy to cut reminiscences short and get some sleep. During the following three days, Helen and Glyn were exemplary hosts, wining and dining us, helping us run errands (getting a Canadian e-SIM) and giving tours of the local sites. We did pretty walks along a stoney beach on the strait, a hike around the verdant alpine meadows of Mount Washinton where the wildflowers were in bloom, and a stroll along the river to Nymph Falls. The weather was overcast at first, but we also had some cool, sunny days. 

Vancouver Island beach

We returned to Vancouver, where we visited our old neighbourhood. The area is much busier and more upmarket now. We mourned the loss of Joe's espresso bar, a relic of the old Italian neighbourhood of the 60s. Walking by our old house, we chanced on the new owner, raking leaves out front. Seems she is about the third owner since we sold it, and she converted it back into two flats. We did the opposite when we bought it, turning two flats into one house! We also had dinner with some of Bill's college friends. He and Ira calculated that it had been 51 years since they had seen each other. 

Old Vancouver house 

Our next stop was Vernon, about a five hour drive from Vancouver. Most of the trip was through the Rocky Mountains. I had forgotten how monumentally big they are, in height, and extent. None of my photographs really capture the overwhleming impact of the mountains and the incredible roads and rail lines that go through them. We had dinner with Bill's friend Mike and his wife. He had just retired from his business as an apiarist. We spent an enjoyable evening sampling wine and chatting over old times. We drove on to major tourist spots Banff and Lake Louise. Banff is a centre of skiing and hiking, and a general tourist town for the beauty of the mountain area. We explored a local arts and crafts market, and tried funnel cake, a sort of warm waffle cone filled with ice cream and toppings. As you can guess, it will be a miracle if we are still able to do up all our buttons by the time we head home. Lake Louise is famed for the beauty of its green, glacial water surrounded by towering, snow capped mountains. All well and good, if you can get anywhere close enough to see it. The lake and surrounding town are being loved to death by tourists. Parking spaces were rare and expensive. We paid $37.00 for a spot. You had to pay the full day rate no matter how long you stayed. With luck, you could get a photo of the lake without tourists, but highly unlikely.

After Lake Louise, we drove on to Okotoks, a community just south of Calgary. Mike and Rhonda, old friends from Toronto, are now living there and enjoying their retirement. There were superb hosts, despite us dropping in while Mike was undergoing extensive dental surgery. Rhonda gave us a tour of Okotoks including the big rocks that are a remnant of ancient glacial activity. Our visit to Calgary coincided with the Stampede, and Mike and Rhonda treated us to ringside seats. The entire city gets involved, and cowboy boots and hats are everywhere. We enjoyed a sunny afternoon of watching bronco riding, bull riding, barrel races and calf roping. Riding bucking animals looks like a very painful way to make a living. We also attended a Stampede breakfast, where local businesses or organizations provide a "free" pancake breakfast. (You are usually asked to give a donation to a charity.) The homeless in Calgary eat well during Stampede week. At this point, we will pause our blog, so something gets posted before we get home and continue with another instalment soon.